Mandalorians - Blog Posts
Summary:
What if Order 66 happened differently... but the Clone Wars ended on a somewhat sour note? But with a galaxy united? This series aims to explore that. Like I said earlier... I made another failed Order 66 AU.
yes I made a floor plan for Din’s new ship in oh the things we left behind, no I do not have any other reason except I fucking love floor plans thank u
it’s a kom'rk class fighter/transport - this thing:
base floor plan found here
Keep reading
The entry on mandoa.org for the adoption vow really is, honestly, fucking hilarious.
"Ni kyr'tayl gai sa'ad."
The website helpfully provides the translation: "I know your name as my child." Except... that's not what that quote means.
That's a typo.
The actual vow is:
"Ni kar'tayl gai sa'ad."
Kar'tayl comes from kar'taylir (and thus, since it's a verb, its use in the vow should actually be conjugated as "kar'tayli", rather than using the noun version, but I digress) which... broadly means "to know."
Specifically, though, it means "to hold in one's heart."
"I hold in my heart your name as my child."
Awww, so poetic, so romantic, isn't that lovely, isn't it just so sweet?... Oh, but what does the typo turn it into, you ask?
A little less sweet, I'm afraid. You see, the problem is that one letter. That one little oopsie-daisy. An "a" into a "y", what a silly little mix-up.
Unfortunately, the word "kyr" in Mando'a means "end." Typically in the most final of ways.
Yep, the very fatal mistake in changing the first word from "kar" (heart) to "kyr" (death) is that when combined with "taylir" (to hold, to keep, to preserve) it suddenly becomes rather more sinister. To know something in death.
"I hold in death your name as my child."
Which is an altogether different kind of vow, don't you think?
Mandalorian Gear, a basic guide
Mandalorian gear comes in quite a few variations, and it can vary based on things like era, clan, status and taste of the wearer. There are, however, some basics that can be helpful to understand how it all fits together. Let’s start with the soft parts, part 1:
Flightsuit
A normally one piece suit that goes over underwear and stuff like thermals, and the like. We do see characters in partial ones, like Sabine Wren, however considering she was a teenager on the run & that she later acquired one would perhaps indicate that it was not a choice but rather out of necessity.
There are several variations of flightsuits, but the basic types we see are the classic Boba Fett based type with extra sleeves & a type that is more like the stormtrooper/clone trooper undersuits/blacks and equally tightly fitted.
Bo-Katan for example wears the first type in live action, but the second type in animation. (Also of note is that the blacks type has so far only been worn by female characters. Gee, I wonder why.)
Materials
Fabrics, like a cotton twill or denim for the Boba Fett style suit. Softshell, strechy fabrics & thicker athletic wear like for the blacks type suit.
Visual References
Here’s concept art of Sabine Wren in the two main types, blacks type to the left and in the middle with a flak vest. Boba Fett style to the right with a flak vest:
Boba Fett (OT):
Flak Vest
Flak vests come in a myriad of variations. Normally made out of a tough material that you use to attach you chest, back & neck pieces too. Sometimes the shoulder pieces as well, depending on the type. In The Mandalorian most mandos seem to favor variations of the sleeveless vest type.
Materials
Heavy duty fabrics, quilted fabrics, canvas, leather, rubberised cloth, etc.
Visual References
Bo-Katan in a t-shirt style flak vest over a blacks type flight suit & Bo-katan in a vest type flak vest with leather reinforced shoulders & a Fett style flightsuit:
Boba Fett in his OT flak vest (sandy color vest type with flaps to attach shoulder armor to) & Boba Fett in his new flak vest (black with pleated shoulders that stick out over his armor, shoulder armor attached to sleeves that on close inspection appears to be pleated as well and attached to the flak vest, so far this style is unique to him):
Jango Fett, wearing a leather or rubbery looking flak vest with attached flaps for shoulder armor & a blue Fett style flightsuit:
(Interestingly during the empire era several female mandos switch to a style with no flak vest, notably Clan Wren, while Bo-Katan favors what looks like black leather like material in a t-shirt shape that might simply be a part of her flightsuit, but concept art implies it’s a separate piece. This might simply be because of the sleek look of Rebels animation)
Boots
Round or square toed. Work boots, ankle boots, tall boots. Chunky soles, often covered with spats and/or armor.
Materials
Leather or leatherlike, spats material can vary.
Visual References
From left to right, from the top: Din Djarin (altered light brown chelsea boots with brown spats), Boba Fett OT (chelsea boots with spikes, worn greyish black), Fenn Rau (black with blue spats), Sabine Ren (tall black boots with slight chunky heel), Bo-Katan Kryze TCW (ankle high black combat boots, chunky sole), Ursa Wren (brown, grey spats)
Koska Reeves and Axe Woves, both are wearing dark brown ankle boots covered in spats made of a leather like material.
Gloves
Combat gloves, leather gloves, fingerless gloves. Usually with a handplate. At least long enough to hide edge under the bracers.
Visual Reference
Part 2, armor. Coming…. whenever I have the time.
Mandalorian Armor, a simple guide
Oh dear. Several months late, but here we go. This will be a broad term overview of mando armor in canon at the moment, not an exhaustive list. Feel free to skip “materials & history” if you’d just like some more concrete guidelines and refs!
