Masks and helmets are a central part of Mandalorian culture. They are worn in battle and in ceremonies, and each has a specific meaning. Many have been handed down from generation to generation, and are considered historical treasures. Most masks are made from cheap plastoid, painted to look like metal or ceramic and inscribed with oft-repeated adages about honor and glory. There is no one preferred color for Mandalorian armor, though gold seems to be most common.
Mandalorian armies often paint their armor different colors (pink, black, or purple being particular favorites) to make it easier to spot the direction of an attack. This is particularly important in forested areas, where most battles take place.
Tusken Raiders also use colored armor; they decorate it with clan symbols in order to show which clan they belong to.
The Mandalorian helmet is a fictional item of headgear worn by the warriors of the same name in the “Star Wars” universe. They are depicted in the films as using full-face masks and helmets to conceal their identity. A common alternate name for these helmets is T-visor, due to their T-shaped visors. The T-visors have caught the attention of several collectors due to their popularity and striking appearance.
A symbol of the Mando warrior, the mask is an ancient tradition. The first Mandalorians were Jango Fett’s unaltered clone “son” Boba and Jango’s granddaughter Mirta. The early clones were fitted with a simple breathing device to allow them to survive in extreme climates, but the Mandalorian culture created a demand for a full-face helmet for their use in combat. Masks became more common after Boba and Jango returned from Geonosis (after the events portrayed in Attack of the Clones) with their bounty hunter armor.
The traditional T-shaped visor was considered by many to be an unnecessary luxury – some would even go so far as to call it a distraction. As such, during the reign of Mandalore the Indomitable, many warriors began removing the central T and replacing it with a small strip that did little more than protect their eyes from dust.
Mandalore the Ultimate brought back the T-shaped visor when he took over leadership of the clan. When he died, his helmet was melted down into a symbol for all of his warriors to follow: a mask that kept their vision clear of distractions so they could focus on what truly mattered – victory.*´*´¨
Mandalorian concept art by artist Joe Johnston and Ralph McQuarrie for Star Wars: Episode VI Return of the Jedi.
The Mandalorians, or Mando’ade (Bas: “Children of Mandalore”), were a nomadic warrior culture centered on the planet Mandalore in the Outer Rim Territories. They were among the most skilled bounty hunters and supercommandos in the known galaxy.
Their armor, which could be modified for a variety of uses, was an emblem of their culture; without it, they were considered dishonored. The right to wear armor was earned through acts of honor and bravery on the battlefield.
Ranging from combat helmets to full-body suits, these pieces of armor varied widely in appearance depending on when and where they were crafted. Early examples from before the Neo-Crusader era resembled T-visors and PASGT-style combat helmets worn during the Vietnam War. Late-generation suits tended to be sleeker, with designs that borrowed elements from samurai and knight armor.
I’m not sure what the “official” name for this helmet is, but the one I think of when I see it is an “inverse bucket.” It’s not a great name, but it works for me. When you look at pictures of Mandalore and Mandalorians in Star Wars: The Clone Wars, that’s what they’re wearing.
Trying to design Mandalorian armor was a lot of fun. It was my first chance to work with Dave Filoni on something Star Wars-related; he’s been a hero of mine ever since I sawX-Wing in the theater.
I wanted to get across several things about the Mandos: They are tough, they are ugly, and they are (mostly) human. If you look at some of the early Ralph McQuarrie paintings from the 1970s it becomes obvious pretty quickly that, despite all the talk about how Mandalore is supposed to be a “primitive” planet, what George Lucas really had in mind was a sort of futuristic Middle Ages – more Dark Age than Stone Age.
As for ugly: There are no cute or cool-looking warriors on Mandalore. (I didn’t want anyone watching to say, “Hey, those guys aren’t so bad!”)
Mandalorian concept art revealed.
A great number of Mandalorians wore armor, and since their armor was more like clothing than like the armor of soldiers in other armies, they also wore clothes beneath it. The type of clothes varied by profession and by climate; even within a single society there were likely to be variations between warriors, craftsmen, and farmers.
Mandalorians on colder worlds would sometimes wear a kind of hooded robe called a beskar’gam, which was actually made from beskar-reinforced silk or leather. Beskar could not only stop blaster bolts but also resist lightsaber slashes, so the beskar’gam protected the wearer from head to toe. The folds of cloth around the face protected the wearer’s identity even more thoroughly than helmets did, making it much harder for enemies to know whether they had just killed one Mandalorian or many.
On warmer planets, where Mandalorians often went about taking their regular work with them rather than being deployed at one central base, people would simply wear sturdy pants and shirts that could handle sweat or outdoor weather. The armored plates sewn into such garments were usually rounded rather than angular; they were designed to deflect glancing blows rather than direct ones.
The plates on chest and back did
I have been curious about the Mandalorian masks for a long time and I just wanted to draw them in my own style. I hope you like it and please comment if you have any questions or suggestions.
