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- “Not as clumsy or random as a blaster. An elegant weapon for a more civilized age.”
- ―Obi-Wan Kenobi
A Lightsaber is a bladed weapon in the Star Wars universe. It consists of a polished metal hilt which projects a laser based beam of energy, usually measuring about 4' 3" (133 centimeters) long. The Lightsaber is the signature weapon of both the Jedi and their Sith counterparts, both of whom can use it for close combat and to deflect blaster bolts and more.
Usage
The lightsaber's blade can burn and cut through most substances without resistance. It leaves cauterized wounds or burns in flesh, but can be deflected by another lightsaber's blade, or by energy shields. Some exotic saber-proof materials, such as Phrik or Mandalorian iron, have been introduced in the Expanded Universe. An active lightsaber gives off a distinctive hum, which rises in pitch and volume as the blade is moved rapidly through the air. Bringing the blade into contact with an object or another lightsaber's blade produces a loud crackle. The lightsaber is designed as much for elegance in combat as for ceremony, the lightsaber was a distinctive weapon, the very image of which was inextricably bound with the mythos of the Jedi Order and their polar opposites, the Sith. The lightsaber also became synonymous with the Jedi Order's values to uphold peace and justice throughout the galaxy. This perception endured, despite the many conflicts with lightsaber-wielding Sith Lords and Dark Jedi.
The weapon consisted of a smooth, solid, laser-like blade comprised of pure plasma emitted from the hilt and suspended in a force containment field. The field contained the immense heat of the plasma, protecting the wielder, and allowed the blade to keep its shape. The hilt was almost always self-fabricated by the wielder to match his or her specific needs, preferences, and style. Due to the weightlessness of blade and the strong gyroscopic effect generated by it, lightsabers required a great deal of strength and dexterity to wield, and it was extremely difficult - and dangerous - for the untrained to attempt using one, especially in combat. However, in the hands of an expert of the Force, the lightsaber was a weapon to be greatly respected and feared. To wield a lightsaber was to demonstrate incredible skill and confidence, as well as masterful dexterity and attunement to the Force.
Lightsabers are powered by kyber crystals, the color of which also usually determined the color of the weapon's blade. However, if infected with the Dark side of the Force, as revealed in Ahsoka, kyber crystals would turn red; this technique was known as "making the crystal bleed".
A Crossguard Lightsaber.
Kylo Ren, from The Force Awakens, utilizes a new lightsaber design that features two energy crossguards, giving it the appearance of a sword. The lightsaber's blade funnels like fire and is outlined with red static electricity instead of solidifying into the smooth, laserbeam-like blade, as typical lightsabers possess. The reason for this is that Kylo Ren's lightsaber utilizes a cracked and damaged kyber crystal, and the resulting instability of the blade necessitates vents and focusing crystal activators to channel the weapon's excess energy, creating the quillons (crossguards). His blade has a similar appearance to a lightsaber blade emitted using a compressed or unstable synthetic lightsaber crystal, such of which were seen in the Expanded Universe.
Types of Lightsabers
- Standard lightsaber: A Standard lightsaber is a single-bladed lightsaber consisted of a straight hilt. It is the most common type of lightsaber.
- Double-bladed lightsaber: A Double-bladed lightsaber is a lightsaber that featured a blade emitted from both ends; it is similar to a quarterstaff. Notable users include Darth Maul, Pong Krell, and Savage Opress.
- Double-bladed spinning lightsaber: A Double-bladed spinning lightsaber is a specially-designed lightsaber model that is capable of both single and double blades, and is capable of spinning in a circular motion when both blades are emitted. the Double-bladed spinning lightsaber's overall design hardly made it any bigger than a single-emitter lightsaber, a stark contrast to the design of dual-blade weapons. It can also be utilized for flight, given the high speed of its spinning capabilities. The lightsaber does suffer from a design flaw; if given the opening, an opponent can cut through the disc from the inside of the ring, causing the weapon to fly apart if spinning. The Double-bladed spinning lightsaber is also capable of allowing it's user to fly by using the lightsaber blades as helicopter rotors. All Inquisitors use this lightsaber.
- Dual-phase lightsaber: Similar to a standard lightsaber, only its blade length and width can be adjusted. Darth Vader's lightsaber was of this variant. It was also used by Count Dooku.
