Fandalorian
From Wookieepedia, the Star Wars wiki.
A Fandalorian is the term given to fans of Boba Fett and/or Mandalorians in general, but mostly on the Jedi Council Forums at TheForce.net. It should be noted that a majority of Fandalorians themselves use the phrase as a means of self-identification, and at least one author (Karen Traviss) has used it to identify some of her fans.
Because those who identify themselves as Fandalorians tend to enjoy material with Mandalorian content, especially content from a Mandalorian POV, they are often drawn to the works of Traviss, who greatly expanded the Mandalorian character and perspective, or to Jango Fett: Open Seasons, a comic which covers events in the history of the Mandalorians.
Fandalorians are also known for choosing screennames with Mandalorian references to reflect their personal preferences, and speaking in the newly developed Mando'a in discussion forums.
[edit] Contentiousness
Since both those who identify themselves as Fandalorians and those who feel Fandalorian ideas are foolish or disregarding of previous continuity feel strongly on the topic, the issue is highly charged. One reason it has become active now is because of the enormous expansion of information available on Mandalorians, due to the recent materials by Karen Traviss (such as the Republic Commando products, her articles in Star Wars Insider, and her Legacy of the Force novels Bloodlines, Sacrifice, and Revelation).
However, this is not the only reason, and in some ways this issue represents a split between two groups of fans: those who first met Boba Fett, and by extension the Mandalorians, as a heartless hunter in the pay of the Galactic Empire (as he was depicted in The Empire Strikes Back), and those who first encountered the Mandalorians in new, more complimentary material which depicts the Mandalorians and key Mandalorian characters as having a strong moral code, like Open Seasons or the Insider article. And of course, there is a personal element, whereby inflammatory individuals on both sides have escalated the conflict.
[edit] Criticism
Fandalorians are often criticized as being excessively zealous in defending Mandalorians. Critics portray the Fandalorian stance as an unjustified attempt to retcon Mandalorians as being more noble than they are portrayed in canon sources, and accuse the Fandalorian group of ignoring or attempting to contradict material that portrays negative elements of the Mandalorians. Fandalorians are also accused of reacting overaggressively to criticism and disdaining Jedi.
[edit] Fandalorian perspective
Self-identified Fandalorians take issue with many of these claims, pointing out that canon sources do portray Mandalorians in a positive manner; that the most objectionable Mandalorian behavior occurred thousands of years before the films; that only some Fandalorians disdain the Jedi; and that few individuals respond any more harshly to criticism than members of other Star Wars fan communities. Furthermore, Fandalorians say that they simply are trying to show their special appreciation for one aspect of the Star Wars saga.
