‘The Mandalorian’: The Way Bo-Katan Originally Received the Darksaber Doesn’t Fit With the Tradition Moff Gideon Spoke of in the Finale
The Mandalorian’s Season 2 finale did not disappoint. It delivered on the action, on the lore, and on a very special cameo at the end. It also brought back Bo-Katan and Koska Reeves, which gave Bo-Katan another shot at getting back her Darksaber.
Things were a little bumpy between Bo-Katan and Boba Fett, which was to be expected because of Boba’s history being a Clone and son of Jango Fett and Bo-Katan being from Mandalore. Regardless, it was full of meaning, and she did get closer to that Darksaber. However, some rules were laid out about the weapon that didn’t seem to apply to the Mandalorian before. [Spoiler alert: Spoilers ahead for The Mandalorian Season 2 finale].
Mando went to find Bo-Katan for help in getting back Grogu from Moff Gideon
After losing Grogu and the Razor Crest, Mando is on an even more important mission to get the kid back. That’s his child now and he has the help of Boba Fett, Fennec Shand, and Cara Dune along with Moff Gideon’s coordinates from the last episode.
He finds Bo-Katan in a cantina somewhere and asks for her help. She’s a bit skeptical, most likely because of all the times she hasn’t been able to find Moff Gideon and get what he has for herself in the past. But, again, Mando has his whereabouts, which catches Bo-Katan’s attention.
She agrees to help, and the time on Moff Gideon’s ship is full of nearly nonstop shoot outs, killing Stormtroopers, and the Dark troopers make another appearance (of course). Moff Gideon sees that he’s about to lose, and makes a break for the cell where Grogu is, and that’s where Mando comes in contact with him.
Din Djarin defeated Moff Gideon but Bo-Katan wouldn’t accept the Darksaber that way
Din Djarin is really in this all for Grogu. Even though he promised Bo-Katan he’d help her get the Darksaber and even go on to take back Mandalore one day, he really needs to make every move he can to get the baby. So when it seems like Moff Gideon is being reasonable, Din basically says he can have and do what he wants, if he just hands over Grogu.
Gideon is lying, of course. A fight breaks out, and Mando nearly loses. However, his spear skills are pretty good and he beats Moff Gideon.
That should be the end of it right? At least as far as the battle for the Darksaber’s concerned. There’s still the issue of the Dark troopers, but that’s Luke Skywalker’s deal. But Bo-Katan should be grateful or at least glad to have the weapon of her people back right?
Well, no. Moff Gideon is elated, actually, that Din is the one that disarmed him because now it’s Mando’s and Bo-Katan can’t take it from Gideon. It has to be won in battle, he said. When Din tries to just yield it — sort of exasperatedly, in fact — Bo-Katan is just kind of stunned and doesn’t say anything.
This situation takes a back seat because of the Dark troopers, and isn’t resolved in this season. But it’s clear that that Moff Gideon is telling the truth, and that Bo-Katan isn’t going to just take it. That it’s Din’s until Bo-Katan can win it in battle. However, for fans of Star Wars Rebels, this is fishy for several reasons.
However, in ‘Star Wars Rebels,’ Bo-Katan received the Darksaber without having to battle anyone
When the Darksaber is first brought onto the scene, it’s in Star Wars: The Clone Wars in Season 2 when Pre Vizsla is introduced. He’s the leader of Death Watch, a radical terrorist group of Mandalorians that Bo-Katan was a part of. He loses the weapon to Darth Maul in battle later on in the series, which is when Bo-Katan leaves the group and seeks to gain Mandalore back.
The next time the Darksaber is seen is in Star Wars Rebels, and Kanan Jarrus has it. Somehow, along the line, he came in possession of it, but it most likely wasn’t in some battle. And he hands it over to Sabine Wren, who is of Mandalorian descent from the actual planet.
Then, in Season 4, Sabine hands it over to Bo-Katan. She tells her that she understands why the saber came to her. “It came to me so I can pass it to you,” Sabine tells Bo-Katan.
Bo-Katan takes it without fuss, and there is no talk of this dueling rule. Since Season 2 of The Mandalorian ends without a resolve on that front, fans are going to have to wait on more of an explanation.
Odds are, it probably has to do with the fact that Sabine was of Mand’lor by blood and handed it over. Then Bo-Katan lost it in battle to someone not of Mandalorian descent. So in order to gain it back, she’d have to win it in battle. Since Din Djarin isn’t of Mandalorian blood — he’s a foundling who lives by the Creed — she can’t accept it even if he yields.
But, again, that’s something that future Star Wars will have to tell us.
