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The Mandalorian
A Youtini Reading Guide
This is the Way.
We had all dreamed about what a live-action Star Wars TV show could be. "How great would it be," we said, "to have scoundrels, monstrous creatures, space battles, bounty hunters, maybe even a chase with a sandcrawler?!"
Well, maybe we couldn't have imagined the sandcrawler chase sequence, but one thing is for sure—The Mandalorian delivered on our childhood imaginations in some big, bad ways. And it left us wanting more. More Mandos. More personal Star Wars stories that capture the feel of space westerns, old-school adventure, and stories of bounty hunters getting the job done—no matter who they have to double-cross to do so.
The Expanded Universe is loaded with stories such as these ... although you won’t find any more Baby Yoda just yet.
In fact, on Disney Gallery: Star Wars: The Mandalorian, John Favreau and Dave Filoni described their show as being inspired by their experiences playing with their Star Wars action figures as children. The conceit is this, as Filoni put it: "Our older brother took all of the cool toys and we got left with Ugnaughts and Jawas and other pegwarmers. But somehow we got a Boba Fett figure—but then we painted him silver and made him cooler, because sometimes you make it your own."
And that's exactly what makes The Mandalorian great. It's an odd assortment of characters, to be sure: a Mandalorian bounty hunter, an Ugnaught, an IG droid, brought to life with a tremendous dose of love and passion, all alongside new standout characters like Rebel shock trooper Cara Dune and Bounty Hunter Guild chief Greef Karga. They come together in a spectacular way that elevates the misfits to A-list status in Star Wars storytelling.
Darth Maul: Son of Dathomir is perhaps the most consequential Canon story to expand on Mandalorian mythology, filling in the gaps in Maul's relationship with the Mandalorians in the Clone Wars. Beyond that, here you’ll find books that hit the tone of The Mandalorian: stories that thrill, inspire, and immerse the reader in a galaxy far, far away. Such books include Kenobi by John Jackson Miller, Ahsoka by E. K. Johnston, and Scoundrels by Timothy Zahn. Some explore the legendary history of the Mandalorians—from the Old Republic to long after its demise (in Legends, that is). The backstabbing camaraderie between bounty hunters is another fun thread to follow up on with The Bounty Hunter Wars and Tales of the Bounty Hunters.
We at Youtini can’t wait to see what future seasons of The Mandalorian have in store for us. What Expanded Universe characters will join the ranks with Mando? What more will we learn about the culture of the Mandalorians, and how will Mando’s clan of two save his people from the brink of extinction?
There’s so much to occupy us in the meantime, however. We now have the announcement of a full publishing tie-in program, complete with an adult novel, Marvel comics, reference books—even a Little Golden Book! It certainly feels like we're all aboard the Razor Crest with Mando and Baby Yoda, blasting off into a galaxy full of possibilities.
This is the way.
This recently announced title promises to follow our favorite characters from The Mandalorian in the first ever Canon novel based on the heralded series. Del Rey confirmed that it is not a novelization, but an all-new story. The possibilities are endless. This is Adam Christopher's first full-length Star Wars novel, having previously written "End of Watch" in From a Certain Point of View.
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Phil Szostak always delivers with these behind-the-scenes "art-of" books! Not only are they jam-packed with concept art and developmental sketches from some of the most talented artists in the galaxy, he masterfully unfolds the narrative on the creative decision-making that results in the final product we come to know and love. These are perfect coffee-table books that are worth revisiting time and time again!
This is the only canon comic series from Dark Horse. It was published very close to the Legends/Canon cutoff in 2014 and is an adaptation from unreleased episodes of the Clone Wars. Maul is caught in a power play between Sidious, Mother Talzin, Count Dooku, and the Death Watch of the Mandalorians. Maul forms the Shadow Collective, an army of Mandalorians, criminals from gangs such as Black Sun, and the Nightbrothers, to take down the Sith Lords.
Written as an in-universe compilation of everything you need to know to be a bounty hunter, this is a fun glimpse under the helmet for any Star Wars fan—especially if you have an affinity for the morally gray with a vast array of weaponry! It’s got everything you’d expect from a bounty hunter handbook—details and pictures of armor, weapons, and what the infamous guild is all about. But it goes beyond that too. But it’s also got lots of the bounty hunter-adjacent as well: vehicles, hunting beasts, and the history of Mandalorians! This fits into the series of simulation reference handbooks like The Jedi Path, The Way of the Sith, and The Imperial Handbook. They’ll easily become some of your most revisited books in your collection! Before you know it, you’ll be building your own suit of Mandalorian armor in your garage.
Since their debut in Empire Strikes Back, bounty hunters have taken the Star Wars fandom by storm with costumes and figurines expressing their love for the popular space profession. If you fit in with those fans and your favorite characters include Boba Fett, Bossk, IG-88, or dare I say, Dengar, then you will find plenty of joy in this timeless classic.
