Welcome to the course History of the Mand'alor. Here we will be discussing the history of past and present Mandalorian leaders, from the beginning of their recorded history to the present day. Please take note that while there is indeed a list of many Mandalores, there is a split with certain leaders between what is now the Extended Universe (Legends) timeline, and the new Disney Canon timeline. We will be covering both lines of Mandalores to make sure that both are given fair dues in credit. Let us begin with explaining the significance of a Mand'alor.
The title of Mand’alor, translated in Galactic Basic as Mandalore, was used by what was seen in Mandalorian culture as the supreme leader of their people and culture. In Mando’a, the Mandalorian language, the title was defined as the “sole ruler” and became the most iconic and important title since its origination with the first Mandalorian species, the Taung. So much so that the planet they conquered to make their home world was called Mandalore. The title was also a means of rallying all of the Mandalorian Clans as reflected in the Resol’nare, the six tenets that outline Mandalorian Culture.
A Mand’alor was traditionally “chosen” or “crowned” by the passing of the Mask of Mandalore upon the death of the previous owner, but during later years the custom simply faded into obscurity and prospective Mandalores needed only the political support of their own people, until the fated “Darksaber'' came into existence. Since its creation, the title of Mandalore followed the black-bladed lightsaber so closely that whoever wields the Darksaber would have a full legitimate claim to become Mand’alor.
During the Old Republic Era and towards the Galactic Civil War Era, the lists of each Mand’alor are vastly different. While the Legends continuity has had over 22 declared Mandalores, Disney Canon has only listed 5 as of this writing. We will be going over each Mandalore from both universes and showing you how each one formed Mandalorian Culture to this very day.