(Remember to click on the images for a better look!)
Material & History
A Small Intro Course
Mandalorian armor is supposed to be made out of beskar, an alloy (and yes all beskar is an alloy in disney canon (at least as of May 2021), like steel for example. Yes even “pure” beskar). The secrets of how to make it is limited to the Mandalorians, and the materials used to make it are most likely limited to Mandalore or the Mandalore system. It’s been in confirmed use as an armor material for at least 900 years & can take straight blaster bolts or hold off the circulating energy blade of a lightsaber for short periods of time, possibly until the beskar heats up enough to loose its integrity, but the heat would most likely cause serious damage to the wearers body before that.
Beskar armor is most often inherited, passed from generation to generation and reforged to suit the current wearers needs. It’s seen as passing down the history, the battles and the will of those who have worn it before and making it your own. However the material is rare, possibly because the mines have run dry ages ago (old EU), or because war and/or the New Mandalorians stopping production. The Empire interfering by taking over Mandalore and trying to get their hands on as much beskar as possibly and then later “glassing” the planet while hunting its only known creators surely did not help either, in any case.
This means that not all Mandalorians had access to the material, or at least large enough amounts to make a full suit of armor. This lead to the make of “impure” beskar that can take less of a brunt & armor made of other metals such as durasteel. This is most likely what makes up the majority of Din’s kit, beyond the helmet and possibly the chest piece, when he’s introduced in S1 and he still wears pieces that might be one of these materials as of Season 2.
Characters like Sabine Wren, Bo-Katan Kryze and Boba Fett all inherited their armor from their aliit (clan/family) through several generations and it’s most likely already pure beskar based on its age and how it reacts to blasterfire.
The armor is most often painted and there are various designs and colors that indicate personality, achievements or allegiances, but that would have to be another post. (Would anyone like a post on Mandalorian armor fashion? Because I have thoughts)
Helmet
Let’s start from the top. The helmet, aka the bucket. The buy’ce.
In the “modern” era it’s usually a helmet with a rounded top and some kind of cheek indents. It has a T (or occasionally closer to a Y) shaped visor that obscures the wearers face. It also contains a large amount of technology that allows for various visual filters, binoculars, built in comms and audio enhancers (allowing for near perfect 360° hearing in the old EU, as possibly shown by Din Djarin in the new), among other things. The earcaps seen on most modern styles of helmet allows for various specialized attachments, like rangefinders.
The styles of the helmets vary between clans and eras, but there’s a few distinct modern bases that are pretty easy to identify as Mandalorian and worn by all major Mandalorian characters.
The Boba Fett, based on the original helmet as seen in the OT, and worn by basically every male character with various types of cheek indents, ridges and the like. Some are thinner or longer, but the base of the design is still very clearly the OG Boba Fett helmet. T visor, sharp slope indent that takes up the entire cheek, long ear caps & a brow ridge.
Visual Reference
The Nite Owl, based on the helmet worn by Bo-Katan and the Nite Owls in TCW. It has a cat eyed Y visor and a more of a cut out cheek indent style, or simply a less severe smaller curve under the visor ridge (the area painted red on Boba Fett’s helmet).
Visual Reference
The Kast, is the rarest so far only seen on Rook Kast & the Maul-aligned female Mandalorians. It slopes slightly inwards below the uniquely shaped T visor and has no ear caps.
Visual References
And finally, some mandalorian helmets with slightly more unique shapes and/or shape combinations that put them outside the general easy to identify pile.
From left to right, The Armorer, Paz Vizsla, Pre Vizsla and Fenn Rau:
Chest, Neck, Back & Shoulders
As with everything else, there are various styles for these pieces of armor, but here are some basics.
Breastplate
Most commonly visibly segmented into three big parts, two on the chest and one below, with a small diamond shaped heart piece in the middle. The heart piece design can also been seen on Mandalorian clothing and architecture. In The Mandalorian these parts are generally attached together to give the armor a more solid look, but they are still distinguishable. Before the fall of the empire several female mandos favoured a more solid two part design that interlocked with their neck piece and had a thin rectangular bar instead of a classic heart piece. During the clone wars women of the faction supporting Maul (mostly clan Kast and clan Saxon) used a semi-connected two part design with six smaller pieces trailing down the stomach, three on each side. There are also various other designs with solid one part chest pieces, but most at least have a variation of the heart piece in the middle, as seen on Paz Vizsla.
The chest piece usually does not go below the navel, for bending over reasons.
Neckplate
Either two pieces on the side of the neck, or a longer single piece that goes in front of the neck & sits over the collarbones. Both of these variations are usually semi connected to, or line up with where the backplate ends.
Shoulders
Bell type, like Din Djarin & Axe Woves wear. The Classic, aka the style worn by Boba Fett, Ursa Wren & most grunts. And finally a slightly rounded middle ground, smaller than the Bell but sits over the shoulder and is often favored by female characters like Bo-Katan, female Mauldalorians & Sabine Wren.
Backplate
Usually as long as the chest piece, used to protect the back and to mount jetpacks, and other useful things, on.
Jetpack
Technically not a piece of armor, but sometimes armored. Comes in various sizes and styles.