In a sprawlingly complex and thrilling tale of betrayal and blurred lines of loyalty, the Bounty Hunter Wars trilogy is the deep dive into the characters of the bounty hunters The Empire Strikes Back left us hungry for. Simultaneously taking place prior to Episode V and post-Return of the Jedi, Boba Fett is the pivotal player in the dissolution of the infamous guild of bounty hunters. Shadows of the Empire’s villain and head of the Black Sun organization, Prince Xizor, hires spider-like guild leader Kud’ar Mub’at to cull the guild and leave only the best surviving. The fallout of the clan’s destruction has long-term consequences, as various clan members position for power after Fett falls into the Sarlaac pit. But Legends Fett lives to fight another day. He uncovers a conspiracy involving the Rebel Alliance, the Kuat shipyards, and even the Skywalkers themselves…
Boba Fett lives. His enemies would be less than thrilled to find this out. So he fakes his death by abandoning Slave I and stealing Bossk’s ship, The Hound’s Tooth. Bossk leads the opposing faction of the bounty hunter’s guild against Fett in a survival-of-the-fittest race to capture the incredibly lucrative bounty on a high-ranking traitorous stormtrooper. All the while, Prince Xizor manipulates the factions from the shadows…
Boba Fett is the most notorious bounty hunter in the galaxy. In it for the payout, he’s out for himself and himself alone. This tends to make a lot of enemies from the envious in the bounty hunter ranks. Caught in a web of loyalties and scheming, Fett seeks to stay one step ahead of Bossk and his cronies as well as the well-laid plans of Prince Xizor. Meanwhile, what is the truth behind the missing memories of Fett’s companion, Neelah? The Imperial starship factories on Kuat are at stake, as well as Fett’s life itself–again!
Following Order 66, General Obi Wan Kenobi vanished from the galaxy along with all the other Jedi. Years later, he re-emerged as a crazy old hermit by the name of Ben to play a hand in the fate of the galaxy. However, much more happened in the preceding years than one might expect. Even on a backwater planet like Tatooine, there is conflict, and soon Ben finds himself wrapped up in a decades-long feud between the moisture farmers and their arch nemeses, the Tusken Raiders. Ben must find a way to get to the bottom of an ever-deepening mystery that lies beneath the conflict while also keeping his identity—and his true purpose on Tatooine—a secret.
A tie-in novel to the Republic Commandos video game, Hard Contact is the first in a five book series. This novel introduces a squad of clone troopers as they take on a precarious mission to destroy a nanovirus production facility on the Separatist-controlled planet of Qiilura. When the clones find themselves split up behind enemy lines, their chances of success seem slim. If they’re to be successful and make it out alive, each trooper will have to rely on his clone brothers to have his back.
Karen Traviss’ Republic Commando series is one of the most celebrated and dearly loved Legends series out there. Hard Contact, its first installment, is responsible for laying the foundation for fans’ staunch dedication.
The second installment in the Republic Commando series brings Omega Squad together with Delta Squad—units with plenty of rivalry between them—in order to stop an internal terror threat on Coruscant. It also develops the Mandalorian mercenary-turned commando instructor Kal Skirata as a main character. It takes the foundation laid in Hard Contact and adds more complexity, character development, and clones into the mix for an excellent Clone Wars novel.
This is the third installment in Karen Traviss’s Republic Commando series, focusing on the Omega and Delta Companies of special ops clone commandos, their Mandalorian father-figures Kal Skirata and Walon Vau, and Jedi generals Etain Tur-Mukan and Bardan Jusik. This story develops the themes of family and loyalty as the clones investigate Palpatine’s plot and track down the cruel Kaminoan cloner Ko Sai. Will the commandos' loyalty ultimately lie with the Republic for which they fight, or the Mandalorians with whom they identify culturally?
The job of the clone troopers is simple: destroy the enemy at all costs. But as the war wages on and its atrocities add up, some clones start question their purpose and plan to lay down their arms altogether. Suddenly, a seemingly simple command from Chancellor Palpatine ruins those plans and also leaves them wondering exactly who the enemy is that they’re supposed to destroy.
Karen Traviss—who has proved more than capable of placing the reader inside the helmet of a trooper—is once again successful with this novel. The pain and suspense of the Order 66 scene in Revenge of the Sith is somehow stretched the entire length of the novel. Readers who have followed the Republic Commandos series can’t miss this part of the story!
Order 66 may have unified the galaxy under the Empire’s control, but it split members of the clone army. Just weeks after the order was carried out, former brothers-in-arms now find themselves on opposite sides. Will they ultimately choose to serve their Emperor or their ex-comrades, the Jedi? And just how far are they willing to go in the process?
While the Jedi may have gotten the worst of it, Karen Traviss manages to brilliantly portray the struggle of the clones following Order 66. This book serves as a fitting end to her run with the Republic Commandos.
How did Jango Fett come to wear the Mandalorian armor? How did he wind up in business with Count Dooku? This story from The Force Unleashed’s Hayden Blackman from 2002 features Clone Wars staples such as Concord Dawn, Death Watch, and clan Visla and is in many ways a Jango Fett origin story.
Set just prior to the Yuuzhan Vong war, this short story fills in the gaps that lead Boba Fett to lead the Mandalorians against the Vong. Although Mandalorians historically have not been on the same side with the Jedi, this war brings them together. This short story fits into Karen Traviss’s Legends-continuity development of the Mandalorian society and culture.
