The Untold Truth Of Mandalore The Great
The Mandalorians have become one of the most popular aspects of Star Wars continuity. Their warrior culture, unique armor, and rich history made them fan favorites, especially during the days of the non-canon Star Wars Expanded Universe, now labeled as Star Wars Legends. In Disney's new canon, so far, there isn't much to say about their past — but the Emmy-winning series The Mandalorian, on Disney+, seeks to rectify that — little by little.
One episode, from the show's first season, began to lay the groundwork to establish new lore around their ancient culture and make sense of where they came from. "Chapter 8: Redemption", as well as the Mandalorian season 2 teaser, gave Star Wars fans a quick yet insightful bit of exposition courtesy of the Armorer (Emily Swallow): When Mando (Pedro Pascal), sought to learn more about the magical abilities the Child possesses, as he'd never seen anyone do what it can, she was able to point him in the right direction. She told him a tale of an important Mandalorian historical figure known as Mandalore the Great, who encountered beings with similar power in the ancient past.
This figure's backstory remains shrouded in mystery, but her monologue did bring up a few key details about the once-great leader.
Mandalore the Great led his people to war against the Jedi
A key point of the Armorer's tale was to shed light on Baby Yoda's abilities, which fans obviously recognize as the Force. By the time of the New Republic — when The Mandalorian takes place — the wider galaxy consider Jedi to be the stuff of legend, and the Force with them. Of course, to the titular bounty hunter's surprise, the Jedi were very much real and once held great power in the galaxy as a unified order. As she explained, back in the very distant past, they even went war against the Mandalorian people ... who were led into battle by their leader, Mandalore the Great.
Few beings in the galaxy can stand toe-to-toe with a Jedi in combat, so for a Mandalorian to take on the challenge — and find success on the battlefield — it's no wonder that this figure earned the "Great" title. Outside of the Armorer's very brief story, details about the ancient wars between the Jedi and the Mandalorians are, for now, scarce at best. In due time, it's likely The Mandalorian's second season, and other Star Wars material such as the multimedia project Star Wars: The High Republic, will go more in-depth not only into this historic conflict, but also into the life of Mandalore himself.
The Mandalorian will release new episodes, on Disney+, starting on October 30, 2020.