The Mandalorian season 3 could reveal the secret history of Mandalore, tying the planet to the Force and finally explaining the origin and nature of the Darksaber. Din Djarin started out as something of a lone gunslinger, a bounty hunter who carried out missions to acquire beskar for his people. Everything changed when he encountered the diminutive alien named Grogu, and the two have developed into something of a "found family." Unfortunately there's been a price for this; Grogu was briefly kidnapped by the Empire, and Din Djarin's rescue mission meant he broke the laws of his Mandalorian sect.
Din faced the consequences of his actions in The Book of Boba Fett, confessing his deeds to the Armorer. Din was effectively banished from the Mandalorians, branded an outsider because he had broken his vow and allowed other living beings to see his face. There was still the possibility of redemption, however remote; the Armorer revealed it was possible to atone for his sins by traveling to Mandalore. She assumed he would never be mad enough to return to Mandalore, a planet left in ruins by the Empire, but the trailers for The Mandalorian season 3 have confirmed Din will indeed travel there. The journey could potentially reveal Mandalore's greatest secret.
Din Djarin Must Seek Out The "Living Waters Of Mandalore"
The Book of Boba Fett episode 5 seems to serve as essential setup for The Mandalorian season 3 - not least because it explains Din Djarin's mission. Told he was a Mandalorian no more, Din Djarin begged the Armorer to show him how to atone. "According to Creed, one may only be redeemed in the living waters beneath the mines of Mandalore," she replied. Din Djarin must travel to Mandalore, finding his way into ancient, mysterious mines, and then must somehow discover the "living waters" that lie beneath them. The recent trailer for The Mandalorian season 3 seemed to confirm Din Djarin will successfully complete this mission; it featured a brief glimpse of a dark cave system, given unusual prominence.
George Lucas' Star Wars was strongly influenced by Joseph Campbell's classic Hero's Journey, and The Empire Strikes Back played this straight in a scene in which Luke Skywalker entered a dark side cave on Dagobah. One stage in Campbell's Hero's Journey is the "Approach to the Inmost Cave," with the hero forced to confront their greatest fears and doubts. Presumably Din Djarin's quest to the living waters of Mandalore parallels Luke Skywalker's experience at the Dagobah cave, evolving the bounty hunter into a Campbellian hero.
The Living Waters Of Mandalore Could Be A Force Vergence
The term "living waters" is an odd one, though, and it's never been used in relation to Mandalorians before. It is, however, very similar to a Force vergence recently revealed in the comics; the Living Sea of Gazian, which appeared in Charles Soule and Marco Castiello's Star Wars #20. A planet in the Mid-Rim, Gazian's surface is covered by strange mushroom-like growths; when a person visits the Living Sea of Gazian, they undergo a mystical experience in which they can commune with those who have visited there in the past. A Holocron recording of Yoda mentioned other vergences that were similar to the Living Sea of Gazian - one found at the Jedi Temple on Coruscant, and another on the planet Jedha.
The living waters of Mandalore could be a similar Force vergence, whether light side or dark - one where a person must confront their past. That would explain why the trailer for The Mandalorian season 3 moves from a tantalizing glimpse of the cave to what seems like a strange vision and a flashback to Order 66; both Din Djarin and Grogu could find themselves confronted with different visions. Such a vergence would fit perfectly with the Campbellian Hero's Journey.
A Mandalorian Force Vergence Could Explain The Origin Of The Darksaber
This theory would offer a potential solution to a longstanding Star Wars mystery; the Darksaber, a unique lightsaber created long ago by Tarre Vizsla, the only Mandalorian to become a Jedi. The Darksaber is unlike any other lightsaber, with a distinctive color and unique properties - including the fact it becomes heavier in combat if a person lacks confidence and willpower. The Darksaber's color and properties are best explained by it having a black crystal at its heart, because lightsabers generally take on the color of the crystal powering them. Most Jedi lightsabers are powered by kyber crystals from Ilum, explaining why they all share the same properties, but crystals from other locations create lightsabers that are much more unusual. The Darksaber's crystal could come from a Force vergence the Jedi did not know about, but that Tarre Vizsla did - a vergence found on Mandalore itself.
Supporting this theory, the Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge theme park gives visitors a chance of acquiring a rare black crystal to power a lightsaber. Lore established at Galaxy's Edge is considered canon in Disney's Star Wars, and the black kyber contains an intriguing note:
"Today you have found something truly special. This small fragment of obsidian is infused with the power of the dark side. When placed inside a lightsaber or a holocron, this rare fragment with unnatural powers mined from [a] dark side shrine will have similar properties as a red Kyber Crystal.
According to this note, such a rare piece of obsidian is "mined from [a] dark side shrine" - and it's interesting to note Darth Vader's fortress on Mustafar, which sits atop a dark side vergence, is said to have been created from "obsidian" attuned to the dark side. The black crystal at the heart of the Darksaber could perhaps be a similar substance, one that originated from Mandalore's vergence, discovered in the mines of Mandalore.
A Force Vergence On Mandalore Would Transform The Mandalorian - And Din Djarin
A Force vergence on Mandalore would transform the relationship between the Mandalorians and the Jedi. There has only ever been one Mandalorian Jedi, Tarre Vizsla, a unique figure in that he served as a bridge between the two traditions. With the exception of Tarre Vizsla, though, the Mandalorians have traditionally been written as another counterpart to the Jedi and the Sith. This has always seemed a little odd, because they've typically stood apart from the Force - but a new connection to the Force would counter that, making the counterpoint work much more effectively.
Such a Force vergence would, of course, help continue Din Djarin's story. It would fit in perfectly with the Hero's Journey, with Din confronting the history and heritage of Mandalore as he experiences the Force at this vergence. He already possesses the Darksaber, the sacred weapon of the traditional ruler of Mandalore, but he cannot wield it effectively - symbolically meaning he is not ready to take on this role. It is telling that, in Campbell's mythology, the ordeal at the inmost cave is typically followed by one sometimes called "Reward" - or, more poetically, "Seizing the Sword." If the living waters of Mandalore really are a Force vergence, then this experience will presumably transform him, leaving him ready to claim the Darksaber and embrace his new role, making The Mandalorian season 3 a truly transformative experience for its star.