Visual References
Vambraces & Handplates
Vambraces
Both forearm protection and weapons. Developed to give a Mandalorian that extra edge when fighting stronger opponents. To that goal, they’re often fitted with various attachments such as flamethrowers, retractable blades, shield emitters, repulsors, grappling lines, magnets, missiles and various types of darts, including the whistling birds seen in The Mandalorian.
Handplates
It’s a plate that goes on your hand. Nothing more, nothing less. Can of course be fitted with various other weapons, as long as they fit.
Visual References
The Codpiece, Buttplate & Hip Plates
Ah yes. Well.
All pieces are usually worn tucked underneath and/or attached to the waist sash/girth belt/belt.
Codpiece
Look, it’s a codpiece. It’s there to protect your sensitive parts. There are less bulky variations for people who can do without the extra space. Those are often segmented. Some wear more of a lower stomach plate. Others don’t bother, or only wear theirs when they might need it since I imagine it can be a bit uncomfortable to wear day to day.
Buttplate
It’s a plate that goes over your butt. And I mean just above, not on. Din has one, Boba has one. It’s a thing. Why? Because bruising you tailbone hurts like hell.
Hip Plates
They’re plates that go on your hips. Only confirmed sighting has been on Din, but we’ve also got some good shots of them because of this so I put them in anyway.
Visual References
Thighs, Knees, Shins, Ankles & Feet
Varies from completely covered to almost no armor at all. On one end you’ve got Jango Fett, and on the other you’ve got Boba Fett. Ironic, in a way.
Thigh plates
Generally sit either on the front of the thigh or on the outer sides. The outward style thigh plates are more form fitting and allow for holsters to be mounted directly onto the plate, this was popular during the Clone Wars era. The front facing plates are often different sizes, possibly depending on your dominant hand/how you prefer to hold your weapon of choice.
Knee armor/pads
For knee protection, unless you’re like Boba Fett, then they’re also dart launchers. In the old EU the darts were laced with neurotoxin, but that seems to have been removed for new canon. Sit nebulously in the knee region.
Shin, Ankle and/or Boot plates
Over your shins, ankles and feet, for all your literal ass kicking needs. Comes in various types including but not limited to: boot caps, ankle plates, shin guards and of course full on greaves.
Visual References
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So there you have it! A broad overview of Mandalorian armor. This has been in my drafts for months at this point so I’m not going to go over this again so you’ll have to excuse any weird phrasing or misspelt words. And how messy the visual ref sheets got. (I’m also considering putting together something for different eras & allegiances based on design, accessories, paintjobs, etc, but that will have to be another day.)
(Also, feel free to tag me or @ me or whatever on your art! I love seeing the different ways people design their mandos!)
I made a new ship.
Nim Pianna and Arla Fett. Started a fic (You’re Safe) with that pairing on ao3… and I think it’s a completely new tag, I came up with the ship months ago while reading How a Romance Novel Saved the Galaxy by Ariana Deralte (ArianaDeralte), but… yeah. Thoughts?
Too late for what? The Republic to fall? It already has, and you just can’t see it! There is no justice, no law, no order, except for the one that will replace it. [insp (2)] THE CLONE WARS APPRECIATION WEEK Day Four: Favorite Arc (The Siege of Mandalore)
My burning question this morning is: Which of those Mando'ade bitches that picked Ahsoka up from the Martez sisters looked at her and said, "oh, honey. These coveralls won't do for sieging Mandalore," and then took her shopping?!
The Padmé’s handmaidens as Mandalorians!
I’m 99% sure I saw mention of this in a post made by @royalhandmaidens but for the life of me I can’t find that post, but credit to her for the idea!
Edit: HERE IS THE OG POST
What if the Amidalans became Mandalorians somewhere along the line? I haven’t read the comics the Amidalans are in so I don’t know what happens, but if they figure out what happens to Padmé, maybe afterwards they’re like “well, we have all these skills and nowhere to use them, let’s be Mandos!”
And then they fly around the galaxy solving crimes “Murder, She Wrote” style and collecting strays they find along the way and eventually they’re a whole clan themselves, a big ol’ family with their own covert (let’s call it a coven though) somewhere, oh I dunno maybe back on Naboo once it’s safe again
Can you imagine?
Completely random comic about the history of Mandalore 👁👄👁
inspired by this
hi i’m in the business of designing helms for alien Mandalorians because lucasarts is full of cowards
- Togruta
- Nautolan
- Quarren
- Ongree
THE SEVEN TYPES OF LOVE
The human existence is vast and rich. Feelings, in particular, seem endless and varied. How can one define all that encompass what humans mean when they say love?
Philosophers in ancient Greece decided we could not. Which is why they decided to specify the type of love they referred to when they said love by categorizing them into seven major types.
Eros – Passionate, Romantic Love
Philia –Friendly, Affectionate Love
Storge –Familial, Unconditional Love
Agape – Selfless, Universal Love
Ludus – Playful, Flirtatious Love
Pragma – Dutiful, Committed Love
Philautia – Love of Self
1. Eros – Passionate Love
Eros is passionate love, and everything we think of when we think of the Hollywood version of love. To the ancient Greeks, this physical, desirous love could be dangerous. Powerful and possessive, it is easy to lose control of. Relationships built solely on eros tend to be short-lived, as passion is transient by nature.
It represents the love found in sexual intimacy and romance.
