Arms and Armor

A Neo-Crusader in blue armor.

Jango Fett in his Mandalorian armor.

The design of Mandalorian armor changed a great deal in the seven millennia after the Taung first settled the planet Mandalore.

The first, widely recognizable version was the Crusader Armor which was the signature armor worn by the Mandalorian Crusaders led by Mandalore the Indomitable during the Great Sith War. It had a jagged, organic form that varied from soldier to soldier. The design of Crusader Armor was centered around defending its wearer during melee combat, which was considered by the Mandalorians to be the most honorable form of battle.

During Mandalore the Ultimate's reign as Mandalore, the Neo-Crusader Armor was designed for use in the Mandalorian Wars. By the time of the Jedi Civil War, it had become quite uniform in design and came in various colors, including blue, red, and yellow, which represented different ranks in the hierarchy of the Mandalorian Clans.

Millennia later, the Mandalorian Supercommando armor was developed to replace the older designs which were now referred to as Mandalorian Shock Trooper Armor. It was no longer full body armor, but partial armor that left limbs almost completely undefended, and focused its strength on the vital areas such as the torso, head, and groin. The New Mandalorian armor was a collection of blast resistant plates, made from Mandalorian iron or duraplast, which were attached to a waterproof, armor mesh flight suit. A liner shirt with a micro energy field projector and two layers of ceramic plates greatly improve protection around the chest, back, and stomach. The careful layering of segmented armor plates ensured mobility, which could be further increased by wearing a jetpack. The Mandalorians began to see the value of extra weapons mounted on the suit, and so simple dart shooters, grappling wires, wrist-mounted rocket launchers and flamethrowers were added to the overall assault capabilities of a Mandalorian Supercommando.

The helmet alone was the control center of most of the suit's abilities. A range finder attached to the duraplast armored helmet could track up to thirty targets, while a battle computer inside the helmet allowed the wearer to control the suit's weapons, sensors, and jet pack through verbal commands. The dark macrobinocular viewplate offered a variety of vision modes, including infrared. A pineal eye sensor on the helmet combined with an internal overlay display to provide tracking information within a 360-degree radius. Motion sensors, an encrypted internal comlink, and a broad-band antenna completed the helmet's devices, all of which could be linked to the wearer's weapons or their personal starship. The helmet could also act as a environmental filter system, with a two hour reserve tank providing breathable air to the Mandalorian warrior.

During the Galactic Civil War, the Death Watch Mandalorians colluded with the Black Sun to manufacture Crusader MK III armor in the Death Watch Bunker on armor. This was a Mandalorian armor variant and they produced two different versions of it, one to sell to the Empire and one to sell to the Rebel Alliance. The armor was used most notably during the Battle of Restuss.

"The Mandalorians wear the finest armor blood can buy."

―Count Dooku

1. The wearer was always protected by lightsaber-resistant Mandalorian iron (Beskar), which could also deflect blaster bolts.
2. The helmets almost always possessed a T-shaped visor and a sophisticated heads-up display (HUD).
3. Mandalorian warriors decorated their armor to reflect personal accomplishments, clan affiliation, or simply personal preference. They often repainted their armor to reflect rank, clan, and possibly the current terrain. They were also known to paint their armor in the traditional colors that represented specific causes the individual might currently be undertaking. The color blue represented reliability, green for duty, black for justice, gold for vengeance, red for honoring a father, and gray for mourning a lost love were common color variants.

Mandalorian armor was traditionally made out of almost indestructible Mandalorian Iron, but this was rare and expensive, so many Mandalorians, such as Jango and Boba Fett, opted for less durable materials instead, such as durasteel.

The classic Mandalorian design could also be seen in the armor of clone troopers, and evolved from the basic clone trooper and commando Katarn armor specs to those of the armor of Imperial stormtroopers. The ARC clone troopers and a few commanders wore Kama, the long almost skirt-like extensions from their waist, which were parts of older Mandalorian armor design and often contained pockets for hidden weapons.

There were a few special suits of mention from the Galactic Civil War. One of the most famous was worn by the Bounty Hunter Boba Fett, although unlike typical Mandalorian armor it was made from duraplast. But rumors told of possibilities of crafting a set of Mandalorian armor in the dreaded Death Watch Bunker.

