Until several years ago, the Darksaber was Star Wars’ version of The Ring or the Elder Wand in the animated TV universe exclusively. That changed when it appeared at the end of The Mandalorian Season 1, its first — and certainly not its last — live-action appearance.
As of the end of The Book of Boba Fett, Din Djarin still holds the blade. By Mandalorian creed, he owns it, and ideally all that comes with that. But despite a brief history lesson, he still doesn’t know how powerful the Darksaber truly is — not just in its physical form, but also culturally.
History of the Darksaber
First created by Mandalorian Jedi Tarre Vizsla, the Darksaber contains a crystal just like any other lightsaber … but its hilt is made from beskar, a substance vital to the culture of Mandalore and its people for generations. Mandalorians use beskar to forge their armor, and have been known to make weapons from the same material.
Its beskar component could explain why the Darksaber has withstood over a thousand years of conflict. But that doesn’t begin to take into account its symbolic significance among the Mandalorians and their history.
Since House Vizsla liberated the Darksaber from the Jedi Temple after Tarre Vizsla’s death, the family passed it down from one member to the next for generations. Wielding the saber, they eventually held full power over Mandalore because they were able to use the blade to take down anyone who opposed them.
This is why the Darksaber is powerful not just in design but also in its ability to influence those at the mercy of its wielder. Historically, if you’re a Mandalorian in possession of this weapon, you have the right to claim rule over the entire civilization … if you’ve obtained it by way of tradition, of course.
Mandalore Tradition
During the Clone Wars, Maul was able to claim the saber and Mandalore not because he was a Mandalorian, but because he defeated Pre Vizsla in combat. Technically, he rightfully earned the saber because he battled the Mandalorian to the death. Even if those such as Bo-Katan Kryze were opposed to the idea of outsiders ruling Mandalore with the Darksaber, the only way to right that wrong would have been to win it back in a duel. No one who wanted the saber could defeat Maul in that kind of combat.
This is why The Armorer told Din Djarin in The Book of Boba Fett that Sabine Wren and Bo-Katan Kryze never technically had the right to claim the saber or, in Bo’s case, rule Mandalore. Neither of them won it by tradition. At this point in the so-called Darksaber Saga, the weapon is so powerful that even if it went missing, Mandalorians would still threaten to fight each other to the death to claim ownership of it — and many would try.
Very few details have emerged about The Mandalorian Season 3. But Din still holding onto the Darksaber has major implications for where his story could go next. Wielding such a powerful blade, he could become the target of Mandalorians scattered across the galaxy seeking to reclaim their homeworld. He is also at risk of falling prey to the dark side of holding claim to so much power. He is a Mandalorian at heart, born to fight, and so often those who have never known power and find themselves in possession of it eventually find themselves dangerously terrified of losing it.
Perhaps the Darksaber’s greatest power is one we’ve seen repeat itself over and over throughout this entire story — its ability to influence even the most well-meaning individuals to do their worst deeds in order to keep the blade — and all it symbolizes — for themselves.