- Crossguard lightsaber: A Crossguard lightsaber is an ancient lightsaber design with one or two blades emitter protruding near the first one at a 45-degree or 90-degree angle to the axis of the hilt. The second and third blades are dagger-sized; it is similar in appearance to a knight's broadsword. Lightsabers with unstable or damaged crystals, like Kylo Ren's, require crossguards to vent the excess energy emitted by the main blade and keep the weapon from overloading. Crossguard lightsabers are one of the most ancient design variations seen in lightsabers, as they date back thousands of years.
- Curved-hilt lightsaber: A Curved-hilt lightsaber is a lightsaber design which featured a hilt with a built in curve, it is design to utilize one-handed fighting styles such as Makashi, or to provide variable blade angles to confuse opponents; it is similar to swords such as the foil, cutlass or rapier. Count Dooku and Asajj Ventress are the most notable users of this variant.
- Lightsaber-blaster hybrid: A Lightsaber-blaster hybrid is a lightsaber that is combination of both the titular energy sword and a blaster pistol. The only known lightsaber-blaster hybrid belonged to Ezra Bridger; prior to it being destroyed by Darth Vader.
- Lightsaber pike: A Lightsaber pike is similar to a double-bladed lightsaber, featuring two shorter-than-average plasma blades on each side of the Lightsaber pike, they are shorter than normal double-bladed lightsabers; it is similar to a staff or a lance. Jedi Temple Guards used this variant.
- Cane-disguised lightsaber: A Cane-disguised lightsaber is a lightsaber that is concealed as the head of a cane. In combat, the handle would be detached from the body of the cane and wielded normally; it is similar to a walking stick. Cane-disguised lightsabers are usually used by elderly lightsaber duelists, like Tera Sinube and Darth Maul.
- Training lightsaber: A Training lightsaber is a lightsaber that has limited power and thus limited the danger of them being used by Jedi Initiates before they underwent the Gathering, or are assigned or selected by a Jedi Knight or Jedi Master and build a weapon of their own. They are lightsabers that possessed a highly intensified electromagnetic containment field which is far more difficult to penetrate than that of a standard lightsaber. Thus the energy which formed the blade is better contained and able to do far less damage, and would result in welts, bruises, and minor burns instead of amputation or death. This feature could be readjusted by a fully trained Jedi to enable a Jedi Knight or Jedi Master to utilize a trainee's weapon in emergencies.
- Shoto lightsaber: A Shoto lightsaber is a short lightsaber; it is similar to a dagger or analogous to the real-life Wakizashi short sword used by Samurai warriors. Yoda carried a shoto lightsaber. Many Jedi, such as Ahsoka Tano, also used it as a support weapon in their off-hand. Most Jedi use shoto lightsabers in dual-lightsaber combat.
- Darksaber: A Darksaber is a rare black-bladed lightsaber, that is flattened and comes to a point like a traditional sword, rather than the rounded beam of more standard lightsabers. This lightsaber variant is an ancient design. The only known example of this currently belongs to Bo-Katan Kryze after she inhertied it after becoming leader of Mandalore. Pre Vizla one of it's previous owner is a relative of Mandalorian Tarre Vizsla, the first Mandalorian ever inducted into the Jedi Order who created it, following Tarre's passing, the weapon was kept in the Coruscant Jedi Temple until it was stolen by members of House Vizsla during the Fall of the Old Republic.
- Lightsaber Rifle: A lightsaber rifle was a type of blaster that lightsabers could be fit into to serve as the weapon's ammunition. When fired, the rifle turned the lightsaber's plasma blade into a devastating beam that was powerful enough to injure a heavily armored foe. Jocasta Nu obtained one such weapon and used it against Darth Vader when she attempted to recover a holocron from the destroyed Jedi Temple.
Known Lightsabers
- Jedi lightsaber: A Jedi lightsaber is a specialized type of lightsaber that catered to the needs and preferences of the Jedi Order. Jedi lightsabers utilize natural kyber crystals from caves and the like, while others utilizes synthetic kyber crystals (artificially created kyber crystals). Designed to serve as a symbol of peace and justice, these lightsabers are also a symbol of the Jedi. Traditionally, these weapons are all blue or green-bladed lightsabers, though many of these weapons come in light blue, yellow-green, yellow, gold, purple, amethyst, white, or even black-bladed lightsabers.
