The Mandalorians have a unique place in the Star Wars universe.
Their passion and devotion to each other have proven time and time again how powerful they are as a community. Besides, they have never turned their weapons from a conflict.
We saw the Mandalorians many times in the Clone Wars, or shows like The Mandalorian. For all that, their history is still not fully unveiled.
Let’s uncover once and for the allure of Mandalore, and the unique features of its people.
Contents
Are Mandalorians a Race or Religion?
Whether Mandalorians are a race or religion is never clarified in canon.
One doesn’t have to belong to a particular race to become a Mandalorian. Aliens and humans alike can all be a part of this community. As such, many younglings were adopted to grow into the Mandalorian faith.
It is also not fair to call Mandalorians a religious group. The majority of them still have different values. Here we can compare Satine Kryze’s beliefs and the principles of the Death Watch.
They all considered themselves Mandalorians, yet their world perception was completely different!
If we had to choose between race and religion, we would choose religion. It is the closest mundane way to describe “the way” of Mandalore. Even so, they also don’t affiliate with any government or side.
Maybe there is a better word in the mandalorian language…
You can find out more if Mandalorians can be considered good or evil here.
Can Mandalorians Be Any Race?
As we established before, the Mandalorians are not obligated to be of a particular race. Technically, the people of Mandalore are biologically human. They are not different from the population of Coruscant or even us, normal people.
Anyone can become a Mandalorian if they have what it takes!
Din Djarin‘s tribe adopted many younglings and foundling children.
Even Grogu, the Child, could have been trained as a Mandalorian. For all that, he is in no way, shape, or form a human.
Thus, whether one is a Wookiee, Zabrak, or Chiss, they still have a chance to be a Mandalorian.
You can find out if clone troopers can be considered as Mandalorians here.
Do All Mandalorians Wear Beskar Armour?
Beskar is one of the most recognizable metals in the Star Wars universe.
This steel-like metal is known for its high tolerance to extreme forms of damage. It can reflect blaster bolts and even withstand the hit of a lightsaber.
Hardly anything could destroy the metal. The only exception was the Arc Pulse Generator. It was nicknamed “the Duchess” after Duchess Satine Kryze.
“You named your weapon after my sister? The former ruler of Mandalore?”
“It was a series of bad decisions, okay?”
―Bo-Katan Kryze and Sabine Wren from Star Wars Rebels: Heroes of Mandalore
It was a superweapon designed by Sabine Wren during her time on Mandalore. The generators were used to overeat the metal and thus the Mandalorian armour.
“…the Arc Generator’s energy pulse is drawn to the beskar alloy in the Mandalorians’ armor, superheating it and instantly vaporising the target, and all the while, doing no harm to our Imperial stormtroopers.”
―Tiber Saxon, to Grand Admiral Thrawn from Star Wars Rebels: Heroes of Mandalore
Even so, it is a Mandalorian tradition to wear the beskar armour. It symbolised the power of Mandalore and the Mandalorian warriors in all their glory. Besides, it is also a great honour to have such an armour, not all Mandalorian were worthy of.
As seen from Din Djarin, beskar is not a must but a highly desirable goal!
After the Great Purge of Mandalore, Mandalore lost its previous power. Much like the Jedi did.
Beskar, found in Mandalore, became even more expensive and almost impossible to find. Din Djarin only managed to get his metal after dealing with the Empire.
This rarity also meant that his armour attracted unwanted attention!
Although the Star Wars version of adamantium is a Mandalorian tradition, armour can still be made of other metals.
“The armour I wear is five hundred years old. I reforged it to my liking, but the battles, the history, the blood all lives within it. And the same goes for every Mandalorian.”
“This armour is part of our identity. It makes us Mandalorians who we are.”
―Sabine Wren and Alrich Wren from Star Wars Rebels: Heroes of Mandalore
Fun fact: The Mandalorian armour is known as beskar’gam in Mando’a as it is typically made from beskar.
Can a Mandalorian Use the Force?
Like the Jedi Order, the Force doesn’t choose between different species. Whether a person is a human or a Zabrak is hardly relevant to the power of life itself.
There were some Mandalorians who used the Force and even became the Jedi.
Tarre Vizsla is a primary example. He was one of the only Mandalorians who were accepted into the Jedi Order.
There are no records of other Mandalorians with the same power.
Still, it is impossible to rule out that the Force avoided Mandalore altogether!
Mandalore is neutral territory. It means it is not a part of the Republic or the separatist influence (Confederacy of Independent Systems). The Jedi scout only Republican planets.
Even if there were Mandalorians who used the Force, they had low chances of being discovered.
Without proper training, they might have never known they had the power to control the Force!
Can a Mandalorian Use a Lightsaber?
Lightsabers are the signature weapons of the Jedi.
Like the Mandalorians, the Jedi accept all races and species into their ranks. The only rule is to be a Force-sensitive youngling.
Funny how the Mandalorians and the Jedi continue to fight despite having similar selection processes!
During the Mandalorian-Jedi War, the Mandalorians developed many new weapons against the Jedi.
This is how the Darksaber came to be!
The Darksaber was created by Tarre Vizsla, the first Mandalorian to be a part of the Jedi Order.
It was forged over 1,000 years ago by the Mandalore Tarre Vizsla. He was both Mandalorian and Jedi.”
―The Armourer, to Din Djarin from Chapter 5: Return of the Mandalorian
The black lightsaber uses elements from a traditional sword and the Jedi weapon.
“I didn’t know Mandalorians developed a type of lightsaber.”
“We didn’t. This was one of a kind. Legend tells that it was created over a thousand years ago by Tarre Vizsla, the first Mandalorian ever inducted into the Jedi Order. After his passing, the Jedi kept the saber in their temple. That was until members of House Vizsla snuck in and liberated it. They used the saber to unify the people and strike down those who would oppose them. One time, they ruled all of Mandalore wielding this blade.”
―Kanan Jarrus and Fenn Rau from Star Wars Rebels – “Trials of the Darksaber“
No records support that the Jedi Order ever accepted another Mandalorian into their ranks. It is possible that the Darksaber and its power scared the Jedi.
They had all the right to be cautious. After Tarre Vizsla’s death, the weapon was stolen from the Order. Later it was used to fight against the Jedi and symbolise the power of the Mandalorian ruler.
In short, the Mandalorians could wield a lightsaber and similar weapons.
That said, it is unlikely that the Jedi Order would accept the Mandalorians after their war.
You can find out how a Mandalorian would fare against a Jedi here.
Conclusion
With each Star Wars project, we learn more and more about secretive Mandalorians.
We have already established that any species can become the Mandaloriana. Thus, religion or culture would remain the two best words to describe their “way.”
Interestingly enough, we usually see the Mandalorians alongside the Jedi. These two cultures crash with one another almost every time they appear on the screen.
Still, the Mandalorians can become Jedi if they are Force-sensitive.
The Mandalorians can also use lightsabers, at least in theory. After all, one of them did create a powerful weapon — the Darksaber.
Possibly, more things will be revealed in the third season of the Mandalorian.
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