Editorial: The Different Mandalorian Houses and Clans From the ‘Star Wars’ Canon
In Mandalorian culture, a “House” is when more than one “Clan” work together or have a shared set of beliefs, and in the current continuity of the Star Wars universe we are aware of three houses, which are House Kryze, House Vizsla, and House Kast. Let’s explore them and some of the most famous clans in canon.
House Kryze
House Kryze is a noble family that played a significant role in the events leading up to and during the Clone Wars. The most prominent member of House Kryze is Duchess Satine Kryze, who was the ruler of Mandalore during the Clone Wars.
Satine was a pacifist who opposed the use of violence and wanted to keep Mandalore neutral in the conflict between the Galactic Republic and the Confederacy of Independent Systems. Her views were not universally accepted on Mandalore, and she faced opposition from a group known as Death Watch, who believed in Mandalore’s warrior traditions and wanted to overthrow Satine’s government.
In The Mandalorian, you know House Kryze as the house of one Bo-Katan!
“Bo-Katan Kryze was born of a mighty house, but they lost sight of the Way. Her rule ended in tragedy. They lost their way, and we lost our world.”
― The Armorer to Din Djarin
It was only Clan Kryze in this house until Clan Wren, Clan Eldar, and others joined the Mandalore resistance under Lady Bo-Katan Kryze’s leadership. She would go on and lead Mandalore until the Night of a Thousand Tears.
Clan Wren
The leader of Clan Wren during the events of Star Wars Rebels was Ursa Wren, a skilled warrior who was also a member of the secretive faction known as Death Watch. When Ursa’s daughter, Sabine, returned with the Darksaber, she convinced her family to stand against the Empire-backed Clan Saxon.
After defeating Governor Gar Saxon and triggering another civil war, Clan Wren joined Bo-Katan and other clans in their struggle to drive out Clan Saxon. In the aftermath of the conflict, Sabine became the leader of Clan Wren and worked to rebuild and unite the Mandalorian people.
Clan Rook
Clan Rook was a clan that was active during the reign of the Galactic Empire, and was initially a vassal of House Kast until after The Battle of Yavin. Like the groups listed above, they eventually joined the Mandalorian resistance against the Galactic Empire. Their armour is coloured purple, yellow, and silver, and they share the same signet as House Kast.
House Vizsla
The most prominent member of House Vizsla is Pre Vizsla, who was the leader of the Mandalorian faction known as Death Watch during the Clone Wars.
Pre Vizsla was a skilled warrior who believed in the Mandalorian traditions of honour and combat, and he sought to restore Mandalore to its former glory as a warrior society. Under his leadership, Death Watch allied themselves with the Separatists and sought to overthrow the pacifist government of Duchess Satine Kryze, who was opposed to the use of violence.
Death Watch’s alliance with the Separatists was short-lived, as they soon turned against them and declared themselves sole rulers of Mandalore. Pre Vizsla was later killed by Darth Maul, who took control of Death Watch and used their resources to try to gain power in the criminal underworld.
Bo-Katan Kryze was once a member of Death Watch, but later turned against them and fought alongside the Jedi and the Rebellion. Another notable member of House Vizsla is Tarre Vizsla, who created the Darksaber long ago — a unique and powerful lightsaber that has become a symbol of Mandalorian culture and is appearing prominently in The Mandalorian after showing up in The Clone Wars and Rebels.
House Vizsla used to be led by Clan Vizsla, with the two other clans being Clan Wren and Clan Saxon. As mentioned above, Clan Wren left to join the resistance against the Empire.
Clan Saxon
The leader of Clan Saxon during the events of Rebels was Gar Saxon, a ruthless and ambitious warrior who had aligned himself with the Galactic Empire. Gar Saxon was a member of the Imperial Super Commandos, a special unit of Mandalorian soldiers who served the Empire and were loyal to the Imperial Governor of Mandalore, Tiber Saxon, brother of Gar.
Gar Saxon was responsible for the destruction of the Protectors of Concord Dawn, a Mandalorian faction that had allied themselves with the Rebellion. He also led the Empire’s efforts to suppress any remaining Mandalorian resistance to Imperial rule.
