Mandalorians have been renowned as the greatest warriors in the Star Wars galaxy, and they have an extensive history to prove it. The earliest stories of Mandalorians originated as a result of Boba Fett and his armor, and they have since expanded into a rich history in Star Wars canon that has at long last been brought to live-action. From the animated Star Wars: The Clone Wars series to the live-action The Mandalorian TV show, the Mandalorian timeline has evolved immensely.
In Star Wars, dates are based upon the years before and after the Battle of Yavin, as seen in A New Hope. Anything that occurs in the years before the battle is designated “X” years before the Battle of Yavin (BBY), while events that occurred afterward are designated “X” years after the Battle of Yavin (ABY). This full Mandalorian timeline will use the same system of dating to frame their history within the greater Star Wars galaxy.
The ancient history of Mandalore goes back to about 10,000 BBY, when the Mandalorians are said to have first originated. When settling on Mandalore, the Mandalorians were able to tame the great Mythosaur, the massive, mythical beasts that act as the unifying symbol of their people. Mandalore the Great was their first ruler, and under him and his successors, the Mandalorians established themselves as the galaxy’s greatest warriors. This ambition caused many Mandalorians to gain a hunger for war, and soon a group known as the Mandalorian Crusaders formed and conquered other worlds – including Concord Dawn, Kalevala, and Krownest.
As the Mandalorian warriors continued to make a name for themselves, they earned an ancient enemy in the Jedi. The two groups of warriors began to have conflicts with one another, which became known as the Mandalorian-Jedi wars. The Mandalorians’ experience fighting Jedi in these wars is what caused them to produce weapons and armor that could defeat a Jedi, including the forging of beskar.
These wars between the Mandalorians and the Jedi were on-and-off for many years, until the final battle resulted in the devastation of Mandalore. The planet’s surface was scorched so badly by the battle that took place on Mandalore that the Mandalorians could only continue living there in domed cities, such as the civic center Sundari. These groups, however, were not always in conflict.
Tarre Vizsla became the first Mandalorian Jedi during the Old Republic Era, as he was inducted into the Jedi Order as a child. After becoming a fully fledged Jedi Knight, Tarre returned to his people and used his power for the sake of his homeworld. He established House Vizsla and, after earning the title of Mand’alor, he even created a smaller group known as Clan Vizsla. Much of his legacy, however, resides with the blade he forged.
Tarre built the famed Darksaber, a unique type of lightsaber that was preserved in the Jedi Temple following Tarre’s death. This blade became a massively important symbol, and its unique crafting as a result of the beskar in its hilt made it extremely desirable. When House Vizsla infiltrated the Jedi Temple and stole the weapon back for themselves, the conflict between the Mandalorians and Jedi arose once again, despite the temporary mend Tarre’s status as a Mandalorian Jedi had earned them.
There was peace on Mandalore for many years after the devastation of the planet’s surface, which caused many Mandalorians to look towards pacifism rather than their ancient warrior ways. This group called themselves the New Mandalorians, but they were opposed by traditionalists who were referred to as the Old Mandalorians. Around 41 BBY, war broke out between the two groups, though ultimately the New Mandalorians won and ended the war circa 39 BBY. Duchess Satine Kryze, an avid member of the pacifist movement, was put on the throne, while the Old Mandalorians were exiled to the moon of Concordia.
These exiled Mandalorians soon formed into Death See, a terrorist group who aimed to bring back the warrior ways of their ancestors. They acted mostly during the Clone Wars, beginning in 22 BBY, under the leadership of Pre Vizsla – a descendent of Tarre Vizsla who wielded the Darksaber. Satine’s sister, Bo-Katan Kryze, was also a member of his leadership team, and she aided in Death See’s efforts to overthrow Satine and take over Mandalore. Satine’s desire to maintain neutrality kept her from accepting any aid from the Republic, though Obi-Wan Kenobi did come to investigate and offer the Duchess protection.
Pre Vizsla’s desperation led to him and Death See striking a deal with Darth Maul, who was seeking to establish and expand his criminal empire known as the Shadow Collective. When all was said and done, however, Maul betrayed Vizsla and challenged him to a duel for the throne of Mandalore. He killed Pre Vizsla and took his place as the ruler of Mandalore, causing Death See to split – including Bo-Katan. Maul went on to execute Satine, who had been in captivity until Maul lured Obi-Wan on-world to kill her in front of him as an act of revenge.
