The Mandalorian: Why SPOILER Getting the Darksaber Is A Big Deal

The Mandalorian Season 3 Episode 6 delivered a major Star Wars milestone, as Bo-Katan Kryze (Katee Sackhoff) was officially anointed as the new leader of The Mandalorians. However, the way that Bo-Katan reclaimed her leadership is important to break down and analyze, as it has major callbacks to Star Wars' past lore – as well as big implications about where this season of The Mandalorian (and the Mandalorian people) are headed. 

Obviously, SPOILERS FOLLOW! 

Din Djarin Gives Bo-Katan the Darksaber

In The Mandalorian Chapter 22: "Guns for Hire" Bo-Katan, Din Djarin (Pedro Pascal), and Grogu go to the lavish world of Plazir-15 to track down the Mandalorian mercenary sect that was once part of Bo-Katan's Nite Owls squad. In order to get to the Mandalorian mercs, Bo-Katan and Mando have to first solve the mystery of a droid uprising caused by a Separatist loyalist hiding in the ranks. Once that is done, there's a new problem: regaining the loyalty of Bo-Katan's lost fleet. 

The former Nite Owls and Bo-Katan loyalist Mandalorians are now led by Axe Woves (Simon Kassianides), who is none too keen on surrendering control. A fierce duel takes place between Bo-Katan and Axe – but even when Bo-Katan wins, she cannot sway the Mandalorians to rejoin her side. According to their statures, only the holder of the Darksaber can lead, and Din Djarin is the one who won the blade back from Moff Gideon in combat when Bo-Katan lost it to the Imperial villain. 

Din settles the matter once and for all by making the argument that Bo-Katan took up the Darksaber and defeated an enemy that had defeated him, down in the Mines of Mandalore. By the transitive property, Bo-Katan had earned the Darksaber back, and so Mando handed her the blade. 

Why Din Djarin Giving Bo-Katan the Darksaber Is Important

The storyline of The Mandalorian Season 3 has been the major development of The Mandalorian people starting to come back together, in order to take up the mission of reclaiming their homeworld of Mandalore. As previous seasons of The Mandalorian clearly depicted, there was a massive chasm between the beliefs of Bo-Katan and her followers, and those of The Tribe that Din Djarin and The Armorer belong to. 

The Tribe believed in the hardline Way of the Mandalore. They were nomadic, and followed ancient rituals like never removing your helmet in the company of others, and expanding the ranks of Mandalorians by taking in and caring for Foundlings. Bo-Katan and the Nite Owls, by contrast, were born and bred on Mandalore and believed only those born on the homeworld were Mandalorians; they have also advanced beyond the ancient rituals, viewing them as little more than religious superstition – starting with the legends of the Mythosaurs. At the same time, these same Mandalorians have their own rituals (like the symbolism of the Darksaber) that Din Djarin and The Tribe don't seem aware of, at all. 

The Armorer made the crucial first step (in The Mandalorian Season 3 Episode 5) of anointing Bo-Katan as the unifier of their people and showed her evolution in faith by letting Bo-Katan walk among The Tribe without her helmet. While some Star Wars fans may think it was a "pointless" subplot, Din Djarin handing over the Darksaber to Bo-Katan is a crucial show of faith that The Tribe understands and respects the beliefs and traditions of its Mandalorian cousins. In meeting one another halfway, there is a whole new era of Mandalorian culture being created – and Star Wars is setting up a powerful new faction whose role in the franchise could expand well beyond this series. 

The Mandalorian Season 3 is streaming on Disney+.