Once a proud race of warriors, the Mandalorians are today generally known as scattered groups of bounty hunters in the Star Wars movies and shows. Warriors like Din Djarin and Jango Fett often survive by hunting down enemies and claiming their rewards in exchange. It is difficult work, but they have built a reputation as excellent hunters — to the point that even their armor is synonymous with their morally dubious profession.

Yet there is something strange about so many Mandalorians taking up arms as bounty hunters. There are numerous species across the galaxy, but one race being so profoundly tied to a single occupation is odd. Despite that, some cultural and practical reasons make Mandalorians such excellent bounty hunters.

Who Are the Mandalorians?

• The Mandalorians are a race of warriors who can trace their roots to Mandalore.

Hailing from the planet Mandalore, the Mandalorians are a race that consists of numerous different species. While their own children are warriors, they also accept foundlings from across the galaxy. These foundlings are orphans from any planet or community who are raised among the traditional Mandalorian children, and they are taught to respect and honor the various Mandalorian codes. The clans are typically led by the Mand'alor, the equivalent of Mandalore's king, who gains power by wielding the Darksaber. While the Mand'alor wields extreme power, any challenger that strips the Darksaber gains control over the people of Mandalore.

Every clan in Mandalorian culture is associated with a specific house, which follows their own beliefs and ideologies. The various Mandalorian clans and houses include Satine and Bo-Katan's House Kryze, The Mandalorian's Tribe, Sabine's Clan Wren, and Din Djarin's Clan Mudhorn, though there are many more with followers and loyal soldiers of their own. Even after the Great Purge of Mandalore, many surviving clans and houses continued to thrive in new settings. They rebuilt the Mandalorian empire before striving to reclaim their destroyed homeworld.

The Mandalorians are Renowned Warriors

• Mandalorians are trained to fight from a young age, making them perfect bounty hunters.

Trained to fight from a young age, nearly every member of Mandalorian society is well-versed in warfare. Historically, honor is an essential part of the Mandalorian way, as the warriors of Mandalore dedicated themselves to fighting honorably and fiercely. They solved disputes with combat, which resulted in a society that valued nothing more than strength as its single greatest driving force. Even leadership was won through arms, making every conflict a matter of life and death. No Mandalorian could truly thrive without some skill in battle. Because of their martial history, the Mandalorians typically possess a set of advanced armor, and they are also trained to fight with blasters, jetpacks, and other types of arms. That makes them perfect bounty hunters.

There are times in Mandalorian history when the people of Mandalore rejected violence, but they rarely lasted for long. Duchess Satine Kryze, Obi-Wan Kenobi's love interest in Star Wars: The Clone Wars, led one of those eras. Tragically, the Death Watch rebels managed to topple Satine's regime, eventually leading to a devastating civil war. An era of peace is not one meant for the people of Mandalore, which is why they came into conflict with the Jedi regularly. Despite the strength of the Jedi warriors, the Mandalorians were well-trained and often managed to hold their own in battle.

Mandalore's culture helped many of its people become bounty hunters. Because it is such an intense, militaristic, and individual career, it requires well-trained warriors with an unflinching devotion to their duty. Mandalorian honor means that few will ever quit an assigned mission, and their incredible skill makes them suitable fighters in any confrontation. Their equipment is also perfect for three-dimensional warfare, which helps them capture any fleeing mark. With Mandalore destroyed, they also had nothing to do but prove their skills as warriors. After all, they are all that can keep the memory of Mandalore alive.

The Great Purge of Mandalore Left Few Options for the Mandalorians

• With nowhere to return, profit is all that has allowed the Mandalorian people to survive.

For most of their history, the Mandalorians were renowned warriors with a world to call their own. After the devastating Great Purge of Mandalore, however, the few survivors were scattered across the galaxy. The Purge began when Palpatine took over the Republic following the Clone Wars, having finally established the might of the Empire. While the Empire spent years attempting a coup in Mandalore, it failed to stop the endless rebellions by Mandalorians seeking their freedom and independence. Eventually, the Empire elected to destroy the Mandalorian people by turning the planet into glass.

The desolation of Mandalore left few options for the rare surviving Mandalorians. They were scattered across the universe and needed to find a stable route for survival. While some Mandalorians, like Jango Fett, had spent their lives as bounty hunters before the Great Purge, the aftermath meant that many of the survivors needed to turn to bounty hunting to survive. In many ways, bounty hunting was also a way to cling to the Mandalorian way. The Tribe, which is the clan that Din Djarin originally hailed from, gathered beskar from their bounty-hunting missions. Others used bounty hunting to cling to the intense martial ways of their people, as it has allowed them to fight endlessly — even after the desolation.

Mandalorian Armor is Perfect for Bounty Hunters

One final factor that makes the Mandalorians such skilled bounty hunters is their armor. With jetpacks, flamethrowers, and blast-proof beskar armor in their arsenal, there is little that can stop an accomplished Mandalorian. Even those without Din's beskar still have full-body armor plating that can protect them from any enemy. It is fairly lightweight, which allows their jetpacks to carry them in elusive patterns that can help them both escape and chase any enemy. They also have a threatening appearance, which can frighten any target who may not be adequately suitable to face off against a Mandalorian.

Mandalorian armor is so important that The Armorer is a religious leader for the Tribe. Their connection with their armor is an unquestionable aspect of Mandalorian culture, and it gives the Mandalorians a surprising affinity towards bounty hunting. While it may not be the honorable task that many Mandalorians might have sought previously, it gives them the perfect path toward a sustainable profession with the ability to hone their skills as warriors. They can keep their culture alive, while still honoring their future. Without becoming bounty hunters, their armor would never truly be used especially often, as they would have few battles to fight in between Mandalore's destruction and its reclamation. For individual Mandalorians, bounty hunting is a perfect path to honor the Mandalorian way.