Mandalorian Mandalorians were a predominantly human ethnolinguistic cultural group who originated on the planet Mandalore . Mandalorians had a particularly unique role in galactic history as legendary warriors , and could be commonly found not only on the Mandalorian homeworld and its moon , Concordia , but across Mandalorian Space and the galaxy at large on worlds such as Kalevala , Krownest , and Concord Dawn . Mandalore had a largely martial history , but by the time of the Clone Wars the pacifist and reformist New Mandalorian political faction controlled Mandalore ' s government , led by Duchess Satine Kryze . This led to internal conflict with other Mandalorian groups like Death Watch , who wanted to maintain the warrior ways of their Mandalorian heritage . After the rise of the Galactic Empire , the Mandalore system came under the rule of the Empire with Gar Saxon as their Viceroy , while other Mandalorian worlds such as Concord Dawn were free from Imperial rule . History . Mandalorian - Jedi War . The ancient history of the planet Mandalore was that of a warrior people known for being feared mercenaries and bounty hunter s . In ancient time s , a series of crusades were undertaken by a group of Mandalorian warriors known as the Mandalorian crusaders , during which they came into conflict with the Jedi Order . During this period Mandalorians would become known for fighting and often defeating Jedi Knight s , as murals depicting these exploits would be created and displayed in Sundari , the capital of the planet Mandalore , as well as on Mandalore ' s moon , Concordia . During a crusade into the galaxy ' s Inner Rim , they devastated the planet Ubduria out of contempt for the native Ubdurian s , whom they viewed as dishonorable cowards . The Mandalorians also waged war against the Old Republic . During the fall of the Republic , members of House Vizsla snuck into the Jedi Temple and liberated a weapon known as the darksaber , a unique lightsaber created by Tarre Vizsla , the first Mandalorian ever inducted into the Jedi Order as a child , and later ruler of Mandalore . The planet Concord Dawn , a Mandalorian colony , was ravaged by almost one hundred wars amongst the Mandalorian people . Centuries of constant warfare and relentless campaigns of conquest ravaged Mandalore ; the last great struggle between the Mandalorian warlord s and the Jedi caused a cataclysmic event that devastated the once - glorious planet . This scorched much of its surface into lifeless white desert , uninhabitable outside of hermetically sealed dome cities , and ended the conflict in favor of the Jedi . Mandalorian Civil War . In the years prior to the Invasion of Naboo , a new conflict broke out between the Mandalorian people : the Mandalorian Civil War . The war was fought between competing ideals within Mandalorian society , including those who wished to see Mandalore return to their warrior past and the New Mandalorians , led by Satine Kryze . Also involved were the Protectors of Concord Dawn , an elite group of warriors sworn to defend the Concord Dawn system . At the end of the civil war , Satine Kryze ruled as the Duchess of Mandalore , and the warrior clans were exiled to Concordia . Death Watch and the Shadow Collective . Unknown to the New Mandalorians , during the Clone Wars , the Concordian governor Pre Vizsla revived the Mandalorian culture as Death Watch , and began committing terrorist acts on Mandalore , a Republic cruiser , and Kalevala . Conspiring with Count Dooku of the Confederacy of Independent Systems , Vizsla hoped the Republic would believe an intervention was necessary , so Death Watch could fight their invasion and be hailed by the Mandalorians as heroes . However , the plot failed and the Galactic Senate rejected the Mandalore Defense Resolution . Death Watch fled to become mercenaries , allying first with Separatist senator Lux Bonteri to plot Dooku ' s downfall , and then with the Sith Lord Darth Maul ' s Shadow Collective to win back the support of Mandalore ' s people . However , after Vizsla betrayed Maul , Maul killed him and became Death Watch ' s leader , prompting Bo - Katan Kryze to rebel against him . Jedi Master Obi - Wan Kenobi investigated the coup , but was captured , and Maul killed Satine to spite him . Kenobi escaped and returned to inform the Galactic Republic ; in the meantime , Supreme Chancellor Sheev Palpatine , secretly the Dark Lord of the Sith Darth Sidious , captured Maul and imprisoned him in the Spire on Stygeon Prime . Maul ' s Mandalorian super commando s proved to be loyal and freed him , but nevertheless Maul ' s hold on Mandalore collapsed . Following the Siege of Mandalore , Bo - Katan was named Regent of Mandalore . Eventually Kryze was ousted out by Clan Saxon when she refused to follow Emperor Palpatine and the planet was ultimately occupied by the Galactic Empire . Imperial occupation . Meanwhile , the Protectors , who regarded Death Watch as traitors , assisted the Grand Army of the Republic in training clone trooper s . Skull Squadron , commanded by Fenn Rau , assisted the Republic by training clone trooper pilot s and fought in the Third Battle of Mygeeto . After the Imperial occupation of Mandalore , Rau ' s Protectors established a base on the third moon of Concord Dawn , getting paid by the Empire to protect