Mandalore (title)

Mand'alor, rendered as Mandalore in Galactic Basic Standard, was the title assumed by the sole leader of the Mandalorian people. Their Protectors established a balance of control in the Mandalorians' warrior clan society. At some point prior to the Clone Wars, a Mand'alor known as Mandalore the Great waged a series of conflicts against the Jedi Order. The Mandalorian Jedi, Tarre Vizsla, once ruled all of Mandalore. One of his descendants, Pre Vizsla, leader of the Mandalorian splinter group Death Watch, took the title of Mand'alor during his takeover of Mandalore, the Mandalorian homeworld, but the title was then passed on to Maul when Vizsla was killed by him in a duel.
During the reign of the Galactic Empire, the former Mandalorian super commando Gar Saxon, had wished to be Mand'alor and rule over the Mandalorians. The leader of the Protectors, Fenn Rau, claimed Saxon had no honor, thus Saxon was unable to claim the title. He was, however, installed as Viceroy of Mandalore by Emperor Palpatine. After Gar Saxon's death, his brother, Governor Tiber Saxon, succeeded him and wished to gain control of all of Mandalore, but was killed before he could achieve his goal after Sabine Wren returned to Mandalore with her clan and the Darksaber to free her father.
After Saxon's death, Sabine passed down the Darksaber to Lady Bo-Katan Kryze, who accepted the Darksaber from Wren and with the support of clans Wren, Vizsla, Rook, Eldar, her own Clan Kryze, and the Protectors, represented by Rau, stepped into the role of Mand'alor to unite the Mandalorian people against the Empire.
==History==
===Clone Wars===
During the Clone Wars, Concordia's Governor Pre Vizsla, a descendant of Tarre Vizsla, became leader of the terrorist group Death Watch. Vizsla believed he was continuing the Mand'alor's tradition despite the New Mandalorians' political dominance.Star Wars: The Clone Wars The Complete Season Two In 19 BBY,Star Wars: Galactic Atlas Vizsla and his Death Watch forces were able take control of Mandalore away from Duchess Satine Kryze and her New Mandalorian government with help from former Sith Lord Maul and his Shadow Collective. The Mandalorian people, in response to the threat posed by the Shadow Collective's attacks, accepted Vizsla's rule.
However, his rule was cut short when Maul challenged Vizsla for leadership of Death Watch. Vizsla was defeated after Maul beheaded him during their duel. Maul claimed the Darksaber, leadership over Death Watch and Mandalore. However, several members of the Death Watch under Bo-Katan Kryze refused to follow Maul due to him being a outsider. Maul's brief rule was cut short when he was captured by his former master, Darth Sidious, and control of Mandalore went to Prime Minister Almec until Maul's rescueDarth Maul — Son of Dathomir 1 and return.
During the Siege of Mandalore, Bo-Katan was named Lady of House Kryze and Mandalore's Regent by the Jedi. Many saw her as the rightful ruler of Mandalore.
===Age of the Empire===
Following the Republic's transformation into the Galactic Empire, Bo-Katan refused to do the Empire's bidding and was, therefore, removed from her position by the Empire. Gar Saxon of Clan Saxon attempted to claim the title for himself, but the Mandalorian Protectors believed Saxon had no honor thereby preventing him from adopting the title. Saxon was, however, installed as Viceroy of Mandalore by Emperor Palpatine.
Following Saxon's death at the hands of Clan Wren, Fenn Rau attempted to convince Sabine Wren to become Mand'alor, but Wren declined, instead pledging to find the right person to adopt the title. Viceroy Saxon's brother, Tiber Saxon, succeeded him as Viceroy and attempted take control of all of Mandalore by using a Arc Pulse Generator; however, he was killed before he could achieve his goal after Wren destroyed the weapon and rallied her people against the Empire.
Wren believed Kryze should resume her position as Mand'alor and Kryze accepted the offer after the Protectors and other Mandalorian clans pledged their allegiance to her. Despite Kryze taking the title of Mand'alor, the Empire began a purge against the Mandalorian people. During the purge, Kryze lost her claim to the title when the Darksaber was taken by ISB officer Gideon.
