What is Beskar really made of?

The recent Mandalorian spin-off show The Book of Boba Fett offered yet more evidence that Beskar, the mysterious metal Mandalorian warriors use to forge their armor, is truly incredible stuff. From Din Djarin’s exploits in The Mandalorian, we already knew that Beskar can withstand phaser blasts and lightsaber strikes. As Boba Fett’s trials at Tatooine’s Pit of Carkoon reveal, it can also handle the digestive juices of a Sarlacc. Even the Rancor, Star Wars’ most infamous bone-crunching beast, seems to have trouble biting into a Beskar helmet.

But is there any material in our galaxy or a far, far away one with similar laws of physics that’s so resilient to so many forms of space fantasy-induced trauma? After consulting with experts, I have to say I’m skeptical. What's clear is that forging a suit of Beskar armor would require incredible advances in materials science, not to mention some very clever engineering.

On its face, the identity of Beskar is no mystery: According to Wookipedia, the fan-edited encyclopedia of all things Star Wars, it’s a form of steel, the ubiquitous iron and carbon alloy humans invented thousands of years ago. Various expanded universe reference materials tell us that Beskar originates from iron ore mined on Mandalore and its moon Concordia. Carbon is then added to it in the foundry to enhance its strength. Fans of The Mandalorian have suggested Beskar might be a particularly high carbon alloy like Wootz steel, which features a similar striated pattern that comes from repeatedly folding the metal in a forge.