The Mandalorian S3: What Is Mandalore's Sundari City?
Warning: This article contains spoilers for "The Mandalorian" Season 3 Episode 2 and "Star Wars: The Clone Wars."
After showing his face to Grogu at the end of "The Mandalorian" Season 2, Din Djarin (Pedro Pascal) becomes an apostate. In order to redeem himself in the eyes of his people, he's told he must return to Mandalore — thought to be poisoned and cursed by some — and bathe in the "Living Waters" beneath the old beskar mines. In Episode 2, aptly titled "The Mines of Mandalore," that's exactly what he does.
The mines themselves lie beneath the destroyed city of Sundari, as Bo-Katan Kryze (Katee Sackhoff) tells Din in Season 3 Episode 1. So when he finally gets up the courage (and the droid) to venture forth to Mandalore, that's his first stop. Due to the mass destruction of the Great Purge, Sundari isn't much to look at anymore. But if you've watched "Star Wars: The Clone Wars," you'll know it was once a beautiful city. Some of the most important events of the Clone Wars take place in Sundari. The city has a rich history that goes back long before the prequel era, but in "The Mandalorian," it's just a pile of rubble.
If you haven't seen "The Clone Wars," you're missing out on some key details about the city and its role in the history of Mandalore. Let's get you caught up.
The rich and violent history of Sundari
The capital of Mandalore during the prequel era and the Clone Wars, Sundari was fully contained within a massive metal dome. Due to old wars decimating the natural landscape of Mandalore, citizens were forced to live in enclosed cities, with Sundari being the planet's crown jewel. Under the rule of Duchess Satine Kryze — Bo-Katan's sister — Sundari became symbolic of a new future for Mandalore. The planet had been devastated by centuries of conflict. Under Satine, a new pacifist government emerged.
Monuments and public parks were built to celebrate this new era of peace. But sadly, it didn't last. Internal corruption weakened Satine's government, and soon, a new renegade faction called Death Watch began conducting terrorist attacks within the capital. The group believed that Mandalore would be weakened by embracing pacifism. Its leaders — who included Bo-Katan herself — wished to restore the warrior pride of old Mandalore.
So began another era of violence and unrest. The former Sith Lord Maul and his brother Savage Opress allied themselves with Death Watch and eventually took over Mandalore, killing Satine and ruling from the shadows through a puppet government. Maul's reign was short-lived as well, however, as he was ultimately defeated by a united front of Bo-Katan's new Mandalorian faction, former Jedi Ahsoka Tano, and the clones of the 501st. This battle, known as the Siege of Mandalore, makes up the finale of "The Clone Wars."
Sundari lived to see a bit of peace under Bo-Katan, but the Empire quickly swept in and ousted her. Mandalore once again struggled under an oppressive regime until the Night of a Thousand Tears, when Sundari and the rest of the planet were bombed to dust by the Empire.