Star Wars: The Mandalorian Star Reveals Hilarious Way He Practiced for the Darksaber

The long-awaited third season of Star Wars: The Mandalorian is debuting next month, and fans can expect the return of the Darksaber. The saber has a long history, and it’s now in the hands of Din Djarin (Pedro Pascal) which means Bo-Katan Kryze (Katee Sackhoff) will likely be coming for him and the weapon since it must be won in battle. Before Mando had the Darksaber, Moff Gideon (Giancarlo Esposito) was in possession of it. During a recent interview with GQ, Esposito shared a hilarious story about practicing with the Darksaber. 

“The Darksaber was a wonderful thing to wield,” Esposito shared. “There’s only a few of us actors who’ve had the opportunity to wield such an iconic piece of equipment… We had a bunch of different swords. Sometimes the hilt, sometimes the long one, sometimes one that was lit around the end so they could sort of CGI it in, and sometimes it was full weight, sometimes not full weight. I chose the ones that had a full weight because I felt like when you wielded it, you had to see it, how it hits something. It was very, very important to me to have it be really believable.”  

He continued, “So, I had practiced at home, ’cause I also have a cape, to figure out the logistics of it with a broomstick. And eventually, when I got with the Darksaber, I was just very enthusiastic about being able to practice with it in the moment on the set, and to have such a great time playing this character with a piece of history that’s so very iconic.” 

What’s Next For Moff Gideon in The Mandalorian?

Esposito will reprise his role as Moff Gideon in the third season of The Mandalorian, and he’s already teased some exciting stuff for his character in Season 3. Recently, the actor spoke with Collider and explained why the new season of The Mandalorian will be the best one yet.

“I just think that the show gets more expanded and more visually profound with each season. And I think it’s the vision of Jon Favreau and David Filoni, certainly, that begins that expansion. But it’s also all of the artisans that they trust to collaborate with them. I was blown away by that sizzle reel. All of a sudden, the world just came at you in a much more intense, and – it’s always been gratifying – but in a way that allowed you to know… You know that feeling that you have of dread or doom, or excitement personified? That’s the feeling you get because the story is all of a sudden being coalesced for you to understand elements that you didn’t know about,” Esposito shared.

He continued, “Look, we can say a lot of words about a lot of different things, just like Kaleidoscope. But I think when you watch it, you have the space to feel emotion and connection between characters. The Mandalorian, you have the space to feel the largess of this universe, of this world-building. And you have the space to see where you fit in. God, I wish I could be that warrior, that hero, that heroine. And we see the weakness and the power of the villainous who want for themselves and not for the whole. What I love about this show, it is about our army, is about all of us who are starting to understand, once again, it’s for the people and by the people. And if we stand up and allow our voices to be heard, and understand there’s strength in numbers, we can then recreate the world as it should be in peace, harmony, and creatively, scientifically, and politically, a way for us to understand that there are no borders anymore. The Mandalorian exemplifies all of that.” 

The Mandalorian returns to Disney+ on March 1st.