- Sith lightsaber: A Sith lightsaber is a specialized type of lightsaber that catered to the needs and preferences of the Sith Order. Most Sith lightsabers utilizes synthetic kyber crystals (artificially created kyber crystals) while others utilizes natural Kyber crystals, the appearance of these lightsabers are design to intimidate the opponents of the Sith. Traditionally these weapons are all red-bladed lightsabers, though some of these weapons are known to be purple, crimson, or scarlet-bladed lightsabers; when Anakin, already become Darth Vader, fought Obi-Wan in Revenge of the Sith, kept using his blue-bladed Jedi lightsaber. The red color of the blades was usually a result of infecting kyber crystals with the Dark side of the Force, which caused the crystal to "bleed".
Known Metal Alloys
These metal alloys have been discovered or invented by both the Jedi and Sith over the years; as they are used in the construction of their lightsabers, most of these metal alloys have been seen or mentioned in the original films, as well as in the animated series of Star Wars: The Clone Wars and Star Wars Rebels.
- Solid Heavy-Duty: Solid Heavy-Duty is a metal alloy that is used in the construction of lightsabers, for lightsaber duelists who favours maximum strength, it is also extremely durable, but this alloy is not as strong as Phrik. Anakin Skywalker used this alloy in the construction of his first and second blue-bladed lightsabers.
- Electrum: Electrum is a rare metal alloy that is used in the construction of lightsabers and is purely cosmetic, used in creating an aesthetically pleasing hilt for lightsabers. Palpatine, a known patron of the arts, used this alloy combined with Phrik in the construction of his two lightsabers to make them look more beautiful and elegant.
- Phrik: Phrik is a rare metal alloy that is used in the construction of lightsabers, it is completely indestructible, as it is able to repel even the blades of other lightsabers. Palpatine used this metal to create his signature lightsabers, decorating them with Electrum as well to make them more sophisticated and elegant.
- Black Alloy: Black Alloy is an (unknown/unnamed) black metal alloy that is used in the construction of lightsabers, with or without being combined with Solid Heavy-Duty; they are extremely durable, but this alloy is not as strong as Phrik. Anakin Skywalker used this alloy in the construction of his first and second blue-bladed lightsabers, well his alter-ego, Darth Vader used this alloy in the construction of his own red-bladed lightsaber.
- Chrome: Chrome is a metal alloy that is used in the construction of lightsabers, for lightsaber duelists who favours maximum speed, and dexterity, it is also extremely durable, but this alloy is not as strong as Phrik. Yoda used this alloy in the construction of his own green-bladed shoto lightsaber.
Known Non-Metal Alloys
These non-metal alloys have been discovered by both the Jedi and Sith over the years; as they are used in the construction of their lightsabers, most of these non-metal alloys have been seen or mentioned in the original films, as well as in the animated series of Star Wars: The Clone Wars and Star Wars Rebels.
- Brylark tree: The Brylark tree is a type of tree that is used in the construction of lightsabers, this type of wood is as strong as metal; while these types of lightsabers are rarely used by other Jedi sentient beings, they are commonly used by Wookie Jedi. Brylark trees are located on the planet Kashyyyk.
Lightsaber Combat Forms
Lightsaber combat is fluid and graceful, and can be utilized against blasters, a feat normally too difficult for opponents that did not possess a connection to the Force. There are seven Lightsaber combat Forms known to exist.
- Form I: Also known as Shii-Cho, Form I is the most basic and oldest form of lightsaber combat. It is taught to all Jedi.
- Form II: Form II or Makashi, is a form that is specific to lightsaber on lightsaber combat. Dooku was particularly a notable practitioner of this form.
- Form III: Form III or Soresu, is a more defensive lightsaber form that is useful for close combat. Kanan Jarrus and Obi-Wan Kenobi were particularly notable practitioners of this form.
- Form IV: Form IV, also known as Ataru, is the most acrobatic form of lightsaber combat. It is useful for blocking blaster fire and is best utilized in open spaces. Yoda was particularly a notable practitioner of this form.
- Form V: Form V, known also as Shien or Djem So, is a lightsaber combat form that countered power with power. Shien is useful in particular for countering ranged weaponry, while Djem So focused more on lightsaber specific combat. Anakin Skywalker/Darth Vader, Ahsoka Tano, and Luke Skywalker were particularly notable practitioners of this form.
- Form VI: Also known as Niman, Form VI is centered around using the Force in conjunction with a lightsaber. It is especially useful for those wielding double-bladed lightsabers.