2. Philia –Friendly Love
Philia is a friendly love. It is shared goodwill. A friendship that is not only associated with mutual benefit but also with companionship, dependability, and trust.
Real friends seek together to live truer, fuller lives by relating to each other authentically and learning each other’s limitations. They help each other become their best selves.
Essentially, you can think of Philia as the type of love where you simply want the best for another person. The ancient Greeks thought it was even more precious than Eros, the foundation of the best kind of friendship.
3. Storge – Familial Love
Storge is the unconditional love between kin, in particular the love parents have for their children. More broadly, storge is the fondness born out of familiarity or dependency.
It is defined by unconditional acceptance and sacrifice. Compared to eros and philia, it is much less contingent on our personal qualities.
People in the early stages of a romantic relationship often expect unconditional storge, but find only the need and dependency of eros. If they are lucky, given enough time and care, eros can mutate into storge or philia.
4. Agape – Selfless Love
Agape is compassionate love. It is an empathetic, selfless love for others that includes a love for other humans, for nature, or for a higher power.
It doesn’t depend on familiarity. Instead, it is the love for the stranger or the unknowable. Agape has links to altruism, which is understood as an unselfish, genuine concern for the welfare of others. It is a love that expects absolutely nothing in return, and in turn, just makes you feel good.
A lot of people consider agape to be a spiritual love, expressed through meditation, nature, intuition, and spirituality.
5. Ludus – Playful Love
Ludus is playful love. Flirtatious, seductive and non-committal—Ludus is all about having fun. The point of this love is the experience itself rather than the feelings.
Ludus is evident at the beginning of a relationship, when we feel full of play, teasing, and excitement.
Dancing, seducing, will-he-won't-he and all that jazz, it can lead to a one-night stand, a no-strings-attached fling, or a long and casual relationship. As long as there is a sense of play and levity from both parties, it is ludus, an uncomplicated sort of love.
6. Pragma – Dutiful Love
Pragma is a practical love founded on reason, duty and the couple’s long-term interests. Sexual attraction takes a back seat in favor of shared goals, compatibility, and "making it work." The higher common purpose is served, rather than the individual's desires.
In the simplest of terms, it is long-term and works thanks to constant nurturing. It is seen in long-term marriages and friendships. Respect is fundamental, as is serving the purpose of the union. Its qualities are commitment, endurance, companionship, and sharing similar hopes for the future.
This type of love is an accepting love that matures as the couple spends year after year together. It can be associated with storge or philia. A healthy pragma is sincere, patient, mature, and in all honesty, quite rare (and therefore special).
7. Philautia – Self Love
Finally, philautia is self-love. It is based on a sense of self-worth. It can be healthy or unhealthy.
Unhealthy self-love is akin to hubris. In Ancient Greece, people could be accused of hubris if they placed themselves above the gods, or, like certain modern politicians, above the greater good. Philosophers believed that hubris was the enemy and led to destruction.
Healthy self-love, on the other hand, is akin to self-esteem, which is our cognitive and also emotional appraisal of our own worth. More than that, it is the matrix through which we think, feel, act, and reflect on the way we relate to ourselves, to others, and to the world.
In everyday language, "self-esteem" and "self-confidence" tend to be used interchangeably. However, self-esteem and self-confidence do not always go hand in hand. In particular, it is possible to be highly self-confident and yet to have profoundly low self-esteem, as is the case, for example, with many performers and celebrities.
Of all of the different kinds of love, this one is often the most challenging for people. However, it is foundational to the other types of love. Ancient Greeks saw philautia as the necessary love that made it possible to give and receive love from other people. We cannot give what we don’t have. And so, we cannot love others if we don’t love ourselves first.
Philautia, therefore, is something like self-compassion. Much like we show affection and love to other people, it is important to show that affection to ourselves, to be compassionate to one’s self and able to forgive.
Greek philosophers believed that true happiness could only be achieved when one had unconditional love for themselves, which makes it possible to love others truly in turn.
The Seven Loves
In closing, there is, of course, a kind of porosity between the seven types of love, which seep and pass into one another. Some philosophers believed love aimed at beautiful and good things, because the possession of beautiful and good things is happiness, and happiness is good and beautiful in itself.
Of all good and beautiful things, the best, most beautiful, and most dependable is truth or wisdom. It teaches us about ourselves, about others, and about life, which help us make better choices through this greater understanding and therefore live better lives.
We tend to agree.
Love, in all its forms, is one of the most powerful emotions in the world.
Note:
Our sources are below in order of credibility, but this exploration of the different types of love is in our own words and based on both our reading and our own understanding of the concepts.
Early Greek philosophy
Platonic Love
Love like a Greek: the 7 loves according to Ancient Greek philosophy
These Are the 7 Types of Love
7 Types Of Love (from Greek)
What Are the 7 Types of Love?
i feel like there’s a greater-than-zero chance that mythosaurs are not actually extinct
yeah, i agree that was definitely the main reason he was upset. i think in bo-katan's case there was also an element of anger that she didn't follow the creed, but most of what set him off there was her attitude towards his beliefs rather than the things she herself believed.
