How Did Moff Gideon Get the Darksaber?

In Star Wars, lightsabers are the weapons of choice for many of the galaxy’s warriors. They come in a variety of colors. 

The standard ones are blue, green, and red (for the dark side exclusively). Then there are the rarer colors like purple, white, and, of course, black. 

Known as the Darksaber, the black lightsaber is extra rare as it doesn’t follow the same design as a regular lightsaber. 

Thanks to its distinctive design, alluring color, and perceived power, this lightsaber has been at the center of many discussions in the Star Wars communities. 

In particular, many have wondered how warlord Moff Gideon got his hands on the weapon. This question and more will be answered as we go through this article. 

Keep reading as we dive in. 

What Is the Darksaber?

The Darksaber was the first black-bladed lightsaber ever created in Star Wars. 

Although different in appearance from all other lightsabers, the Darksaber underwent the same creation process. 

To preface, lightsabers are created as the last step in a padawan’s Jedi training. The young Jedi trainees venture out to find their Kyber Crystals. 

Once received, the crystals match the Force energy within them and change from a colorless stone to the vibrant weapons we know today. 

From there, the crystals are taken back to the Jedi Temple, where the lightsabers are forged. The exact same process occurred in the case of the Darksaber. 

Tarre Vizsla, the first ever Mandalorian to become a Jedi, ventured out on the same journey as the other Padawans. However, when he collected his crystal, it turned black as opposed to one of the regular colors. 

Once forged, the Darksaber took on a whole new design. While the blades of regular lightsabers are cylindrical, this black lightsaber had a short blade that looked similar to a regular sword. On top of that, the blade was surrounded by a white glow. 

The Darksaber was considered to be one of the more powerful lightsabers. So much so, that it was one of the Mandalorians’ most prized possessions. 

It was strong enough to pull other lightsabers into its orbit and emitted a higher-pitched noise than a traditional lightsaber. 

Similar to any other lightsaber, the Darksaber could not slice through the Beskar. Still, the black lightsaber could heat the Beskar until it was red hot, which is as close as any weapon has ever been to breaking the material.

How Did Moff Gideon Get The Darksaber?

As briefly touched on before, Gideon was a warlord. He made his mark during the rise of the New Republic era, when he became a Moff. 

During this time, he led the fallen Galactic Empire through the Outer Rim Territory. 

As a devout member of the Old Empire, Gideon thirsted for power more than anything else. Additionally, he longed for the regeneration of the Empire and would stop at nothing to see his goals fulfilled. Even if that meant he had to ruthlessly slaughter innocent people to do so. 

It was during the Imperial times that Gideon held the positions of law enforcement and intelligence agent for the Empire. The full extent of his ruthlessness could be seen during the Great Purge of Mandalore. 

As the name suggests, Gideon and his team massacred millions of Mandalorians. He then proceeded to steal their most cherished weapon, the Darksaber. 

After this heinous act, Moff Gideon was believed to be deceased. However, in 9 ABY (after the Battle of Yavin), it was discovered that the tyrant was still alive. 

During this time, he acted as an Imperial ruler and put a bounty on Grogu’s (Baby Yoda’s) head. 

He did this because he believed Grogu’s blood was the answer to transferring Force-sensitivity. 

What Gideon didn’t account for was the fact that his hired muscle, bounty hunter Din Djarin, had a change of heart and rescued Baby Yoda instead. 

Nevertheless, the Moff took measures into his own hands and successfully acquired Baby Yoda. Once again, Djarin did all he could to rescue Grogu and attacked Gideon’s cruiser. 

After losing that battle, Moff Gideon tried to take his own life but was detained before he could. 

In the end, with Gideon being taken into custody, the precious Darksaber was left in the care of Din Djarin.

Why Could Moff Gideon Use the Darksaber?

The Darksaber was a symbol of power, and only the ruler of Mandalore could wield a weapon of such magnitude. So, why could Moff Gideon use the Darksaber?

Well, the answer lies within the Darksaber itself along with Mandalorian customs. 

Befitting their Viking-like values, anyone could have challenged the ruler and taken the Darksaber for themselves as well as the throne of Mandalore. 

Moreover, the Darksaber was a sensitive weapon. Because of this, anyone who wished to wield the Darksaber had to put in extra effort to ensure they were well aligned with that of the saber. 

You see, the Darksaber has been shown to be a sentient weapon. It was seemingly aware of the person possessing it. If that person seemed unfit to rule Mandalore, the Darksaber fought actively against them. 

Furthermore, the black lightsaber was so sensitive that any form of emotional baggage affected the way the weapon operated. For instance, heightened emotions could have made it feel far heavier than it actually was. 

To top it all off, the Darksaber seemed to be aware of whoever possessed it at the time. If it didn’t approve of its lender, it would rebel against them. 

This is what happened to Din Djarin. He came into possession of the Darksaber the rightful way (defeating its former wielder, Moff Gideon). However, with the saber comes the responsibility of becoming Mandalore’s ruler.

Djarin rejected this role, and as a consequence, he rejected the will of the black lightsaber. Which is why he had trouble wielding the weapon.

Contrastingly, Moff Gideon was deemed worthy by the Darksaber as his personal goals aligned with what was best for Mandalore. What’s more, Gideon gladly accepted the responsibility of becoming Mandalore’s ruler. 

This is a role that fit him perfectly because being a Mandalorian was more than just being born there. 

Being a Mandalorian was about being a warlord. It was about being ruthlessly intimidating and willing to do anything for the greater good of Mandalore. Fortunately, this was the exact mentality Gideon had. 

Who Truly Owns The Darksaber?

We know that the Darksaber is passed down through the defeat of the previous owner, but it can also be attained through inheritance. 

As we have already established, the Darksaber was first crafted by Tarre Vizsla. After his passing, the black lightsaber was housed in the Jedi Temple until the House Vizsla members stole it.

Since then, it has been passed from generation to generation of Mandalorians. By this logic, fans have theorized that Luke Skywalker may be the Darksaber’s rightful owner. 

At first, the rightful owner was Sabine Wren. Even so, she came clean to her mother, Ursa Wren, about her not actually defeating Darth Maul with the Darksaber. 

Her mother then made it clear that she was not the true wielder by saying, “Then you have no claim to it.”

That was when fans noticed that Luke was the true owner of the Darksaber. 

Following both the process of inheritance and the defeat of the previous owner, the Darksaber always falls back into the hands of Luke Skywalker. 

In theory, once Obi-Wan Kenobi killed Darth Maul, the saber became his. Then, at the end of Star Wars: A New Hope, Darth Vader killed Kenobi, meaning that the weapon became his. 

Thus, when the Sith Lord met his end, the Darksaber would have been inherited by his son, Luke Skywalker. 

Even if the Darksaber was passed on to Emperor Palpatine when he defeated Darth Maul, he was eventually killed by Darth Vader. Lord Vader died shortly after that, which means that the black lightsaber would still be passed down to Luke in any event. 

Conclusion

While it is not exactly clear how Moff Gideon came into possession of a weapon of such caliber, it’s safe to assume he defeated its original owner during his Mandalorian killing spree.

Even though the Darksaber accepted Gideon as its wielder, he was not its rightful owner. 

Fans have broken down that, through the rules of the Darksaber, the rightful owner would have been Luke Skywalker. Every way the inheritance timeline is looked at, Luke is the one who comes out with the saber at the end. 

Regardless of who truly owns it, the Darksaber is a weapon that will forever be regarded as one of the best and most unique in the Star Wars franchise.