- Form VII: Also known as Juyo or Vaapad, Form VII is the most unpredictable and aggressive form. Mace Windu was a particularly notable practitioner of this form.
Known Lightsaber Combat Styles
Lightsaber combat styles have been invented by both the Jedi and Sith over the years, most of these styles are technically not part of the seven lightsaber combat forms, but were likely created to make the seven forms more effective in combat, most of these styles have been seen or mentioned in the the original films, as well as in the animated series of Star Wars: The Clone Wars and Star Wars Rebels.
- Jar'Kai: Jar'Kai is a style that utilizes two lightsabers in combat. Asajj Ventress and Ahsoka Tano were particularly notable practitioners of the style.
- Whirlwind of Destiny: Whirlwind of Destiny is a style that is for the user to be flexible; spinning his/her body and lightsaber around like an actual whirlwind, during the Clone Wars, it was developed by Jedi youngling Petro probably to make Form V, also known as Shien or Djem So, more effective in blocking multiple Blaster bolts. Petro was a particularly notable practitioner of the style.
Behind the Scenes
Development and Production
Early concept of the Lightsabers by Ralph McQuarrie.
When developing the Jedi Knights, who were heroic and honorable peacekeepers, George Lucas needed a weapon that was more than just another weapon but also a symbol that matched their ideals as the whole premises of Star Wars was that it was a romantic fantasy in the great romantic traditions of mythology. Influenced by the romantic Pirate and Swashbuckling films of the forties which showcased the romantic side of fighting where there was chivalry and honor.
George envisioned that the lightsabers were really heavy and had to use both hands to wield it because they were very powerful and had a lot of energy in them. The actors had to work with them as if they were heavy. As the saga went on, they began to slowly move away from the two handed form and started using a one handed form as they made the fights more faster and more intense. Eventually, it progressed to being both a two handed and one handed form, but was still originally meant to be just a two handed form because of the amount of energy that was being swung around.
For the prequel trilogy, choreographer Nick Gilliard developed lightsaber combat into a more fluid and dynamic style. Gilliard described the fights as "a game of chess moving at a thousand miles an hour" and compared each move to a check. Ray Park, who portrayed Darth Maul in the films, would help him to further develop the choreography.
Visual Effects
The original effect of the lightsaber was basically a rotating pole that had movie screen material applied to it, then using a compact motor within the hilt, the rod would rapidly rotate, reflecting the lights on set and creating an in-camera glowing effect. However the glowing effect was not absolute, whenever the actor moved it out of a certain area, the glow would disappear and the actual spinning rod could be seen. These props were also highly limited; they were cumbersome and fragile, often breaking them during fight scenes. In order to partially compensate for this, the blade was rotoscoped and an animated glow was added by tracing onto a blown-up copy of the frame with pen and colored ink, one frame at a time. It was at this phase that blades were given colors, as the props were simple white blades.
The lightsaber is part live-action and part animation; with the editors using the real poles to tell them where the sword blades were. Sometimes they used a short blade as the actors would be fighting so close that they would hit the set and sometimes they would use no blade, because the blade would either turn on and off in a shot or what the actors were doing was so complicated, they couldn't do with swords themselves and they would add in the blades later, but took a lot of very careful tracking.
The sound of the lightsabers was turned over to Ben Burtt who was also working on the sound effects for R2-D2, the breathing of Darth Vader and the blasters. The sound of the lightsabers was the first thing Ben worked on for the films. His inspiration for what they sounded like was projector motors that produced these mysterious humming sounds when they weren't running. While searching for other elements, Ben had a tape recorder with a broken mike cable (the shielding had come off of it), and when he walked past the television set in his apartment, it picked up the hum from the picture tube directly into the broken wire creating a buzz which became the clashing sound of when the lightsabers clashed against each other.
