Why The Darksaber Feels Heavy In Combat | 'Star Wars' Explained

"Chapter 5: The Return of the Mandalorian" of The Book of Boba Fett wasted no time in bringing Din Djarin, modern Star Wars' famed Mandalorian, back in action on-screen. In catching his bounty, a nefarious butcher, Din once again showcases his expertise in combat by going for the "bring you in cold" option. Rather than guns blazing, the bounty hunter ignites the iconic Darksaber, cutting down the butcher's henchmen one by one with no mercy. However, despite his jack-of-all-trades nature in weapons mastery, Din observably struggles in wielding the ancient blade, even accidentally wounding his leg in the process.

The Darksaber, despite having similarities with an ordinary lightsaber, is certainly one of a kind. Among its many properties, it is clearly shown that the blade appears to be extremely heavy to the wielder. This is further demonstrated later in the episode on the ring-world of Glavis. Paz Vizsla challenges Din for the blade, with both Mandalorians struggling to lift and fight with it throughout the duel. In explaining the reason behind the powerful weapon's weight, the Armorer gave the cryptic explanation that it is because the wielder is "fighting against the blade" when he should be "fighting against the opponent", and that "one cannot control it with their strength."

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The Darksaber first made its cinematic appearance in The Clone Wars animated series, and its historic origins were later explored in Star Wars Rebels, specifically in the Mandalorian-themed arc of Season 3. It was explained that the Darksaber was created by Tarre Vizsla, the first Mandalorian Jedi over a thousand years before the Imperial era, and was passed on by generations as a symbol of the rightful ruler of Mandalore. In the episode Trials of the Darksaber, Jedi Knight Kanan Jarrus is seen training Mandalorian Sabine Wren, after the latter came by the Darksaber, with her experiencing the same difficulty with the blade's weight in combat. Kanan then provided a candid explanation of the phenomenon:

"Energy constantly flows through the crystal. You're not fighting with a simple blade as much as you are directing a current of power. Your thoughts, your actions, they become energy. They flow through the crystal as well, and become a part of the blade. That sword is old and heavy, but powerful. Respect its strength."

As Sabine confronted her tragic past of creating a weapon fatal to the Mandalorian culture, inadvertently helping enslave her people, the blade felt lighter to her hands and she began to focus and connect her emotions with the energy of the Darksaber, allowing it to become a part of her. This gives insight into why Din Djarin felt the blade to be so heavy. After Grogu's departure to train with Luke Skywalker in the Season 2 finale of The Mandalorian, his thoughts evidently dwelled on the foundling despite returning to bounty hunting. With an eagerness to have the Armorer forge a gift for Grogu and visit him, as indicated at the end of the episode, it is likely that his preoccupied thoughts of the little one made him less "focused", which in-turn obstructed his connection with the Darksaber. Similarly, Paz's emotional baggage of carrying the Vizsla legacy is probably the reason why the blade felt heavy to him as well.

The Star Wars universe, of course, has its fair share of Darksaber wielders that appear to have harnessed the connection and power of the blade. In The Clone Wars series, Pre Vizsla and later Darth Maul, were seen to expertly wield the Darksaber in combat, likely through trained focus for the former and hatred through Sith teachings for the latter. As for Din Djarin, only time will tell when he will fully connect with the blade, either in later episodes of The Book of Boba Fett or the much-anticipated Season 3 of The Mandalorian.

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Written by Geoff Lo

Source(s): CBR

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