Mandalore the Vindicated

"Mandalore was slain recently and his killer, the new Mandalore, has taken his place. Whether or not he's another Imperial puppet remains to be seen but we must watch him closely."

- Jedi Master Gnost-Dural, on Mandalore the Vindicated

Artus was a Human male Mandalorian warrior who lived during the Great Galactic War, a galaxy-wide conflict between the Galactic Republic and the resurgent Sith Empire. Sometime after the signing of the Treaty of Coruscant, the reigning Mandalore&mdash;seeking to regain support after being defeated during the Blockade of the Hydian Way&mdash;organized a competition for glory known as the Great Hunt, which was held on a galactic scale. Artus eventually became the Grand Champion of the Great Hunt, and challenged Mandalore to a duel in the gladiatorial arenas on the planet Geonosis. He successfully killed the Mandalorian leader and took the title of Mandalore the Vindicated. He began to consolidate his power over the Mandalorian clans, destroying an uprising led by Jicoln Cadera, who believed the Mandalorians should support the Republic. After defeating Cadera's faction, Mandalore the Vindicated ensured that his Mandalorians remained allies of the Sith Empire.

Biography
Artus, a Human male, was a Mandalorian warrior who lived during the Great Galactic War, which was a galactic conflict between the Galactic Republic and the resurgent Sith Empire. Sometime after the Treaty of Coruscant was signed, the reigning Mandalore&mdash;who was a puppet ruler secretly serving the Sith Empire&mdash;was defeated during the Blockade of the Hydian Way. After this, Mandalore organized a galaxy-wide competition for glory, known as the Great Hunt. Artus fought during the competition, eventually becoming the Grand Champion of the Great Hunt.

Artus challenged Mandalore to a duel in the gladitorial arenas on the planet Geonosis. He killed the Mandalorian leader and assumed the title of Mandalore the Vindicated. After defeating the Mandalore&mdash;who became known as Mandalore the Lesser&mdash;he began to consolidate his power over the Mandalorian clans. During this time, Mandalore defeated an uprising by a faction of Mandalorians led by Jicoln Cadera, who believed that the Mandalorians should follow the ways of Mandalore the Preserver &mdash;who fought during the Mandalorian Wars and the Jedi Civil War three centuries prior &mdash;and support the Republic. After defeating Cadera's Mandalorians, Mandalore the Vindicated ensured that his Mandalorians remained well-paid, yet cautious, allies of the Sith Empire.

Behind the scenes
Mandalore the Vindicated first appeared in the video Timeline 4: The Empire Changes Strategy, which was released on the official website of the upcoming PC video game Star Wars: The Old Republic. He later received an entry in the "Biographies" section of the website's "Holonet" feature. On Mandalore's biographical entry, there are several phrases in Aurebesh. When translated, they read "Mandalore the Vindicated," "champion needed," and "Jedi merely first".

Appearances

 * Star Wars: The Old Republic

Notes and references
Artus