Notable Lightsabers
| Lightsaber | Owner | Blade Colour | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
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Anakin Skywalker/Darth Vader | Blue |
At the age of thirteen, the design of Anakin's first lightsaber had a blue plasma blade, chunky controls, and thick ridges on the handle. While fighting his way through the battle droid foundries on Geonosis, Skywalker had his lightsaber destroyed by a mechanical cutting arm. This saber was later used as the reference for rebuilding his Sith lightsaber upon his becoming Darth Vader. |
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Incorporating many of the elements from his first weapon, Anakin's lightsaber was specifically designed to facilitate his practice of Form V combat. The lightsaber had a solid casing and a heavily shrouded blade emitter. The beveled emitter was designed to designate separate facets of the blade for either offensive or defensive purposes. The lightsaber hilt included a ridged hand grip, as Shien/Djem So required its users to maintain a solid grip on the hilt. It had been his own weapon throughout the Clone Wars, until the end when he turned to the Dark side and became Darth Vader. After his defeat on Mustafar, it was taken by Obi-Wan Kenobi for safekeeping, and later passed on to his son, Luke Skywalker. After Luke lost the lightsaber in his second duel against Darth Vader on Bespin. Though this weapon was believed to be lost forever, it somehow ended up in the possession of Maz Kanata, who had kept it for years, it was later used by Finn and Rey respectively, in their duel against Kylo Ren. The lightsaber was later presented to Luke on Ahch-To, by Rey as a sign that the galaxy needed him once again, but after she handed it to him, he tossed it aside, wanting nothing to do with it or her. Rey used the weapon during her training with Luke, and her fight against Snoke's Praetorian guards. The weapon was broken in half when Rey and Kylo Ren both tried to Force grab it, and she took both pieces with her. Sometime after the Battle of Crait, the lightsaber was reconstructed. After Palpatine's deafet, Rey buried it along with Leia's lightsaber on Tatooine. | ||
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Red |
This weapon featured a thick, ridged handgrip, a high-output diatium power cell, a dual-phase focusing crystal, forward mounted adjustment knobs, and a beveled emitter shroud. Vader's lightsaber had an adjustable blade, which allowed the Sith Lord to manually adjust and control the size and width of the blade to suit his purposes. Vader was also known to have used the weapons against opponents other than Jedi, though he also sometimes preferred to use the Force against his victims. Vader has been known to have experimented with a rounded emitter shroud similar to his second Jedi weapon. His lightsaber was also powered by a kyber crystal that was taken from the Jedi Master Kirak Infil'a after the Sith Lord murdered him. After corrupting and "bleeding" the crystal with the Dark side of the Force, Vader's lightsaber gained its signature red blade. Vader would also originally use Infil'a's hilt for his lightsaber, but when it was destroyed in a fight with bounty hunters in a cantina, Vader rebuilt his weapon into the hilt that was a twisted version of his very first lightsaber from when he had been a Jedi Padawan it was presumably destroyed when the Rebels blew up the second Death Star. | |
|
Luke Skywalker | Green |
The construction of Luke's second lightsaber was based off schematics Luke found in Obi-Wan's hut on Tatooine. Luke was able to gather most of the parts he required to build his weapon from various vendors in the city of Mos Eisley, including a high-energy reflector cup, power cells, and a focusing lens. However, Luke was unable to obtain a lightsaber crystal and was forced to fabricate his own, utilizing a small blast furnace and a book of instructions found within the home of his fallen Master. The resulting hilt greatly resembled that of his late master, Obi-Wan Kenobi. The weapon possessed superior balance to Anakin Skywalker's lightsaber. Possibly as a result of utilizing a thick kyber crystal, the lightsaber made a distinctive snap-hiss sound when activated, which was a different sound to that emitted by his father's weapon. The weapon was lost after Ben Solo attacked Luke and later destroyed his Jedi Temple. |
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Obi-Wan Kenobi | Blue |
Obi-Wan's first lightsaber was based on the simple design of Qui-Gon Jinn's weapon. During the Invasion of Naboo, Obi-Wan lost this weapon during a duel with the Sith Lord Darth Maul, who kicked it into a reactor shaft inside the Theed power generator. |
| N/A |
Obi-Wan's second lightsaber was constructed sometime after the Invasion of Naboo, after he lost his first lightsaber in a duel on Naboo against the Sith Lord Darth Maul. It exactly resembled his first saber. Obi-Wan lost this weapon when he was captured by Separatist leader Count Dooku on Geonosis. | ||
