Mandalorian

The Mandalorians are a human culture that attempted to control the galaxy early in the history of the Galactic Republic. They waged a war against the Republic that was initially very successful, but a Jedi Knight named Revan and his apprentice Malak took charge of the Republic's forces and defeated the Mandalorians.

The Mandalorian armies were notable for their strict warrior ethic and the use of full body armor. Their armor designs survived into the waning days of the Republic, when the bounty hunter Jango Fett was known to wear armor of Mandalorian design. This armor, in turn, was the basis for the armor used by the Republic's clone troopers during the Clone Wars. The best Mandalorian armor was forged from the rare material beskar.

In the aftermath of the Galactic Civil War, the Mandalorians became a scattered, nomadic population. The details are unknown, but it can be inferred that the Galactic Empire persecuted them to keep them from becoming a threat. Groups of Mandalorians sometimes sold their services as mercenaries, while individuals sometimes found work as bounty hunters.

The Mandalorian

By the time of the Clone Wars, Mandalorians began adopting orphaned children from warzones. These "foundlings" could be treated as equal members of Mandalorian society if they followed "the Code".

The Code

Details of "The Code" are still unclear, but one major stipulation is that Mandalorians must never show their faces to outsiders. Consequently, they never remove their helmets unless they are alone. There are apparently other "regulations" concerning contracts and other matters, but the details are not fully revealed.

Not all Mandalorians follow the Code, which seems to be associated with a subset of Mandalorian society. The prevalence of followers of the Code is unknown.

Beskar

At an unknown time in their history, the Mandalorians discovered beskar, an alloy so durable that it could withstand direct fire from blasters and even prolonged contact with lightsabers. The composition is unspecified, and the alloy is so rare that very few Mandalorians ever had access to it.