===New Republic Era===
Despite the Great Purge, Kryze and several of her followers began raiding several Imperial Gozanti-class cruisers belonging to Gideon's Imperial remnant on Trask in 9 ABY.Star Wars: Timelines establishes that The Mandalorian is set in 9 ABY. Upon reclaiming her title, she would lead the united Mandalorian people—the Children of the Watch and the unorthodox Mandalorians, together—as one in the reconquest of Mandalore.
==Mand'alors==
===Mandalore the Great===
Mandalore the Great was an ancient Mandalorian ruler who, according to legend, led their people in the Mandalorian-Jedi War. Although the Jedi had become a myth by the time of the New Republic, Mandalore's war against them was immortalized through old Mandalorian songs.
===Tarre Vizsla===
Tarre Vizsla was the first Mandalorian accepted into the Jedi Order of the Old Republic. During his time as a Jedi, Vizsla created the Darksaber, which was seen as a one of a kind lightsaber. Vizsla eventually became Mand'alor. After his passing, Vizsla was honored with a statue of himself on Mandalore. His darksaber was kept at the Jedi Temple on Coruscant. However, it was stolen by members of House Vizsla. It was used by members of the House and Clan Vizsla to unify the people and strike down their enemies.
===Pre Vizsla===
Pre Vizsla was the leader of the terrorist Mandalorian faction known as Death Watch. Following Mandalore's Civil War, Vizsla became leader of Death Watch and attempted to overthrow the New Mandalorians' leadership in order to restore Mandalore's warrior past, seeing Duchess Satine as a tarnish to Mandalorians.
As Governor of Concordia, Vizsla pretended to support the Duchess and her government by supposedly tracking down Death Watch members. In secret, Vizsla led the Death Watch and used Concordia's mines to forge Mandalorian armor and weapons in order to take control of Mandalore. When the Clone Wars erupted, Vizsla agreed to ally Death Watch with Count Dooku and the Confederacy of Independent Systems to overthrow Duchess Satine. As part of their alliance, Death Watch carried out a attack on a Republic cruiser.
However, this attack gained the attention of the Jedi Council, who sent Jedi Master Obi-Wan Kenobi to investigate the attack. The Duchess and Prime Minister Almec denied any Mandalorian involvement until Kenobi showed them footage of a Death Watch saboteur attacking a Republic cruiser. Satine then confirmed rumors of Death Watch's existence. A member of Death Watch carried out a bombing on the Memorial Shrine in Sundari. The bomber left behind a holographic statement against the New Mandalorian government that displayed the sign of Death Watch, a shriek-hawk. Vizsla then spoke with Dooku, concerned about the Jedi's and Republic's intentions towards Mandalore. Dooku assured Vizsla that when the Republic sends peace-keeping troops to Mandalore, the people would rebel, and join Death Watch to which Vizsla agreed. However, Kenobi discovered that the mines were still operational and was briefly captured.
Vizsla then revealed himself as Death Watch's leader when he confronted Kenobi and the Duchess. Vizsla gave Kenobi his lightsaber and fought Kenobi with Tarre Vizsla's Darksaber that had been stolen from the Jedi temple during the fall of the Old Republic. Despite his skills, Vizsla was unable to defeat Kenobi and had his men use their jetpack missiles to finish Kenobi. However, the missiles failed to kill Kenobi and Kryze as they escaped.