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Obi-Wan's third lightsaber featured a much more skeletal make. The emitter was separated from the body of the weapon by a bronze and brass cut-back, thin "choke" portion which also held the reserve power cell. Immediately below this slim bar was the black ridged handgrip, which occupied the central third of the hilt. The activator was throttle-style, the same sort featured on Anakin Skywalker's second lightsaber. The covertec wheel was black held onto a rigged black extension. Finally sealing the hilt was a chrome emitter. During Obi-Wan's exile on Tatooine, the lightsaber was adjusted in sections so that parts were black. He also wrote down instructions for creating a lightsaber. He based the schematics provided off his own which resulted in the lightsabers created from the instructions bearing a strong resemblance to his weapon, starting with Luke Skywalker's. | ||
|
Count Dooku | Red |
After Dooku left the Jedi Order he replaced his blue kyber crystal with a new synthetic red crystal, signifying his journey to the Dark side. It had a curved handle which allowed for precision control of where the blade would go. Dooku typically wielded the weapon one-handed but would use two hands when required. This weapon was destroyed when it entered the planet atmosphere of Coruscant. |
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Darth Maul | Red |
Maul's customized double-bladed lightsaber was his signature weapon was actually two separate lightsabers fused end to end. Maul controlled the weapon with deadly precision able to quickly switch from attacking with one one blade to the other. The weapon was cut right down the middle by Obi-Wan Kenobi during the duel on Naboo, leaving him with only one blade. Half of it was presumed lost when Maul was presumed dead, however Maul had stored the lightsaber in a cave for over 12 years while trying to make artificial legs for himself. Maul's brother, Savage Opress, managed to retrieve Maul and only half of his lightsaber. Maul wielded the weapon against Obi-Wan in several rematches, then alongside the Darksaber against Palpatine. This weapon was eventually lost or destroyed. |
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Maul's second lightsaber produced two crimson-red blades, and the upper grip-guard resembled that of the Inquisitors' lightsabers, albeit broken and bent outward, and it is likely he took the weapon from an Inquisitor that he probably killed. He would hide the hilt by attaching a piece of wood to it, and pretending it was a walking stick, all the while masquerading as a feeble old man. It was destroyed in the final battle between Maul and Obi-Wan Kenobi; cut in half by the same downward blow that killed Maul. | ||
|
Mace Windu | Purple | Mace had two lightsabers, one with a more generic design. the other with a more intricate design. His signature purple lightsaber was built upon being appointed as a senior master of the Jedi Council and was decorated with electrum finish befitting his high status. The weapon also had a unique signature handgrip. The fate of the weapon is unknown' except that it was last seen falling out of a window down from Chancelor Palpatine's office after Windu's duel with Palpatine. |
|
Palpatine | Red |
Palpatine's lightsabers were designed based around the Sith Master's passion for antiquity. He created the main body from the light and lightsaber-resistant Phrik alloy and decorated them with golden Electrum metal, as Palpatine was also a patron of the arts and a master craftsman. He constructed two of these weapons and used them throughout his life as a Sith Master/the Dark Lord of the Sith until he was killed by the redeemed Anakin Skywalker/Darth Vader. Palpatine rarely used his lightsabers unless he had no other choice, as he knew the weapons would mark him instantly as a Sith Master. Moreover, he believed Sith had grown beyond the need for lightsabers, and only wielded them as a way of mocking the Jedi. Both his lightsabers were small enough to hide up his sleeves, and he always kept one hidden inside a neuronium statue on his desk during as Supreme Chancellor. |
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Ahsoka Tano | Green |
Ahsoka used this lightsaber in Form IV and Form V combat. She mainly used it in a reverse Shien style grip. Ahsoka lost this lightsaber when she was dueling Barriss Offee on Coruscant. Though it was later returned to her by Anakin Skywalker during her mission to capture Darth Maul on Mandalore, she left it and her yellow-green shoto behind to fake her death during Order 66. |
| N/A | Yellow-Green |
At some point during the Clone Wars, Ahsoka construct a yellow-green-bladed shoto-style lightsaber to pair with her standard lightsaber and wielded it during many battles across the galaxy. Ahsoka lost this lightsaber when she was forced to go on the run; she dropped her shoto-style lightsaber when a rocket blast knocked her over. It was returned to her by Anakin Skywalker for her mission to capture Darth Maul on Mandalore, but left it behind to fake her death during the events of Order 66 alongside her green lightsaber. | |
|
White |
