The Mandalorian Jedi Who Created The Darksaber Explained

Warning: Spoilers ahead for The Book of Boba Fett episode 5!

Din Djarin and the iconic Darksaber return in The Book of Boba Fett, and the Mandalorian Jedi creator of the unique weapon, Tarre Vizsla, is also explained. The Darksaber is a rare example of a black-bladed lightsaber, and the weapon was featured in several key Star Wars: The Clone Wars and Star Wars Rebels storylines. The weapon made its live-action debut in The Mandalorian, which, like Rebels, emphasized its importance to the Mandalorian clans. In the canon universe’s Mandalorian culture, the Darksaber represents the right to rule all Mandalorian clans, making its wielder the Mand’alor. The Book of Boba Fett episode 5, “Chapter 5: Return of the Mandalorian,” also highlights the intrinsic differences between Jedi and Mandalorian philosophy, emphasizing the seemingly contradictory nature of a Tarre Vizsla.

The first character with the name Vizsla appeared in the Star Wars Legends timeline in the four-part comic series Jango Fett: Open Seasons. The Mandalorian known as Vizsla (but later given the full name of Tor Vizsla) rejected the Supercommando Codex, Jaster Mereel’s code of honor that bound Mandalorian warriors, and broke off from the true Mandalorians to form the Death Watch, an organized crime group that used the legendary Mandalorian weaponry and fighting prowess for conquest and wanton violence. Vizsla and the Death Watch were responsible for a young Jango Fett joining Jaster Mereel and his true Mandalorians. Fett eventually succeeded Mereel as the Mand’alor and killed Vizsla.

A black-bladed lightsaber is wholly unique to the Star Wars canon universe. While Legends includes black-blade options for lightsabers in Star Wars: The Old Republic and the Force Unleashed video games, there is no true counterpart to canon’s Darksaber (though one of Alema Rar’s many lightsabers had a blade described as blue-black). Unlike conventional sword-like weapons, lightsabers in both continuities are connected to the Force or its dark side, making them difficult to wield for non-Force-users, as the weapons respond to their emotions and thoughts. This was demonstrated during Sabine Wren and Din Djarin’s training with the Darksaber, where they eventually became proficient with the Mandalorian-Jedi weapon.

Who Was Tarre Vizsla? The First Mandalorian Jedi Explained

As explained in Rebels and The Book of Boba Fett, Tarre Vizsla was the first Mandalorian member of the Jedi Order. Much of Vizsla’s full history is unknown, but he may have joined the order far older than most Jedi, having already been steeped in Mandalorian culture. Another possibility is that he joined the order as an infant as most Jedi but embraced his Mandalorian culture sometime after his initiation. In either case, Vizsla constructed the Darksaber, whose blade is short, thin, and pointed in addition to having a black blade, making it a fittingly unique weapon for one of the Jedi Order’s most unorthodox members. During Vizsla’s lifetime, he was not only a Mandalorian Jedi Knight, but he also became the Mand’alor, making him a revered leader in the eyes of Mandalorians.

What Happened To The Darksaber After Tarre Vizsla’s Death

Following Vizsla’s passing, the Jedi Order kept his legendary weapon in the Jedi Temple, but the Darksaber was stolen by Vizsla’s descendants during the Mandalorians’ Sacking of the Jedi Temple during one of their wars with the Jedi. The Darksaber then gained its symbolic status as the weapon of Mandalore’s ruler, earning a bloody history of being passed down from wielder to wielder, typically through combat. The Clone Wars shows Maul gaining the weapon by killing Pre Vizsla, but Sabine Wren and Bo-Katan Kryze break tradition, earning it without defeating its previous owner. Din Djarin’s acquisition of the weapons through his defeat of Moff Gideon put him at odds with Kryze, a storyline that The Mandalorian will likely follow up on in season 3.

House Vizsla In Star Wars: The Clone Wars

The most prominent member of House Vizsla in The Clone Wars was Pre Vizsla, who led the canon universe’s Death Watch during the Clone Wars. Vizsla hoped to retake the planet Mandalore and reinstate the Death Watch’s draconian rule, leading him to align himself with the Separatist Alliance, a decision that resulted in his betrayal by Count Dooku. At the end of the war, Vizsla tried to overthrow Mandalore’s pacifist government once more by joining Maul’s Shadow Collective, but this ended with the two leaders dueling each other, creating a schism within the Death Watch when Maul killed Vizsla. While not members of Clan Vizsla, Ursa Wren and Gar Saxon, whose respective clans are vassals of House Vizsla, were featured at the end of the series, with the two warriors on opposing sides during the Siege of Mandalore.

Where Was House Vizsla During The Original Star Wars Trilogy?

These same two opposing vassals to House Vizsla continued to be at odds during the original Star Wars trilogy era. As shown in Rebels, members of Clan Saxon aligned with the Galactic Empire. While Clan Wren did as well for a time, the family eventually joined the fledgling Rebel Alliance, destroying a superweapon that targeted Mandalorian beskar armor and winning another Mandalorian Civil War that resulted in the deaths of Gar and Tiber Saxon. The war also elevated Bo-Katan Kryze to the position of Mand’alor, with her wielding the Darksaber. Like her rule as regent at the end of the Clone Wars, Kryze’s leadership was soon ended by the Empire, who initiated the Great Purge of Mandalore, massacring the population and stealing most of the planet’s beskar.

How Paz Vizsla’s History Retcons His First Mandalorian Appearance

In two episodes of The Mandalorian, Din Djarin’s Tribe prominently featured a Heavy Infantry Mandalorian warrior named “Paz Vizla,” but his name was later corrected to “Paz Vizsla,” making him a member of the legendary Clan Vizsla. Paz often showed hostility towards Din Djarin, and the retcon only worsens their rivalry since Djarin now wields the Darksaber, which Vizsla feels entitled to by his familial relation to the weapon’s builder and his dismissive attitude towards the Mandalorian bounty hunter. Paz’s surname change was reminiscent of a Legends-era character, Shae Vizla, who might have been created as an ancestor of Tor Vizsla.

Why There’s Never Been A Second Mandalorian Jedi

When speaking to The Armorer, Din Djarin highlighted the philosophical differences between the Jedi and the Mandalorians, questioning the compatibility of the two ideologies. The Jedi Order preaches non-attachment and emotional suppression, while Mandalorians are defined by their attachments and emotional connections to people and locations. This makes another Mandalorian Jedi unlikely to appear in the Star Wars franchise. Little is known about Tarre Vizsla’s life as a Jedi, but he likely balanced the two ideologies, forming attachments and feeling the full range of emotions, but controlling them rather than eliminating or being controlled by them. This would make him similar to the Legends version of Luke Skywalker and his New Jedi Order’s philosophies. As highlighted in The Book of Boba Fett, Tarre Vizsla earned his legendary status not only by being the creator of the Darksaber but also by combining his Jedi and Mandalorian cultures.

New episode of The Book of Boba Fett release Wednesdays on Disney+.

About The Author

David Miller
(618 Articles Published)

David Miller is a staff writer for Screen Rant, indie comic writer, and life-long lover of all things Star Wars, Marvel, and DC. He was born and raised in New York and has a degree in English from Rider University. He relates to Peter Parker maybe a little too much.

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