Summary
- Sabine's Mandalorian roots are an important part of her character, and she has strong ties to both Bo-Katan Kryze and the Darksaber. She learned the ways of the Jedi from Ahsoka Tano and also how to wield the Darksaber from Kanan Jarrus.
- Sabine found the Darksaber on Dathomir and used it in her mission to free Mandalore from Imperial rule. She later gave the blade to Bo-Katan because she believed Kryze was better suited to lead the Mandalorians, and also felt guilty about her involvement with the Empire.
- Sabine and Bo-Katan have had similar journeys of redemption, both being called to lead Mandalore from the Darksaber. They each used the blade to unite the Mandalorians and liberate the planet. Sabine, however, has remained less connected to her people and planet than Bo-Katan.
While Sabine serves as Ahsoka Tano's Padawan learner in Ahsoka, she is closely linked to two essential parts of Mandalorian history: Bo-Katan Kryze and the Darksaber. The latest Star Wars series has seen Sabine learning the ways of the Jedi from Ahsoka, using many of the same principles she learned from Kanan Jarrus when he taught her how to wield the Darksaber. For many viewers, Sabine's Jedi training comes as a big surprise, given her strong Mandalorian roots.
Sabine's Mandalorian heritage has defined her since she debuted in Star Wars Rebels. The warrior's family, Clan Wren, is even a part of House Vizsla, which makes her a likely descendent of the Mandalorian Jedi and Darksaber creator Tarre Vizsla. Her mother Ursa Wren was also a Nite Owl, the group of Mandalorians who fight under Bo-Katan's command. It makes sense, then, that Sabine is linked to both Bo-Katan and the Darksaber, but her connection with each of them goes even deeper than just family ties.
How Sabine Found The Darksaber
Sabine came across the Darksaber on Dathomir after she and Kanan went on a mission to rescue Ezra Bridger from Darth Maul. The former Sith Lord had kept the weapon with a collection of antiques on the planet of the Nightsisters after he ruled Mandalore with the blade near the end of the Clone Wars. When Sabine found it, she held onto it, and eventually Kanan trained her to use it. The Darksaber weighs heavy until a proper connection is made with it, which is why Sabine needed the assistance of a Jedi to help her find a breakthrough. She went on to use it in her effort to free Mandalore from Imperial rule, where she crossed paths with Bo-Katan Kryze. The ancient blade has acted as a catalyst for the two Mandalorians as they pursued freedom.
Why Sabine Gave The Darksaber To Bo-Katan (& Broke The Creed)
Bo-Katan fought alongside Sabine to free Mandalore from the Empire, and Sabine gave the blade to her because she thought Kryze was better suited for the Mandalorian throne. The Darksaber has been a powerful symbol of leadership among many Mandalorians, and while Sabine wielded it well, she didn't sense the calling for her to continue leading her fellow people. This decision also had to do with the guilt Sabine felt over the weapon she helped the Empire build during her time at the Imperial Academy, which could disintegrate anyone wearing beskar armor. Though it was destroyed by the time she ed off the blade to Bo-Katan, Sabine continued to carry that heavy guilt with her.
Sabine, then, felt even more unworthy to wield the Darksaber and lead her people, which is why she handed it to the heiress of the Mandalorian throne. As noble as this ing off from Sabine to Bo-Katan was, it also broke the long-standing rule of having to defeat someone in combat to earn the blade, something that would later deem Bo-Katan to be a "cautionary tale" by some as the Darksaber put a curse on Mandalorians. The Darksaber has since played an important part for both of them in their personal journeys.
Bo-Katan & Sabine Have Similar Journeys Of Redemption
Much of the redemptive arc Sabine went on in those episodes of Rebels is similar to Bo-Katan's journey in The Mandalorian season 3. Both of them received the call to lead Mandalore from the Darksaber and their peers, and they each used the blade to bring the Mandalorians together to liberate the planet. Sabine felt she had to earn redemption for creating the deadly weapon and turning her back on her family and people, while Bo-Katan had to earn hers for surrendering to Moff Gideon and making way for the destruction of Mandalore during the Night of a Thousand Tears. Bo-Katan played the role in Sabine's journey that Din Djarin did for her own, serving as the right-hand ally whose assistance was vital to both their personal journey and their overall goal to liberate the world.
While Sabine is still proud of her Mandalorian heritage and has clearly made some kind of peace with herself about her past, she still hasn't remained as connected to her people and planet as Bo-Katan has. It could very well be that witnessing the destruction of Mandalore from afar made it too painful to return, or that losing both Kanan and Ezra made Sabine as stuck to the rest of Star Wars Rebels' Ghost crew and Lothal as possible. Sabine could very well find her way back to Bo-Katan and Mandalore for a time after helping Ahsoka and completing her Jedi training, whether it be just after the events of Ahsoka or even beyond. Sabine will always have important ties to her people's history, no matter how distant she remains from the planet.
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