(WARNING: Spoilers for The Mandalorian episode “The Mines of Mandalore” below.)
The second episode of The Mandalorian Season 3 sees Mando finally fulfill his quest to reach the planet of Mandalore and bathe in its mythical mines, thus redeeming himself in the eyes of The Armorer for committing the sin of removing his helmet. However, his journey does have a few complications. Notably, when he’s captured by a weird droid creature and Bo-Katan (Katee Sackhoff) has to swoop in and save his butt.
During this rescue, a very interesting thing happens: Mando loses possession of the Darksaber. The legendary weapon is unceremoniously stripped from his belt and tossed on the ground after being captured by the creature. It’s later picked up by Bo-Katan who, unlike Mando, wields the Darksaber with ease and whips serious ass with it. The lady knows what she’s doing, and as Mandalorian fans remember, she was obsessed with retrieving the weapon from Moff Gideon (Giancarlo Esposito) in Season 2. That’s what makes her next move all the more puzzling.
While Mando is still unconscious, Bo-Katan returns the Darksaber to him by placing it with his other belongs that were stripped by the creature. She could’ve easily taken the coveted blade, and yet, she handed it right back. Why? Bo-Katan wielded the blade before without winning it through combat, and things did not end well.
In the animated series, Star Wars: Rebels, Sabine Wren gave the Darksaber to Bo-Katan, who accepted it without a fight. As we’ve seen on The Mandalorian, sects like Mando’s clan blame Mandalore’s current state on Bo-Katan for dishonoring tradition. Her time with the Darksaber also didn’t go so great. Somehow, Moff Gideon gained possession of the weapon — a story that will perhaps be explained this season — and when Mando rightfully won the blade by defeating him, Bo-Katan’s crew abandoned her. She’s left alone to sulk in her castle as her plans to restore Mandalore crumbled.
Possessing the Darksaber without winning it in combat ended in ruin for Bo-Katan, and she seems to have on interest in going back down that path. But after seeing the mythosaur in the Mines of Mandalore, she may be coming back around to believing in traditions, which could renew her interest in reclaiming the Darksaber the true Mandalorian way.
New episodes of The Mandalorian stream Wednesday on Disney+.
