Source: Lucasfilm
'Star Wars' Fans Are Geeking Over 'The Mandalorian' Debut of the Famed Darksaber
Dec. 27 2019, Updated 12:23 p.m. ET
The Mandalorian has received some criticism for "playing it safe," but that hasn't seemed to stymie the overwhelming support and adoration for the Jon Favreau directed Disney+ series. In fact, a huge number of subscriptions to the Mouse's streaming service can probably be directly attributed to when the exclusive title's first trailer dropped.
The show's already gifted Star Wars fans with a lot of huge developments and Season 1 ended with a bombshell: the Darksaber.
What is the Darksaber on The Mandalorian?
It was never depicted or even mentioned in any of the films, so it's understandable if, while watching the show's season finale, you were left scratching your head at what the big deal regarding the mythical weapon was. If you watched the Clone Wars animated series, then you'd know a lot more about the blade's origins than most.
The sword was first created by Tarre Vizsla, the first Mandalorian Jedi.
It differs from other lightsabers in that its "base" looks more like a traditional sword and is dark black, almost as if it is made of obsidian. Surrounding the sword is an emitted light, and its shape and size varies depending on its wielder's emotional state. Tarre's partnership with the Jedi order ushered in an era of peace between the two groups and he eventually became the leader of Mandalore.
After his death, the Jedi, as a sign of respect, placed his Darksaber in the Jedi Temple, but it wasn't long before it was pilfered by the Mandalorians of the Vizsla clan once the Old Republic fell.
It didn't take long for the sword to become the most prized status symbol in the Mandalorians' society and whoever possessed it was believed to be the leader of the Vizsla clan, one of the largest tribes in the Mandalorian's culture.
If you wanted to get your hands on the Darksaber, the only way to do that would be to win it in combat from its current owner. In The Clone Wars, this led to some issues when Darth Maul, one of the most skilled Sith combatants, accosted Pre Vizsla and demanded a duel. Maul won, and then became the rightful owner of the Darksaber.
This ended up throwing the Mandalorians into a state of Civil War because they couldn't stand being ruled by an outsider. Maul eventually lost ownership of the Darksaber after falling in battle to General Grievous and Darth Sidious. Those two weren't into the iconic Mandalorian weapon (guess it didn't go with their overall look) and left it on Dathomir, where their grand battle took place. It was years later that another Mandalorian by the name of Sabine Wren found it.
She trained in how to use her culture's historical weapon and used it in the struggle against the Empire, then ultimately gave it to Bo-Katan Kryze, who then became the rightful ruler of Mandalore and the last person to wield it, before...
Moff Gideon
There's an eight-year gap between Bo-Katan's ownership of the blade and how it came into Moff Gideon's possession, so not much is known what happened to the sword in that time. Thankfully, Moff talks about it at length in the show.
The Imperial Security Bureau officer is a total Weeb for Mandalorian culture, but in a sort of twisted way. He played a part in the Purge of Mandalore and the night of 1,000 Tears, a huge genocide the Empire enacted against the Mandalorian people. He got the sword during that massive attack.
It seems he's hell bent on destroying each and every Mandalorian, which could be why he's collecting all of their names, like the show's titular hero, who we learn is Din Djarin.
So why is he going through all of this trouble? It could be like the Mandalorians of the past, he's trying to "rightfully" own the Darksaber by killing every Mandalorian. After all, you could only come into possession of the Darksaber through combat.
Will Din fight Moff Gideon?
It seems like the show's protagonist is being set up for a tasty conflict with the Empire via Moff Gideon for the show's second season. My guess is that near the end of the show's second season, Din will have a one on one encounter with Moff, kill him, and then wield the Darksaber for himself. Which will make him an even more dangerous force to be reckoned with in Season 3.
The Chef Show connection.
If you're a fan of Netflix's greatest cooking show, then you might remember when Jon Favreau and Chef Roy Choi visited Skywalker ranch. Jon reveals that while mixing sound for Iron Man, he ended up voicing a character in The Clone Wars animated series. Guess who he played? Pre Vizsla, the first ever Mandalorian Jedi and OG leader of Mandalore.
So he's pretty knowledgeable when it comes to the history of the Darksaber and Mandalorian culture. As much as I love the Disney+ series, I have to say The Chef Show slaps way harder.
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