(i'll make sure to tag you in my prejudice post once i get around to writing it!)
i don’t think we should be quick to trust anything bo-katan says about the children of the watch.
the main thing i’m suspicious of is her claim that they’re a fringe group. maybe they were in the clone wars era, but they’re clearly the dominant mandalorian faction right now. we know this because literally everyone in the show, not just din, thinks all mandalorians never take off their helmets. that perception wouldn’t be so widespread if the helmet thing were only practiced by a small group of religious zealots. i mean, this is galaxy-wide common knowledge. it’s not just din being sheltered by a cult.
Keep reading
questions about the children of the watch:
why do they never speak in mando’a?
why are they the only type of mandalorian that the average person has heard of?
how are they connected to death watch?
if they’re a split-off group from death watch, how did they transform from a terrorist group into a religion?
and how did it go from a race to a creed?
why doesn’t din recognize bo-katan’s name or know what the darksaber is?
do the other members of din’s tribe know as little about mandalorian history as he does? if not, are they intentionally concealing information from him? and if so, is that unique to him or something that happens to all foundlings?
is “the watch” death watch, or is it something else?
how many coverts are there?
what are the specific tenets of the way?
when were the children of the watch founded?
are there children of the watch who actually call themselves that, or is it a term only used by non-believers?
food for thought.
i don’t think we should be quick to trust anything bo-katan says about the children of the watch.
the main thing i’m suspicious of is her claim that they’re a fringe group. maybe they were in the clone wars era, but they’re clearly the dominant mandalorian faction right now. we know this because literally everyone in the show, not just din, thinks all mandalorians never take off their helmets. that perception wouldn’t be so widespread if the helmet thing were only practiced by a small group of religious zealots. i mean, this is galaxy-wide common knowledge. it’s not just din being sheltered by a cult.
clearly something changed between clone wars and the fall of the empire. i’m guessing most of the mainstream mandalorians were wiped out after the great purge, leaving the children of the watch as the largest group. one reason for that may have been a cultural shift towards the ancient way because the anonymity aspect of it gave them a definite survival advantage. however, the main reason was probably the practice of adopting foundlings.
the mainstream mandalorian culture prior to the purge seemed to view itself as a race rather than a creed. this meant that when the ethnic mandalorians were killed off, the children of the watch kept growing because they adopted outsiders into their group. the armorer alludes to this when she says that “foundlings are the future.”
this is why din getting upset about boba and bo-katan wearing beskar armor doesn’t necessarily mean he’s being sheltered by a cult, as bo-katan claims. notice that he’s okay with them keeping their armor once he knows they’re mandalorian in heritage, if not in creed. he just didn’t consider that was a possibility because if you’re mandalorian and never swore the creed, you’re probably dead.
basically: i don’t think bo-katan is as representative of mandalorians as a whole as she makes herself out to be, and i don’t think din’s tribe is as cultish as she claims.
but anyway, that’s my take. thanks for reading my ramblings. i’ve only just started clone wars so like... let me know if i’m wildly missing the mark in my ignorance.
clone wars era update
oh boba... they grow up so fast :_) ⋆˚✿˖° 𐙚 ₊ ⊹ ♡
The Fetts as bizarre t shirts
you and me both, boba. you and me both
The Fetts as bizarre t shirts
you and me both, boba. you and me both
Cursory research into the meanings of Mandalorian armour colours...
Black - ne'tra = justice, an unshakeable moral code (also wanting to avoid stains on your clothes)
White - cin vhetin = a fresh start or clean slate (good for converts/adult adoptions)
Grey - genet = mourning a loved one (or recently rejected)
Gold - ve'vut = vengeance (a warning colour)
Silver - shev'la beskar = unpainted armour, a search for redemption (Din Djarin's guilt complex, anyone?)
Bronze - tranyc'bes - nobility and high status (favoured by stuck-up self-important jackasses)
Brown - daryc - valour, galantry, The Audacity (particularly when associated with them cunty lil jedi cape drops)
Tan - vhekadla - loyalty (lit. 'sandy' but I don't like sand, it's coarse and rough and...)
Maroon - daryc'tal - power (all hail Maroon 5, our benevolent overlords)
Red - ge'tal = honouring a parent (very popular, 10/10)
Scarlet - galar'tal - defiance and relentlessness (Mandalorian Scarlett Johansson omfg be still my bi heart)
Orange - shereshoy = shereshoy, a lust for life (the party people)
Yellow - shi'yayc - remembrance, burnt out vengeance (makes for funky funerals)
Mint green - cin vorpan - lust for peace, guardians and peacekeepers (does not necessarily mean I want to fuck guardians and peacekeepers, get your head outta the gutter)
Green - vorpan = duty, commitment and hard work (favourite of farmers, too)
Teal - jahaal = healing, violence as a last resort, I've seen some shit and now I defend peace (favoured by healers and New Mandalorians)
Blue - kebiin = reliability and faithfulness (favoured by single parents)
Sky blue - kebii'tra = new love, newlyweds, marriage and all that fluffy stuff (Satine's famous jewellery TCW S2 - ObiTine for the soul)
Indigo - jiisaviin = prosperity, victory, the feeling that we have achieved our hopes (tempting fate, perhaps)
Lilac - saviin = luck, change, survival in adversity, hope for the future (associated with the old God of Luck)
Pink - cin ge'tal - respect and knowledge, a fusion of past and future (associated with journalists and academics)
Ofc this is a rough guide and if anyone either doesn't like my sense of humor or wants more detailed information, check out these posts too: x x x
ok idk why but i can’t get it out of my head, Star Wars Au idea:
an au where Ahsoka becomes some force sensitive master that like hides in the mist and shadows and trains force sensitive mandalorians. Like it could b at any stage(like age wise) but it’ll mostly be the parents/finders wanting to protect their foundlings/kin by teaching them to use their weird abilities. So they go and track down this elusive jedi/not-jedi to ask if she’ll train their younglings.
