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- “Having a laser sword doesn't make you a Jedi.”
- ―Kanan Jarrus[src]
A lightsaber, sometimes referred to as a laser sword, was an energy weapon, which consisted of a polished metal hilt that projected a brightly lit energy blade. It was mainly used as a melee weapon and to deflect projectiles. A lightsaber was a Jedi's main weapon and ally, when they experienced weaknesses and limitations in their powers and needed to resort to physical combat.
The Jedi usually had blue or green crystals, while the Sith and other Dark Side warriors usually used synthetic or corrupted crystals that produced red blades. Mace Windu was notable for having a purple crystal, while Jedi Temple Guards possessed weapons that utilized yellow crystals; Ahsoka Tano later purified a set of Dark Side crystals, which became white.
According to Kanan Jarrus, wielding a lightsaber isn't the same as wielding a simple blade, but more akin to directing a current of power.
Types of Lightsaber[]
- Single-Bladed Lightsaber: The most common type of lightsaber, wielded by the majority of Jedi and by several Sith.
- Double-Bladed Lightsaber: Also known as the Saber-Staff, this was an ancient lightsaber design that features a longer-than-average handle that can emit lightsaber blades from both ends. Wielded by one trained to use them, this weapon was overwhelmingly dangerous, but one not trained to use them was likely to harm themselves by accident.
- Lightsaber Pike: A lightsaber designed similar to the Double-Bladed Lightsaber, featuring two rare yellow plasma blades on each side of the staff, that was used by the Jedi Temple Guards. Some could also fold-up in the middle for easier storage.
- Double-Bladed Spinning Lightsaber: A recently-developed weapon, this model of lightsaber was wielded by the members of the Imperial Inquisitorious. They are designed with a standard sized handle with an emitter ring that can fold into a "crescent mode", and emit blades from both ends. These blades can rotate along the emitter ring, providing the wielder with a powerful offense and defense, and were later shown to be able to spin at such velocities the weapon could carry its wielder to fly, much like a helicopter. These lightsabers were designed to end combat (and kill enemies/targets) quickly and efficiently with as little effort required, and their unusual design and features served to unnerve their targets, particularly among the Jedi the Inquisitors hunted.
- Lightsaber Shoto: A lightsaber designed with a smaller handle and shorter blade than average. Shotos were often wielded by ligthsaber wielders of smaller statures (like Yoda). Otherwise, one might use a Shoto as a secondary weapon alongside a standard sized saber (like Ahsoka Tano).
- Lightsaber-Blaster Hybrid: A lightsaber design by Ezra. It was a hybrid weapon of a lightsaber and a stun blaster, capable of shooting stun blasts from its apparent hilt-guard. The blaster function and lightsaber could not be used simultaneously as its power cell would short out. Though it could be used without revealing Jedi identity.
- Darksaber: An ancient lightsaber that was created and wielded long ago by Tarre Vizsla, the first Mandalorian ever to be inducted into the Jedi Order. After his passing, it was kept in the Jedi Temple until House Vizsla stole it during the Fall of the Old Republic. It became an heirloom in House Viszla, and a symbol of leadership on Mandalore, until it was claimed by Maul, who would keep it among his collection of artifacts on his Dathomir base until he abandoned the base and the Darksaber was recovered by Sabine Wren.
Forms of Lightsaber combat[]
- Form I: Shii Cho, also known as the Determination Form. Roughly every Force User was taught this Form when first handed a lightsaber.
- Form II: Makashi, also known as the Contention Form. Its design is based on Lightsaber vs. Lightsaber Combat.
- Form III: Soresu, also known as the Resilience Form. Its design is based on pure defense with either ranged or melee attacks.
- Form IV: Ataru, also known as the Aggression Form. Its design is based around high energy attacks and defenses.
- Form V: Shien/Djem So, also known as the Perseverance Form. Their design is based on manipulating an opponent's attack, turning the user's defense into an offense.
- Form VI: Niman, also known as the Moderation Form. Its design is a conglomeration of the preceding Forms along with adding Force powers into the styles.
- Form VII: Juyo/Vaapad, also known as the Ferocity Form. Its design is based on pure attack, no defense.
- Jar'Kai, a Lightsaber style of combat where the duelist wielded two lightsabers, one in each hand. The technique increased offensive capability and agility at the expense of stronger, two-handed attacks and better defense when wielding only a single saber.
Notable Lightsabers[]
| Lightsaber | Owner | Blade Colour | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
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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 fifteen years, until Ezra found it. Kanan's lightsaber was specially modified to split into two pieces and reattach for easy concealment, and had a setting to adjust the length of the blade. After Kanan's death, the lightsaber fell into the hands of Governor Pryce. |
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Ezra Bridger | Blue | When Ezra found a kyber crystal, in the Jedi Temple of Lothal, he used parts found from his fellow Rebels. Unlike a traditional lightsaber, it had a built in pistol from Sabine, a power cell from Chopper and an energy gate.
