Spoiler Alert: This article contains full spoilers for every episode of The Mandalorian, including Season 3: Episode 8.
The third season of The Mandalorian has now come to an end, and with it a whole host of story arcs from the 24 episodes. One of these was about the Darksaber, but fans are a little divided on how this sacred artifact ended up.
As a result, Bo-Katan Kryze wielded the Darksaber as she fought Moff Gideon, ending with (spoiler alert final) the Mandalorian artifact being crushed in the fist of Gideon’s snazzy new Dark Trooper armor.
“Damn, didn’t think they would destroy the Darksaber like that,” said BloodyEagle15 on Reddit. “The thing was one of Dave’s [Filoni’s] Favorite creations and additions to the Star Wars universe.”
Filoni, creator of The Clone Wars and Rebels and executive producer of The Mandalorian, introduced the Darksaber in a 2010 episode of The Clone Wars season 2. It has since appeared in several other Star Wars media and was a major plot point in The Mandalorian, culminating in a dramatic surrender to Bo-Katan just a few episodes ago.
It therefore came as a surprise to many viewers when his crumpled remains were thrown away in the season 3 finale. “The Darksaber, the most powerful weapon and a religious symbol of the Mandalorians, breaks like a breadstick? Probably the only thing I had a real problem with,” wrote armsliketeeth.
But others tie its destruction to a different story arc, one in which the Mandalorians move away from outmoded symbols and instead focus on what matters most: uniting their people. “All of Mandalore helped Bo-Katan and was there as he took Mandalore back from the guy who took it,” BandagesTheMendor said. “The Darksaber is irrelevant now. She is the way.”
It doesn’t have to be that complex, however, according to anson42, who thinks destroying the Darksaber makes things less restrictive for the show’s creators to continue the Mandalorian storyline.
“In a way, I’m glad the Mandalorians reclaimed the planet without the help of the Mythosaur,” they said. “And even happier that the Darksaber is no more, which some might find an easy way to end the mythology around it, dare I say MacGuffin.”
Of course, whether this story will continue at all remains to be seen, as The Mandalorian season 4 has yet to get the green light (although it’s already been written). It’s a pretty safe bet, though, especially since Filoni is getting his own Star Wars movie, which seems to be a culmination of all his shows, including the upcoming Ahsoka series.
In our 9/10 review of The Mandalorian Season 3 Episode 8, IGN said, “A triumphant finale ties together the plots of The Mandalorian’s first three seasons and sets the stage for new adventures for Din Djarin and Grogu.”
Ryan Dinsdale is an IGN freelancer and acting UK news editor. He’ll be talking about The Witcher all day.