Giancarlo Esposito recently hinted that his Star Wars character Moff Gideon, who played one of the major villains in the first season of The Mandalorian, is force sensitive.
Espotiso spoke with Entertainment Tonight about his upcoming role as Anton Castillo in Far Cry, but was also questioned about his role as Moff Gideon in The Mandalorian.
Entertainment Tonight’s Ash Crosshan asks Esposito, “I have to know your reaction when you found out you were going to be wielding the Darksaber, and what it looks like on set because it was one of the most badass shots I’ve ever seen.”
Esposito responded, “I have to say it’s such an honor. Very few have wielded that saber.”
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He added, “It just was really wonderful to be in the organic version of this story. Jon Favreau asked me to do it. I was head over heels. He mentioned that he had written it for me.”
Esposito continued, “I went and started to look at old Moffs. What’s a Moff? I went back and looked at Peter Cushing was a Moff. What do they do? Who are they? And then was really present in conversations with Jon about his Imperial status, his carryover from the Empire, how Moffs operate, and why possibly leaving room, it’s always possibly, why he might be the Moff to take everything over.”
He elaborated noting he asked Favreau quite a few questions about the character and his role in the story, “How does he know everything? There were a bunch of questions. Some of them got answered and many of them not because he’s still trying to find that out.”
Esposito then provided a little bit more info about Moff Gideon indicating he’s not afraid to get down and dirty himself, “So to be in the position of having that kind of regal, graceful, power, but have this saber which delineates a different part of me than any other character.”
He added, “To have this saber means I can use it, and I can do my own dirty work. That I’m a fighter. That I’m a warrior. That’s part of me.”
Esposito concluded the question hinting that Moff Gideon might be a Force user and even beyond that he might be a fallen Jedi or even possibly a descendant of Darth Vader.
He explained, “Also creates the possibility that he is one of the ones. He possibly has that. And that to me is interesting.”
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“Because is he that fallen hero? Is he a descendant of Darth Vader? Who is he? Was he one? He knows all about everything and you will have to wait to find out. And he’s actually pretty good with that Darksaber too,” Esposito teased.
Esposito also hinted that Moff Gideon will continue his pursuit of The Mandalorian aka Din Djarin and The Child aka Baby Yoda in Season 2.
He stated, “Just don’t let me catch you in Season 2. But you never know. I just want to spend all my time with him. As close as I will get. And believe me I’m good at getting close.”
As a point of Star Wars lore, wielding the Darksaber does not mean you are Force sensitive.
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According to Fenn Rau the weapon was originally crafted by Tarre Vizsla, the first Mandalorian to be inducted into the Jedi Order.
Rau explains after Vizsla passed away the Darksaber was stored in a Jedi Temple. However, he explains that members of House Viszla stole the Darksaber and used it to unify The Mandalorians and ruled Mandalore with the blade.
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The weapon would eventually pop up during The Clone Wars in the possession of Pre Vizsla, the leader of the Death Watch. He would use the blade to take control of Mandalore, but would shortly fall in battle to Maul.
Maul would claim the weapon as his own. But soon after Maul assumed control of Mandalore, Darth Sidious arrived on the planet. Sidious defeated Maul and his brother Savage Opress in combat. He would kill Opress and imprison and torture Maul on Stygeon Prime.
Maul would eventually be freed by the Mandalorians he had appointed to publicly rule over the planet. Upon his rescue Maul would be given the Darksaber after it had been recovered following his duel with Sidious.
The weapon would eventually end up in the Nightsister lair on Dathomir, where Sabine Wren recovered it.
After recovering it, Kanan Jarrus would train Sabine in the use of the weapon. She would eventually use the blade in battle to defeat Gar Saxon.
However she wouldn’t hold on to the blade for long. She would gift it to Bo-Katan Kryze, the sister of the former leader of Mandalore, Dutchess Satine Kryze.
The blade eventually came into the possession of Moff Gideon during the first season of The Mandalorian.
While Maul is most definitely an adept in The Force, the blade has been wielded by those who are not trained in the ways of The Force like Pre Vizsla, Sabine Wren, and Bo-Katan Kryze.
What do you make of Esposito’s teases about Moff Gideon? What kind of dark history do you think he has?