their system on their behalf , while other Mandalorians under the leadership of Gar Saxon , the Imperial Viceroy of Mandalore , would go on to serve in the Imperial Military as Imperial Super Commando s . In 2 BBY , Saxon and his Imperial Super Commando s wiped out the Mandalorian Protectors ; as a result , Rau decided to join the rebellion . Later that year , the Spectres rebel cell member Sabine Wren found the Darksaber on Dathomir after she , Kanan Jarrus , and Ezra Bridger fought a battle there against Maul . At the urging of Fenn and the rebel leaders Hera Syndulla and Jarrus , Sabine agreed to begin training with the Darksaber so that she could reunify her people and rally them to help the rebellion . Following Sabine ' s training , she , Rau , Jarrus and Bridger returned to Krownest to Clan Wren ' s Stronghold . There , Sabine attempted to convince the clan ' s leader and her mother , Countess Ursa Wren to join the rebellion . At first , Ursa decided to surrender the Jedi to Viceroy Saxon and his Imperial Super Commandos in exchange for the darksaber and sparing her daughter . When Saxon branded her and Clan Wren as enemies of the Emprie , Ursa and her son Tristan fought Saxon and commandos alongside Rau and the Jedi . When Saxon tried to kill Ursa with the Darksaber , Sabine took Bridger ' s lightsaber and fought Saxon . Sabine was then able to reclaim the Darksaber and subdue Saxon . When Saxon tried to shoot Sabine , he was then killed by Ursa . His death created a power vacuum among the Mandalorians . Sabine then decided to stay behind and help her mother , clan and Rau find Mandalore ' s true leader to whom she would give the Darksaber . Involvement in Battle of Atollon . Soon afterwards , Bridger returned to Krownest , having escaped from the Battle of Atollon , to request help from Clan Wren for the rebels against Grand Admiral Thrawn , who was attacking the rebel base on Atollon . Although unable to send a full force , due to their current struggles against Clan Saxon , Ursa agreed to allow Sabine , Tristan , and Rau to lead several Mandalorian volunteers and ships to accompany Ezra and Chopper back to Atollon . The " Gauntlet " and several Fang fighters traveled back to Atollon , where they destroyed the Interdictor vessel that was preventing the rebels from escaping . Able to escape , the remaining rebels fled the system , while the Mandalorians returned to Krownest . New Mandalorian civil war . In 1 BBY , Clan Wren under the leadership of Ursa and Sabine fought on Mandalore against Clan Saxon and the Empire . Clan Wren was joined by several other factions and clans including the sole Journeyman Protector Rau , Lady Bo - Katan ' s Clan Kryze , Clan Vizsla , Clan Rook , and Clan Eldar . Sabine and the Rebel Alliance ' s Spectres Jarrus and Bridger also attacked a Imperial prison hoping to find Alrich Wren , although Alrich had been moved . At some point during the Mandalorian civil war , Sabine and her younger brother , Tristan , arrived at the statue of Tarre Vizsla and discovered that the Empire had built an outpost situated on it . Sabine and Tristan were able to destroy the outpost and preserve the statue to its original state . Sabine then offered Kryze the Darksaber , but she refused knowing she was not her sister , Satine . Together they attacked a convoy guarded by the super commandos . They were then able to rescue Alrich . However , the commandos and the Empire then deployed an AT - DP armed with the " Duchess " weapon prototype that disintegrated numerous warriors of Clans Wren and Kryze . Only Tristan and Ursa survived the onslaught . The survivors were then able to regroup . Sabine and Bo - Katan then planned to destroy it by sneaking aboard Governor Tiber Saxon ' s Star Destroyer near Sundari to atone for her role in creating the weapon . The combined Mandalorian and rebel forces managed to infiltrate Saxon ' s Star Destroyer . Following a skirmish , they destroyed the " Duchess " and Saxon ' s vessel . After the battle , Lady Bo - Katan assumed the Darksaber and the mantle of leadership over the Mandalorian clans . The Vizslas , Wrens , Kryzes , Rooks , Eldars , and the sole remaining Journeyman Protector Rau pledged allegiance to the new Mand ' alor . Culture . Society . Mandalorian clan structure was like a pyramid , with the ruler , or Mand ' alor , at the top and the Protectors enforcing their rule . Below them were the political factions known as Houses , made up of family clans . One example was House Vizsla , which was comprised of Clan Vizsla and Clan Wren . Under the rule of Duchess Satine Kryze and the New Mandalorian government during the Clone Wars , the Mandalorians had mostly rejected their martial ancestral ways , but maintained a police force and secret service , who wielded electropole s and shields . Honor and Traditions . Mandalorians were some of the most feared warriors in the galaxy . As prideful warriors , single combat was integral to the culture and spirit of the Mandalorians , and they had a strong code of honor that could be invoked to settle disputes with one - on - one combat that would conclude with the death of one opponent . This affinity and tradition for single combat extended beyond justice however , as Mandalorians would even seek single combat simply for the glory of fighting a great