Who could hold the Darksaber in The Mandalorian's upcoming second season? Premiering on Disney+ in late 2019, The Mandalorian enjoyed a hugely positive reception from Star Wars fans and casual followers alike. Set in the aftermath of Return of the Jedi, the series follows Mandalorian bounty hunter Din Djarin as he abandons his professional code and becomes the guardian of a certain Baby Yoda. In the season finale, Djarin faces off against the Empire's Moff Gideon, emerging victorious and escaping to safety with his small, green companion, but in one final surprise, Gideon cuts himself free from the wreckage of a crashed TIE fighter... using the Darksaber.
A fabled weapon in Mandalorian culture, the Darksaber has been a key feature of both Star Wars: The Clone Wars and Star Wars Rebels. The weapon was created in eons past by the Jedi Order's first Mandalorian member, and has since become a symbol of leadership among the clan. Ownership has changed repeatedly over the years, with the likes of Sabine Wren, Darth Maul and Bo-Katan Kryze all wielding the Darksaber at various times, but the blade was last seen in the possession of Kryze. Somehow, Gideon is now the proud owner of the Darksaber, and this will no doubt have a significant bearing on The Mandalorian season 2.
Culture and identity is a major part of Din Djarin's arc in The Mandalorian, and the Darksaber's presence spices up the blood feud between the remaining soldiers of the Empire and the remaining warriors of Mandalore further. With an influx of new characters joining the Disney+ series, there are a host of potential Darksaber users in The Mandalorian season 2.
Moff Gideon
The one character who will definitely be carrying the Darksaber in The Mandalorian season 2 is the man responsible for introducing the weapon to live-action: Giancarlo Esposito's Moff Gideon. Exactly how a legendary relic of Mandalore came into the Empire's possession is currently unknown, but almost certainly involves the mysterious Great Purge referenced by the Armorer in season 1. The Empire evidently laid waste to the home of the Mandalorians and forced the surviving warriors into a nomadic existence. But did Gideon pick the Darksaber from the wreckage of Mandalore, or did he legitimately defeat its previous holder?
Moff Gideon's possession of the Darksaber will likely be a key plot point in The Mandalorian season 2, with the show's true Mandalorians trying to reclaim a vital piece of their culture from a man who shares responsibility for their clan's downfall. This will be especially true if Gideon didn't obtain the Darksaber via the traditional method of single combat. Even if more qualified suitors seek to wrestle the Darksaber from Gideon's grasp, the dastardly Moff will nevertheless begin The Mandalorian season 2 with the black blade at his side, and Esposito has teased a massive lightsaber duel his character is involved in. The Darksaber will be put to work when The Mandalorian returns.
Bo-Katan Kryze
Bo-Katan Kryze is confirmed to appear in The Mandalorian season 2, played by Katee Sackhoff, and as the last confirmed holder of the Darksaber, viewers are sure to see this Mandalorian leader wielding the ceremonial weapon of her people. Logic suggests this will come in the form of flashback sequences. The Mandalorian's debut season effectively used brief flashbacks to tell the backstory of Din Djarin; season 2 could use a similar technique to reveal the fate of Mandalore and how the Darksaber passed from Bo-Katan Kryze to Moff Gideon. This would allow Star Wars fans to behold Bo-Katan swinging the Darksaber in the past timeline, while Moff Gideon defiles the weapon's legacy in the main timeline.
However, Bo-Katan Kryze can't definitively be ruled out of The Mandalorian season 2's present day story. Whether the character lived or died after Star Wars Rebels remains unknown, leading to speculation that Kryze could've survived the Great Purge and gone into hiding. Season 2 could see Bo-Katan team up with fellow Mandalorian, Din Djarin, to deal with their common enemy, taking down Moff Gideon in an act of revenge and reclaiming the Darksaber as her own.
Ahsoka Tano
Alongside Bo-Katan Kryze, another animated Star Wars character slated to debut in The Mandalorian season 2 is Ahsoka Tano. Appearing predominantly in Star Wars: The Clone Wars and Star Wars Rebels, Ahsoka was the Jedi apprentice of Anakin Skywalker until she was falsely accused of destroying a temple and opted to leave the Order behind instead of completing her training. After dueling with Darth Vader, an older, white-robed Ahsoka was last seen in Star Wars Rebels on a quest to find Ezra Bridger, the young Jedi who had pulled her into the World Between Worlds and saved her from dying by her former master's blade.
