Having served as one of the Breaking Bad universe's most feared characters, and across two different timelines no less, Giancarlo Esposito got one hell of an intense introduction as The Mandalorian's late-stage villain Moff Gideon. But it was in the final moments of Season 1 that Gideon truly took the Star Wars fandom by storm by revealing his possession of the near-mythical darksaber. Thankfully, the darksaber's first live-action appearance wasn't merely an easter egg to geek out about, and it will indeed be a major factor in Season 2.
Well, the darksaber will be a major factor in as much as Moff Gideon will be, since the weapon is more intrinsically tied with the villain's storyline than anyone else's. Here's how Giancarlo Esposito explained it to Deadline:
You’ll see more of the darksaber, you’ll get the explanation of this ancient weapon to the modern world, a collapsed world. Where did this saber come from and how was it revived? It’s a key in our second season, which will be back sooner than later.
For more casual Star Wars fans who only watch the theatrical features, the darksaber might still be a complete mystery at this point, though everyone who watched The Clone Wars and Star Wars Rebels has a far better grasp on this one-of-a-kind weapon. The black-bladed darksaber was first created by Tarre Vizsla, a Mandalorian within the Jedi Order, but later fell into evildoers' hands, such as those of post-Darth Maul. Within Rebels, it ended up in the possession of Bo-Katan Kryze, who aimed to use it while leading the Mandalorians in the fight against the Empire.
It clearly changed hands at least once at some point, and that's what viewers will be itching to learn about when The Mandalorian returns for Season 2. It's interesting that Giancarlo Esposito hinted that the TV series will seemingly give the darksaber an origin story, at least in the sense of how it connects to the live-action universe created by Jon Favreau. If nothing else, it definitely adds further context for why Katee Sackhoff is joining the live-action universe to reprise her role of Bo-Katan Kryze. Seriously, though, even if it's just Gideon and Bo-Katan reading off the darksaber's Star Wars Encyclopedia entry, I've no doubt Esposito and Sackhoff would deliver some Emmy-worthy exposition.
Giancarlo Esposito shared a little more about what fans can expect from the darksaber's presence in The Mandalorian Season 2.
(The saber) is a key to Moff Gideon’s past, which possibly has a lot to do with where he comes from and his desire to build a planet and bring it back together.
Considering The Mandalorian is not the kind of show that lays out backstories in a "point A to point B" manner, it's likely that Moff Gideon's past will be revealed to viewers in limited doses. It does sound like Gideon's backstory will be explored even beyond his ties to the darksaber, though it's easy to imagine that his possession of it plays into why he continues rallying Imperial troops even beyond the Empire's fall. So long as we get to see Gideon putting it to use on more than just crashed TIE fighters, I'm down for anything this creative team will deliver.
Having earned a ton of Emmy nominations this week, The Mandalorian Season 2 is still set to debut in October, though fans have yet to hear a confirmed release date from Disney+. Stay tuned to CinemaBlend for just such an announcement, and don't forget about all the other Mandalorian content coming soon. Until then, head to our Fall 2020 TV premiere schedule to see what new and returning shows will be popping up in the near future.
