Darth Hater

Faction Lore: Mandalorians

Delving into the history of the people, places, and things in Star Wars: The Old Republic is our favorite hobby here at Darth Hater. While dissecting and discussing, we realized a very important aspect of Star Wars was missing on our site: factions. We wanted to take a closer look at the groups that may play a key role in the adventures we will experience in game, and our premiere entry for this series was an obvious choice. Here is our in-depth look at the Mandalorians.


Faction Data
- Faction Homeworld/Headquarters: Geonosis
- Current Leader: Artus, called Mandalore the Vindicated
- Affiliation: Sith Empire, currently



The Mandalorians are a cultural group brought together through a code of honor who traditionally find work as bounty hunters, soldiers, and mercenaries; however, that wasn't always the case. The Mandalorians were once exclusively members of the Taung species, originating from the planet of Coruscant. The Taung were not alone on the planet, and early Humans warred against them in an attempt to force them off world. Around 200,000 BBY, a group of 13 Human nations called the Battalions of Zhell were attacked by the Taung. Soon after, a volcanic explosion nearly caused the extinction of the Humans and darkened the skies, and the Taung began to call themselves the Dha Werda Verda or the "Warriors of the Shadow." Despite the fortuitous explosion, the Taung were still forced off of Coruscant by their human foes. They fled to the nearby moon of Roon.

Mandalore the First led his people to conquer another planet in the Outer Rim in 7,000 BBY. They named the world Mandalore after their leader, and the Taung became known as the Mandalorians. The Mandalorians thrived in combat and were seen as some of the most skilled warriors in the galaxy. They wore unique armor which differed from one individual to the next, upheld a strict honor code, and were on the cutting-edge of weapon technology.

Initially, the Mandalorians were very careful about journeying outside of the Mandalore sector, however they did successfully conquer the worlds of Ordo, Gargon, and Shogun. Not long after these conquests, the Mandalorian culture leaned heavily towards the worship of Kad Ha'rangir, their destroyer god, and glorified war above all else.

Around 4000 BBY, the Mandalorians started to expand their control, beginning with the conquest and eradication of the Nevoota. Led by Mandalore the Indomitable, the Mandalorians raided Iskadrell and freed the native slaves called the Iskalloni. Many of the Iskalloni were integrated into the Mandalorian culture, marking the first steps towards becoming a purely cultural faction.

The next planet on the Mandalorian's agenda was Basilisk, causing the Galactic Republic to send a relief force under the command of Jedi Master Sidrona Diath. This force ultimately failed to stop the Mandalorians and, realizing their defeat, the native Basiliskans poisoned their own world rather than let it fall into enemy hands. The Mandalorians moved on, though they managed to capture many Basilisk war droids and reptilian Basiliskans, who would later be domesticated into mere beasts of burden.

With few challenges left in the Rim, the Mandalorians made their move towards the Deep Core. Entering the Empress Teta system, the Mandalorians conquered the planet of Kuar for use as a staging ground for their campaign. The Mandalorian presence didn't go unnoticed. The Sith Lord Ulic Qel-Droma, who controlled the Krath forces on Empress Teta, was challenged to a duel by Mandalore the Indomitable. In the end, Mandalore was defeated and swore his allegiance to Ulic Qel-Droma and his master, Exar Kun. This was the first time the Mandalorians would become pawns of the Sith.

Joining together with Sith and Krath forces, the Mandalorians attacked the Republic shipyards in orbit around Foerost. The resulting victory allowed the capture of the shipyards and over 300 Republic ships. With their newfound strength, their combined forces attacked Coruscant. However, the Krath witch Aleema Keto betrayed Ulic Qel-Droma, claiming he was dead and ordering his forces to retreat. She then convinced Mandalore to pledge his loyalty to her. Mandalore soon learned of Keto's treachery, and sought aid from Exar Kun on Yavin 4. With the Sith Lord's aid, Mandalore was able to rescue Ulic Qel-Droma.

With Keto dealt with, Mandalore the Indomitable was tasked with capturing the Iziz Royal Palace on Onderon. However, the Beast Riders of Onderon managed to call for help from the Republic, and the combined forces repulsed the Mandalorian attack. Mandalore, realizing the battle was over, attempted to retreat to the moon of Dxun. During the retreat, Mandalore's Basilisk was damaged, causing him to crash land. Alone in the jungle, he was eventually killed by the native beasts. His armor was soon found and his helmet donned by the new Mand'alor: Mandalore the Ultimate.

The Mandalorians spent the next 20 years rebuilding and recruiting. With the majority of the Taung now dead, Mandalore the Ultimate began welcoming members of any alien descent into the Mandalorian culture. As a result, Mandalorian recruitment bases were set up across the galaxy. The influx of new warriors caused Cassus Fett, Mandalore the Ultimate's second, to suggest making the armor more uniform and thus the Neo-Crusaders were born.

Driven into relative isolation by their defeat in the Great Sith War, many Mandalorians become convinced that the once prophesied "Great Last Battle" was soon to be at hand. Emboldened, Mandalore the Ultimate launched a campaign into the Outer Rim conquering independent planets outside of the Republic's control. Despite the Mandalorian atrocities, such as 90% of the Cathar race being wiped out, the Republic refused to get involved in the struggle as they were wary of being dragged into another war so soon after the last. This inaction allowed the Mandalorians to begin stockpiling resources plundered from conquered worlds in order to fuel the growing campaign. With each victory, the Mandalorian clans grew more powerful, recruiting conquered species in their growing ranks. This push was followed by a year of relative calm.

Suddenly, the Mandalorians conquered Onderon from their Dxun moon outpost. From there, the Mandalorians pushed to take control of the worlds of Vanquo and Taris. The Mandalorians seemed on the verge of conquering the whole galaxy when the truth behind the Cathar genocide was revealed. The truth of this despicable act inspired hundreds of Jedi Knights, lead by Revan and Malak, to wage war against the Mandalorians. Revan single-handedly turned the tide of the war by masterminding a string of military victories, ultimately leading to the final confrontation with the Mandalorians over Malachor V. Revan faced off against Mandalore the Ultimate in single combat, slaying the Mand'alor. Meanwhile, a super-weapon known as the Mass Shadow Generator was activated, destroying the remaining Mandalorian fleet. After receiving their unconditional surrender, Revan stripped the Mandalorians of their armor and destroyed their stockpiles of weaponry and war droids. He took the mask of the Mand'alor, preventing another leader from being named. This resulted in the fragmentation of the remaining Mandalorians, who scattered and became bounty hunters and mercenaries.

Canderous Ordo, a member of Revan's crew, would later use the captured Mandalore's Mask to claim the title of Mandalore the Preserver and lead a band of Mandalorians to Onderon's moon of Dxun. Despite his best efforts to reunite the clans during his time as Mand'alor, the Mandalorians would remain scattered for nearly three centuries.

In 3,661 BBY, the Sith and Republic were once again at war. The Sith sought to crown a new Mandalore to gain the allegiance of Mandalorians. Through the rigging of arena matches on Geonosis, their pawn earned the title of Mandalore. The new Mand'alor organized the blockade of the Hydian Way, which would cripple the Republic until the eventual defeat of the blockade at the hands of Hylo Visz and her band of smugglers. Attempting to rally support, Mandalore the Lesser called for a "Great Hunt." The champion of the Great Hunt, a man named Artus, challenged Mandalore the Lesser to a duel and successfully killed him, crowning himself the new Mand'alor, Mandalore the Vindicated. Under his rule, the Mandalorians are well-paid allies of the Sith.