The Canons of Honor represented a body of Mandalorian legal and behavioral principles. Originating from the ancient religious traditions practiced by the Taung people, who were the founders of Mandalorian culture, the Canons of Honor were designed to aid ancient Mandalorian warriors in achieving distinction and personal integrity. The Canons were derived from the Resol'nare, which consists of the six core beliefs of the Mandalorian culture. Adherence to the Resol'nare, with particular emphasis on clan allegiance and participation in battle, ensured compliance with the Canons and the attainment of honor for a warrior.
As time passed, the adherence to the Canons of Honor diminished. The New Mandalorians, a faction of Mandalorian pacifists advocating for peace, completely dismissed the warrior codes following their rise to prominence after the Mandalorian Excision. However, the Canons experienced a resurgence when Jaster Mereel assumed the position of Mand'alor, the traditional leader of the Mandalorian clans. Mereel revitalized and modernized the principles of the Canons of Honor when he created the Supercommando Codex, a revised set of guidelines for Mandalorian conduct, stipulating that Mandalorians who chose to fight would do so solely as highly-paid soldiers, and were expected to behave as honorable mercenaries.
The Canons of Honor were initially introduced to the Star Wars universe through a mention within The History of the Mandalorians, an article in Star Wars Insider. This article was authored by Abel G. Peña and appeared in the eightieth issue of the Insider magazine, released in March of 2005. Later, the reference book Galaxy at War, penned by Daniel Wallace, referenced the Canons again, linking the ancient code to the Supercommando Codex, upon its publication on September 15, 2009.
In the Star Wars: The Clone Wars television series, during the fifteenth episode of fifth season, titled "Shades of Reason," the character Almec alludes to a collection of "ancient laws of Mandalore" to which the Death Watch adhere. Although the Death Watch had already been identified in sources like the Jango Fett: Open Seasons comic series as followers of the Mandalorians' warrior traditions, no official declaration has explicitly connected these ancient laws with the Canons of Honor. This leaves the potential relationship between these two concepts open, but without canonical certainty.