She may not be a Mandalorian, but Ahsoka is deeply familiar with the tribe's culture and the mythology behind the Darksaber, and she also defeated a previous owner of the weapon, Pre Vizsla. As one of the few Jedi alive during the time period of The Mandalorian, Ahsoka is the most likely opponent facing Moff Gideon during his confirmed lightsaber battle. If she proves victorious in that contest, Ahsoka would no doubt seize the Darksaber from the villain and bequeath it to a more worthy recipient, acting as a brief, transitional wielder until a more permanent home can be found.
Din Djarin
Speaking of permanent homes for the Darksaber, who better than The Mandalorian's hero, Din Djarin, to take the weapon long-term? As mentioned previously, Djarin's connection to the Mandalorian "Way" was a key theme in season 1. Although the character's place of birth hasn't been explicitly revealed, Djarin was taken in by the Mandalorian Death Watch after a Separatist attack claimed the lives of his parents. Raised as an orphan "foundling" by the Mandalorians, Din Djarin became a respected warrior within the tribe and treats their culture with the utmost respect - going so far as to hesitate in removing his helmet, even though his life was at stake. Djarin's actions and origin story differentiate him from other Mandalorians, but he still somehow exemplifies their traditions and spirit.
Djarin never saw Gideon holding the Darksaber, but if Esposito's villainous Moff unveils the weapon when these two meet again, Din Djarin will undoubtedly want to take the Darksaber back for the sake of his people. Having defeated Gideon, Mando would then have a solid claim to call the Darksaber his own, carrying it for the remainder of the series and adding to his already impressive arsenal. This would be an effective way to bring more lightsaber action to The Mandalorian in future seasons. Alternatively, Ahsoka Tano could win the Darksaber from Moff Gideon, then pass it onto Din Djarin, deeming him a worthy recipient.
Sabine Wren
Appearing in Star War Rebels, Sabine Wren was a Mandalorian warrior who reluctantly came to possess the Darksaber after Darth Maul, although she didn't defeat the former Sith in order to obtain it. Wren's animated journey saw her struggle with the weight of holding such a mythical weapon, and she would embark of a journey of self-discovery to become worthy of the Darksaber. After training in lightsaber combat and defeating Viceroy Saxon, Sabine's evolution was complete, but she respectfully chose to pass the Darksaber to Bo-Katan Kryze instead.
If Kryze was, as many suspect, defeated by Moff Gideon, Sabine Wren could return to the world of Star Wars and become the Darksaber's owner once again. Wren was last seen in Star Wars Rebels accompanying Ahsoka Tano on her mission to find Ezra, so if the former Padawan is joining The Mandalorian's cast in season 2, Sabine's presence is a reasonable possibility. And if both Gideon and Kryze are out of the picture, Wren arguably has the strongest claim to the Darksaber as its most recent recognized owner.
Cobb Vanth
An outside pick to wield the Darksaber at some point during The Mandalorian season 2 is Cobb Vanth, played by Timothy Olyphant. Introduced in Chuck Wendig's Aftermath novel, Cobb Vanth is an ex-slave on Tatooine who acquires Boba Fett's salvaged Mandalorian armor and uses it to protect a settlement called Freetown from criminals and assorted ne'er-do-wells. Both Vanth and Fett will be a part of The Mandalorian's second season, suggesting the action will once again find its way to the sandy climes of Tatooine. It would make little sense for Vanth to be the one defeating Moff Gideon, but the vigilante could be a potential recipient of the Darksaber.
Once Ahsoka, Bo-Katan, Din Djarin or whomever reclaims the Darksaber from Gideon, viewers might expect them to pass the weapon back into Mandalorian hands, honoring tradition. However, times have changed greatly since those ancient years, and the remaining warriors of Mandalore could be seeking to break away from their old customs. Instead of keeping the Darksaber within their tribe, Cobb Vanth could be chosen as the blade's new owner. He might not be a Mandalorian, but Vanth is someone who is already using Mandalorian equipment to protect innocent people, and would be a relatively safe pair of hands to trust.
Baby Yoda
Admit it, you want to see Baby Yoda flying around, swinging the Darksaber over his little head and chopping down goons.
The Mandalorian season 2 premieres October 2020 on Disney+.