After watching the Maul-brothers arc of the Clone Wars series, the only one worth watching in my honest opinion, I decided to look up some info on the sword carried by the Mandalorian, Pre Vizsla, called the Darksaber. While an interesting weapon there seems to be almost no background to it and it is unlikely to be seen in official media again, so I'd like to spark up a discussion about it.

Now let's get the 'why' out of the way. Apparently during development of the episodes, George Lucas forgot he made lightsaber-resistant materials (phrik alloy - electrostaves) canon and decided that Pre Vizsla's character should carry a kind of lightsaber in lieu of a vibrosword as was originally intended, reasoning only a lightsaber can resist a lightsaber. Thus, the Darksaber was born and, perhaps not coincidentally, has the profile of a sword rather than the straight beam of a typical lightsaber.

While this turned out to be a rather cool addition to the Star Wars universe, unfortunately there is almost no background to it other than that it was an artifact stolen from the Jedi by the ancient Mandalorians of the Vizsla Clan. Is it a lightsaber with a black crystal (making black-bladed sabers canon) or an entirely different weapon altogether? Was it a Sith artifact, which seems likely, that was confiscated by the Jedi? If so, who in particular created it? None of these questions get answered and I find it annoying that they'd introduce this new piece to the Star Wars canon and not explain its existence as to how it got there, in fact I don't remember any character even acknowledging it, except off-handedly, in the series despite it being an oddity.

Case-in-point, I'd like to hear your theories and opinions on the topic of this mysterious weapon. Possible origins, history, construction and such. For those unfamiliar, here's a link to the Wookieepedia page: http://starwars.wikia.com/wiki/Darksaber_(lightsaber)

Apparently during development of the episodes, George Lucas forgot he made lightsaber-resistant materials (phrik alloy - electrostaves)

Cortosis/phrik/Mandalorian Iron being used to make weapons/armour that is lightsaber resistant was never more than C-canon before.

Lucas never had materials that resisted lightsabers until the Clone Wars introduced the Zillo beast. (Lucas had to give clearance to that, just as he didn't clear the use of a vibrosword for Vizla's combat against Obi-Wan).

He was kind of fickle like that.

Cortosis/phrik/Mandalorian Iron being used to make weapons/armour that is lightsaber resistant was never more than C-canon before.

Lucas never had materials that resisted lightsabers until the Clone Wars introduced the Zillo beast. (Lucas had to give clearance to that, just as he didn't clear the use of a vibrosword for Vizla's combat against Obi-Wan).

 

He was kind of fickle like that.

Well that's not actually true, as the OP mentioned the magnaguards electrostaffs are seen to resist lightsabers and used against Jedi in the movies and TCW many times.

Yes, electrostaff... The whole staff wasn't lightsaber resistant, just the energised ends of the staff.

The body of the staff was shown to not be Lightsaber resistant, in both RoTS and TCW. If it were, then the whole of the staff would have been used, not just the ends of it.

Hey guys--

Just a small caveat, as I do not have much time. I thought to research this "darksaber" a bit and I think I may have found something. I am on my phone and can't create a link, but if you search "forcesaber" and "lightsaber" on wookieepedia, you will find something quite similar. Made by the Rakata, with black lab grown crystals, it was the precursor to the lightsaber.

Now, I'm not sure if this will explain just where the dark saber came from, but I thought it might be relevant in this discussion. I will be on later and attempt to link the page. Be well.

Sandari

Well that's not actually true, as the OP mentioned the magnaguards electrostaffs are seen to resist lightsabers and used against Jedi in the movies and TCW many times.

Actually, Grievous does break an electrostaff in one of his duels with Obi-Wan in TCW.

Yes, electrostaff... The whole staff wasn't lightsaber resistant, just the energised ends of the staff.

The body of the staff was shown to not be Lightsaber resistant, in both RoTS and TCW. If it were, then the whole of the staff would have been used, not just the ends of it.

Actually, Grievous does break an electrostaff in one of his duels with Obi-Wan in TCW.

"Resistant to the energy outpourings of a lightsaber, the phrik alloy staffs were potent weapons, but like any weapon they needed to find their target..."

And we have an instant here where a magnaguard blocks Ashoka's lightsaber with said staff. Proving this to be true, but yes Grievous does seem to chop an electrostaff in half pretty easily.

I'd guess that either it cannot take direct hits/heavy blows - after all its resistant not completely invulnerable - or Grievous knew about some structural weaknesses given that in one instance he says the following:

"Do you really think I would be foolish enough to arm my bodyguards with weapons that could actually hurt me?"

At least that's what Wookieepedia thinks. In the end though the tip is made of metal, and that part is clearly resistant to lightsaber attacks - so that's one GL endorsed lightsaber resistant material. Which was my point.

The entire staff is made from phrik alloy supposedly, meaning the whole staff would be lightsaber resistant:

 

"Resistant to the energy outpourings of a lightsaber, the phrik alloy staffs were potent weapons, but like any weapon they needed to find their target..."

