The Mandalorian season 2 finale sees the beginning of an unintended rivalry between Din Djarin and Bo-Katan Kryze over the Darksaber, but does Bo-Katan truly deserve the coveted weapon (and the right to rule Mandalore that comes with it), given her history? Bo-Katan, as shown in her appearances throughout Star Wars: The Clone Wars, Star Wars Rebels, and The Mandalorian, is not worthy of The Darksaber, especially when compared to Din Djarin, its latest (and unwilling) owner. The Darksaber is more than a unique lightsaber, it is a Mandalorian symbol of leadership that must be won in battle. By defeating Moff Gideon in his endeavor to rescue Grogu, Din became the new owner of the Darksaber, throwing a wrench in Kryze’s plans of reclaiming Mandalore for herself.
Bo-Katan debuted in The Clone Wars episode “A Friend in Need,” where she served as second-in-command to Pre Vizsla, the leader of the Death Watch. The Death Watch is a violent Mandalorian splinter group who are deservedly labeled as terrorists. As shown in the episode, Bo-Katan participated in Death Watch raids on the planet Carlac, murdering innocent and unarmed Ming Po (native humans) villagers as a show of strength. Later in the series, she worked alongside the former Sith Lord Maul to depose the Mandalorian Duchess (her sister, Satine) and install Vizsla as Mandalore’s new leader. Although Bo-Katan (and half of the Death Watch) later fights alongside the Republic against Maul, it’s only because she doesn’t want a non-Mandalorian to rule Mandalore.
Throughout her appearances in Rebels and The Mandalorian, Bo-Katan works alongside the Rebellion and Din Djarin in their conflicts with the Empire, but only as a means to reclaim the Darksaber and thus become the ruler of Mandalore. Bo-Katan is demonstrably a fundamentalist who kills innocents without remorse and will fight for (or against) anyone necessary to gain power. These are problematic traits for a potential leader, to say the least, and it’s why Din Djarin’s accidental claiming of the Darksaber is ultimately for the best. He may be reluctant to wield the weapon and its ensuing responsibilities, but he’s demonstrated himself to be more deserving of them than Bo-Katan.
Often in fiction, it’s the reluctant leaders who are the most successful in their role. Din Djarin is more accustomed to the life of a bounty hunter than a ruler, but he’s shown throughout The Mandalorian to be an honorable and principled warrior who cares more about the survival of his creed than gaining power. Bo-Katan, on the other hand, is willing to cross any line she needs to ascend to Mandalorian leadership. Even during her days as second-in-command of the Death Watch, Kryze had no issues with deceiving the citizens of Mandalore and betraying her sister. While the inexperienced Din may not be the perfect Mandalorian leader, he’s certainly more deserving of the role than Bo-Katan.
With Grogu having joined Luke Skywalker’s new generation of Jedi and Boba Fett taking over Jabba’s criminal empire with Fennec Shand, the most obvious plot thread to be continued in The Mandalorian season 3 is Din and Bo-Katan’s conflict. Din has no interest in possessing the Darksaber or ruling Mandalore, but Bo-Katan refuses to accept his offer to simply give her the weapon. Their unexpected rivalry could take them to Mandalore itself, where Din may realize that Bo-Katan is better off not ruling the Mandalorian clans, and wishes to keep the Darksaber for himself. This would put him in an awkward position and necessitate a crash course in both leadership and the other Mandalorian clans.