Who Wields The Darksaber?

What Is The Darksaber, And Why Is It Important?

Star Wars enthusiasts usually don’t get far into the world of canonical lore before they want answers to a simple question: What do lightsaber colors mean? Often, the answer is simple; for example, blue is always the color of the Jedi, while red belongs to the Sith. Certain other lightsaber colors, however, are not so easily explained. Such is the case with the color black, which exists, among known lightsaber blades, only in the fabled Darksaber. This specific lightsaber is closely linked to the ruling clan of Mandalore and is normally under the ownership of the ruler (Mand’alor) of the planet. This is why it’s often referred to as the Mandalorian Darksaber, a symbol of power, unity, and leadership among warriors of Mandalore. Learn more about the Darksaber’s history.

Notable Darksaber Wielders

What follows is not a comprehensive listing of all Darksaber wielders, only those of particular importance in Star Wars canon. From hero to villain, you’ll learn how the Darksaber has been used as a force for power in the galaxy.

1. Tarre Vizsla

The creator and original owner of the Darksaber, Tarre Vizsla was a Mandalorian who constructed this saber during the period when he underwent training at the Jedi Temple on Coruscant. Vizsla was in fact the first Mandalorian ever to join the Order, as his unusual sensitivity to the Force was believed to make him suitable Jedi material. Vizsla later became Mand’alor of his home planet, and his Darksaber became so strongly associated with his reign that his successors often went to great lengths to claim it for themselves in order to validate their right to rule. Tarre was an ancestor of Pre Vizsla, another Darksaber wielder and member of House Vizsla.

2. Pre Vizsla

As the leader of the terrorist group Death Watch, Pre Vizsla (a member of House Vizsla) used the Darksaber during his ultimately successful effort to wrest control of Mandalore from the pacifistic New Mandalorian government. Shortly afterward, Pre Vizsla was slain in a duel with his former ally Darth Maul.

3. Darth Maul

Darth Maul became the Darksaber’s owner, in accordance with Mandalorian tradition, after killing its owner, Pre Vizsla. He utilized the Darksaber to solidify his claim as leader of Death Watch and ruler over the planet of Mandalore. Maul deployed his Darksaber in many duels and skirmishes, including battles against Darth Sidious, General Grievous, and the second battle of Dathomir.

4. Sabine Wren

A Mandalorian who participated in the rebellion against the Galactic Empire, Sabine Wren retrieved the Darksaber from the Nightsister lair on the planet Dathomir, where it had been stored by Darth Maul. She soon realized the significance of the lightsaber she confiscated and only reluctantly agreed to allow Kanan Jarrus and Ezra Bridger to train her in using it skillfully so she could better aid the rebel cause. Wren did not believe that mere possession of the Darksaber gave her the right to rule the planet, and so, after a lengthy search, she found someone who was worthy of accepting the lightsaber and its accompanying responsibilities, Bo-Katan Kryze.

5. Bo-Katan Kryze

Kryze, sister of Satine Kryze (Duchess of Mandalore) and a commanding officer in the Mandalorian resistance during the civil war used the Darksaber that she accepted from Sabine to rally Clan Wren and other Mandalorian factions behind her. During the Great Purge of Mandalore, Bo-Katan reluctantly surrendered the Darksaber to Moff Gideon, in hopes that it would stop the destruction of Mandalore. Her gambit did not work, and Kryze was forced to flee Mandalore, vowing to return once more and reclaim the legendary saber. Sometime later, and with the help of Djin Djarin, Bo-Katan Kryze once more became the owner of the Mandalorian Darksaber, wielding it in combat against Moff Gideon before the blade’s ultimate destruction by the Imperial remnant.

6. Moff Gideon

For years, Moff Gideon wielded the Darksaber, using it to secure his leadership of the Imperial remnant after the fall of the Galactic Empire. During the events of The Mandalorian, Djin Djarin battled Gideon, claiming the Darksaber in his victory over the villain.

7. Djin Djarin

After winning the Darksaber from Moff Gideon, Djarin reluctantly carried the legendary saber with him on his adventures. Djarin was challenged by Paz Vizlsa, another descendant of Tarre Vizsla, wherein he bested Paz in combat. On several occasions, Bo-Katan came to the rescue of Djarin, and while she was initially hesitant to accept the Darksaber once more, Djarin convinced her and the other assembled Mandalorians that he was only returning the saber to its rightful owner.

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