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The Mandalorian (Watch Now on Disney+) takes place five years after the events of Return of the Jedi, which places it on the Star Wars calendar in 9 ABY (After the Battle of Yavin, when the first Death Star was destroyed near the rebel base on Yavin IV). It’s a strange and uncertain time in the Galaxy. To better understand the universe that our armored lone wolf and his adorable cub are traipsing through, let’s look at the galactic history that leads up to The Mandalorian.
What’s going on in 9 ABY?
Five years have passed since the events of Return of the Jedi and the Emperor was vanquished, and four years have passed since the New Republic destroyed much of the remaining Imperial fleet above Jakku. The Empire has mostly disappeared. The New Republic is setting up a government committed to preserving peace and order for its member worlds.
Luke Skywalker is traveling the galaxy learning about the Jedi and other Force-using traditions. Princess Leia is serving in the senate, and Han Solo is freshly back from an adventure to stop a galaxy-wide droid apocalypse. Their son, Ben Solo, is five years old and probably playing a lot with his uncle Chewie. Elsewhere, Poe Dameron is seven years old and learning to fly an A-Wing with his mother.
Rey and Finn aren’t even born (or cloned) yet, and Boba Fett (presumably) is looking forward to another nine hundred and ninety-five years of slowly being digested by a Sarlacc. Meanwhile, the bounty hunter known as the Mandalorian and his ward are on the run.
What do we know about Mandalorians?
Mandalorians are a distinct, human culture originating on the planet Mandalore. During the Clone Wars, Mandalore suffered a series of brutal conflicts that killed thousands. Historically dominated by a warrior class, Mandalore reimagined itself as a pacifist world under the guidance of Duchess Satine Kryze, until a warrior named Pre Vizsla staged a violent coup.
There were several upheavals in leadership, one of which left a familiar villain in the position of ultimate authority on the planet. If you haven’t watched The Clone Wars, now is the perfect time to jump in since the first six seasons (and the film that kicked it all off) are available on Disney+, and the series returns next year for a final season which will end with the Siege of Mandalore.
After nearly two decades of occupation, the Mandalorians overthrew Imperial rule in 2 BBY (Before the Battle of Yavin) and installed Satine’s sister Bo-Katan as Mand’alor, the leader of the Mandalorians. Under her rule, they remained a proud culture, deriving much of their cultural identity from their armor, though they often take off their helmets (even in public).
What happened to Mandalore, and by extension the Mandalorian people, between then and the time of the TV show is currently a mystery. We can infer, however, that before it fell, the Empire executed its revenge on Mandalore in the Great Purge.
What’s Up With the Remnants of the Empire?
Though the Empire is effectively gone, some die-hard loyalists remain. In the wake of Emperor Palpatine’s demise, the Empire conducted a destructive revenge campaign on a massive scale called Operation: Cinder. The Emperor felt that any empire which could not protect its emperor was useless, so in the event that he lost his galactic game of Dejarik, he arranged for the survivors to flip the game board over in spite.
Using modified weather satellites and other, more conventional weaponry, zealously loyal Imperial officers and stormtroopers attacked several planets, including Palpatine’s homeworld of Naboo, with the intent to punish the populace for rebelling or, in some cases, for failing to defend their emperor. Operation: Cinder has been explored extensively in Star Wars media, most notably as a central element of the plot in Star Wars Battlefront II. What we don’t have is a complete list of all the planets that were attacked.
Since the Mandalorians successfully chased the Empire off of their world, it’s possible that Mandalore was one of the planets targeted by the Empire during Operation: Cinder. It could be what the Mandalorians in exile are referring to when they talk about the Great Purge. It could also be a reference to the Republic’s attack during the Siege of Mandalore. We may not get the full answers to these questions until the final season of The Clone Wars airs early next year.
