There are few weapons in Star Wars with a storied history as long as the Darksaber. Crafted by the first Mandalorian Jedi, Tarre Vizsla, the one-of-a-kind, flat-bladed lightsaber has played a vital role in some of the galaxy’s greatest stories. From its first appearance in Star Wars: The Clone Wars to the untold tale of it falling into the clutches of Moff Gideon in The Mandalorian, the Darksaber is one of the most compelling items in all of Star Wars.
And now you can hold it in your own hands.
The Darksaber is the latest addition to the Force FX Elite Lightsabers line from Hasbro, revealed as part of Mando Mondays. Not only is it the first of its kind in the Star Wars galaxy, it’s matchless in our own as well. “We’ve had a lot of experience at refining and enhancing the performance of the traditional blades, so we are excited at how well this saber compliments the rest of the line,” says Chris Reiff, product designer at Hasbro. "Everything about it is unique amongst sabers, and puzzling our way through new tech and new solutions to deliver an amazing product like this is a passion everyone on the team here shares."
Reiff talked with StarWars.com about the secrets behind designing the new Force FX Elite Darksaber and why it will make a fine addition to your collection. Here are five things we learned from the illuminating conversation.
1. The light-up metal hilt, with a design based on the Darksaber as seen in The Mandalorian, feels just like holding the real thing.
Like the other extraordinary lightsabers in the Force FX Elite line, the metal hilt of the Darksaber has quite the heft to it.
“The feel and weight of the metal hilts is an important part of bringing as much authenticity to the wielder’s experience as possible,” Reiff tells StarWars.com. “We want these high-end products to really help immerse the fans in the experience of carrying and wielding these iconic Star Wars pieces.”
2. The designers also looked to the Darksaber’s animated appearances for inspiration and authenticity.
Fans of The Clone Wars and Star Wars Rebels have long been acquainted with the Darksaber. Characters like Pre Vizsla and Maul have clashed blades against Jedi and Sith with it in hand, giving the Hasbro design team more reference to draw from.
“Since we haven’t seen it used to its full extent in The Mandalorian,” Reiff says, “looking to those past appearances allowed us to study other aspects of the saber, including the way it sounds and reacts differently than traditional sabers, so we could bring a full and accurate experience to this version.”
3. The Darksaber’s distinctive flat blade and black-and-white color was a welcome new experience for the veteran designer.
“The unique form factor of the Darksaber blade did present some challenges in how to construct it and in how to maximize the edge lighting, as well as the LED type and placement unique to this saber,” Reiff says. “It was a fun process as we researched a number of construction methods and internal geometries for the blade in order to accomplish the design.”
4. This Force FX Elite Lightsaber features a special modification.
The challenge of designing the iconic blade also inspired a real-world innovation in Hasbro’s lightsaber line.
“The new shape of the Darksaber’s hilt and the addition of so many white LEDs led us to another exciting new feature -- the inclusion of a rechargeable battery!” Reiff tells StarWars.com.
5. The flat blade is removable, so you can appreciate the unique hilt on its own.
Like the other lightsabers in the Force FX Elite line, the Darksaber’s blade can be detached from the hilt to fit into its display stand. (Maul would be jealous.)
“It makes an excellent display option for the hilt on its own or with the blade installed, letting you display it right alongside all the other Force FX Elite sabers in your collection!” says Reiff.
The Mandalorian Darksaber Force FX Elite Lightsaber arrives Summer 2021.
