After Decades, Star Wars Knows the Perfect Way to Expand Its Most Tragic Storyline

The Purge of Mandalore, also known as the "Night of a Thousand Tears," marks one of the darkest, saddest events in Star Wars history. However, the franchise has yet to delve deep into the full story behind the tragic fall of the once proud and powerful planet of Mandalore – offering a perfect story for Marvel's Star Wars comics to fully explore.

Though snippets of the event were explained during The Book of Boba Fett and The Mandalorian, the epic battle between Mandalorians, led by Bo-Katan Kryze, and the Empire has never been shown in live action, animated format, or comics.

Bo-Katan is a pivotal figure in the Siege of Mandalore, with that decisive battle haunting her years later in The Mandalorian. With the large role Bo-Katan plays in The Mandalorian, combined with the success of the series and the upcoming The Mandalorian & Grogu feature film, now is the perfect time for the comics to dig into Mandalore’s tragic past.

Star Wars Fans Know The Fall Of Mandalore Is A Major Moment, But Much Of The Surrounding Events Remain A Mystery

How Marvel's Star Wars Comics Could Fill The Gaps

Not much is known about the decisive battle between the Empire and the Mandalorians. Prior to the events that seemingly wiped out the majority of Mandalorians and destroyed the planet’s livability, Bo-Katan Kryze was named leader of the Mandalorians. As a people of tradition, the many separate houses and clans of Mandalore united as one and proclaimed loyalty to the person who wields the famed Darksaber, in this case, Bo-Katan. The Darksaber is a flat black-bladed lightsaber forged over a thousand years before the rise of the Empire by the first and only Mandalorian Jedi, Tarre Vizsla.

The Darksaber was a lost relic, leaving the people of Mandalore operating as separate clans rather than a united force. In the events of Star Wars: Rebels that occur near the end of the Galactic Civil War, Mandalorian rebel Sabine Wren, stumbled upon the weapon in Darth Maul’s lair. After Sabine retrieved the Darksaber, she learned that the weapon historically belongs to the person who wins it in battle, as she did against Maul, and that person automatically becomes the leader of Mandalore. Sabine did not want the responsibility of uniting her people, nor did she feel qualified to do so.

After Sabine acquired the Darksaber, she returned to Mandalore and engaged in a mission to rescue her father. With Bo-Katan at her side as an ally, the mission was successful and Sabine renounced her claim to the Darksaber, willingly passing it on to Bo-Katan, making Bo-Katan the rightful leader of Mandalore. After the events of Star Wars: Rebels, Bo-Katan was not seen again until season two of The Mandalorian. Though an exact timeline has not been confirmed, based on significant battles and events, The Mandalorian takes place at least ten years after Bo-Katan became the leader of Mandalore.

Under Bo-Katan's Leadership, Mandalore Fell Into Imperial Hands

Bo-Katan Continues To Blame Herself For The Defeat Years Later

By the time Bo-Katan featured in season two of The Mandalorian, she is no longer the leader of Mandalore, because Mandalore apparently no longer exists due to the Empire. Throughout the season, both Bo-Katan and Din Djarin are on the hunt for a former Imperial Security Bureau warlord, Mof Gideon. Though the Empire has fallen, many former Imperialists like Gideon are still active in sabotaging the New Republic. When Djarin and Bo-Katan finally come face-to-face with Gideon, it is shown that he is the current owner of the Darksaber.

Bo-Katan has been tracking Gideon since rhe Night of a Thousand Tears; the night that the Empire, led by Gideon, decimated Mandalore and a majority of its people; it was during that tragic battle that Bo-Katan relinquished the Darksaber to Gideon to save what was left of her people. Despite Bo-Katan’s surrender that left her with tremendous guilt over failing her people, the planet was still ravished and left uninhabitable due to the Empire’s cruelty. Eventually, it is revealed that Mandalore is not in fact uninhabitable, and that the Mandalorians once again can return to their ancestral home.

Comics Are The Perfect Medium To Tell The Full Story Of "The Night Of A Thousand Tears"

An Addition To Star Wars Lore Fans Are Clamoring For

The massive loss of life and destruction of Mandalore during rhe Night of a Thousand Tears has only been told in bits and pieces from the point of view of the characters who suffered the greatest, but up to this point, its events have never been directly shown in its entirety in any Star Wars properties. The Mandalorians are fan favorites, from Bo-Katan to Boba Fett to Sabine Wren; a comic series outlining the lead up to downfall of Mandalore, and showing the battle itself, would fill in a huge gap in Star Wars canon.

As the Mandalorians are known for their warrior nature, it can be assumed that the Purge of Mandalore was an epic battle that did not go smoothly for the Empire. It would be interesting to see what tactics Gideon used to outmaneuver the battle-hardened Bo-Katan, who has been trained in combat since childhood, and also was a member of the Death Watch, one of the most vicious Mandalorian combatant groups during the Clone Wars. Surely, the Night of a Thousand Tears was not an easy win for the Empire, and Star Wars comics could depict why.

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  Bo-Katan Kryze

  The sister of Satine Kryze, Bo-Katan allied with extremist factions of Mandalore - unwittingly dividing her people, creating opportunities for the Separatists and Darth Maul. Bo-Katan spent much of her life seeking redemption, attempting to unite the Mandalorians against the Empire, but ultimately surrendered to Moff Gideon in an attempt to save her people from a genocidal Imperial attack. In The Mandalorian era, Bo-Katan has successfully reclaimed Mandalore and become the new Man'dalore - her people's chosen ruler.

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  Star Wars

  Star Wars is a multimedia franchise that started in 1977 by creator George Lucas. After the release of Star Wars: Episode IV- A New Hope (originally just titled Star Wars), the franchise quickly exploded, spawning multiple sequels, prequels, TV shows, video games, comics, and much more. After Disney acquired the rights to the franchise, they quickly expanded the universe on Disney+, starting with The Mandalorian.

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  The Mandalorian

  "The Mandalorian" is a live-action Star Wars television series set in the post-Empire galaxy, five years after the events of "Return of the Jedi." The series follows the adventures of a lone bounty hunter, Din Djarin, who becomes the protector of a mysterious child known as Grogu (popularly referred to as "The Child" or "Baby Yoda"). Combining elements of Westerns, samurai films, and classic Star Wars lore, "The Mandalorian" has become a cultural phenomenon, praised for its storytelling, character development, and visual effects.