So in This Fight Sidious Wins So Wouldn’t That Make Him the Rightful Ruler of the Dark Saber and Mandalore?

Sidious defeated Maul in The Clone Wars, and Maul was holding the Darksaber at the time. At first glance, it seems like Sidious would be the rightful owner. But when you look closer, the rules of the Darksaber don’t work that way.

The Ritual of Claiming the Darksaber

According to Mandalorian custom, defeating the owner of the Darksaber isn’t enough. The victory must be announced openly, and in some traditions, the defeated owner must be executed for the claim to be fully legitimate. In Star Wars Rebels, Gar Saxon demands Sabine kill him after she bests him, saying this is the Mandalorian way. Sabine refuses, stating that this brutal custom is not her path.

However, the rules have been challenged and reshaped over time. Bo‑Katan received the Darksaber from Sabine Wren without a duel, and many Mandalorian clans openly accepted her claim and followed her as their ruler. This shows that, despite traditional rules, legitimacy can also be granted by the collective support and respect of the clans.

Sidious Never Claimed the Darksaber, and Never Cared for It

Sidious defeated Maul in The Clone Wars, and Maul was holding the Darksaber at the time. But Sidious treated it like any other victory. He captured Maul, humiliated him, and used him as a pawn. Sidious never announced any claim, never took the blade, and never acted as its rightful owner. According to traditional Mandalorian rules, that means he never claimed it at all.

More than that, Sidious had no interest in the Darksaber. To him, a lightsaber was just a tool. In the book The Rise of Darth Vader, Sidious is shown to have disdain for the weapon itself, seeing it as a symbol of the Jedi’s limitations. “The Sith grew past the use of lightsabers,” Sidious said, “But we continue to use them, if only to humiliate the Jedi.” He treated lightsabers as ways to taunt the Jedi, not as sacred weapons or symbols of honor.

This was Sidious’ approach with Maul, too. He defeated him to teach him a lesson, not to claim the saber. The blade remained with Maul until it passed to others. To the Mandalorians, that means Sidious’ victory meant nothing.

Vader Never Inherited the Claim Either

Since Sidious never claimed the Darksaber, Vader had no claim to it. Vader defeated Sidious in a duel, but this had nothing to do with the weapon.

According to the rules, the blade must be openly claimed and won in a sanctioned duel. Vader defeated Sidious for reasons unrelated to the Darksaber, making any claim to it meaningless in the eyes of the Mandalorians.

The Darksaber Is All About Culture

The Darksaber is more than a weapon — it is a symbol of heritage and legitimacy. Maul claimed it openly when he defeated Pre Vizsla. Bo‑Katan refused to accept it when it wasn’t offered properly.

The Armorer refused to recognize Bo‑Katan when she lost it to Gideon. Its claim depends on openly defeating its owner and accepting its responsibility. Without that, its succession means nothing.