The latest episode of The Mandalorian drops a vague reference to the Mandalorians' fate, but avoids going into detail - but looking at other properties may reveal what happened to their race and their world. The fact is, the answer to the question about what happened to the Mandalorians won't be found in the movies, but their homeworld, Mandalore, and its people do have a strong presence in the comics, video games, and cartoons set in the rich world of Star Wars.
The Mandalorians are of minimal importance to the Star Wars films, mostly since their only representation comes in the forms of bounty hunters Boba and Jango Fett, two characters who aren't even real Mandalorians. The popularity of Boba Fett and his iconic armor led to the introduction of the Mandalorians, a proud race of highly skilled and capable warriors who follow a strict code that prevents them from ever taking off their helmets. The Mandalorians are rarely given the spotlight in any medium, but now, one of their own is the lead character in the first-ever live-action Star Wars TV series, The Mandalorian.
The Mandalorian has given viewers major insights into the history of the Mandalorians and their culture. The series has explored their views, the importance of their armor, and established the new Mandalorian mantra, "This is the way", which has become one of the franchise's best lines. A few episodes back, the series also introduced other members of the Mandalorian race, but so far hasn't gone too deep into their backstory. The Mandalorian episode 6 brought the fate of the Mandalorians back into the conversation when Burg (Clancy Brown) mentioned that the Mandalorians are all dead. It should be noted that there's a lot more to the story than that. Here's what you need to know about what happened to the Mandalorians.
The Siege of Mandalore & The Clone Wars
The planet of Mandalore was directly affected by the events of Star Wars: Episode II - Attack of the Clones, even though its role in the conflict wasn't shown in the movie, but in the cartoon spinoff series, Star Wars: The Clone Wars. Mandalore became the sight of some of the war's biggest battles, including one that is now known as the Siege of Mandalore. This happened despite the fact that the Mandalorians didn't choose a side and tried to remain neutral. Darth Maul, who survived his "death" in Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace, traveled to Mandalore and took over a group called the Death Watch, who was opposed to the Mandalorian government's pacifist views.
Darth Maul successfully infiltrated the top levels of the government, causing the Republic to head to Mandalore to stop him. The Republic raised an army on Mandalore and helped them fight Darth Maul's forces. A member of the Jedi Order, Ahsoka Tano, co-led the clone troopers who fought Darth Maul and his minions. It was in the midst of the Siege of Mandalore that the infamous Order 66 was given, and as a result, everything fell into chaos. Ahsoka and Darth Maul escaped, and the Republic - which evolved into the Empire - seized control of Mandalore.
Imperial Occupation & Remaining Clans
After the takeover, the Empire established the Imperial Academy on Mandalore in order to train new cadets, including Sabine Wren from Stars Wars: Rebels. Sabine unknowingly created a powerful weapon that was used against the Mandalorians, heightening tensions between her people and the Empire. Some Mandalorian clans grew tired of Imperial rule, and rose up against them, which led to a civil war between the clans. The constant in-fighting made it easy for the Empire to remain in control. Some of the clans died off due to incessant warring, but some managed to survive. Regardless, even the surviving clans suffered a great deal from Imperial occupation and never fully regained their once legendary reputation. The damage done to Mandalorian civilization in the Clone Wars has so far been shown to be irreversible, and as thing currently stand in the Star Wars universe, the Mandalorians are a dying race.
What We Know About Mandalorians After The Original Trilogy
Originally, most of what was known about the Mandalorians came from Star Wars: The Clone Wars and Star Wars: Rebels, and since neither show takes place after the original trilogy, the fate of the Mandalorians was left ambiguous until the release of the new Disney+ series. In the series premiere of The Mandalorian, a new event, the Great Purge, is added to Star Wars canon. It appears that relations between the Empire and their Mandalorian subjects worsened as time went on. Most of the clans were wiped out, forcing what was left of the Mandalorians to go into hiding. For this reason, it was commonly believed by other civilizations in the galaxy that the Mandalorians were all dead, having been massacred by the Empire. This explains Burg's comment in episode 6 about the Mandalorians being dead.
Of course, viewers know from episode 3 that this assumption about the Mandalorians is incorrect. After completing his mission for the Client (Werner Herzog) on Nevarro and turning Baby Yoda over to the Empire, Mando (Pedro Pascal) took his reward to a group called the Tribe. The Tribe consists of Mandalorian warriors who, like Mando, survived the Great Purge. Now, the Tribe lives in isolation from the rest of the world and maintains a set of rules for their members in an effort to make sure their existence remains a well-kept secret.
That secret was put in jeopardy when they teamed up to help Mando in his fight with the bounty hunters. They'll now have to look for a new sanctuary on a different planet. As the story of The Mandalorian continues to develop, more history may be uncovered about the Mandalorians. It also seems likely that the Tribe is isn't the only surviving Mandalorian clan in the world of Star Wars. There could be more hidden in other places in the galaxy that may be visited in later episodes.
