The power struggle known as the conflict on Mandalore, also referred to as the Battle for Mandalore, or the liberation of Mandalore, unfolded during the New Republic Era. This conflict saw Mandalore being reclaimed by a unified group of Mandalorians who had been exiled. They wrested control of their planet from a remnant of the Galactic Empire led by Moff Gideon. Post-Empire fall, Gideon maintained control of Mandalore with the clandestine backing of Imperial warlords within the Shadow Council. Ultimately, the Mandalorians were victorious, defeating Gideon's forces, reclaiming their ancestral homeworld, and initiating its resettlement.
The Outer Rim planet Mandalore, the original homeworld of the renowned Mandalorian warriors and their culture, found itself embroiled in the galaxy's broader conflicts during the Clone Wars. This led to its occupation first by the Galactic Republic, and later by its successor, the Galactic Empire. During the Imperial occupation, many warrior clans rallied behind Lady Bo-Katan Kryze, the former regent of Mandalore who was ousted by the Empire. United under the Mandalorian resistance, they triumphed in a civil war against Clan Saxon and their Imperial Super Commandos, who were supported by the Empire. Recognizing their inability to maintain control, the Empire initiated the Great Purge of Mandalore, resulting in the deaths of millions of Mandalorians, the destruction of their capital domed city Sundari, and the devastation of the planet. After the Night of a Thousand Tears, Kryze attempted to surrender to Imperial Moff Gideon, but he betrayed her and seized the Darksaber, a lightsaber symbolizing leadership for the Mandalorians. Attempts to escape into space were thwarted by Imperial forces, and surviving Mandalorians were forced into hiding or scattered across the galaxy.
Among those who survived were Kryze and her remaining followers, along with a sect of the Children of the Watch known as the Tribe, who had been secluded on the moon of Concordia. By 9 ABY, Kryze and her followers sought to reclaim Mandalore, while the Tribe considered the planet cursed. During this time, Kryze encountered Din Djarin, a member of the Children of the Watch. Kryze assisted Djarin in rescuing his foundling Grogu from Moff Gideon, whose remnant forces had established a base on Mandalore and were hunting Grogu for experimentation. Kryze aimed to reclaim the Darksaber, but Djarin won it in combat against Gideon, leading to the abandonment of Kryze by her followers and the Mandalorian fleet. Kryze later reunited with Din after he journeyed to Mandalore to bathe in the Living Waters beneath the Mines of Mandalore. She rescued him from a creature, thereby reclaiming her right to the Darksaber. Together, they reached the Living Waters and encountered a mythosaur.
Moff Gideon was extracted from the New Republic by his beskar-armored commandos and rejoined his forces on Mandalore. Subsequently, their TIE interceptor squadron destroyed Kryze Castle on Kalevala, prompting Kryze to follow Djarin back to his covert, where she joined the Tribe. Kryze shared her encounter with the mythosaur with "the Armorer," the Tribe's leader. Following the pirate siege on Nevarro, the Armorer interpreted it as a sign to reclaim Mandalore, believing Kryze was destined to unite their people as she "walked both worlds" of the Way of the Mandalore. Kryze, accompanied by Djarin and Grogu, was tasked with finding other exiled Mandalorians. They ventured to Plazir-15, where Kryze's former followers were employed as a mercenary garrison. Djarin publicly returned the Darksaber to Kryze, allowing her to regain her followers and their fleet. They returned to Nevarro to unite with the Tribe. This unified Mandalorian force prepared to reclaim their ancestral homeworld, unaware of the Imperial remnant's presence.
After departing from Nevarro, the Mandalorian fleet entered Mandalore's orbit. Bo-Katan Kryze led a scout team to survey the planet and secure a landing zone for the rest of the Mandalorians. They encountered a group of Mandalorian survivors who had remained hidden underground. Their captain reaffirmed their loyalty to Kryze, and guided the party to the Great Forge. However, at the ruins of the Great Forge, Imperial armored commandos ambushed the Mandalorians, luring them back to their secret base. There, Moff Gideon, revealed to be alive and wearing a fourth-generation design Dark Trooper suit of armor, captured Djarin and revealed his command of Imperial operations on the planet. Paz Vizsla sacrificed himself to allow the other Mandalorians to escape with Kryze. He was killed by three Imperial Praetorian Guards sent by the Shadow Council to reinforce Gideon.
Djarin eliminated his captors and reunited with Grogu. While navigating the base, Djarin discovered Gideon's cloning operations and destroyed the clones. Djarin and Gideon engaged in combat at the base's command center, while Kryze, wielding the Darksaber, led her Mandalorians in an assault against the Imperial armored commandos.
During the battle, Kryze took over from Djarin, who rescued Grogu from the Praetorian Guards. Djarin and Kryze then fought Gideon together. Meanwhile, Axe Woves regrouped with the Mandalorian fleet's light cruiser flagship and deployed its personnel to Mandalore as the fleet was attacked by Gideon's TIE interceptor and bomber squadron.
As the burning [ship](/article/starship] plummeted toward Mandalore, Woves directed it toward the Imperial base and evacuated before it crashed. Gideon and his remaining forces were caught in the resulting explosion, while Grogu used the Force to create a force barrier that protected Djarin and Kryze.
Following the battle, the surviving Mandalorians traveled to the Living Waters for Ragnar Vizsla's ceremonial induction into the Tribe. After the induction, Din Djarin formally adopted Grogu as his son and apprentice, and the foundling was named Din Grogu. "The Armorer" advised Djarin to leave Mandalore to train Grogu. Soon after, the Mandalorians witnessed Bo-Katan Kryze reignite the Great Forge.
With Mandalore reclaimed and Grogu adopted, Djarin traveled to the Adelphi Base and offered his services as an independent contractor to the New Republic, offering to hunt down Imperial remnants for Captain Carson Teva, citing his years of experience as a bounty hunter. Djarin and Grogu then returned to Nevarro and established a home in a cabin provided by High Magistrate Greef Karga.
During General Hera Syndulla's hearing on Coruscant for defying the New Republic Senate's orders to ignore Morgan Elsbeth's forces' attempts to retrieve Grand Admiral Thrawn from another galaxy, Teva cited the reconquest of Mandalore as evidence of coordination among the scattered Imperial remnants. However, Senator Hamato Xiono dismissed Teva's concerns, viewing Gideon as an independent warlord, and thus the conflict did not indicate a larger conspiracy posing an immediate threat to the Republic.
The mission to retake Mandalore was initially mentioned in "Chapter 11: The Heiress," an episode from Season Two of The Mandalorian, a television series created by Jon Favreau, written by Favreau, and directed by Bryce Dallas Howard. The actual reconquest of Mandalore was depicted in "Chapter 23: The Spies" and "Chapter 24: The Return," episodes from Season Three, written by Favreau and Dave Filoni, and directed by Rick Famuyiwa.