The Crusaders
The earliest Mandalorian armors, first seen thousands and thousands of years before the events of the Skywalker saga in stories like the Knights of the Old Republic comics (themselves a prequel to the classic Bioware/Obsidian RPG series), were worn by the Crusaders. These roaming armies first conquered their own world before being lead by the Mandalores—the title inherited by the unifying leader of the Mandalorian clans—before the Mandalorian crusades first encountered the ancient Sith.
Airtight suits forged with the famous Mandalorian iron beskar, and capable of being worn in environments with no atmosphere, Crusader armor was highly individualistic, with different aesthetics and technological changes made by each Mandalorian warrior. A common connection across Crusader aesthetics, however, was the layering of organic components—fabrics, ceremonial bindings, animal bones, and spiked hides—over the base suit.
