Rebels Mandalorians in Rebels

[godisawesome]

So, Sabine's a main character in this show and out first completely official animated Mandalorian in this show. Now we all know that the Mandalorians are a disproportionately popular culture in Star Wars, what with their totally awesome armor and the old jetpack=awesome theorem.

Clone Wars had some pretty awesome Mandalorians, what with Pre Viszla, Bo Katan, and even Satine, who's name makes me think Sabine might have a connection to her. And last we saw of Mandalore in Clone Wars, we had a planet hurtled into civil war, with Darth Maul at the mercy of everyone's favorite British puppet master. So what are you hoping for/expecting from the bucket heads in this series?

 

[DaddlerTheDalek]

I think it's possible that the Death Watch will show up in Rebels.

 

[Verbal21]

I don't think its a matter of if we'll seek Mando's in Rebels, but when.

 

[TJByrum]

I didn't think I was overly excited a while ago, but then I watched a trailer with Sabine in it and I was instantly hooked.

Don't know what it is about the Mandalorians I like so much. Maybe it's the helmet, the armor, the culture, or the jetpacks - bad place, maybe it's all of that combined! Glad it's a female to, should be interesting.

 

[Great Mind(s)]

It's just that Mandalorians should have been in the prequel films, instead we got the Naboo.

 

[Verbal21]

It's just that Mandalorians should have been in the prequel films, instead we got the Naboo.

I'm really hoping JJ delivers something in this new trilogy. At best case scenario, it can help expand or lead into the Fett movie.

 

[Great Mind(s)]

Jango wasn't a Mandalorian though. He like stole the armor or something

 

[James]

Was that stated in the films, or the Expanded Universe? Because if it didn't happen in the films or TCW, they can make Jango whatever they want.

 

[Great Mind(s)]

I thought in a Clone Wars episode they were saying they didn't know how Jango got the armor because he wasn't from Mandalore.

 

[Loki882]

Yeah, the current canon seems to be that neither Jango nor Bobba were "true" Mandalorians. They just wore the armor. IDK if they ever really stated where Jango go his armor?

 

[godisawesome]

Almec called Jango a common bounty hunter, but that's Almec, a corrupt politician of the New Mandalorian government. Boba seemed wholly unconnected to the Mandalorian plotline, but there's still enough wiggle room thanks to Almec's dubious authority not he subject. And the same story arc focused on the Mandalorians brought in elements (The Death Watch, Viszla's last name and sigil) of the Jango Fett origin where he hailed from Concord Dawn, the same place that Kenobi's cover identity as Rako Hardeen came from.

It's arguable that Jango's status as a Mandalorian that Almec would recognize was already extremely shaky in the old EU, now Legends. Jango hailed from Concord Dawn, joined a marauding band of mercenaries in the "True Mandalorians" who with the exception of one of Karen Traviss's little stinger quotes, never spoke the language she created. Jango's only real canonical claim in Legends, and Boba's, boiled down to "I wear the armor, and I kicked your ash, and I lead a group of guys in the armor who will continue to kick your ash."

Personally, I kind of hope someone follows up on the Fett-Mandalorian connection and defines it. Concord Dawn has elements that seem to hint at being a Mandalorian colony in the new canon thanks to Rako Hardeen's armor and helmet alongside the planet's similar name to Concordia. Boba is basically just a bounty hunter who's fueled by his father's legacy, and Darth Maul's rise showed you don't need to actually be a Mandalorian to become their leader.

 

[godisawesome]

Alright, so now we've got Sabine's full familial lineage, if Clan Wren of House Viszla means what it sounds like.

We've also got what looks like our first sightings of Imperial Mandalorians; if I could figure out a way to post the two screen shots I took to this board from my iPad, I will. But what we've got from the trailer looks like a fusion of TIE pilot with the classic armor; it's got a very Stormtrooper like look to it, but with a fusion box on the torso armor.

