Summary
There’s one key difference that Mandalorians andclone troopersshare betweenStar Warscanon and Legends, and it’s likely that only one of these groups will have this difference resolved in the future. The Mandalorians and the clone troopers are more closely tied to one another than many may think, due to one common denominator: Jango Fett. It was confirmed by Boba Fett inThe Mandalorianseason 2 that Jango was aMandalorian foundlingwho fought in theMandalorian Civil Wars, something that echoes his previously established backstory inStar WarsLegends.
Legends saw a Jango who was much more involved with the clone troopers, which meant that much of his Mandalorian culture was passed down to the clones as he helped train them. In canon, however, it’s been made clear that Jango wanted little to do with his clone troopers, aside from Boba - though he was at least somehow involved in the training process that prepared many of the clones for battle. This change in Jango’s backstory has had a ripple effect on both the Mandalorians and the clones in canon, as one key element has yet to be fully utilized.
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Both Mandalorians & Clones Speak Mando’a In Legends
The Language Was Largely Developed In Legends
Mando’a, the language of the Mandalorian people, was much more prevalent inStar WarsLegends than it is now in canon, and both Mandalorians and clone troopers would often speak this language. It was first seen in its written form on theFirespray gunship’s monitor inStar Wars: Episode II - Attack of the Clones, though its first true appearance as a dialect was in theStar Wars: Knights of the Old Republicvideo game.Legends author Karen Traviss continued to develop it in her various Mandalorian and clone-based novels, making it the language it’s known as today.
Both Mandalorians and clone troopers would speak Mando’a quite often, causing a whole plethora of words and phrases to come into being. Mando’a became such a treasured part of both these groups in Legends that it was eventually left to the fans to develop even more, which many have continued to do even to this day. Despite it being such a key part of Legends, however, Mando’a has rarely ever been heard inStar Warscanon - especially when it comes to the clone troopers.
Mandalorians Have Spoken Some Mando’a In Canon, But Not Clones
Only Star Wars Rebels & The Book of Boba Fett Have Utilized Mando’a
So far in canon, only Mandalorians have actually spoken Mando’a, and those instances are few and far between. The first to speak it is Sabine Wren inStar Wars Rebels, who says “Su’cuy aliit Wren. Ibici Sabine Wren, ara’novor. Gedet’ye me’vaar ti gar.” (“Hailing Clan Wren. This is Sabine Wren on approach. Please respond.") She receives a brief response in Mando’a, and then the language isn’t heard again untilThe Book of Boba Fett. The Armorer counts for Din Djarin during training with the Darksaber, saying the numbers “solus, t’ad, ehn, cuir.” (1, 2, 3, 4.)
Despite Mandalorians having a chance to speak Mando’a in canon, clone troopers have yet to do the same, and it’s very unlikely they ever will at this point.
Despite Mandalorians having a chance to speak Mando’a in canon, clone troopers have yet to do the same, and it’s very unlikely they ever will at this point. Now thatStar Wars: The Clone WarsandStar Wars: The Bad Batchhave both established that the clones don’t often use this language,new visual storytelling opportunities will have a hard time making utterances of Mando’a seem more normalized for them. It’s not impossible to do, but it would take quite a bit of convincing and retconning to explain why it’s never used in those clone-centric series.
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Will Mando’a Ever Be As Big In Canon As In Legends?
It’s Unlikely Canon Will Adapt All of It
Unfortunately, at this point, Mando’a will unlikely be as prevalent in canon as it once was in Legends. This doesn’t mean it will be ignored altogether; canon has already allowed it to be uttered aloud, and it has also included plenty of written depictions of the language as well. For the clones especially, however,Star Warscanon material that already exists has made it much harder to naturally fold in Mando’a through more stories. Nothing is impossible, though, which could very well mean that futureStar Warsstories, especially those focused on Mandalorians, will expand Mando’a’s reach in canon.
