*BBY = Before the battle of Yavin (A New Hope).
*ABY = After the battle of Yavin.
(Spoilers if you haven’t watched Star Wars: the Clone Wars S1 – S7, Star Wars: Rebels and The Mandalorian)
The Fall of the Old Republic
The Darksaber is an ancient Mandalorian Lightsaber created sometime before 1,032 BBY, by Tarre Vizsla, the only Mandalorian to ever be inducted into the Jedi Order. Tarre Vizsla wielded the blade until his death, resulting in it being kept in the Jedi Temple, until members of House Vizsla liberated it during the fall of the Old Republic. After its liberation from the Jedi temple, the Darksaber was passed down through generations. And, it became known as a symbol for House Vizsla, uniting those who would follow and striking down those who opposed. It stayed in House Vizsla for hundreds of years.
The Clone Wars
In 21BBY it came into the possession of Pre Vizsla, the leader of Death Watch, a group of Mandalorian warriors thought to have died out years ago, after being banished to the Mandalorian moon of Concordia, for opposing the peaceful way of Mandalore that the current ruler, Duchess Satine Kryze created. Following a terrorist attack by Death Watch in Sundari, the capital of Mandalore, an investigation by Jedi knight Obi-Wan Kenobi and Satine Kryze took place on Concordia. This resulted in Pre Vizsla revealing himself as the leader of Death Watch and current wielder of the Darksaber. Many more attacks followed culminating in Death Watch allying with the two Night Brothers, the rogue Sith, Darth Maul and his brother, Savage Opress, to conquer Sundari and ultimately all of Mandalore.
Death Watch took Sundari in 20BBY with the help of a few crime syndicates and the two Night Brothers. Maul challenged Pre Vizsla to a duel for the throne, defeated him thus claiming the Darksaber and Mandalore. Satine Kryze was killed by Maul shortly thereafter. Death Watch fractured in two, those who followed Maul and those who wouldn’t stand for an outsider on the throne. Not long after his victory, Maul was defeated by his former master, Darth Sidious, and imprisoned.
The Empire
The Darksaber lay dormant until it was discovered in 2BBY By Sabine Wren of House Vizsla, on the planet Dathomir, where Maul had kept it hidden away for years, after having escaped his imprisonment. Sabine later returned with the Darksaber to Mandalore and her home Krownest, a planet in mandalorian territory, defeated Gar Saxon, the Mandalorian governor appointed by, and working for the Empire. Uniting the Clans who would stand for Mandalore, and against the Empire, she continued to wield the Darksaber until she met Bo-Katan Kryze. Bo-Katan, former Deathwatch, leader of clan Kryze, sister to Duchess Satine Kryze, and heir to Mand’alor, accepted the Darksaber after some persuading and continued to unite Mandalore to oppose the Empire.
The Fall of the Empire
We don’t really know what happed to the Darksaber until 9 ABY, when we find it on Nevarro in the hands of the former ISB (Imperial Security Bureau) agent, Moff Gideon, a commander of the remnants of the fallen Empire, who stole it from Bo-Katan during the Great Purge Of Mandalore. Bo-Katan, in searching for the Darksaber, teamed up with the foundling and Child of the Watch, Din Djarin, who was trying to rescue a child imprisoned on Gideon’s light cruiser. Despite Bo-Katan claiming Gideon was hers to fight, Din had no choice but to defeat Moff Gideon in order to save the child’s life. Din having no desire to keep the weapon, offered the Darksaber to Bo-Katan, declaring he yielded but she refused, as she had not won it. This is the last time we see the Darksaber – for now.
Image from Star Wars: Rebels, Heroes of Mandalore Part 2. copyright of Lucasfilm and Disney.