 

[godisawesome]

So here we've got the best view of the new helmet with colors; I like how it seems like they simplified the design to show it being updated.

And here's another helmeted look, plus a better look at the suits. I think the guy without the helmet is the blue helmet guy from previous. See the pilot style harness? I'm hoping they have more variations, but this looks cool and old school.

 

[godisawesome]

http://www.starwarsunderworld.com/2015/12/new-clip-from-upcoming-star-wars-rebels.htmlHere's that clip of Mandalorian pilots in Rebels. Also, they're called Protectors, maybe hinting at that old designation remaining in the canon.

 

[Sithborg]

Woo, Hera and Sabine episode!!!!

 

[Horhey]

Jango wasn't a Mandalorian though. He like stole the armor or something

He was adopted by Mandalorian mercenaries and eventually became the leader.

 

[DarthSkywalker]

He was adopted by Mandalorian mercenaries and eventually became the leader.

Where is this story from?

 

[Horhey]

Where is this story from?

Pre-Disney EU. Specifically "Jango Fett: Open Season": http://s97.photobucket.com/user/Horhey420/library/Star%20Wars/Jango%20Fett-Open%20Season?sort=3&page=1

They might retcon it though.

 

[godisawesome]

It's got no immediate back up in current continuity, but the Death Watch and Clan Vizsla got their start in the same comic.

 

[Snow Queen]

Pre-Disney EU. Specifically "Jango Fett: Open Season": http://s97.photobucket.com/user/Horhey420/library/Star%20Wars/Jango%20Fett-Open%20Season?sort=3&page=1

They might retcon it though.

Anything pre-Disney purchase that isn't the films, Clone Wars CG show or Darth Maul: Son of Dathomir isn't canon, so they already did.

 

[DarthSkywalker]

What Snow said. That is why I was confused. There is no retcon, only canon is canon.

 

[Horhey]

I wasn't sure about the EU before or during the PT.

 

[Pokkle]

Looking forward for the next episode about them.
And in the last issue of Kanan:

Spoiler

Fenn Rau is there:

 

[The Big G]

Looking forward for the next episode about them.
And in the last issue of Kanan:

Spoiler

Fenn Rau is there:

Synergy at its finest.


Also can we all agree that Fenn Rau is pretty much the new version of Fenn Shysa?

 

[godisawesome]

As a big fan of TCW's Mandalorian episodes, I'm really intrigued by the world they're fleshing out here. Concord Dawn is still confirmed as Jango Fett's home world, so seeing it presented as a shattered globe kind of added some nice color to his background. And Rau and his Protectors really do contrast very much with the Death Watch in terms of both aesthetics and demeanor; Death Watch always had this rough and wild aspect, even when not depicted as marauders, while Rau and his Protectors seem extremely disciplined and under control, and acted quite a bit like modern private military contractors.

That Rebels Recon made me very curious who's in charge of Mandalore right now, and exactly where they and other leaders stand. The Protectors seemed to be portrayed in the Recon as a Praetorian Guard for Mandalore, but this is the first time we've seen their faction, and Rau's service for the Republic, which would have been allied (at least initially) with Bo Katan's Death Watch remnant, his men describing Viszla's clan as traitors implies even more strife in Mandalore's past.

Perhaps the Protectors were an exiled bodyguard that supported the New Mandalorian government from the colony worlds; they would theoretically be the dark side of Satine's government, men willing to enforce her pacifistic status quo and perhaps even veterans whose blood was shed keeping her alive before she became Duchess. Then when Maul's alliance wreaks havoc alongside Death Watch, Rau and his Protectors finally renenter main Mandalore territory alongside other clans and factions to retake their homeworld. Maybe Bo Katan revealed the Death Watch's complicity in Maul's takeover, so House Vizsla is persona non grata, but Bo Katan and co. are pardoned. And maybe the Protectors reluctantly guard Concord Dawn instead of Mandalore's capital because they have fallen out of favor with the new Mandalore or the Empire insists on separating them.