Though Luke Skywalker’s return and Baby Yoda’s rescue remain key highlights of the season 2 finale of The Mandalorian, another standout development from the episode continues to stir up speculation: Will Bo-Katan Kryze get the Darksaber back from Din Djarin, and will they settle their dispute with a thumb war (or worse)?
Take one look at Bo-Katan’s face when she sees Din holding the Darksaber, and there’s no question she’s already declared war on him personally. The saber holds a lot of meaning for the displaced Mandalorian warrior, not just because it’s the blade that caused her sister’s death but also because she once used it to rule her homeworld.
Somehow, she lost the saber, and Moff Gideon obtained it. This could be one of many stories further explored in The Mandalorian season 3, which has yet to receive an official release date.
In an interview with /Film, Sackhoff recently revealed she knows just about as much about Bo-Katan’s future in The Mandalorian as the rest of us.
“One of the roads that could be gone down — absolutely, you’d think — would be the unfinished business,” Sackhoff said. “But that is so far above my pay grade, and you just don’t know, right? As a fan of the show, I’m just excited to see what they come up with.”
Sackhoff appeared in the show’s second season as a recurring guest character, reprising the role she originally voiced in two previous Star Wars animated series. Her live-action debut surprised many, and now that her story is inevitably intertwined with Din’s, it’s likely she will play an even bigger role in season 3.
What will happen to Bo-Katan?
What that story will look like moving forward, of course, is still largely a mystery. Bo wants the Darksaber so she can reclaim her homeworld and rightfully serve as its ruler, since the one who wields the blade holds the ultimate place of power on Mandalore. Traditionally, a Mandalorian must win the saber in combat to earn the right to own it. Does this mean Bo will challenge Din to a duel? Hopefully not a fight to the death, though in keeping with said traditions, that might secretly be her goal. She really wants that saber.
Despite her desperation, though — and though her past is full of questionable decisions — Bo-Katan has never been fully depicted as a villain. She might serve as Din’s antagonist in this upcoming season. But in Star Wars, there’s always the chance for redemption, or at the very least, for any character to learn vital lessons from both their victories as well as their defeats.
Some fans have even speculated that the show will redefine the legacy of Mandalore with the destruction of the very saber that has both united and divided it for centuries. While the end of the Darksaber would hit fans of The Clone Wars and Rebels particularly hard, perhaps the pain might be worth the payoff. Sometimes bright, new beginnings require dark, tragic endings.
As long as nothing happens to Bo-Katan, the show’s creative team is free to do as they so please. Give one Kryze the (mostly) happy ending they deserve. If you can’t give her the sword, at least give her peace. She’s been through enough.
Season 3 of The Mandalorian is expected to release on Disney+ toward the end of 2022.