Hyperspace Theories: The Story of the Mandalorians
Hyperspace Theories returns with another discussion of Season Two of The Mandalorian. In this episode, Tricia Barr and B.J. Priester analyze how The Mandalorian series advances the story of the Mandalorians: a people, a culture, and a feared faction in galactic war and peace. We also speculate about how the information revealed in Season Two may provide clues to what else we’ll learn about Mandalorians in The Book of Boba Fett at the end of the year and Season Three of The Mandalorian later in 2022.
Before looking to future stories, though, we start with how the Mandalorians were introduced in the franchise’s past. Revealed in fiction and nonfiction paratexts, the lore surrounding Boba Fett’s armor and its mysterious connection to the equally mysterious Mandalorian super-commandos predates even the conclusion of the Original Trilogy in Return of the Jedi. In the era of Star Wars Expanded Universe (now Legends) tales, the Mandalorians appeared in a wide variety of popular story formats, including novels, comics, and videogames, as well as fan cosplay groups. A major shift occurred in the second season of The Clone Wars animated series, when George Lucas began to unfold his own version of Mandalorian culture, politics, and role in the galaxy. Dave Filoni subsequently evolved those ideas further in the Star Wars Rebels animated series and the Siege of Mandalore arc of The Clone Wars‘ seventh season, as well as the ongoing The Mandalorian series.
What these stories portray, over roughly thirty years of in-universe events, is the Mandalorians collectively undergoing a story of their own. Like the Jedi, the Mandalorians face tragedy by the end of the Clone Wars, and then a slow attempt to rebuild. As with the Jedi, we watch the story unfold through the eyes of key characters like Duchess Satine, Bo-Katan Kryze, Pre Vizsla, and later Sabine Wren, Din Djarin, and Moff Gideon. In the Disney+ series, perhaps the Mandalorians may have a more optimistic fate ahead.
UPDATED WITH LINKS TO PART ONE (THE JEDI) AND PART THREE (DIN DJARIN)
Contact Information:
- Hyperspace Theories: Twitter @HyperspacePod
- Tricia Barr: Twitter @FANgirlcantina; email Tricia@fangirlblog.com
- B.J. Priester: Twitter @RedPenofLex; email Lex@fangirlblog.com
Tricia Barr's novel, Wynde, won the 2014 Independent Publisher Book Award Gold Medal for Best Science Fiction/Fantasy/Horror Ebook. She was also part of Silence in the Library's successful all-female creator science fiction and fantasy anthology Athena's Daughters, which is available now. For excerpts and tales of her adventures in creating a fictional universe, hop over to TriciaBarr.com.
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