The Darksaber is now at the heart of The Mandalorian‘s ongoing story. The weapon made its debut in the season one finale, where it was wielded by Moff Gideon. Din Djarin won it in combat in the season two finale, though in The Book of Boba Fett we saw him struggling to grasp its idiosyncrasies.
The blade will play a major role in season three, with the most recent episode seeing Din clumsily defend himself with it against a gang of feral aliens before it wound up in the hands of Bo-Katan, who gracefully used it to dismember a creepy cyborg. It might be all the rage in live-action, but the blade’s history stretches back all the way to The Clone Wars.
Offering a refresher course, Dave Filoni and Jon Favreau have given viewers a quick update on the history of the Darskaber, and why it’s such a tricky tool to master:
Perhaps the most interesting take here is the pair’s views on why it’s so hard to use. The Armorer has said you need to be attuned to its unique Kyber Crystal, which may be linked to some form of Force Sensitivity as its creator was a Mandalorian Jedi.
It’s also interesting that they see Din as being somewhat frustrated by not being able to quickly master it, as he’s an expert with practically every other type of weapon in the Star Wars universe. Favreau says “it’s a hindrance to most people”, though Bo-Katan’s familiarity with it makes her the most talented Darksaber wielder we’ve seen in live-action.
We also wonder how Moff Gideon was able to use it effectively, as an Imperial wouldn’t be able to easily access any form of lightsaber training while working his way up the ranks.
Whoever ends up with the Darksaber will likely be the new Mandalore, with some fans theorizing that after this week’s action, Bo-Katan has a legitimate claim to it. Here’s hoping Din finally attunes himself to its peculiarities soon, as we smell conflict brewing in the ruins of Mandalore.
The Mandalorian airs Wednesdays on Disney Plus.
