Star Wars Is Turning Mandalorians Into the New Jedi

Star Wars is turning Mandalorians into the new Jedi. The Mandalorian season 2 has made it abundantly clear, in the way that it has profoundly deepened the mythology surrounding Mandalorian culture, history, and the famous Star Wars characters that have been attached to it. There's no doubt that Mandalorians, in their famous armor and helmets are quickly becoming as iconic in the Star Wars franchise as any Jedi or lightsaber. However, while The Mandalorian has exponentially increased the effect, the building up of the Mandalorian side of the franchise has been a gradual process, one that started years ago.

Warning: The Mandalorian SPOILERS Follow!

Star Wars: The Clone Wars was mainly about expanding the story of how Anakin Skywalker and Obi-Wan became great generals (and friends) during the Clone Wars. But Dave Filoni and the Star Wars animation creative team did much more than that: they built-out the Star Wars universe in many key directions that are now paying off. One of those key directions? Mandalore.

Clone Wars used arcs set on Mandalore to introduce the history of Mandalorian culture and politics, including the civil wars that created rival Pacifist regimes and extremist groups like Death Watch. It made the planet a certain of intrigue by bringing back Darth Marth as its ruler for a time.

The final season of Clone Wars sweetened the pot with a story of Ahsoka Tano and Bo-Katan Kryze leading the campaign to overthrow Maul and free Mandalore. Star Wars Rebels took that baton and ran with it, introducing Sabine Wren (another prominent Mandalorian and Rebel operative). Sabine's story brought more Mandalorian history with it and took the legendary Darksaber from a novel lightsaber gimmick to a major MacGuffin as the symbol of leadership in Mandalorian culture. The Mandalorian season 1 continued that saga into the New Republic era. The show fleshed out the picture of Mandalore's culture by giving us The Tribe and its rich culture and creed surrounding foundlings, helmets, and The Way of the Mandalore.

Now The Mandalorian season 2 is pulling all those threads together. Bo-Katan Kryze is trying to reclaim leadership by getting the Darksaber; Din Djarin (Mando) is learning his way isn't the only culture of Mandalore; and after The Empire's "Great Purge" of the planet, Mandalore's fate in the era of the New Republic is still a major question waiting to be answered. Meanwhile, infamous bounty hunters Jango and Boba Fett have just recently been revealed to be genuine members of Mandalorian culture - not just pretenders wearing the armor. A rumored Boba Fett spinoff show could arguably expand on that concept, as well.

Even the upcoming new Star Wars: The High Republic line is not-so-coincidentally set during an era that leaves room for major looks into Mandalorian culture. During The High Republic, The Jedi and Mandalorians came into several major "skirmishes," in the Outer Rim. It seems they could also be clashing for franchise supremacy.

The Mandalorian season 2 is nearing its end, with new episodes streaming Fridays on Disney+