Bo-Katan Kryze spent years of her life believing she was a failure. The fall of Mandalore left her aimless, homeless, and hopeless. When the Empire destroyed the planet's central city in retaliation, Bo-Katan lost everything -- including possession of the Darksaber. The Mandalorian revealed that the former planetary leader didn't actually fail when her world was destroyed. Instead, she sacrificed everything to save her people. This is not the most tragic part of the story, however. The true tragedy lies in what Bo-Katan surrendered -- and it's what makes her one of the greatest heroes in Mandalore's history.
On the Night of a Thousand Tears, losing the Darksaber didn't just strip Bo-Katan of her right to lead Mandalore. Moff Gideon claiming the blade for himself revoked Bo's ability to keep an important promise -- the declaration that she would lead Mandalore not just for the good of her people, but also to avenge her sister, Satine Kryze, whom Bo never got the chance to reconcile with before the former's tragic death at the hands of Maul. The Darksaber represented many things for Bo-Katan, but it was first and foremost a reminder of everything that had been taken from her. Losing the blade left her with nothing but her failures. It took forming a bond with Din Djarin to overcome her self-loathing once and for all and act like the hero she had always been.
Satine Kryze Died Because of the Darksaber
Near the end of the Clone Wars, the group of Mandalorians known as Death Watch overtook the capital city of Sundari. At the time, Pre Vizsla wielded the Darksaber and sought power over Mandalore's ruling Duchess. Bo-Katan had been a member of the group and disagreed with her sister Duchess Satine's views -- likely a big reason for their long estrangement. However, Pre Vizsla's coup made her question her loyalty to Death Watch. Soon after, Maul executed Vizsla and claimed power over the planet. He then used the Darksaber to execute Satine in front of Obi-Wan Kenobi, purely as an act of revenge.
Bo-Katan sought the help of Ahsoka Tano in reclaiming Mandalore. Despite the mission's success, the Darksaber remained on Dathomir in Maul's hidden lair. It became a long-lost symbol of the perils of war and the destructive nature of power, and it would be years before Sabine Wren rediscovered the Darksaber. The sword eventually ended up in Bo's hands again, but not before another consequential battle pulled it from her grasp.
Bo-Katan Hunted the Darksaber for Years
Sabine and Bo-Katan teamed up to remove the Empire's presence on Mandalore and reclaim the planet for its people. When Sabine gifted the Darksaber to Bo -- having recognized her strengths as a leader -- the latter was hesitant to take it. In Star Wars Rebels Season 4, Episode 2, "Heroes of Mandalore: Part 2," Bo-Katan eventually agreed to wield the saber and all its responsibilities. "I accept this sword for my sister," she said. "For my clan, and for all of Mandalore."
The Night of a Thousand Tears and the destruction of Sundari meant Bo-Katan only led Mandalore for a short time. She hunted for Moff Gideon and the sword he carried for years after losing her home, the Darksaber and all that those things represented for her. This was still her quest when she first crossed paths with Din Djarin in Season 2 of The Mandalorian. It would remain her mission -- along with restoring Mandalore -- until she earned possession of the Darksaber once again. Bo kept what really happened on The Night of a Thousand Tears a secret until the end of Season 3. Preparing to go to battle alongside her fellow Mandalorians once again, she finally told the story of why she really lost everything.
The Night of a Thousand Tears Made Bo-Katan a Hero
As Bo-Katan hunted the Darksaber, she also ran from her grief. Maul used the Darksaber to execute Satine in cold blood, and holding it again reminded her that fighting for Mandalore was worth the burden of carrying the weapon that turned her life upside down. Bo's loyalty was pushed to its limits on the night the Empire invaded the planet. In The Mandalorian Season 3, Episode 7, "The Spies," she revealed that giving up the Darksaber was the only hope she had of saving the people of her world. "In exchange for submitting to the Empire and disarming, all remaining cities and Mandalorian lives were to be spared,” she said. “It was the only chance I had to save our people."
Mandalore was still destroyed, and most of its people were massacred. Bo lost a lot that day, but her only means of honoring her sister weighed the heaviest on her heart. Even more tragic than Mandalore's fall was the destruction of Bo's remaining hope. The princess lost her parents when she was still young, and her relationship with her sister crumbled. Bo blamed herself for Satine's death and never let herself grieve. Losing Mandalore -- even with the best intentions -- felt like surrendering everything good she still held onto.
Bo-Katan eventually found her place in the galaxy again. She befriended Din Djarin, who helped her achieve her dream of restoring Mandalore and bringing its people home. Despite feuding with the segment of Mandalorians known as Children of the Watch since Mandalore fell, she and The Armorer finally found common ground. Because Bo was able to reunite her people and convince them to fight the Empire as one, they defeated their enemy and reclaimed their home. Confronting Moff Gideon allowed Bo to direct her anger at the man who hurt her instead of pointing it inward at herself. For years, Bo-Katan Kryze thought she had to do everything alone. She was wrong.
She would always mourn what she had lost; her parents and sister were gone forever. The Darksaber was ultimately destroyed, probably for good, and many Mandalorians died in their ongoing fight to keep their homeworld. Losing the Darksaber a second time finally taught Bo-Katan the lesson she needed to learn all along: a sword does not unite Mandalore -- its people do. It was Pre Vizsla's Darksaber-led coup that paved the way for Satine's death, Bo's grief and Mandalore's demise. However, the surviving Mandalorians coming together to take back what was theirs was the reason they emerged from the battle victorious. Bo-Katan may have spent years believing in the imaginary power of a sword, but it was never the sword that gave her the courage to lead her people.
Bo-Katan's dedication and resilience were always within her. She watched her parents rule her world and admired Satine's wisdom from afar. They taught her by example and showed her the way. Din Djarin instilled a confidence within her that she had long since lost. The Darksaber did not make Bo-Katan stronger, and what made Bo-Katan a hero wasn't the weapon she held. Rather, it was the lengths to which she went to keep the Mandalorian hope alive.