The Mandalorians are famous for their rivalry with the Jedi, yet one group of warriors in theStar Warsfranchise defeats them even more consistently. Thanks to recent properties likeThe Mandalorian,Mandalorian historyand culture have become extremely popular, yet the legendary warriors have been explored inStar Warscontent since the 1980s. Notably, Mandalorians fought in the Clone Wars – for both the Republic and Separatists – in the originalLegends continuity (formerly the Expanded Universe)and the modern canon, with the Mandalorians frequently losing to one group of Clone Wars-era soldiers.
In bothStar Warscontinuities,Jango Fett– the template for the Republic’s Clone Army – is a Mandalorian, though his involvement in clone trooper training and upbringing varies, depending on the timeline. In the original Legends continuity, Fett was heavily involved in clone trooper development, making sure that all clone troopers were cultural Mandalorians, regardless of rank and specialization. In the modern canon, Jango Fett was far less invested in the Clone Army, overseeing their training but not being nearly as attached to them as his original incarnation. Fascinatingly, the clone troopers fought other Mandalorians during the Clone Wars.
Star Wars: All 15 Clone Ranks & Types Explained
Clone troopers are essential to the Star Wars prequel era’s narrative, with a variety of ranks and specializations among the Republic’s elite troops.
The Clones Beat The Mandalorians Every Time They Fought
In theStar WarsLegends continuity, Republic clone troopers battled the Mandalorians Protectors – who were led by the rogue ARC Trooper Spar, who masqueraded as Boba Fett – in multiple battles. Althoughthe Mandalorian Protectors were among the most formidable opponents to the clones, they nevertheless consistently won. Commander Bly and his 327th Star Corps sent the Mandalorian Protectors into a retreat during the Battle of New Holstice, and a contingent of 212 Mandalorian Protectors was reduced to 3 warriors during their Mission to Norval II.
Battles between clone troopers and Mandalorians are rarer in the modernStar Warscanon, but a small squad of clones clashed with theDeath Watchterrorist group on Draay 2, and while the Death Watch ambushed and initially captured the clones, the Republic troops outfought the Mandalorian extremists later in the mission. Later on, a true full-scale battle between clone troopers and Mandalorians occurred duringthe Siege of Mandalore. Although the clone troopers sustained heavy casualties,they nevertheless outfought Darth Maul’s Mandalorian loyalists.
Clone trooper blasters may have burned through Clone Wars-era Mandalorian armor due to thebeskarbeing impure and more vulnerable to blaster bolts.
Why These Clone Troopers Were Virtually Unbeatable
Clone troopers and Mandalorians are both among the most formidable non-Force-sensitive warriors in the galaxy, yet viewers may wonder why the former consistently defeats the latter. In theStar WarsLegends continuity,Jango Fett’s intense training regimens, and the fact that the clones were themselves elite Mandalorian warriors, likely explain their superiority to the Mandalorian Protectors. It is less clear in the modernStar Warscanon, however, though it may simply be due to the clones having superior tactics and discipline to the Death Watch, who are more experienced at terrorizing innocents than fighting a war.
August 18, 2025
Star Wars
Star Wars is a multimedia franchise that started in 1977 by creator George Lucas. After the release of Star Wars: Episode IV- A New Hope (originally just titled Star Wars), the franchise quickly exploded, spawning multiple sequels, prequels, TV shows, video games, comics, and much more. After Disney acquired the rights to the franchise, they quickly expanded the universe on Disney+, starting with The Mandalorian.