In 19 BBY, Bo-Katan approached former Jedi Padawan Ahsoka Tano for help in defeating Maul, and with the assistance of Clone Commander Rex and a division of the 501st Legion, Ahsoka helped her lead the battle known as the Siege of Mandalore. Those of Death See who remained loyal to Maul fought against Bo-Katan and Ahsoka’s forces until Tano dueled Maul and captured him, putting an end to the conflict. Maul held on to the Darksaber while the Clone Wars came to an end, leaving Mandalore’s fate undetermined with no set ruler and a power vacuum.
The Empire was able to take advantage of Mandalore’s instability in the aftermath of Maul’s rule, and thus the planet remained mainly under their control. A Mandalorian named Fenn Rau was paid by the Empire to protect the Mandalore system with a group known as his Protectors, while Gar Saxon, who previously swore his loyalty to Maul, acted as the Emperor’s Hand. Many other Mandalorians served in the Imperial Military as Imperial Super Commandos, some of the most elite of the Empire’s forces. Mandalore remained loyal to the Empire’s rule for most of the Dark Times.
In 2 BBY, Sabine Wren came upon the Darksaber in Maul’s home on Dathomir, and after Fenn Rau joined the Rebellion as a result of his Protectors being killed by Gar Saxon, Sabine decided to return to her homeworld. As a member of the early Rebellion, Sabine was shunned by her family Clan Wren, who remained loyal to the Empire. They eventually took her side, and after Saxon and Sabine dueled for the Darksaber, Sabine’s mother Ursa Wren killed Saxon. Sabine stepped away from the Rebellion to remain with her family, continuing their plans for the liberation of Mandalore.
In 1 BBY, Sabine and Bo-Katan joined together to lead several clans against the Empire on Mandalore. Sabine was able to save her father, who had been in the Empire’s captivity, and also gained a few of her Ghost crew friends to assist. The Empire was utilizing a weapon called “the Duchess” that Sabine had created while forced to be a part of the Imperial Academy, which could target and destroy any Mandalorian wearing beskar.
After destroying the weapon at Bo-Katan’s side, Mandalore was liberated, and Sabine offered the Darksaber to Bo-Katan. Bo-Katan took it and became the ruler of Mandalore, free from the Empire’s influence. Sabine went on to train as a Jedi under Ahsoka Tano’s teachings, though the two ended up parting ways at some point without completing her training.
Between 4 ABY and 9 ABY, following the conclusion of the Galactic Civil War, Mandalore was destroyed by the Empire in what was named the Great Purge. Moff Gideon was the Imperial officer responsible for its destruction, which was presumably a part of Emperor Palpatine’s contingency plan Operation: Cinder. Bo-Katan made a deal to surrender to Moff Gideon in exchange for all surviving Mandalorian lives to be spared, but he betrayed her and took the Darksaber before bombing the surface in the Night of a Thousand Tears. Clan Wren was one of the many Mandalorian clans who perished on Mandalore.
This event made many Mandalorians believe the planet was entirely uninhabitable, and any surviving Mandalorians were forced to scatter around the galaxy. Those who still lived on Concordia, known as the Children of the See, strictly adhered to the ancient way of their people and took a vow to never remove their helmets, believing it would keep them safe. They also believed that the planet was cursed because of Bo-Katan’s actions as leader. They still fled the Mandalorian moon and hid just as the other survivors did, leading many others in the galaxy to believe that Mandalorians were nearly extinct.
In 9 ABY, bounty hunter Din Djarin received a commission from an Imperial warlord on Nevarro for a 50-year-old asset. The bounty ended up being a Force-sensitive child of Master Yoda’s species named Grogu, and after initially turning him in for a suit of new beskar, Din broke into the Imperial safe house to rescue Grogu himself. He escaped Nevarro with the help of the Children of the See, his covert who revealed themselves in favor of assisting one of their own kind.
Din and Grogu were chased by bounty hunters all around the Outer Rim until finally assembling a team of close allies to take out the warlord. Din ended up facing off against Moff Gideon, who he believed to be dead after his TIE fighter crashed. Despite this, Moff Gideon survived, and it was revealed that he still had possession of the Darksaber.
Din and Grogu were made into a clan of two by the leader of his covert, the Armorer, and she quested him to return Grogu to his own kind. Din began to search the galaxy for more Mandalorians to help guide him, eventually crossing paths with Bo-Katan on the planet Trask. She guided him to Ahsoka, who refused to train Grogu due to his strong attachment to Din.