In The Mandalorian, it seems like everyone forgot about the Jedi, despite the Clone Wars having taken place just two-and-a-half decades before. But, when someone like Darth Sidious called the shots, his demonization and erasure of Jedi history could serve as the culprit.
Order 66 was just the start of what became the erasure of an entire Order. However, Darth Sidious wasn’t the only one with a grudge against the Jedi.
Given the destruction of their planet, the Mandalorians disliked the Jedi for years. Even if they occasionally joined forces, old tensions could arise.
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Why Does No One Know About the Jedi in Mandalorian?
The Armorer refers to the Jedi as “the songs of eons past” in the closing moments of Season One of The Mandalorian. However, less than 30 years before the events of The Mandalorian, the Jedi led the Grand Army of the Republic against the Separatists.
Did everyone just forget, or have the Jedi been reduced to lore even if the Clone Wars remained fresh in everyone’s mind?
Look back to A New Hope, when Han Solo denies the Force’s existence. Born in 32 BBY, Solo was around during the Clone Wars and 13 during Order 66, killing most of the Jedi Order.
Solo’s unforgettable line, “Hokey religions and ancient weapons are no match for a good blaster at your side, kid,” confirms his denial of the Force.
Even stranger, The Mandalorian takes place in 9 ABY, five years following Return of the Jedi. With Luke Skywalker having spent a half-decade traveling across the galaxy after the Battle of Endor searching for old Jedi remnants, one would think most in the galaxy received the memo.
But it wasn’t to be. Between Order 66 in 19 BBY and the events of The Mandalorian in 9 ABY, the galaxy relegated the Jedi to myth.
Still, after just 28 years, rational thinking states plenty of beings should remember the Jedi throughout the galaxy. Even those in remote planets, like Tatooine, knew of them. Ditto for the Outer Rim planets.
Darth Sidious’ Erasure of the Jedi Order
How could an entire galaxy forget about the Jedi? Or at least those in The Mandalorian’s main cast?
Many popular theories point to Darth Sidious as the primary suspect because few remember the Jedi Order in The Mandalorian.
In Star Wars Canon, Sidious made the Jedi Temple his home and renamed it the Imperial Palace. Afterward, Sidious destroyed every remnant of the Jedi he got his hands on, including the Jedi who went into exile thanks to Darth Vader and the Inquisitorials.
Star Wars: Rebels and Rogue One showed how far Sidous’ Empire would go if it meant erasing the Jedi.
Yet, while he may have used tactics like controlled education, older galactic beings would still have memories of the Jedi.
Sidious’ destruction went beyond calling on Darth Vader and the Inquisitorial to hunt down remaining Jedi. He also ordered Imperial troops to descend on and destroy Jedi temples and any artifact within them unless those artifacts somehow served the Sith.
The Empire also could have, through the controlled education theory, relegated the Jedi to myth. Perhaps galactic schools encouraged students to report parents and older residents to authorities for fondly acknowledging the Jedi’s existence?
It’s also worth noting that few older residents in the Galactic Empire would have fond memories of the Jedi. Declaring himself Emperor in Revenge of the Sith, Darth Sidious lied to the Senate that the Jedi sought to overthrow the Galactic Republic.
Over the next 28 years, between 19 BBY and 9 ABY, while erasing the Jedi’s existence through action and indoctrination, older residents would have died off over time, taking memories of the Jedi with them, whether those memories were positive or negative.
While things seemed to make little sense when no one in The Mandalorian had recent memories of the Jedi, when you break things down, it makes far more sense. Especially since Darth Sidious first demonized and then erased any positive memory of the Jedi.
Why do Mandalorians dislike the Jedi?
The Mandalorians disliked the Jedi since at least the Mandalorian – Jedi War. While we don’t know how long the war lasted in Star Wars Canon, Wookieepedia claims that in Star Wars Legends, the main conflict began in 3964 BBY and ended in 3960 BBY.
However, Star Wars Legends also states Jedi raids began in 3976 BBY, starting with the First Battle of Althir.
Regarding Pre Vizsla’s remark that his family “fought the Jedi for generations,” the war may have lasted longer in Star Wars Canon. Star Wars Canon is unclear about the conflict’s origin, while Legends cites Mandalorian expansion.
Overall, the Jedi’s actions during the Mandalorian – Jedi War provide excellent insight into why the Mandalorians dislike the Jedi. In The Clone Wars, they lived in domed cities, while their planet, Mandalore, became uninhabitable following the war’s final battle.
In Star Wars: Rebels, Sabine Wren stated Mandalore was once a grass-covered planet, instead of the desert wasteland it became.
Although the war ended long before the events of The Skywalker Saga and Sabine’s birth, the Mandalorians never forgot what the Jedi did to their planet.
Pre Vizsla praised his family for their involvement in the war, while Din Djarin developed a negative reputation of the Jedi following the Armorer’s interpretation of them.
Did the Mandalorians Make Amends With the Jedi?
While the Mandalorians grudge against the Jedi, there were times when they joined forces. Bo-Katan allied with Ahsoka Tano in The Clone Wars. However, Tano also implied such alliances were uncommon when she noted it was ironic for a Jedi to work with a Mandalorian.
In Star Wars: Rebels, Sabine Wren was part of the Ghost’s crew including Jedi Knight Kanan Jarrus and his Padawan, Ezra Bridger. Issues would spring up, but Sabine often worked well with the Jedi.