Star Wars ‘The Mandalorian’ – What is the Darksaber?
The Darksaber has long been a mythic weapon in Mandalorian history. But what is it, and where does it come from? Let’s find out.
At the end of season 1 of The Mandalorian, the Darksaber made us all gasp when Moff Gideon used it to cut his way out of a downed TIE Fighter. And it was his personal plaything throughout season 2. But what exactly is the Darksaber?
Darksaber Origins
The Darksaber is a relic from the heyday of the Old Republic. Today they’re confined to a secretive network, but the Mandalorians used to have whole houses, planets, and political interests across the stars.
The Dark Saber is a symbol of how prevalent they were. It was the personal weapon of Tarre Vizsla, the first Mandalorian to become a Jedi.
Vizsla created the black-bladed lightsaber during his time in the Jedi temple. The weapon reflects his Mandalorian sensibilities. The blade itself is shorter than most lightsabers. It bears more resemblance to other, more traditional swords seen in the galaxy.
It has an angular pommel and hand-guard, and it possessed a unique trait among lightsabers. The Darksaber’s crystal was a conduit for the Force, which allowed the blade to pulse with energy as its wielder’s emotions became charged.
Eventually, Vizsla became the Manda’lor. For many years after his passing, the Darksaber waited quietly in the temple.
But during the fall of the Old Republic, Mandalorians of House Vizsla raided the Jedi Temple and retook the relic. They used it to secure their dominance of Mandalore and fend off their Jedi opponents.
Darksaber During the Clone Wars
During the Clone Wars, Pre Vizsla led the Death Watch, a splinter group of Mandalorians who claim to be the descendants of the true Mandalorians. He took up the Dark Saber and fought Obi-Wan Kenobi during an attempted coup on Mandalore.
Vizsla proved to be a persistent foe. He held on to the Darksaber until he was killed by Darth Maul, who bested Vizsla in single combat after a betrayal.
In Maul’s hands, the Darksaber was a vicious weapon indeed. He used it to kill Duchess Satine and fought against Darth Sidious (and lost). He also fought off several Jedi Masters before the Darksaber came to rest on Dathomir during the Age of the Empire.
Darksaber During the Age of Empire
Darth Maul kept it until it came into the possession of Sabine Wren, Ezra Bridger, and Kanan Jarrus. The three took the Darksaber away from Dathomir, where it fell into the possession of the Emperor’s Hand.
Sabine fought off the Hand and reclaimed the Darksaber. She eventually passed it on to Bo-Katan Kryze who would lose it during the Empire’s Great Purge of the Mandalorians. There it found its way into the hands of Moff Gideon until he came into the path of Din Djarin.
And now the Darksaber has changed hands once more…
