The Darksaber was an ancient and unique black-bladed lightsaber created by Tarre Vizsla, the first Mandalorian ever inducted into the Jedi Order, around 1050 BBY. The weapon was kept in the Jedi Temple after Vizsla's passing, but members of House Vizsla stole the saber in a conflict with the Jedi during the fall of the Old Republic. The Darksaber was passed down, generation to generation, by the ancestors of Pre Vizsla, who held onto the weapon even after the pacifist ideals of the New Mandaloriansreplaced the warrior ways of Mandalore.

By 21 BBY, the Darksaber was in the possession of Pre Vizsla, the leader of Death Watch and House Vizsla during the Clone Wars. He used the blade during his conflicts with the New Mandalorians, including his successful takeover of Mandalore. After the coup, renegade Sith LordMaul killed Vizsla in a duel and took the Darksaber as his own, becoming the leader of Death Watch. However, Maul's old master, Darth Sidious, soon arrived on Mandalore to confronthis former apprentice. Maul used the Darksaber to fight him but was ultimately bested in combat, taken prisoner and held at a Separatistprison, the Spire, on Stygeon Prime.

Maul was soon rescued from the Spire at the behest of Prime Minister Almec, whom Maul had chosen as the public leader of Mandalore. After being freed, Maul returned to Zanbar, the location of a Death Watch camp, and was given back the Darksaber, which had been recovered from the Sundari Royal Palace, the site of Maul's duel with Sidious. Shortly after his return, Zanbar was attacked by the Separatist Droid Army, led by General Grievous, and Maul made use of the Darksaber against the cyborg general, although he was forced to retreat. Maul continued to use the Darksaber in several subsequent battles, such as the battle on Ord Mantell, the assault on Vizsla Keep 09, and the Second Battle of Dathomir.

During the Imperial Era, the Mandalorian weapons expert and rebel Sabine Wren retrievedthe Darksaber from the Nightsister lair on Dathomir. At the urging of Mandalorian ProtectorFenn Rau and her fellow Spectres, Sabine agreed to undergo training with the Darksaber under the tutelage of Jedi Knight Kanan Jarrus. Later, Sabine brought the Darksaber with her and her rebel companions during a mission to Krownest to seek her family's support for the rebellion. Sabine became the rightful wielder of the Darksaber after defeating Imperial ViceroyGar Saxon in a duel.

After rescuing her father from Imperial custody and destroying the superweapon she had built while an Imperial cadet, Sabine offered the Darksaber over to Lady Bo-Katan Kryze, the sister of the former Duchess, whom she deemed to be the rightful person to lead the Mandalorians against the Empire. Bo-Katan was reluctant to accept the mantle of leader, but with the support of the other clans, agreed and accepted the Darksaber.

After the Night of a Thousand Tears, the Empire desecrated Mandalore and Bo-Katan surrendered the Darksaber to Moff Gideon, hoping that the Empire will stop the Great Purge of Mandalore. However, the Empire continued with the Purge. She fled the planet, but continued to lead the Nite Owls and was intent on eventually reclaiming the Darksaber and Mandalore. By circa 9 ABY, after the fall of the Empire, Gideon still possessed the Darksaber, and was the leader of an Imperial remnant on the planet of Nevarro. During his rescue of the Force-sensitive foundling Grogu from Gideon, the Mandalorian Din Djarin won the Darksaber from Gideon in combat. He attempted to pass the Darksaber on to Bo-Katan, but she declined, knowing that being once more gifted the Darksaber would make her claim to the throne illegitimate. Later, Djarin was challenged for the right to wield the weapon by Paz Vizsla, a descendant of Tarre Vizsla, on Glavis Ringworld. Djarin won the fight but was formally expelled from the Children of the Watch following the duel. Djarin continued to wield the Darksaber as his own.

While exploring the ruins of Mandalore in search of the Mines of Mandalore, in order to bathe in the Living Waters and be redeemed from his exile, Djarin was ambushed, rendered unconscious, and captured. Grogu obtained the assistance of Bo-Katan in rescuing Djarin, during which she engaged and defeated his attacker using the Darksaber while he was restrained. Upon Djarin regaining consciousness, he continued to wear the Darksaber on his belt, using it on a few subsequent occasions, such as to engage a rouge forensic droid on Plazir-15. Following Bo-Katan's defeat of Axe Woves in a formal challenge for leadership of the Mandalorian force serving as mercenary security on Prazhi, Axe objected to her calim to leadership of all Mandalorians, on the grounds that only the weilder of the Darksaber could fill that role. Djarin presented the Darksaber to Bo-Katan, who initially rejected it, saying that the Darksaber could not simply be given, but Djarin recounted the events on Mandalore to the assembled Mandalorians, and they accepted that Bo-Katan was the rightful owner due to having defeated the foe who had defeated Djarin. Djarin asserted he was returning it to its rightful owner, and she reluctantly took it, igniting the blade as the assembled forces accepted her leadership.

Shortly afterward, it was discovered that MoffGideon had constructed a secret base beneath the surface of Mandalore where he was conducting experiments in cloning a body for himself with Force potential, as well as mining beskar to construct armor for a new version of Dark Troopers, along with a suit of powered armor for himself. When the combined Mandalorian forces launched an attack on Gideon's base, Bo-Katan engaged Gideon in combat, pitting the Darksaber against his electrostaff. Though she fought valiantly, Gideon's new armor gave him a physical edge that she could not overcome, and he ended their fight by crushing the Darksaber's hilt as she grasped it, breaking her hand in the process.