How Sabine's Star Wars Return In Ahsoka Could Break Bo-Katan In The Mandalorian

The Darksaber has long been a contentious point in "Star Wars," with a confusing set of rules deciding who has the right to lead Mandalore. With it finally meeting its demise in "The Mandalorian," the door is open for a much more standard form of government for the Mandalorians — but Sabine Wren's (Natasha Liu Bordizzo) upcoming return in "Ahsoka" could put that in jeopardy.

The Mandalorians elected Bo-Katan (Katee Sackhoff) their leader in "The Mandalorian" because of her royal bloodline and being the last person to wield the Darksaber. However, she technically never won the weapon in the first place. In the animated series "Star Wars Rebels," Sabine found the Darksaber in Darth Maul's lair, who was the rightful owner after defeating Pre Vizsla. She took it and began wielding the legendary Mandalorian weapon but never defeated Maul. Eventually, she relinquished ownership, gifting it to Bo-Katan and crowning her the leader of Mandalore. Technically, Sabine usurped the Darksaber's lineage, so Bo-Katan's legitimacy to the Mandalorian throne could be questioned.

Although the Mandalorians have moved past the Darksaber, some may still point out that Sabine didn't win the weapon, so Bo-Katan should never have been considered a successor to the throne in the first place. With Bo-Katan's obsession regarding Mandalorian tradition, especially the Darksaber, Sabine's return could unearth major complications for Bo-Katan after she finally secured the Mandalorian throne.

The Darksaber has had a long, sometimes confusing, history in "Star Wars" because its rules stipulate that the weapon must be won in combat.

Tarre Vizsla, the first Mandalorian Jedi, created the Darksaber, as all Jedi do when they join the Order. It became a legend within the Mandalorians, leading House Vizsla to steal it from the Jedi Order following Tarre's death and use it to rule over Mandalore. They passed the weapon down through generations until Darth Maul killed Pre Vizsla, gaining ownership of the Darksaber and becoming the new leader of Mandalore. You see, Mandalorains love their weapons, it's part of who they are, so the Darksaber quickly became tied to the planet's throne.

However, this is also where the Darksaber's lineage gets muddied, as Sabine Wren finds it, takes it without combat, and gives it to Bo-Katan Kryze. Then, at some point off-screen, she loses it to Moff Gideon (Giancarlo Esposito), as it once again defaults to its combat rule. Din Djarin (Pedro Pascal) eventually gets his hands on it, and it circles back to Bo-Katan before it's destroyed.

During an interview on the "Steve Varley Show," Katee Sackhoff said it's probably best that the Mandalorians move on from the Darksaber. "They've lost sight of — she's lost sight of what really matters to her people and for her people. So I think she's distracted by it," she said regarding Bo-Katan's obsession with the weapon.