Geek Review: Hasbro’s Star Wars The Black Series Mandalorian Darksaber Force FX Elite Lightsaber

Legend tells of the Darksaber, an ancient black-bladed Lightsaber forged a thousand years ago by the first Mandalorian Jedi Knight, Tarre Vizsla, which has since become the symbol of leadership to the Mandalorians. 

Kept in the Jedi Temple after his passing, the Darksaber was retrieved by members of House Vizsla, and passed down generation by generation, going through the hands of many owners including Darth Maul, Kanan Jarrus, Moff Gideon, before it was eventually reclaimed by Din Djari.

And it can now be yours.

After letting fans don the Mandalorian helmet, Hasbro is back to offer us the chance to complete the new Mandalorian look with their latest Black Series products, the Black Series Mandalorian Darksaber Force FX Elite Lightsaber.

The Darksaber Force FX Elite Lightsaber is a 1:1 scale lightsaber identical to Hasbro’s Ahsoka Tano replica which we unboxed recently. It is based entirely on the legendary lightsaber that we saw in Disney+ The Mandalorian, when Moff Gideon duels Din Djarin, and it’s amazing how Hasbro has brought the unique black-energy blade to life.

For one thing, the Darksaber is nothing like the regular lightsabers we’re used to though. It is slightly shorter, shaped like a traditional sword, and has a hand-guard. Oh, and unlike Ahsoka Tano’s Force FX Elite Lightsaber, it doesn’t come with a kyber crystal. 

Out of the package, the Darksaber comes in several parts: the blade, the hilt, a stand, a hex key tool, a battery, and for the first time, a micro-USB charging cord. Yes, the new Darksaber uses a lithium battery that is rechargeable via micro-USB. Even though we would’ve preferred USB-C, this is still a great move by Hasbro.

Instead of plastic, this hilt is completely metal, and Hasbro has done quite an accurate job replicating the hilt, as it sports the intricate details of the saber as seen in The Mandalorian. Remember, the sword has appeared in related animated shows and comics, but it made its live-action debut on the Disney+ show, so this replica is based on that. This means the hilt carries a lot of weight, and we’re not kidding. Collectors with a glass display shelf might want to be careful where they place the Darksaber because if it drops, things are going to break.

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As for the blade, it’s made of plastic and feels a little more floppy than usual because of the bladed profile. Fixing the blade to the hilt will be fairly simple, with the hex key provided in the box, you’ll have to unscrew the upper portion of the hilt to put the blade in. The instruction manual in the box will provide you with enough information to help you out if you’re unsure.

Since the batteries are already in the hilt, you can light up the Darksaber with the button on the hilt. Even without the blade, the hilt has a light window for you to see its glow.

However, with the blade, it is where things get a little disappointing. While the Darksaber features its unique progressive ignition sound effect unlike the other Lightsaber replicas, the lighting and volume are somewhat off-putting.

Because of the white faint aura surrounding the blade in the lore, Hasbro naturally had to use white plastic for the edges. Because of that, the individual LED lights within the blade are awfully obvious once it’s turned on. Additionally, it’s also not as bright as we’d like it to be. 

While the sound profile is pretty accurate, the volume of the effects is somewhat low, especially compared to Ahsoka Tano’s Lightsaber. The speakers are also built in the hilt where the hand would hold, so that decreases the volume of Darksaber naturally.

That said, the Darksaber still has a nice construction to it, and feels extremely robust. Since the Darksaber isn’t “battle-ready” and most of us would have it displayed in our cabinets anyway, the sound and LED lights aren’t necessarily a huge drawback. 

After all, this replica still features all the effects including the: power-up effect, power-down effect, battle clash effect, molten tip effect, and light-up hilt. It also features a motion sensor-controlled idle hum.

Last but not least, Hasbro included essentially a similar vertical stand for the Darksaber like how they did for the Ahsoka Tano Lightsaber and collectors can place the hilt on the display with or without the blade.

The Darksaber Force FX Elite Lightsaber is ultimately still a must-have for those who are fans of The Mandalorian. If the lighting effect nor soft sound doesn’t bother you that much, it could still be a great add-on to your Black Series collection.

The Black Series Mandalorian Darsaber Force FX Elite Lightsaber is available for pre-order on The Falcon’s Hangar for S$405 (starts shipping on 1 September in Singapore) and Hasbro Pulse for US$249.99 (starts shipping on 1 October in the U.S.).