Being a Jedi turned Sith and finding redemption, Revan has become one of the most powerful Force users by practicing balance between the light and dark sides. Learning how he broke free of the dark side but continuing to draw on its power of his own will puts powerful Force use into perspective.
This novel takes place after the Knights of the Old Republic video game, starting with Revan and Bastilla contemplating their future together. But a threat to the galaxy begins to reveal itself, forcing Revan to leave his wife and unborn child behind to make sure the world is a safe place for his family in the years to come. On the way he encounters Scourge, a Sith strong in the dark side of the Force who intends to break his willpower.
This massive comics collection begins legendary Star Wars writer John Jackson Miller’s seminal run of Knights of the Old Republic. Not to be confused with the video game of the same title, Miller’s comics focus on Jedi-on-the-run Zayne Carrick as he is framed for a massacre of Padawans. In order to survive and find who’s responsible, he is forced into an unconventional alliance with an unscrupulous band of misfits. Set almost four thousand years BBY, the series is set during the Mandalorian Wars, which serves as the catalyst event leading into the KOTOR video game. Knights of the Old Republic ran for fifty issues and was one of Dark Horse’s best selling comics series.
Former enemies Ulic Qel-Droma and Exar Kun have now united to usher in a new Golden Age of the Sith. In order to do so, they take control of a fierce army of Mandalorians! This volume is part of Dark Horse’s deep dive into the ancient history of the Jedi and the Sith (published several years before the Prequels!) and is best read after Tales of the Jedi: Knights of the Old Republic, The Freedon Nadd Uprising, and Dark Lords of the Sith. These issues can be found in Star Wars Omnibus: Tales of the Jedi, Volume 2.
In this solid entry in the Legacy of the Force series, a number of story-lines intertwine, revolving around the Solo family. Jacen continues down the dark path he began down in this book’s predecessor, Betrayal, under the influence of a dark side Force user from Luke’s past, Lumiya. Meanwhile, Han and Leia seek to intervene in the pending Civil War that threatens the Galactic Alliance by returning to Han’s homeward of Corellia. Upon returning, they find out that Han’s estranged cousin, Thrackan, has a bounty out for Han! Another major plot point in this book is concerning an aging Boba Fett, whose past has caught up with him and who might have to team up with an old nemesis in order to get a job done. For both Fett and the Solos, they will have to reckon with the idea of legacy.
This book relies heavily upon numerous elements of the Legends universe, including the New Jedi Order, the Corellian trilogy, the Mandalorian culture fleshed out in Karen Traviss’s Republic Commando series, and even the old Marvel comics!
For the greatest bounty hunter in the galaxy, nothing can stop nothing can stop Jango Fett from getting the job done. But that won’t stop Black Sun, ambitious cantina thugs, massive jungle roaches, Force-sensitive primitives, and fellow other bounty hunter Zam Wesell from trying. Because both Jango and Zam have been hired to steal an ancient and powerful artifact from an unknown world, and neither of them wants to miss out on the payday.
Being a bounty hunter is all about one thing: getting the job done in order to get a paycheck. But Zam Wessell and Jango Fett come face to face with the ugly consequences of always working in the morally grey area. For once, the bounty hunters might just be the heroes the galaxy needs.
This issue is a compilation of three separate stories about IG-88, Yoda, and X-Wing pilots Biggs and Porkins, written by Simon Spurrier, Marc Guggenheim, and Jon Adams, respectively.
IG-88’s story, “The Long Game,” is a rare chance to get a closer look at one of the iconic bounty hunters from The Empire Strikes Back. We see him in action like never before, but we also get a chance to learn what makes him tick. Art by Caspar Wijngaard.
Yoda takes the spotlight in “The Trial of Dagobah.” We check in with the Jedi Master after Order 66 has forced him into seclusion.
“Stolen Valor” focuses specifically on Red Squadron pilots Biggs Darklighter and Jek Porkins as they attempt to take a day off from fighting the Galactic Empire. Art by Andrea Broccardo.
After the events of Order 66, survivors of the Jedi Purge must navigate the galaxy undetected. It's been a year since Ahsoka Tano watched the Galactic Republic fall, and she's leaving yet another planet to dodge Imperial suspicion and start over. Again. Something strange is happening, however, and she can't help but let her curiosity get her into serious trouble.
E.K. Johnston's young adult novel builds an important bridge between the Ahsoka we knew from The Clone Wars and the Fulcrum we meet in Star Wars Rebels. It's in this story that our hero must come to terms with her past and discover the role she is meant to play in her darkened galaxy's future.
Scoundrels is a classic heist story involving none other than Han Solo, Chewbacca, and Lando Calrissian.
After Han’s reward for helping the Rebellion at the Battle of Yavin is stolen, he finds himself in desperate need of credits. So, when he is approached about a job stealing back hundreds of millions of credits from a crime lord on the planet Wukkar, he jumps at the chance. However, more than a few twists and turns along the way threaten to derail the entire operation and leave Han wondering which of the people standing by his side can be trusted…
