One of the most surprising moments in the first season of The Mandalorian was the reveal that the villainous Moff Gideon is in possession of the Darksaber, a special lightsaber that’s been passed down through generations of Mandalorian warriors. It’s currently unknown as to how the Moff came to own the weapon but, based on the brief scene in which it appears, he certainly knows how to use it. And Giancarlo Esposito has some thoughts about what the powerful object means for his Imperial character.
Giancarlo Esposito believes Moff Gideon’s ownership of the Darksaber means he’s a skilled warrior who’s more than capable of handling himself on the battlefield. The actor also teased what it could mean in regard to the character’s mysterious past:
To have this saber means I could use it, and I can do my own dirty work, that I'm a fighter, I'm a warrior, that's part of me, also creates the possibility that he is one of the ones. He possibly has THAT and that to me is interesting. Because is he really that fallen hero? Is he a descendant of Darth Vader? Who is he?
Based on his comments to ET, could Giancarlo Esposito be teasing that Moff Gideon is actually Force-sensitive? Due to the timeline, it’s highly unlikely that he’s related to Darth Vader or the Skywalker family in any way, but that doesn’t mean he couldn’t be a descendant of another Jedi. For all we know, he could’ve learned his Darksaber skills from a relative.
The Darksaber first appeared in Star Wars: The Clone Wars, during which it was wielded by Pre Vizla, who’s family owned the ancient weapon. It was later acquired by Darth Maul after he defeated Vizla in combat. In time, Maul would also lose the Darksaber and, years later Sabine Wren (of Star Wars Rebels) would acquire it and train with Jedi friend Kanan Jarrus to use it. Eventually, Wren would hand it off to Bo-Katan Kryze (who will reportedly appear on The Mandalorian), who was set to lead the Mandalorians against the Empire.
The Darksaber has had more than a few owners since it was first introduced into the Star Wars franchise, but one thing that can be said is that every one of them was a warrior in his or her own right. And from what we’ve seen of Moff Gideon on The Mandalorian so far, he seems to be following in their footsteps. As for whether or not he can use the Force, that’s still up for speculation, but stranger things have happened in the galaxy far, far away.
One thing we do know for sure is that when we do see Moff Gideon in The Mandalorian Season 2, he’ll be gunning for Mando and The Child. Let’s hope neither of them find themselves on the other end of his blade.
The Mandalorian Season 2 is set to hit Disney+ this fall, while the first season is currently available to stream.