Just Ahsoka being some old master training some little helmet clad younglings seems neat to me:)
Well, now I gotta try to draw some Mandalorian armor (despite being terrible at armor in general)...
While I'm here, though, have you done anything like this for clone trooper armor? If you have, I wanna see it.
Mandalorian Armor, a simple guide
Oh dear. Several months late, but here we go. This will be a broad term overview of mando armor in canon at the moment, not an exhaustive list. Feel free to skip “materials & history” if you’d just like some more concrete guidelines and refs!
(Remember to click on the images for a better look!)
Material & History
A Small Intro Course
Mandalorian armor is supposed to be made out of beskar, an alloy (and yes all beskar is an alloy in disney canon (at least as of May 2021), like steel for example. Yes even “pure” beskar). The secrets of how to make it is limited to the Mandalorians, and the materials used to make it are most likely limited to Mandalore or the Mandalore system. It’s been in confirmed use as an armor material for at least 900 years & can take straight blaster bolts or hold off the circulating energy blade of a lightsaber for short periods of time, possibly until the beskar heats up enough to loose its integrity, but the heat would most likely cause serious damage to the wearers body before that.
Beskar armor is most often inherited, passed from generation to generation and reforged to suit the current wearers needs. It’s seen as passing down the history, the battles and the will of those who have worn it before and making it your own. However the material is rare, possibly because the mines have run dry ages ago (old EU), or because war and/or the New Mandalorians stopping production. The Empire interfering by taking over Mandalore and trying to get their hands on as much beskar as possibly and then later “glassing” the planet while hunting its only known creators surely did not help either, in any case.
This means that not all Mandalorians had access to the material, or at least large enough amounts to make a full suit of armor. This lead to the make of “impure” beskar that can take less of a brunt & armor made of other metals such as durasteel. This is most likely what makes up the majority of Din’s kit, beyond the helmet and possibly the chest piece, when he’s introduced in S1 and he still wears pieces that might be one of these materials as of Season 2.
Characters like Sabine Wren, Bo-Katan Kryze and Boba Fett all inherited their armor from their aliit (clan/family) through several generations and it’s most likely already pure beskar based on its age and how it reacts to blasterfire.
The armor is most often painted and there are various designs and colors that indicate personality, achievements or allegiances, but that would have to be another post. (Would anyone like a post on Mandalorian armor fashion? Because I have thoughts)
Helmet
Let’s start from the top. The helmet, aka the bucket. The buy’ce.
In the “modern” era it’s usually a helmet with a rounded top and some kind of cheek indents. It has a T (or occasionally closer to a Y) shaped visor that obscures the wearers face. It also contains a large amount of technology that allows for various visual filters, binoculars, built in comms and audio enhancers (allowing for near perfect 360° hearing in the old EU, as possibly shown by Din Djarin in the new), among other things. The earcaps seen on most modern styles of helmet allows for various specialized attachments, like rangefinders.
The styles of the helmets vary between clans and eras, but there’s a few distinct modern bases that are pretty easy to identify as Mandalorian and worn by all major Mandalorian characters.
The Boba Fett, based on the original helmet as seen in the OT, and worn by basically every male character with various types of cheek indents, ridges and the like. Some are thinner or longer, but the base of the design is still very clearly the OG Boba Fett helmet. T visor, sharp slope indent that takes up the entire cheek, long ear caps & a brow ridge.
Visual Reference
The Nite Owl, based on the helmet worn by Bo-Katan and the Nite Owls in TCW. It has a cat eyed Y visor and a more of a cut out cheek indent style, or simply a less severe smaller curve under the visor ridge (the area painted red on Boba Fett’s helmet).
Visual Reference
The Kast, is the rarest so far only seen on Rook Kast & the Maul-aligned female Mandalorians. It slopes slightly inwards below the uniquely shaped T visor and has no ear caps.
Visual References
And finally, some mandalorian helmets with slightly more unique shapes and/or shape combinations that put them outside the general easy to identify pile.
From left to right, The Armorer, Paz Vizsla, Pre Vizsla and Fenn Rau:
Chest, Neck, Back & Shoulders
As with everything else, there are various styles for these pieces of armor, but here are some basics.
Breastplate
Most commonly visibly segmented into three big parts, two on the chest and one below, with a small diamond shaped heart piece in the middle. The heart piece design can also been seen on Mandalorian clothing and architecture. In The Mandalorian these parts are generally attached together to give the armor a more solid look, but they are still distinguishable. Before the fall of the empire several female mandos favoured a more solid two part design that interlocked with their neck piece and had a thin rectangular bar instead of a classic heart piece. During the clone wars women of the faction supporting Maul (mostly clan Kast and clan Saxon) used a semi-connected two part design with six smaller pieces trailing down the stomach, three on each side. There are also various other designs with solid one part chest pieces, but most at least have a variation of the heart piece in the middle, as seen on Paz Vizsla.
