The Star Wars saga’s underrated Clone Troopers have shown themselves to be better fighters than even Mandalorian warriors in both the canon and Legends continuities. Star Wars fans may be familiar with the Siege of Mandalore in canon’s Star Wars: The Clone Wars, but a Legends comic set during the Clone Wars references the Battle of New Holstice, which is the franchise’s first instance of Clone Troopers besting Mandalorians. Clone Troopers and their relation to Mandalorian culture differ between canon and Legends, with the latter having a better explanation for why the Clones can defeat the legendary Mandalorians.
The aftermath of the Battle of New Holstice is shown in 2004's Star Wars: Republic #65 by John Ostrander and Jan Duursema. Clone Commander Bly reports to Jedi General Aayla Secura that their Mandalorian adversaries are retreating, though the Republic’s victory was costly. Unlike their canon counterparts, the Clone Troopers of the Legends timeline are themselves Mandalorians as per Jango Fett’s training, explaining their victory over the Separatist-aligned Mandalorian Protectors who were, ironically, led by a rogue ARC Trooper.