Vizsla eventually broke off his alliance with the Separatists after the Republic abandoned it's plans to occupy Mandalore. Vizsla fought Dooku, but abandoned the duel after he received a scar from Dooku. Vizsla and Death Watch were forced into hiding out on Carlac. There, he and the Death Watch forced the Ming Po women to serve them. After an encounter with Jedi Commander Ahsoka Tano and former Separatist Senator Lux Bonteri, Vizsla and the Death Watch were forced to abandon their camp and establish a new one on Zanbar. On a patrol near Zanbar, Vizsla and Bo-Katan found two Zabraks; Maul and his brother, Savage Opress. With the Zabraks as his allies, Vizsla saw his chance overthrow Satine and take control of Mandalore by forming the Shadow Collective. As they gathered forces from criminal cartels such as the Black Sun, the Pyke Syndicate, and the Hutt Clan, Vizsla planned to eliminate Maul after they take control of Mandalore. With the Shadow Collective's help, the New Mandalorians and their guards suffered attacks in Sundari and were unable to stop them. Death Watch and Vizsla then moved in to fight the criminals, appearing as heroes to the people. After imprisoning Satine, Vizsla claimed the title of Mand'alor for himself. He then had Maul and his brother imprisoned.
Vizsla's reign as Mand'alor was cut short when Maul and his brother broke out of prison with the former prime minister Almec. In the Sundari Royal Palace's throne room, Maul challenged Vizsla for leadership, which Vizsla accepted and handed Maul his lightsaber. At first, Vizsla had the upper hand in his duel with Maul by using his jetpack and blasters. However, Maul was able to defeat Vizsla. Vizsla, accepting his defeat, was beheaded by Maul in front of Death Watch. Despite Maul claiming leadership over Death Watch, Bo-Katan and her Nite Owls refused to follow an outsider and made their escape. Despite their objection plunging Mandalore into a new civil war, Maul maintained his status as the rightful ruler of Mandalore until the Siege of Mandalore at the end of the Clone Wars.
===Bo-Katan Kryze===
Bo-Katan and her Nite Owls were members of Death Watch during the Clone Wars. When Death Watch set up camp on Carlac, Kryze served as Vizsla's second in command. As a member of Death Watch, she took part in Vizsla and Death Watch's attacks on the Ming Po and their town and pursing former Separatist senator Lux Bonteri and Jedi Commander Ahsoka Tano. During a patrol near Zanbar, Kryze and Vizsla came across two Zabraks; Maul and his brother Savage Opress. Kryze believed that the Zabraks should be killed, but Vizsla told her to keep them alive. As Vizsla and Maul formed the Shadow Collective to take Mandalore, Vizsla told Kryze that they would eliminate Maul after they take control of Mandalore.
Death Watch was successful in taking control of Mandalore away from Kryze's sister, Satine. Kyrze and Death Watch imprisoned Maul, during which Kyrze clubbed Maul with her blaster. However, Maul, his brother Savage, and Almec escaped and challenged Vizsla for leadership of Death Watch. Kryze handed Maul his lightsaber and watched as Vizsla fought Maul. When Maul defeated and beheaded Vizsla, Kryze and her Nite Owls refused to follow Maul. She and her followers made their escape. Kryze, her Night Owls, her nephew Korkie Kryze and his friends worked to together to free Satine from the Royal prison.
At first Kryze, Satine, and Korkie were able to make their escape and contact Master Kenobi. However, Kryze and her forces were forced to retreat with out her sister. She then spotted Master Kenobi disguise as one of Maul's super commandos on his way to rescue her sister. Following her sister's death, Kryze and her followers rescued Kenobi before he could taken to the Royal prison. She helped Kenobi escape to a Kom'rk-class fighter/transport and told him to inform the Galactic Senate about what has transpired Mandalore. Despite the oncoming occupation by the Republic, Kryze knew that it would mean the death of Maul and Mandalore's survival.
