Season 3 of The Mandalorian ended with victories on many fronts, but one loss — even if we all knew it was coming — cut especially deep. Saying goodbye to the Darksaber was an expected yet devastating end to a long, painful story.
The Darksaber made it into the hands of many Mandalorians (and some non-Mandalorians, looking at you Maul and Gideon) over the centuries. Its importance to Lady Bo-Katan Kryze was more significant than many realized.
For Bo-Katan, wielding the Darksaber was both a blessing and a curse. The weapon was used to take the life of her sister in a reckless plot for revenge. When she reclaimed it in Star Wars Rebels, she even did so in part to honor Satine. Losing it again sent her on a mad quest to defeat Gideon and take back what belonged to her, and Din giving it to her once more — you have to love loopholes — meant everything to her.
But that weapon was never meant to survive the third season of the show. Look at how much pain and destruction it had caused over the years. What was originally created as a unique took for a Mandalorian Jedi over time became a dangerous symbol of power and control. Mandalorians fought over it. Mand’alors who never should have been leaders were trusted with decisions that impacted an entire planet’s population. It may have had sentimental value for some, but it was mostly a reminder of how power can corrupt both those who crave it and those who already have it.
Bo-Katan and her fellow Mandalorians needed to learn that what makes a Mandalorian leader is not the symbol of power they carry, but instead the potential they have to steer their civilization in the right direction.
All episodes of The Mandalorian Season 3 are available to stream exclusively on Disney+.
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