 

And we have an instant here where a magnaguard blocks Ashoka's lightsaber with said staff. Proving this to be true, but yes Grievous does seem to chop an electrostaff in half pretty easily.

 

I'd guess that either it cannot take direct hits/heavy blows - after all its resistant not completely invulnerable - or Grievous knew about some structural weaknesses given that in one instance he says the following:

 

"Do you really think I would be foolish enough to arm my bodyguards with weapons that could actually hurt me?"

 

At least that's what Wookieepedia thinks. In the end though the tip is made of metal, and that part is clearly resistant to lightsaber attacks - so that's one GL endorsed lightsaber resistant material. Which was my point.

I think its most likely heavy blows break it, after all resistant does not equal immune. It seems to stand to reason, look at the railings in Episode 6 luke hits them and they clearly resist his blows until he finally hits hard enough and breaks right through it, I feel it would likely be similar with these staffs. Just my 2 cents.

I think its most likely heavy blows break it, after all resistant does not equal immune. It seems to stand to reason, look at the railings in Episode 6 luke hits them and they clearly resist his blows until he finally hits hard enough and breaks right through it, I feel it would likely be similar with these staffs. Just my 2 cents.

Makes sense.

Just like how cutting walls/opening doors can take time too. It make sense only if the material shows resistance.

In the end though the tip is made of metal, and that part is clearly resistant to lightsaber attacks - so that's one GL endorsed lightsaber resistant material. Which was my point.

The tip is made of metal, because metal conducts electricity. Kind of important for an electrostaff that the points where the electrical fields are generated be of a conductive material.

The wookieepedia article also says that not all elctrostaves were made using phrik, due to the cost of the material.

That itself sounds more like an excuse for why some are cut through in a single strike with a lightsaber to areas between the ends, and some appear not to be.

If going by that, then it's accurate to say that only electrostaves that were made from phrik could resist a lightsaber blow to the body of the weapon.

Here is an excerpt from wookieepedia about the Darksaber. I hope it sheds some light on the subject. No pun intended.

"Because we were willing to die for our cause, we became the Death Watch, led by the Secret Mandalores. To ensure we would be led by the most powerful, we decreed that any warrior could challenge the Secret Mandalore for leadership of Death Watch. And as our symbol of authority we chose the Darksaber, an ancient weapon liberated from the Jedi long ago."

―Tor Vizsla, on the iconic significance of the Darksaber[src]

DarksaberRender

The Darksaber

An ancient incarnation of the lightsaber, the Darksaber was a unique weapon that produced a flat, black-colored blade[1] of plasma.[5] Thin and curved to a point,[1] a shape with more similarities to a metal sword than contemporary lightsabers,[5] the Darksaber's black blade was a meter in length and appeared to draw in the very light and color around it[4] like a black hole.[6] This effect left the Darksaber with a faint aura of white light around the edges of its blade,[1] and made looking at it for an extended period uncomfortable.[4] The hilt of the Darksaber was thin and rectangular, and long enough to be grasped with two hands. It featured an angled crossguard as well as a serrated blade emitter.[1] When the Darksaber's blade was activated by pressing its activation stud,[4] the hum and pitch of the blade was notably higher than contemporary lightsabers,[3] and the blade gave off a sound like a whistle when it was swung through the air.[4] When the Darksaber came into contact with another object or an opposing lightsaber, the blade screeched, and the white outer aura that surrounded the black core of the blade crackled.[3]

Here is a little more:

"It has a crackle of electricity; it's kind of like a more ancient version of a lightsaber, and it's inferred in the episode that it's really one of a kind and that Pre Vizsla's ancestors stole it from the Jedi in the days of the Old Republic. So it's got all this neat history attached to it right away, and it sounds different."

―Dave Filoni[src]

The Darksaber first appeared in Star Wars canon in the twelfth episode of the Star Wars: The Clone Wars television series' second season. Entitled "The Mandalore Plot," the episode premiered January 29, 2010, featured the Darksaber being wielded by the newly introduced character of Pre Vizsla, who provided a brief backstory for the blade.[1] Though it had originally been intended for Pre Vizsla to fight using a vibroblade,[18] a weapon familiar to the Star Wars Expanded Universe,[5] the vibroblade was later modified at the request of George Lucas, with the creative team instead altering the blade into an archaic, black-bladed lightsaber they deemed the Darksaber.[18]

Following its debut, the Darksaber went on to make a number of subsequent appearances in canon. The blade was featured in the Star Wars: Clone Wars Adventures online game,[13] as well as The Clone Wars: Defenders of the Lost Temple comic book. The Darksaber continued to appear alongside its owner Pre Vizsla in the animated The Clone Wars television series as well, including the fourth season episode "A Friend in Need,"[12] and the fifth season episodes "Eminence,"[14] "Shades of Reason,"[3] and "The Lawless."[17]