During the events of Ahsoka, following her departure from the Jedi Order and set during rise of the Galactic Empire, Ahsoka constructed two new lightsabers, created from the inner components and crystals from the lightsaber of an Inquisitor called Sixth Brother, whom she killed and with the outer hilts made from materials of her choosing. The main lightsaber is of standard length while the other is a shoto-style lightsaber, similar to the ones she wielded during the Clone Wars except both handles are slightly curved, and emit white blades. The hum of these lightsabers is higher pitched and quieter than that of more traditional variants. Originally, both crystals were red from infection by the Dark side of the Force, but Ahsoka turned them white by imbuing them with the Light side of the Force. The fate of these lightsabers is unknown, as Ahsoka was not seen after the explosion of the Sith Temple on Malachor. | |
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Yoda | Green |
Yoda's constructed his lightsaber many years ago under the aegis of Professor Huyang. In keeping with Yoda's stature, the green-bladed weapon had a shorter-than-average hilt and shorter blade. It had a simple design, consisting of a studded chrome handle with black trim and an emitter shroud. It should be noted that Yoda never used the lightsaber much until he battle Dooku on Geonosis. Yoda lost it after his battle with Palpatine. It was destroyed shortly after with dozens of others in a furnace in a public ceremony hosted by Palpatine celebrating the destruction of the Jedi, as was revealed in Darth Vader: The Chosen One- Part I by Marvel Comics. |
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Qui-Gon Jinn | Green |
Qui-Gon built his lightsaber while under the apprenticeship of Dooku during the latter's tenure as a Jedi Master and utilized Form IV with it as his main fighting style. Elegantly built, the lightsaber had a scallopped hand grip. Qui-Gon would wield this lightsaber until his death at the hands of Darth Maul. Maul was cut in half by Obi-Wan Kenobi with the weapon as its last act, but unknowingly survived and returned during the Clone Wars. It is unknown what happened to the lightsaber then, but it is possible that either Obi-Wan burned it along with Qui-Gon's body in the funeral pyre, or held onto it in memory of him. |
|
Plo Koon | Blue |
Plo built his lightsaber in the decades before the Clone Wars, and would continue to wield it until his death during Order 66. Luke Skywalker's New Jedi Order used this very design as a rubric for the lightsabers they built, though it is unknown what happened to the weapons after Kylo Ren destroyed most of the New Jedi Order. |
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Asajj Ventress | Red |
Asajj received her lightsabers from Count Dooku as a gift. They could join at the ends to make on double-bladed lightsaber like Darth Maul's. Asajj used them throughout the Clone Wars especially during her career as a bounty hunter until they were stolen by Barriss Offee. Asajj would never reclaim them, as she used a gold-bladed lightsaber until her death at the hands of Count Dooku. |
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Kanan Jarrus | Blue |
When Kanan was forced to keep his Jedi identity hidden, he had to conceal his lightsaber in a drawer where it remained for fourteen years, until Ezra found it. Kanan's lightsaber was specially modified to split into two pieces and reattach for easy concealment. Following Kanan's death, the weapon ended up in the hands of Governor Pryce. It was likely destroyed when the Imperial Dome on Lothal blew up. |
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The Grand Inquisitor | Red |
The Empire's Grand Inquisitor uses a double-bladed rotating lightsaber, which is designed to end battles quickly, efficiently, and with a minimum of effort. The Grand Inquisitor's lightsaber is equipped with several modes, such as the crescent-mode that keeps it single-bladed. There is also a disc-mode where a second blade is drawn, during so both blades can rotate across the disc. Its unique design serves to unnerve the Grand Inquisitor's enemies, particularly among the Jedi he hunts. It was destroyed by Kanan Jarrus using both his and Ezra Bridger's lightsabers. |
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Ezra Bridger | Blue |
Unlike a traditional lightsaber, Ezra's weapon is a lightsaber-blaster hybrid, allowing him to engage in lightsaber combat as well as firefights. The lightsaber blade is light and swift, which complimented Ezra's speed and size. The blaster component, which fired stun blasts, was built as a result of Ezra's lack of skill at deflecting blaster bolts with his blade. At the heart of the lightsaber is a kyber crystal, which Ezra received in the Jedi Temple on Lothal. In addition to the crystal, the lightsaber was built out of a number of parts from different members of the Rebel crew of the Ghost. Kanan Jarrus had spare lightsaber parts that he had found over the years, Sabine Wren donated modulation circuits and an energy gate, Chopper donated a power cell and Hera Syndulla provided additional technology based on Ezra's specifications. Those specifications included a blade emitter shroud, handgrip ridges, a blade length adjuster, an activator, and a blaster barrel. It was destroyed by Darth Vader in Ezra's second duel against the former. |