It was a hybrid weapon of a lightsaber and a stun blaster, capable of shooting stun blasts from its apparent hilt-guard. Members of the Jedi Order would never have designed such a weapon but Ezra favored any advantage he could get as a Rebel over Jedi traditions. The blaster function and lightsaber could not be used simultaneously as its power cell would short out. Though it could be used without Ezra revealing his Jedi identity. This lightsaber was later destroyed by Darth Vader. |
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Green | After the destruction of his first weapon, Ezra began utilizing a green-bladed lightsaber; how he obtained or constructed it is unknown. After the Liberation of Lothal, Ezra disappeared and Sabine took ownership of his lightsaber. | |
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The Grand Inquisitor | Red | The Empire's Grand Inquisitor used a double-bladed rotating lightsaber, which was designed to end battles quickly, efficiently, and with a minimum of effort. The Inquisitor's lightsaber was equipped with several modes, such as the crescent-mode that keeps it single-bladed. There was also a disc-mode where a second blade was drawn, during which both blades rotated across the disc. Its unique design served to unnerve the Inquisitor's enemies, particularly among the Jedi he hunted. The fast rotating blades could overwhelm an opponent who attempted to strike, block or parry, stunning or knocking aside the opponent, leaving them exposed for attack. This lightsaber was destroyed by Kanan Jarrus using his own and Ezra's lightsabers. |
| Darth Vader | Red | Darth Vader constructed this lightsaber after he was defeated and left to die by Obi-Wan Kenobi. He claimed its lightsaber crystal from a Jedi Master he killed and made it "bleed" to produce its red blade, and wielded it throughout his years as the Emperor's top enforcer. It had a dual-phase setting to lengthen the blade, and was designed to better fit Vader's thicker mechanical hands to the point of being ungainly. | |
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Ahsoka Tano | White | At an unknown time after she left the Jedi Order, Ahsoka constructed these two lightsabers. The main saber is of standard length while the other is a shoto, similar to the ones she wielded during the Clone Wars except both handles are slightly curved, and emit white blades, possibly to represent her disassociation from the Jedi Order. It is later revealed these crystals were once used for the lightsaber of the Sixth Brother until they called out to Ahsoka. She used the Force to claim them, killing the Inquisitor, and installed them into her new sabers. Having been used by a dark-sider caused these crystals to "bleed" until they were liberated by Ahsoka, brought back to the light, which gave them their distinctive white blades. |
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Fifth Brother | Red |
The Fifth Brother's Lightsaber was similar in design to the Grand Inquisitor's lightsaber, but was somewhat larger with indents on the outer ring. |
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Seventh Sister | Red |
The Seventh Sister's Lightsaber shared 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. |
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Anakin Skywalker | Blue | 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 Djem So required its users to maintain a solid grip on the hilt. |
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Jedi Temple Guard | Yellow | These lightsabers were wielded by the Jedi Temple Guard, members of the Jedi Order who devoted themselves to protecting the Jedi Temple. They were designed as double-bladed lightsabers, but differed by their feature that enabled them to fold up at the middle, and their yellow blades. |
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Eighth Brother | Red | The Eighth Brother's lightsaber was similar to that used by the other Inquisitors, but possessed the ability to convert its disc handle into a saw-like weapon when the blades were inactivated. Like the other Inquisitor lightsabers, its blades could be used like rotors to keep its wielder aloft longer when jumping from high places. This lightsaber was later damaged by Kanan, and his attempt to use it to escape the battle led to the Eighth Brother's demise. |
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Maul | Red | A traditional double-bladed lightsaber once designed similarly to an Inquisitor's. It was initially disguised as part of Maul's walking stick. It was later destroyed by Obi-Wan Kenobi. |
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Ancient Jedi Knight | Green | This lightsaber was wielded thousands of years ago by a Jedi Knight who perished during a battle on Malachor. It was an ancient design that featured three blades, the primary blade and two raw power vents known as quillons. The quillons were tributaries of the main blade and emitter shrouds were used on each of the lateral vents to protect the wielder's hands from harm, giving the overall design the likeness of a crossguard. |
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Tarre Vizsla | Black | This lightsaber was created by Tarre Vizsla, the first Mandalorian ever inducted into the Jedi Order. Following his passing, the weapon was kept in the Jedi Temple until it was stolen by members of House Vizsla during the Fall of the Old Republic. Death Watch leader, Pre Vizsla subsequently used it until Maul beheaded him with it and took 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. |
| Sixth Brother | Red |
The Sixth Brother's lightsaber was known to be double-bladed and presumably resembled those used by other Inquisitors, though it was described as "massive." | |
| Obi-Wan Kenobi | Blue |
A traditional lightsaber with a single blade, at least the fourth weapon wielded by Obi-Wan; he previously lost at least two weapons, one during his duel with Darth Maul on Naboo, another on Geonosis after being captured by the Confederacy of Independent Systems, and a third that he was lent on Geonosis but lost during a duel with Count Dooku. |
Gallery[]
Appearances[]
Season One[]
Season Two[]
Season Three[] |
Books[]
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Trivia[]
- The Inquisitor's lightsaber is based on an unused design for the Star Wars video game series The Force Unleashed.
- Vader and Obi-Wan's lightsabers (and Anakin's, if his appearance via hologram is counted) are the only ones in Rebels to originate from the films. The rest were created specifically for Rebels, excluding the Darksaber and the lightsaber used by the Temple Guards, both of which were designed for Star Wars: The Clone Wars.
- Maul’s lightsaber would later be carried over to the films, appearing in Solo: A Star Wars Story.
- Kanan, Maul, Obi-Wan and Vader's lightsabers are the only ones in the series that feature the original Ben Burtt sound effects, who also designed the voice of R2-D2 and the breathing of Darth Vader.
- Lightsabers are known to have a training setting that do not cut or burn, only sting.
- The lightsaber found by Ezra on Malachor shares its design with that used by Kylo Ren in The Force Awakens; the visual guide for the film indicates that Kylo's weapon is based on an ancient design from "the scourging of Malachor", undoubtedly referring to the battle that took place there.
External Links[]
Lightsaber on StarWars.com (backup link on Archive.org)
