Who Are The Mandalorians? Everything We Know Going Into The Disney+ Series

Disney+ has finally launched, and besides a few initial hiccups, more than 10 million people have flocked to the platform to stream classic titles, Marvel films, and, of course, Star Wars. In fact, if you’re a Star Wars fan, you’re going to have to subscribe, because it is the only place where you can stream the new live-action series The Mandalorian.

The series, which is a bridge between Star Wars of old and new, may have left you scratching your head wondering who the mysterious masked bounty hunters were, what role they play in the grand scheme of the war against The Empire, whether Jedi are cool with them, and what sort of plot might happen in the show The Mandalorian. Look no further for your guide to everything you need to know about the Mandalorians before watching the series. 

Though they are not Mandalorian in origin, Jango Fett and Boba Fett both wore Mandalorian armor that kept the memory of the Mandalorians alive well into the Galactic Civil War. Otherwise, actual Mandalorians remained pretty much out of the canon until the events of Star Wars Rebels. The animated TV series features the rebellion of characters who would eventually help the Jedi overthrow the Empire during Star Wars: A New Hope. 

The Mandalorians are from the planet Mandalore, which is on the Outer Rim and has pretty much been decimated by continuous war with various forces. The planet has one moon called Concordia.

The Mandalorian society is divided into Houses and Clans, and most of the inhabitants are bounty hunters or mercenaries who were so fearsome that they were unafraid to take even the Jedi head-on in ancient conflicts.

Prior to the arrival and war with The Empire, Mandalore was ruled by Duchess Satine Kryze, who was a pacifist who fought hard to keep Mandalore out of the larger conflict and bring peace to the planet despite dissidents many assassination attempts. The Jedi tried to come to her defense, but Satine was eventually overthrown and a crime syndicate called Darth Maul took over the planet. All of this took place during the larger timeline of the Clone Wars. 

During the events of Star Wars Rebels Bo-Katan Kryze, sister of Satine, served as the planet’s regent for a time. She was, however, eventually betrayed by Clan Saxon because of her refusal to bow to the Emperor, and Gar Saxon became the Imperial Viceroy of Mandalore.

Rebel forces and Mandalorian forces were eventually able to overthrow Saxon using the Darksaber, and Bo-Katan Kryze is the current leader of the Mandalorian clans. 

The iconic and legendary armor worn by the warriors of Mandalore is not simply for defense. The armor is often customized to show clan affiliation and features many anti-Jedi equipment such as jetpacks, magnetized boots, tactical displays, and armed gauntlets. Each piece of customized armor honors the legacy of the warriors that came before and all they had fought for. 

Based on current information since its premiere, the show takes place a few years after the events of Return of the Jedi and long before the First Order rose to power in the current Star Wars film saga.