During the subsequent civil war and the siege, Kryze was named Lady of House Kryze and Regent of Mandalore by the Jedi. However, the Republic was reorganized into the Galactic Empire,Ahsoka and Kryze was forced out of power by Clan Saxon. However, in 2 BBY, Kryze chose to ally her House with Clan Wren when they chose to resist the Empire. However, when Sabine Wren gave her the Darksaber, Kryze refused due to her failing as Regent. With Clan Wren, she was able to free Sabine's father Alrich Wren. Unfortunately, Kryze learned that Empire under Governor Tiber Saxon had rebuilt the Arc Pulse Generator that Sabine had designed and codenamed the "Duchess" after her sister. Despite wanting to punish Wren for creating the Weapon, Kryze knew that they needed her help to destroy it. Thus, Kryze, Sabine, and their allies boarded Saxon's Star Destroyer. Despite being briefly captured by Saxon and Captain Hark who wanted Wren to improve the "Duchess." Fortunately, Wren was able to make the "Duchess" target stormtrooper armor. Despite this development, Kryze convinced Wren to destroy instead of using it against the Empire.
After the destruction of the "Duchess" and Saxon's star destroyer, Kryze regrouped with her forces. With support from the Protector Fenn Rau and the other clans, Kryze accepted the title Mand'alor and the Darksaber in honor of her people and her sister. As she had chosen to take the blade as a gift, instead of winning it in combat, the Children of the Watch religious sect decried her as unworthy to lead Mandalore. Her reign was short-lived when the Empire enacted the Great Purge of Mandalore against the Mandalorians. Despite surviving the purge, Kryze lost the darksaber to ISB officer Gideon. However, Kryze began rebuilding her forces. With two of her followers, Axe Woves and Koska Reeves, she began raiding Imperial weapon shipments from Trask as a way to find Gideon. With bounty hunter Din Djarin's help, Kryze was able to take a Gozanti-class cruiser and was able to find Gideon's light cruiser. Despite capturing the cruiser, Kryze refused to accept the Darksaber from Djarin, despite him yielding the weapon, in accordance to the Mandalorian tradition she had previously ignored.
As she returned without the darksaber, Kryze's gathered forces rejected her and struck out under Woves's leadership as mercenaries. When Djarin traveled to the ruins of Mandalore and was captured by a cyborg scavenger living in the rubble, losing the Darksaber in the process, Kryze rescued him by picking up the Darksaber and cutting down the cyborg. While she returned the blade to Djarin, he had, in all truth, lost any claim to the Mandalorian throne, but Kryze had secured her own claim by slaying the one who bested him. After her time with the Children of the Watch and agreeing to be a Mandalorian who walked both paths, the orthodox ways of the Watch and the unorthodox way of her own clan, Kryze traveled to Woves and her former forces and, with Djarin's blessing, reclaimed the Darksaber, as per the combat code of succession. As the restored Mand'alor, she led the Watch and her own followers in the reconquest of Mandalore. While Gideon destroyed the Darksaber, the battle was a victory for the Mandalorians, who reclaimed their homeworld as a united people under Kryze.
==Behind the scenes==
The title of Mand'alor first appeared in Tales of the Jedi – The Sith War 1, the first issue in the Star Wars Legends Star Wars: Tales of the Jedi – The Sith War series of comics, which was published by Dark Horse Comics in 1995.Tales of the Jedi – The Sith War 1 The title became canon when it was mentioned in a featurette that was included in Star Wars: The Clone Wars: The Complete Season Two, a box set available on Blu-ray or DVD that included the entirety of the second season of The Clone Wars that was released on October 26, 2010.
==Appearances==
* 
* 
* 
* 
* 
* 
*Star Wars Rebels: Heroes of Mandalore
*Star Wars: The Mandalorian: The Manga 
* 
*The Mandalorian 8 
*The Mandalorian Season 2 Junior Novel 
* 
*The Mandalorian Season 2 3 
* 
*The Mandalorian: The Rescue 
* 
* 
* 
*
*Star Wars: Galaxy of Heroes
==Sources==
*Star Wars: The Clone Wars The Complete Season Two 
*
*Ultimate Star Wars
*
*Collapse of the Republic
*Ultimate Star Wars, New Edition
*Star Wars: The Lightsaber Collection
*
*
*
*
*Star Wars Bestiary, Vol. 1: Creatures of the Galaxy
*Star Wars Encyclopedia: The Comprehensive Guide to the Star Wars Galaxy
==Notes and references==
Category:Mandalorian titles