The chest piece usually does not go below the navel, for bending over reasons.
Neckplate
Either two pieces on the side of the neck, or a longer single piece that goes in front of the neck & sits over the collarbones. Both of these variations are usually semi connected to, or line up with where the backplate ends.
Shoulders
Bell type, like Din Djarin & Axe Woves wear. The Classic, aka the style worn by Boba Fett, Ursa Wren & most grunts. And finally a slightly rounded middle ground, smaller than the Bell but sits over the shoulder and is often favored by female characters like Bo-Katan, female Mauldalorians & Sabine Wren.
Backplate
Usually as long as the chest piece, used to protect the back and to mount jetpacks, and other useful things, on.
Jetpack
Technically not a piece of armor, but sometimes armored. Comes in various sizes and styles.
Visual References
Vambraces & Handplates
Vambraces
Both forearm protection and weapons. Developed to give a Mandalorian that extra edge when fighting stronger opponents. To that goal, they’re often fitted with various attachments such as flamethrowers, retractable blades, shield emitters, repulsors, grappling lines, magnets, missiles and various types of darts, including the whistling birds seen in The Mandalorian.
Handplates
It’s a plate that goes on your hand. Nothing more, nothing less. Can of course be fitted with various other weapons, as long as they fit.
Visual References
The Codpiece, Buttplate & Hip Plates
Ah yes. Well.
All pieces are usually worn tucked underneath and/or attached to the waist sash/girth belt/belt.
Codpiece
Look, it’s a codpiece. It’s there to protect your sensitive parts. There are less bulky variations for people who can do without the extra space. Those are often segmented. Some wear more of a lower stomach plate. Others don’t bother, or only wear theirs when they might need it since I imagine it can be a bit uncomfortable to wear day to day.
Buttplate
It’s a plate that goes over your butt. And I mean just above, not on. Din has one, Boba has one. It’s a thing. Why? Because bruising you tailbone hurts like hell.
Hip Plates
They’re plates that go on your hips. Only confirmed sighting has been on Din, but we’ve also got some good shots of them because of this so I put them in anyway.
Visual References
Thighs, Knees, Shins, Ankles & Feet
Varies from completely covered to almost no armor at all. On one end you’ve got Jango Fett, and on the other you’ve got Boba Fett. Ironic, in a way.
Thigh plates
Generally sit either on the front of the thigh or on the outer sides. The outward style thigh plates are more form fitting and allow for holsters to be mounted directly onto the plate, this was popular during the Clone Wars era. The front facing plates are often different sizes, possibly depending on your dominant hand/how you prefer to hold your weapon of choice.
Knee armor/pads
For knee protection, unless you’re like Boba Fett, then they’re also dart launchers. In the old EU the darts were laced with neurotoxin, but that seems to have been removed for new canon. Sit nebulously in the knee region.
Shin, Ankle and/or Boot plates
Over your shins, ankles and feet, for all your literal ass kicking needs. Comes in various types including but not limited to: boot caps, ankle plates, shin guards and of course full on greaves.
Visual References
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So there you have it! A broad overview of Mandalorian armor. This has been in my drafts for months at this point so I’m not going to go over this again so you’ll have to excuse any weird phrasing or misspelt words. And how messy the visual ref sheets got. (I’m also considering putting together something for different eras & allegiances based on design, accessories, paintjobs, etc, but that will have to be another day.)
Mandalorian Jetpacks
Happy Fett Friday! SO glad the lore now allows Mandalorian Jetpacks to fly for longer periods of time.
Even though I ❤️ playing Star Wars Bounty Hunter way back in the day, I absolutely HATED how you were granted only mere seconds of flight time before your jetpack would shut off & force you to land so that it could re-charge/ cool-off from overheating.
In Attack of the Clones, after Jango Fett eliminated Zam Wesell with a Saber Dart, his Jetpack allowed a very quick escape from Obi-Wan & Anakin. And it was a QUICK escape. Unlike in Star Wars Bounty Hunter, Jango didn't fly for a few seconds, then land to let his Jetpack recharge, then fly for a few more seconds, then land again, then fly a little bit more, then once again land, and then….
Hell, he never would have made it out of there if he had to do keep doing that slow-ass shit…
This is what happened. Jango took off. The sound of his Jetpack igniting drew the attention of Obi-Wan & Anakin. They observed Jango flying up higher & higher, furthering the distance between them so rapidly the Jedi realized that a pursuit at that point would be futile.
That's why it felt good to finally see Mandos airborne for extended periods. Throughout The Mandalorian TV series Boba Fett, Din Djarin, Bo-Katan, The Armorer & many other Mandalorians propelled themselves through the air & kicked shebs. During the Battle of Mandalore, it was so awesome to witness waves of Mandos that flew high above Mandalore, engage the Empire in battle & take back their homeworld. Because Mandalorians are stronger together....
Star Wars Republic Commando (Released 02-28-2005)
"You have been born into dangerous times. A sharp mind can be the key to survival. But as often as not, it will be your inherent physical traits that win the day. And in this regard you will be superior to your more common brethren. For you are a Commando, an elite unit, something truly special."