More important to the plot of the show is the Contingency, the Emperor’s plan to resurrect his empire. In the event of his death, Palpatine created a contingency in which the brightest and most insidious minds in the Empire would spirit themselves away to the Unknown Regions to rebuild his empire in secret. He also stashed away a great number of artifacts related to the Force in secret observatories all over the galaxy. This program is largely responsible for the creation of the First Order.
Operation: Cinder was a distraction that allowed Palpatine to cull the weaker bits of his own force and damage the fledgling New Republic in one stroke. Given the preposterous number of old-school Star Destroyers cropping up in the new trailers and promotional material for The Rise of Skywalker, it seems the distraction may have worked.
Is Werner Herzog’s baby-napping Imperial client a member of this elite group of survivors? His interest in the Force-sensitive ‘baby Yoda’ hints that he’s gathering resources to help the Empire in shadow. At this point, with the Empire a shambles, the only people still hanging on are the monstrous true believers that miss the old days of merciless cruelty and exacting order. We know from promotional stills that we’ll see a former Imperial Moff and some Death Troopers in action, too, so the Mandalorian has more difficult work ahead than finding soup for his foster kid.
So Where Is the New Republic?
After trouncing much of the Imperial fleet over Jakku in 4 ABY, the New Republic set up shop on the planet Chandrila. To avoid one planet achieving too much influence over the others and reduce the risk of a new empire arising, the member worlds of the New Republic agreed to host the senate on a rotational basis. By the time of The Force Awakens in 34 ABY, that galactic seat is on Hosnian Prime.
The New Republic deliberately chose to disarm following the war, favoring programs to expand planetary defense forces that would, presumably, organize into a coalition in the face of a greater threat. As a result, many military personnel from the former Rebellion were dismissed and had to find other work.
We met Cara Dune in episode four, a former-rebel-shock-trooper-turned-mercenary who got tired of acting as security for dignitaries and politicians. Even if she wanted to settle down, she might not have been able to do so without finding some other profession. Do they pay pensions to freedom fighters?
Though noble in its aim, the demilitarization of the Republic leaves room for the rise of the First Order. Because of their reluctance to maintain a strong military and the relative prosperity experienced by member worlds, it’s possible for Imperial sympathizers and criminals alike to get up to some shady business on the fringes of the galaxy.
But… Why Are There So Many Bounty Hunters?
There isn’t a firm in-universe explanation for the preponderance of bounty hunters, and it’s likely there never will be. However, there are clues that point to bounty hunting arising as an industry of need rather than because some beings have a desire to wield crazy weapons and wear neat outfits.
With the fall of the Empire and the New Republic emphasizing the delegation of military and judicial might to planetary and regional defense forces, there isn’t a strong central body to enforce law and order. Additionally, since there is no Jedi Order, there aren’t any guardians of peace and justice around to track down criminals and help settle disputes.
Enter the bounty hunters. With people scattered far and wide trying to keep pace with rapid changes, the Outer Rim worlds are lawless and wild. It’s worth noting that all of the bounty pucks Greef Carga showed to Mando in the first episode of the series were for bail jumpers. Without strong central support, there’s no way that a planetary government could keep track of offenders in a galaxy where it’s easy to hop on a ship, jump to hyperspace and be parsecs away in the blink of an eye.
Bounty hunters in the guild and otherwise provide governments with access to a mobile, for-profit police force not bound to any jurisdiction. Consequently, the bounty hunters of Star Wars show us what the world looks like when justice is for sale to the highest bidder. Whether it’s governments, crime syndicates, or wealthy private citizens seeking vengeance, the people with the credits get to decide who goes free and who gets turned into a man-sized popsicle.
So Does Any of This Matter to the Story?
It’s too early to say, which might be what has given The Mandalorian such broad appeal. We’ve been tantalized by details dealt out in small doses. While the setting feels familiar, there’s no expectation to really know more beyond what you’re seeing on the screen. Mando, more than any other Star Wars hero so far, is just a simple man trying to make his way in the universe. Thankfully, too, he has a little help from his unbearably adorable companion.
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