opponent such as a Jedi Knight , and would even be used to settle leadership disputes . However , some in House Vizsla refused to accept non - Mandalorians like Darth Maul ever becoming ruler of Mandalore via such traditions . Maul himself had Prime Minister Almec lie to the Mandalorian people that Satine had killed Vizsla . The darksaber was appropriated by House Vizsla as a symbol of authority and leadership used to unify the Mandalorians . Armor . Mandalorian armor developed a legendary reputation that was feared across the galaxy and was visually distinctive with its honeycomb plate patterns and menacing T - shaped visors . It was packed with anti - Jedi tools such as Jetpack s , magnetized boots , tactical displays and armed gauntlets that featured weaponry and tools designed to combat the abilities of the Jedi . Some of this weaponry not only helped combat but outright mimicked Jedi abilities such as their wrist - mounted sonic repulsors . They generally favored WESTAR - 35 blaster pistol s and Z - 6 jetpack s , which could project missile s . The archetypal Mandalorian starfighter design was called the " Kom ' rk " - class fighter . Combat Style . Mandalorian warriors possessed advanced combat training from their many wars that dated before the Republic ' s existence . However , it wasn ' t until their conflicts with the Jedi that they would develop their signature combat style . This style entailed a Mandalorian utilizing a mix of melee , ranged , and hand - to - hand techniques while incorporating the technology in his or her vambraces to surprise a Jedi Knight in combat , allowing the Mandalorian to finish them off . Mandalorian warriors would continue to utilize this style of combat against the Jedi throughout time as well as against other opponents . Art . Cubism was a popular Mandalorian art movement during the Clone Wars , though after the conflict paintings that had depicted the awfulness of war were being used to promote and glorify it instead . Mandalorians typically trended towards strong angled and hexagonal lines , such as diamond and honeycomb shapes , in their architecture , vehicles , clothing and even haircuts . Sabine Wren , a Mandalorian member of the Spectres , was a talented graffiti artist who personalized and painted her armor . A statue of Tarre Vizsla was erected on Mandalore , and became a symbol for hope and Mandalorian history . Language . As well as Galactic Basic , Mandalorians spoke Mando ' a , whose written form was also known as Mandalorian . Mandalorians in the galaxy . Mandalorian armor struck fear in the hearts of many across the galaxy . The Trandoshan hunter Garnac kept a Mandalorian Neo - Crusader helmet as a trophy , while the bounty hunters Jango Fett and Boba Fett wore Mandalorian armor , keeping the memory of the Mandalorians alive well into the Galactic Civil War . Jango ' s armor inspired those of the soldiers cloned from him , starting a design lineage that continued down to the stormtroopers of the First Order . Several Mandalorian war banners decorated the entrance of Maz Kanata ' s castle on the planet Takodana . Behind the scenes . When " " was in pre - production , there was an idea for squad of " supercommandos " from the Mandalore system armed with weapons built into their white suits . The costume prototype was repainted for Boba Fett , and the idea of the Mandalorians was paid lip service to in by Donald F . Glut . As mentioned in the novelization , the Mandalorians were now imagined as " a group of evil warriors defeated by the Jedi Knights during the Clone Wars . " Fett ' s popularity inspired a wealth of Expanded Universe literature about him , which assumed he and his father were Mandalorian like their armor . When it came time to introduce the Mandalorians in of " " , George Lucas and Dave Filoni looked at Mandalore in the EU and decided they would keep the broad strokes of their history . Much of the Mandalorian history referenced were subsequently rebranded " Legends " , and not considered canon . Filoni wanted to give the Mandalorian people ' s appearance a " Nordic flavor " . " The Clone Wars " art department looked at Fett ' s armor and translated its angles , particularly the diamond shape on the breastplate , into every aspect of the Mandalorian aesthetic . Filoni and Lucas felt it should be made clear that the ancient Mandalorians were an army , not a ragtag band of warriors wearing customized armor , so Death Watch would look uniform . ( The decision would also keep Boba Fett ' s armor unique . ) Filoni hoped to eventually show how the Mandalorians became mercenaries who supplied Fett with his unusual armor . When Death Watch reappeared in " A Friend in Need " , the characters were given a greater variety of gear , lending them what Lucas described as a " biker gang feel " . Before its cancellation , " The Clone Wars " was to depict the Siege of Mandalore . Writer Henry Gilroy said Mandalore was likely occupied by the Republic before it turned into the Empire . He speculated due to Mandalore ' s importance , it was likely a " soft occupation " , with a new Mandalorian puppet leader ruling the planet . Star Wars Rebels has since confirmed that the Jedi named Bo - Katan Kryze Regent of Mandalore following the Siege , who was deposed by Emperor Palpatine following the end of the Republic .