Black Lightsaber: The Darksaber and Black Blades Explained

The black lightsaber is the Darksaber. It is a single blade in canon, with a black core and a white edge, made by Tarre Vizsla roughly a thousand years before the rise of the Empire. It is a symbol of rule among the Mandalorians and is usually passed on by winning it in combat. No other black blade is known [1][2][3].

This page covers its origin, its owners, what it means, and how it differs from the Legends use of the same name. For the other colors, see the lightsaber colors overview.

What the Darksaber is

The official site describes the Darksaber as an ancient lightsaber and a symbol of leadership for the Mandalorians, with a black-energy blade and a crackling white edge [2]. A fan-maintained wiki adds that the blade is shorter than most lightsabers and shaped like a traditional sword, with a thin blade curved to a point [3].

A merchandise retailer’s blog describes the hilt as beskar steel and the blade as curved [4]. The Darksaber first appears in the animated series The Clone Wars. One wiki dates the episode “The Mandalore Plot” to January 29, 2010 [3], while Wikipedia places its debut in the series that began in 2008 [5]. Sources differ on the exact first-appearance date, so this page does not rely on one.

A short history of its owners

Wiki and retailer lists agree on most of the sequence. The order below follows a fan wiki and a retailer’s list, and the sources differ on some handoffs [3][4][6].

1. Tarre Vizsla made it and used it, then it passed down House Vizsla [3].
2. Pre Vizsla, leader of Death Watch, used it to seize Mandalore [6].
3. Darth Maul defeated Pre Vizsla in a duel and took it [3][6].
4. Sabine Wren recovered it from a Nightsister lair on Dathomir and later passed it to Bo-Katan Kryze [6].
5. Bo-Katan used it to rally Mandalorian groups, then surrendered it to Moff Gideon during the Great Purge of Mandalore [3][6].
6. Din Djarin won it from Gideon in combat. He later returned it to Bo-Katan after she defeated Axe Woves [3].

One wiki says Moff Gideon badly damaged the hilt by crushing it, and that its current status is unknown [3]. Another list describes it as destroyed by the Imperial remnant [6]. Treat the ending as not settled.

How the Darksaber changes hands

The traditional rule is that the blade passes through combat: whoever defeats the holder in a fight earns the right to lead. A retailer article notes the rule is not always followed [4].

The official database does not state a rule in the entry we read. The ownership rule comes from the episodes and wikis, so read it as the story’s own custom rather than a formal law [2][3][4].

The tradition has exceptions. Sabine Wren gave it to Bo-Katan without a fight, and one wiki notes that Bo-Katan’s claim was not fully accepted until later [3]. That mismatch between the custom and what the characters did is part of the Mandalore story.

Things to keep in mind when you read about it:

• Pros: the entry in canon is clear. The blade is unique, the creator is named, and the color is consistent across the sources we read [1][2][3].
• Cons: the ending of the weapon is not settled, and the first-appearance date differs between sources [3][5][6].

What black means

The black lightsaber meaning is mostly about leadership, not alignment. The Darksaber has no official color meaning beyond its role as the Mandalorian leadership symbol [2]. The black blade is unique, so there is no pattern to read from other black sabers [1][3].

Looper says the Darksaber is canon, passed on by killing the previous owner, while CBR calls it neutral on the light-dark axis [7][8]. None of the sources we read gives an official in-universe reason for the black color, so any explanation you see elsewhere is a fan theory.

It is often asked whether the Darksaber is a Sith weapon. The official database lists its affiliations as Death Watch and the Jedi Order, not the Sith [2].

How it differs from a normal lightsaber

A retailer article says the Darksaber is often heavier to wield than a typical lightsaber, and that its power depends on the wielder’s thoughts and actions [4]. A fan wiki notes the blade is shorter and shaped like a sword rather than a straight beam [3].

None of this is a spec you can measure on a replica. Treat it as the way the story describes the weapon. If a replica listing promises that it “feels heavy”, ask what the maker means by that.

Canon vs Legends

The Darksaber is a canon weapon. The sources we read list its canon appearances in the Clone Wars, Rebels, The Mandalorian and The Book of Boba Fett [2][3].

“Darksaber” is also the title of a 1995 Star Wars novel by Kevin J. Anderson [5]. That book is a Legends work. Do not confuse the novel’s use of the name with the Mandalorian blade.

For the other canon and Legends splits, see lightsaber colors and the related purple lightsaber page, which has a Legends character of its own.

Can you buy a black lightsaber?

A real blade emits light, so a lit blade cannot be truly black. Replica makers work around that with a dark-looking effect and a bright edge, or by using a physical blade that is not lit.

One retailer’s page lists several Darksaber replica models, including numbered editions, each listed at $220.00, as of November 2026. The page labels the product images “Round Blade”, and it does not say whether the models are licensed [6].

If you want a general lightsaber with changeable colors rather than a Darksaber replica, start with the neopixel lightsaber guide. For a shortlist, see best lightsabers.

FAQ

Is the Darksaber the only black lightsaber?

Yes, in canon. The official site and Wikipedia describe it as a unique black blade [1][2].

Who made the Darksaber?

Tarre Vizsla, the first Mandalorian inducted into the Jedi Order [3].

Who has the Darksaber now?

After the last events described in the sources, Bo-Katan Kryze is its final owner, but the weapon may have been destroyed [3][6].

Is the Darksaber a Sith weapon?

No. The official database lists Death Watch and the Jedi Order as its affiliations [2].

Is a black lightsaber canon or Legends?

The Darksaber is canon. The novel called Darksaber is a separate Legends story [3][5].

Sources

1. Wikipedia, Lightsaber, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lightsaber (accessed 2026-11-06)
2. Star Wars Databank, Darksaber, https://www.starwars.com/databank/darksaber (accessed 2026-11-06)
3. Archivum wiki, Darksaber, https://starwars.archivum.wiki/article/Darksaber (accessed 2026-11-06); handbook file handbook/sabers/darksaber-black.md
4. Sideshow Collectibles blog, The Mandalorian Darksaber, https://www.sideshow.com/blog/mandalorian-darksaber (accessed 2026-11-06)
5. Wikipedia, Darksaber (disambiguation), https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Darksaber (accessed 2026-11-06)
6. Ultrasabers Holocron, Which Characters Have Wielded the Darksaber, https://ultrasabers.com/holocron/which-characters-have-wielded-the-darksaber/ (accessed 2026-11-06)
7. Looper, The True Meaning Behind Each Lightsaber Color, https://looper.com/174206/the-true-meaning-behind-each-lightsaber-color (accessed 2026-11-06)
8. CBR, Lightsaber Color Meanings Explained, https://www.cbr.com/lightsaber-color-meanings-explained/ (accessed 2026-11-06)