The Philosophy Of The Mandalorians & Its Fluctuation In Canon

The philosophy of the Mandalorians is one that has changed throughout galactic history, starting before the Old Republic, where the Mandalorians were reputed as feared mercenaries and bounty hunters. During the Old Republic, the Mandalorian way was one of expansion. The main expansionary period was aptly named the Mandalorian Crusades, presumably started 7000 BBY. During this time, the Mandalorian crusaders went on “nomadic crusades,” expanding their influence and culture to different planets. It was during this time that the warrior philosophy of the Mandalorians started to form and become known throughout the galaxy. Their expansion, however, made them encounter the Jedi Order, which started the Jedi-Mandalorian War against both sides. Through the conflict with the Jedi and numerous civil wars involving the Mandalorians in and around Mandalore, they soon became decimated and their philosophy essentially fractured.

Before the Clone Wars, a conflict deemed the Mandalorian Civil War erupted, which fundamentally challenged the philosophy of the Mandalorians. It was between the pacifist New Mandalorians, led by Satine Kryze who believed that the warmongering Mandalorians of the past brought on all this death and destruction, that violence was not the answer for Mandalore’sproblems, and that peace was the way to go in order for Mandalore to survive and thrive in a war-torn galaxy, and the remnants of the Mandalorians of old and warrior faith. The latter were exiled to Concordia. Unbeknownst to Satine Kryze and the New Mandalorians, Pre Vizsla reorganized the exiles into a splinter group called Death Watch. Their goal was to retake and govern Mandalore under its warrior philosophy. Through help with a Force user by the name of Maul, Death Watch was able to reclaim Mandalore and usurp Satine’s pacifist government, instilling Pre Vizsla as the new ruler. However, Maul defeated and killed Vizsla in single combat to claim the both the Darksaber and the title as ruler of Mandalore. This political maneuver fractured Death Watch and Mandalore by extension. The Siege of Mandalore would only further this divide when the 501st supported Bo-Katan and her loyalists in their quest to regain Mandalore from Maul. While they were successful in driving Maul off the planet, the conflict ended up ravaging Mandalore and the Empire took it over, establishing an Imperialist Mandalorian government.

During the Age of the Empire, the Mandalorian culture and philosophy, while on the surface seeming to be reunified, was anything but consolidated. Due to the Imperial occupation, many Mandalorian clans resisted the Empire, fracturing Mandalore into yet another civil war. Sabine Wren, a member of Clan Wren, one of the resistant clans, was tasked with using the Darksaber to reunify Mandalore. When she personally felt she was not up to the task, Sabine and Clan Wren both convinced Bo-Katan Kryze to claim the Darksaber and the title of Mand’alorsince they both felt she was the one worthy enough for the claimant. While hesitant, Bo-Katanaccepted the saber and the title, hoping to unite the people of Mandalore once again and rekindle their broken philosophy back into the proud warrior culture it once was.