“This Is The Way”… To The Mandalorian Review

Concept Art from The Mandalorian via Slashfilm

Let me start out by saying, I am a huge Star Wars fan, and when I heard about this show I could not believe it. A whole show dedicated to a Mandalorian! The Mandalorian is Disney+’s showcase original program, a story that takes place in the Star Wars extended universe between The Return of the Jedi and The Force Awakens filling in the gaps between the old Empire and the formative First Order. Before I go in depth about The Mandalorian, I would like to give some background information about the show and the Mandalorians as a whole.

To start, Mandalore is a planet located in the Outer Rim Territories. It was the home world of the Mandalorians, a fearsome and aggressive people. Mandalore and its moon Concordia were the only known worlds in the galaxy to contain the extremely rare, indestructible iron ore known as beskar. It’s mainly called Mandalorian iron; a versatile metal that could be forged into various configurations. The Mandalorian warrior uses the iron ore for weapons, armor, and starships. They are most solely known for their distinctive armor and were feared throughout the galaxy for their combat skills. They were so fearsome that they were unafraid to take on Jedi head-on in conflict. One detail from the show that shows the Mandalorian culture is when our Mandalorian is surrounded and pinned down by other bounty hunters trying to take his bounty. As all seems lost, his Mandalorian brothers and sisters fly to his rescue and protect him.

Mandalore was also inhabited by six clans. Clan Vizsla, Clan Fett, Clan Wren, Clan Saxon, Clan Kryze, Clan Skirata. Years of war between these clans left the planet inhospitable, forcing the Mandalorians to live in domed cities. Due to a pacifist revolution, many warriors were banished to Concordia. Due to the loss of their home and the ability to retain their warrior reputation, many Mandalorians became mercenaries and bounty hunters. This is where two iconic Star Wars characters come into play, Jango Fett and Boba Fett. Jango Fett was a renowned Mandalorian bounty hunter and assassin. He was born on Concord Dawn, a planet in the Mandalore Sector. Jango was taken in by Mandalorians after his parents were murdered. He went on to lead many crusades for the Mandalorian people. Jango Fett became a feared bounty hunter and one of the most famous in the galaxy. He later agreed to become the genetic model for the clones for the Republic Army. He had only one circumstance if he was to be the template, he wanted a genetic clone of himself (which would become Boba Fett). Jango Fett would later be killed by Mace Windu in Star Wars: Episode II – Attack of the Clones. Jango Fett’s legacy lived on through his son Boba. Boba Fett is one of the most famous faces of Star Wars, in my opinion.

Mandalorians come to the rescue via The Mandalorian Twitter

Although he wore Mandalorian armor, he was not technically a Mandalorian. The armor he wore was not Jango’s, rather armor he bought off his earnings as a bounty hunter. His father trained him in the Mandalorian ways but this does not make him a true Mandalorian. He later would supposedly die in a Sarlacc Pit. Okay, now on to the real Mandalorian. Disney says this about the live action series, “After the stories of Jango and Boba Fett, another warrior emerges in the Star Wars universe. The Mandalorian is set after the fall of the Empire and before the emergence of the First Order. We follow the treks of a lone gunfighter in the outer reaches of the galaxy far from the authority of the New Republic.” The first couple of episodes follow the unnamed mercenary through his typical workday. Taking a bounty puck and traveling to the planet to secure his bounty. When he returns with the person or object, he goes and uses his rewards to forge more armor. Personally, I think his armor is amazing and love when he gets new additions.

The Mandalorian using his Whistling Birds via The Mandalorian Twitter

Another crucial aspect to Mandalorians, is their weaponry. “I’m a Mandalorian. Weapons are part of my religion.” I believe this quote from the TV show gives insight to just how important weapons are to the Mandalorians. The arsenal the Mandalorian carries is straight up ridiculous. His main weapon is the Amban Rifle. This is like the Swiss Army knife of Star Wars weaponry because of its versatility. Through the four episodes so far, we can see that it’s a sniper rifle with a disintegration ray that vaporizes targets, a sonic detector that allows the Mandalorian to listen in on conversations, and a great melee weapon. As a back-up blaster, he uses a heavy blaster pistol. In close combat the Mando uses a couple of toys. His first option may be his vibroblade. Vibroblades are vibrating blades that can be daggers or swords that more easily cut into things. His second option would be his Vambraces. These are kitted-to-the-max gauntlets that house a grappling line, flamethrower, and blasters. The Mandalorian’s final and last option in a bad situation would be his Whistling Birds. The Whistling Birds are brand new to the Mandalorian and are made from spare beskar. They are tiny missiles that shoot out of his Vambraces that are used for crowd control.

I believe the Mandalorian in The Mandalorian, has a similar story to Jango Fett where the Mandalorians take him in after his parents are murdered by a CIS droid attack. Although we do not know his backstory for sure yet. If you have not seen the enormous amounts of memes, baby Yoda plays a huge role and will be the focus of the season. Baby Yoda has sparked much commotion in the Star Wars community. The Mandalorian is composed of 30-40-minute episodes however I think every episode is a movie in itself. Every episode includes small and large details, that to the right eyes, make the show that much more enjoyable. One detail comes about in episode four on a distant Outer Rim planet called Sorgan. Here we learn an extremely crucial detail about Mandalorians. We learn that Mandalorians are never allowed to take their helmets off in front of other beings or they will never be allowed to put them back on. However, Mandalorians are allowed to take their helmets off when they are alone. This small detail answered many questions in the Star Wars community and without it we would have never known the truth.

There are two other things that make this show much more like the Star Wars movies. These are the visuals and music. In general, I believe that the visuals and music are what makes Star Wars so iconic. The landscapes, wildlife, and people make The Mandalorian so special. We see brand new planets and animals that are stunning. The best visual that The Mandalorian has is the concept art at the end of every episode. The artwork is simply incredible and is every Star Wars fan’s dream. The amount at the end of every episode varies but usually there is about 10 pieces. All of the concept art is also online for Star Wars fans to download. The second feature is the music. Whenever one of the songs from the original Star Wars movies plays, it is instantly recognizable by everyone. Ludwig Göransson is the Oscar-winning composer behind the music in The Mandalorian. In an interview, Ludwig says, “It feels like I scored three films (before episode four came out). It was important to me that all the themes were in every episode. That they kept developing and they kept reoccurring. But then also I wanted each episode to have a very distinct sound. So, the theme can be played in another episode where they’re on a different planet and it’ll sound a totally different way.” Overall, this show has taken everyone’s heart one way or another. It has had major success as Disney+’s flagship program and given Star Wars fans something to marvel about. I cannot wait to see what comes in the rest of the season of The Mandalorian since the amazing storyline has been set.

The Mandalorian and a bounty droid in a fire fight via The Mandalorian Twitter