Mandalore the Unknown, known as dar'Mand'alor in Mando'a, was a male Taung warrior who claimed the mantle of Mand'alor after the Great Sith War only to be usurped and forgotten.
Biography[]
The Taung warrior who would become known as Mandalore the Unknown was a member of the Mandalorian Crusaders, fighting in the Great Sith War under Mandalore the Indomitable. In 3996 BBY, he was part of the Mandalorian invasion force that attacked Onderon. Overwhelmed by the Beast Riders, the Mandalorian were forced to retreat to the moon of Dxun and Mandalore ended up being separated from his forces, succumbing to the predatory creatures dwelling on the moon. The Taung warrior later found Mandalore's mask and claimed it for himself, declaring himself the new Mand'alor.[1]
However, the new Mandalore's reign was short-lived as the mantle was usurped from him by a Mandalorian affiliated with the hidden Sith Empire. While the usurper declared himself Mandalore the Ultimate and reorganized the Mandalorian clans into the Mandalorian Neo-Crusaders, the overthrown Mandalore went into hiding.[2] In 3960 BBY, Mandalore the Ultimate was slain by the Jedi Knight Revan and his mask was taken away, leaving the Mandalorians dispersed and leaderless. Mandalore the Unknown emerged from hiding in an attempt to rally the clans but few recognized his authority due to him not having the Mask of Mandalore.[3]
Around 3957 BBY, a Mandalorian soldier sent the assassin droid HK-47 to assassinate Mandalore, only for the droid to be captured and reprogrammed to kill his master. The following year, Mandalore sent some of his followers to Kashyyyk to test the effectiveness of stealth field technology.[4]
Two years later, the Mandalorian warrior Canderous Ordo had rediscovered Mandalore's Mask and declared himself the new Mand'alor. In his journey to reunify the clans, he encountered a dying Mandalore, who told Ordo that the Mandalore he had served under in the Mandalorian Wars had been an usurper. With his dying breath, he asked Ordo to adopt his clan and armor so as to preserve the heritage of the ancient Mandalorian race, of which Mandalore was the last. Ordo agreed and incorporated Mandalore's Mask into his new armor, declaring himself Mandalore the Preserver.[2]
Behind the scenes[]
While most canonical Legends sources identify Mandalore the Ultimate as being Mandalore the Indomitable's immediate successor as depicted in Tales of the Jedi, the Knights of the Old Republic Campaign Guide suggests that the Ultimate was a Sith-backed usurper and that the Indomitable's successor was the Mandalore mentioned in Knights of the Old Republic who briefly owned HK-47. The author decided to go with the story hinted at in the Campaign Guide.
Appearances[]
- Tales of the Jedi: The Sith War 6 (First appearance)
- Knights of the Old Republic (Mentioned only)