In Rebels, Clan Saxon’s relationship with the Empire was often strained, as Gar Saxon and his followers were ambitious and wanted more power than the Empire was willing to give them. Eventually, Gar was killed by Ursa Wren. After his death, his brother Tiber became the new leader of Clan Saxon. Tiber continued to work with the Empire. However, he was eventually killed in a battle for Mandalore, and Clan Saxon’s fate after the fall of the Empire is unknown.
House Kast
House Kast’s only appearances were in Rebels and a book from 2020 that mentions Rook Kast and Veraslayn Kast. Worth mentioning: an interesting theory floating around is that the Armorer from The Mandalorian is actually Rook Kast, one of the former Mandalorian Super Commandos.
Rook, who was a member of the Death Watch and an avid follower of Darth Maul, participated in the Siege of Mandalore at the end of the Clone Wars. The theory mainly hinges on her costume design — fer helmet includes metal spikes reminiscent of Maul’s Dathomirian Zabrak horns.
What other clans do we have?
Let’s have a look at the ones who were not affiliated with any House…
Clan Fett
The most famous member of Clan Fett is, of course, Jango Fett, a bounty hunter who was feared and respected, known for his deadly accuracy and varied combat skills. He was hired by Count Dooku to serve as the template for the Republic’s clone army, which would then be used to fight against the Separatists during the Clone Wars.
As we all know, Jango had a (clone) son named Boba Fett, who became a bounty hunter like his father and inherited his Mandalorian armour after his demise during the Battle of Geonosis.
Boba became one of the most feared and successful bounty hunters in the galaxy, working for a variety of clients including Jabba the Hutt and the Galactic Empire. Later, he took Jabba’s place as daimyo of Tatooine after being left for dead inside the sarlacc in the Pit of Carkoon.
Clan Awaud
Clan Awaud splintered during the Clone Wars, with the splinter faction being part of the Old Mandalorians and based on Vlemoth Port. It was led by Chieftain Nam Beroya until his supposed death; he was succeeded by his adoptive daughter, Vera Beroya.
Clan Mudhorn
Introduced in The Mandalorian series, the clan is named after the mudhorn, a fearsome creature native to the planet Arvala-7. The clan is significant because it is the group to which the main character of the show belongs.
Din Djarin, a Mandalorian bounty hunter, inadvertently formed a clan when he encountered and saved Grogu, a mysterious infant creature. During a hunt for mudhorn eggs, Grogu used the Force to rescue Din from the beast.
As they escaped from remnants of the Empire, Din sought assistance from the Armorer, who equipped him with a jetpack and engraved the signet of the mudhorn onto his armour, representing the bond between him and Grogu.
The Tribe
During the period after the Galactic Empire’s collapse, a Mandalorian clan known as the Tribe operated. Some of its members were Din Djarin, The Armorer, and Paz Vizsla, alongside a medium-sized group of adults and children.
To minimize the possibility of discovery, only one member of the Tribe was allowed outside of the covert at a time. The Tribe is a member group of the Children of the Watch. It believed in the orthodox ways of the Children of the Watch, which others in Mandalorian society, like Bo-Katan and her resistance, called a cult of religious zealots.
When a cult member reached adulthood, they swore to the Mandalorian creed and were instructed to not remove their helmets in the presence of another living thing as part of the ancient Way of the Mandalore. Those who did reveal their faces could not put their helmets back on again, or could be shunned as apostates, not considered by the Tribe as Mandalorians anymore… unless they found atonement in the Living Waters beneath the mines of Mandalore.
I had originally tweeted most of this out in a Twitter thread, but it was a lot of information, and I figured it would make a good post for anyone looking for more information on the matter. You can check out the original Twitter thread here:
Alexander has been a lifelong Star Wars fan having started watching with his elder brother in the early 80's through to watching The Phantom Menace with same brother in cinema as a 21 year old with beer.
His love for the franchise has never waned.
A published comic book writer and letterer but when not watching or reading Star Wars is usually hacking computers for work.
Follow on twitter @Muldwych