Mandalorian Shock Trooper Armor was a catch-all term for the various armor styles worn by the Mandalorians throughout the years, including the Neo-Crusader armor used during the Old Sith Wars, and the supercommando armor worn by the True Mandalorians, the Mandalorian Protectors and the Death Watch during the Clone Wars and Galactic Civil War.

Boba Fett, Jango Fett, and Jodo Kast were three noted individuals who wore Mandalorian Shock Trooper armor. The armor worn by clone troopers in the early battles of the Clone Wars was loosely based on the armor of the Mandalorians, because Jango Fett was the template for the clones.

Three different variations of Mandalorian armor, Crusader, Neo-Crusader, and Death Watch

Light Combat Suit

The Mandalorian combat suit was the basic light armor employed by the Mandalorians. It's mesh design was capable of absorbing a remarkable amount of force.

Heavy Combat Suit

The Mandalorian heavy suit was a stronger version of the Mandalorian combat suit. This version was used by elite scouts and could be outfitted with various upgrades in addition to the combat suits capabilities.

Neo-Crusader Armor

Neo-Crusader armor (also known as Mandalorian assault armor) was a type of Mandalorian armor developed sometime after the Great Sith War and in use by 3,964 BBY. Known for being exceptionally tough against most types of weaponry, this armor incorporated a fully-enclosed armored helm that boasted visual enhancements built into the visor. These suits also contained stealth field generators to allow the Neo-Crusaders to pass relatively undetected by enemy units. A set of armor was recovered by the Galactic Republic in the Battle of Myrkr to examine by the Ministry of Defense.

It came in at least three colors (blue, red and gold) each representing a certain rank, typical soldiers wore blue, non-commissioned officers wore red, while those of higher rank or who had proven themselves in battle wore yellow armor. These colors of rank identification would later find themselves on the clone trooper armor during the early years of the Clone Wars.

Battle Armor

The Mandalorian battle armor was a Mandalorian armor model that saw wide use during the Mandalorian Wars. This type of armor was employed by Mandalorian Shock Troopers and allowed them to survive long campaigns waged upon them by the Old Republic. It was particularly resilient to electrical based attacks.

Canderous Ordo, the first leader of the Mandalorians following the Mandalorian Wars, donned this armor and kept it in exceptional condition.

Death Watch Armor

Death Watch Armor was the armor worn by a break-off of Mandalorian warriors, the Death Watch. The armor was made of certain materials that made it almost indestructible. The Mandalorian helmet itself was unique to the Death Watch and consisted of a black, T-shaped visor with a complex HUD (Heads Up Display).

Heavy Armor

Mandalorian heavy armor was worn by respected veteran Mandalorian soldiers. These sturdy suits of armor possessed internal stabilizers which allowed the distribution of energy throughout the frame. This system allowed the wearer to be shielded from attacks that would normally disorient them.

The crushgaunt (shuk'om) was a gauntlet designed to augment its wearer's strength.

Developed by the Mandalorians, the armored glove used an unknown technology to enhance the natural hand-arm strength of its wearer. Its name was earned from the wearer's new ability to crush bone, metal or any other material with relative ease. Made of micronized Mandalorian iron, a crushgaunt was difficult to damage or destroy. Crushgaunts were used to collapse throats, crush skulls and shatter bones.

The crushgaunt was later outlawed by the Mandalorians themselves at least 250 years before the Battle of Yavin, although it was brought back into use by the Mandalorian Death Watch.

Unconfirmed reports hinted that at least one of Darth Vader's black gauntlets was a long-lost Sith-imbued crushgaunt. This is possibly his right hand, as it was rumored to be "indestructible", a most likely exaggerated legend attributed to the durability of crushgaunts.

Mythosaur Axe

The Mythosaur axe was a weapon used by the Mandalorian Crusaders, named after the extinct Mandalorian monster, the Mythosaur. The axe was made of overlapping blades of Mythosaur bone. This was made on either side of the handle, making an extremely deadly weapon.

Manacles

Mandalorian manacles were made from Mandalorian iron and used by the Mandalorians to bind captives' wrists and ankles. They were later replaced by more advanced force shackles, energy links, and lasercuffs, though they were still used by the Mandalorian police force.