-Kaminoan Taun We to Clone Commando-in-training Boss
❤️ this classic, dope video game. (And the novels, too.) Hard to believe this was released 20 yrs. ago. Would've been SO cool if we had a Remaster or even a Republic Commando II sequel.
❤️ when playing Republic Commando how whenever Boss (AKA Delta Squad Leader AKA RC-1138 AKA 38 AKA Clone Commando Sergeant Boss) drew his BlasTech Industries DC-15S pistol, he would always spin it - just like Jango Fett, Boba Fett, Captain Rex, etc.
Also ❤️ that right-to-left laser-wipe that would clear away icky fluids that splattered on your helmet's T-Visor after any close encounters with hostiles & your Armor's trusty Knuckle Plate Vibroblade.
A-A-AND also ❤️ discovering a Jedi's lightsaber aboard the assault ship The Prosecutor which led to this line from Boss: "An elegant weapon for a more civilized time, eh? Well, guess what? Times have changed…!"
It's little details like these that make the lore of Star Wars, Star Wars video games & the Star Wars universe so immersive & enjoyable.
Poor Sev.
….THIS IS THE WAY…! 😎
Mandalorian Bounty Hunter Jango Fett & The Clones
Wanted to post this to show that during his origin story in the classic 2002 video game Star Wars Bounty Hunter, Jango Fett did indeed care about the Clones. Jango said he was "proud" of them; he even let this be known to his son Boba Fett.
(Unlike the in-universe narrative claiming Jango cared nothing about the Clones & the only Clone Jango ever cared about was Boba.)
In the following Cutscene Storyboards from Star Wars Bounty Hunter, Mandalorian Bounty Hunter (And Prime Clone Template) Jango Fett said his Clones were a damn fine Army, ready for battle. When Jango discussed this with Boba, Jango told him: "You shouldn't feel sorry for them. I don't. I feel…Proud."
And I❤️this from @fox-trot talking about Jango Fett & his concerns with the lives & treatment of the Clones….
Jango Fett consistently fought the Kaminoans over reconditioning/ decommissioning. In the early days he managed to convince the Kaminoans to change the expected standard, allowing for more leniency regarding deviations in physical appearance, speech patterns, behavior, temperament, etc. This saved many lives. He also regularly stepped in & rescued clones scheduled to be reconditioned for ‘aberrant’ behavior or mental health concerns. The Null ARCs & Delta Squad were saved from death because of his intervention. He also had a secret operation where he smuggled at-risk clones off of Kamino.
The Return...Of Boba Fett!
(AKA The Mandalorian Season 2 Episode 6 Chapter 14: The Tragedy)
Boba Fett! Back from the dead! Back in his Mandalorian Armor & Back in business!
This episode was SO dope! Boba Fett's battle with the numerous Stormtroopers & their Transport Ships was epic! He was kicking shebs even without his Mando Armor. But when he detonated one of Din's Grav Charges on the Stormtroopers. Then landed behind that one dazed & confused trooper. And rose up slowly for that reveal. His iconic Mandalorian Armor being donned once again by its rightful owner. You knew right then and there it was a wrap for all of those Stormtroopers. Game over, man!
It was so dope to finally see Boba in action. And NOT on/ in a book, novel, graphic novel, magazine, newspaper, cartoon, evening news, comic book, computer/ video game, trading card, poster, talk show, coloring book, sticker, iron-on, public service announcement, t-shirt, pajamas, baseball cap, infomercial, the back of a cereal box, fan- made film, TV ad/ commercial, the internet, Youtube video, reality TV show or social media….
No. This WAS Official. Legit. Bonafide. On-screen. Live action. In living color. As I watched The triumphant & long-awaited Return of Boba Fett I was struck with so many emotions: surprise, elation, excitement, pride, fulfillment & vindication. And it didn't happen on some obscure series that Star Wars fans weren't paying any attention to. Boba Fett's historic comeback occurred in the spectacular Star Wars TV series The Mandalorian. During its exciting second Season. The best Star Wars TV show (at that time).
During Season 2, Temuera Morrison really brought a lot to the table playing Boba Fett. If they plan on letting Tem return as Boba in the upcoming The Mandalorian & Grogu film, I hope they let him bring that same vibe, energy, vigor, action & battle prowess displayed in The Mandalorian. Bring Back THIS Boba Fett.
I know they want to let other Mandalorian characters get a lot of attention and become popular. And there will be plenty of time for all of that. But meanwhile, they need to let Boba shine on the big screen once again. After all, Boba Fett is the reason we now have so many other Mandalorians in the Galaxy far, far away…Boba definitely is Thee Mandalorian. Thee Prime Mandalorian Template. The One that Started it All, for ALL Mandalorians. If it wasn't for him, there would not be a Din Djarin, Bo-Katan Kryze, Paz Vizsla, The Armorer, etc.
Boba Fett's Mandalorian Kama
So glad to see Boba Fett wearing a Kama is now official.
Boba showing respect to the Tuskens that took him into their tribe while simultaneously paying homage to his Mandalorian Heritage….
After tracking down & finally regaining his Mandalorian Armor, Boba Fett's Kama was originally his Tusken robes, with an opening on the right side to allow access to his blaster pistol. Some time later, Boba styled it to look more like the traditional Mandalorian Kama.
"...I've ridden beasts ten times its size..."
- Boba Fett