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Green |
Following the destruction of his first lightsaber, Ezra at some point constructed a new one that features a green blade. Unlike his previous lightsaber-blaster hybrid, his new lightsaber is more traditional in construction. It is vaguely similar in design to Luke Skywalker's second lightsaber and Obi-Wan Kenobi's third lightsaber. It's hum is somewhat deeper in pitch than traditionally for a lightsaber. After Ezra disappeared with Grand Admiral Thrawn and the purrgil into hyperspace, it was given to Sabine Wren. It is unknown if Sabine used it at all during her time on Lothal during the Galactic Civil War. | |
| N/A | Ben Solo/Kylo Ren | Blue | Ben Solo constructed his first lightsaber during his training with his uncle Luke Skywalker. When Ben was asleep in his hut, Luke had sensed his power being brought to the Dark side by Snoke, and activated his own lightsaber, attempting to kill his nephew, causing Ben to wake up, force-grab his lightsaber, and activate it to prevent his uncle from doing so, then collapsed the hut. He abandoned this weapon before he built a new powerful one, got renamed "Kylo Ren", and slaughtered the rest of Skywalker's students along with the Knights of Ren, thus; destroying the Jedi Temple. |
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Red |
Ren's second lightsaber has a main red blade, and two smaller red blades that projected from the side of the weapon as a crossguard. The lightsaber's blades were ragged and unstable, with the blade funnelling like fire and static electricity instead of solidifying. The reason for the blade's unorthodox appearance came from the fact that the kyber crystal powering it was cracked and damaged; it could barely contain the weapon's power. This necessitated the use of vents and focusing crystal activators to funnel away the weapon's excess energy, creating the signature quillons (crossguards). The emitter shrouds for the quillons were a necessity to protect Ren's hands from his own weapon. The damaged crystal also gave the lightsaber a deep, growling hum that further made it unique and terrifying to behold. The lightsaber's hilt was based off an ancient design dating back thousands of years to the Scourge of Malachor, but unlike those, Ren's lightsaber was crudely built and slipshod in its design, revealing Kylo's inexperience with building lightsabers in general. Kylo utilized this weapon in his slaughter of Luke Skywalker's new fledgling Jedi Order, the murder of his father, Han Solo, and in his duel with Finn and Rey. | |
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Fifth Brother | Red |
The Fifth Brother's lightsaber is similar in design to the Grand Inquisitor's lightsaber, but is somewhat larger with indents on the outer ring. It, like all Inquisitor lightsabers, could be used for flight as well as combat. It was destroyed by Ahsoka Tano. |
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Seventh Sister | Red |
The Seventh Sister's lightsaber shares the basic disc-shaped design with the Grand Inquisitor and the Fifth Brother's lightsabers, with unique textures and curved points on the outer ring. It, like all Inquisitor lightsabers, was useful for flight as well as combat. The saber was probably destroyed when the sith temple exploded. |
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Eighth Brother | Red |
The Eight Brother's lightsaber shares the disc-shaped design of other Inquisitor lightsabers, and like them, could be used for flight as well as combat. Uniquely, its outer ring contained retractable saw teeth, and could be utilized when deactivated as a hand-held buzzsaw. It was later destroyed during Eighth Brother's duel with Kanan Jarrus, Darth Maul, and Ahsoka Tano. |
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Tarre Vizsla | Black | This Darksaber was created by Tarre Vizsla, the first Mandalorian ever inducted into the Jedi Order. Following his passing, the weapon was kept in the Coruscant Jedi Temple until it was stolen by members of House Vizsla prior to the Fall of the Old Republic. Death Watch leader, Pre Vizsla subsequently used it until Darth Maul seized control of Death Watch and Mandalore. Maul wielded it for a time and then placed it in the lair of the Nightsisters on Dathomir, where it was eventually found and claimed by Sabine Wren after Maul abandoned the location as a base. She would subsequently begin training to utilize it in battle under Kanan before passing it on to Bo-Katan Kryze, whom she considered the true ruler of Mandalore. |
| N/A | Leia Organa | Blue | N/A |
| N/A | Rey | Yellow | N/A |
Gallery
See Also
External links
Lightsaber on Wookieepedia
Lightsaber on StarWars.com (backup link on Archive.org)
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This page uses Creative Commons Licensed content from Wookieepedia: The Star Wars Wiki. The list of authors can be seen in the page revision history (view authors). As with Disney Wiki, the text of Wookieepedia is available under the CC-by-SA Free Documentation License. |
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