Lightsabers are iconic weapons in the Star Wars universe. Their glowing blades come in a range of colours, each with symbolic meaning for the Jedi or Sith who wields them. But do lightsaber colours still carry meaning in the current Star Wars canon established after Disney’s acquisition of Lucasfilm in 2012?
The Origins of Lightsaber Colours
In the original Star Wars films, lightsabers came in just a few colours. Luke Skywalker’s first lightsaber had a blue blade, while Darth Vader’s was red. This set up an association between blue lightsabers and Jedi heroes, and red lightsabers with Sith villains.
The prequel films introduced more lightsaber colours. Mace Windu wielded a unique purple blade, while other Jedi Council members had green lightsabers. Interestingly, Jedi Qui-Gon Jinn and Obi-Wan Kenobi initially had blue lightsabers in The Phantom Menace before switching to green in Attack of the Clones and Revenge of the Sith.
In the Expanded Universe of books, comics, and games developed prior to 2014, various non-film colours were introduced and given symbolic meaning:
| Colour | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Blue | Jedi Guardian |
| Green | Jedi Consular |
| Yellow | Jedi Sentinel |
| Red | Sith |
| Purple | Jedi who walks the line between light and dark |
This created a widely understood “code” for what a lightsaber’s colour said about its owner. But this system was not actually seen on screen in the films themselves.
Lightsaber Colours in Disney Canon
In 2014, Disney declared that only the six live-action films and The Clone Wars animated series were official canon. Everything else became “Legends” and non-canonical.
Disney’s new canon has tried to simplify lightsaber colours. In The Force Awakens, Rey finds Anakin’s old blue lightsaber, connecting her to previous Jedi heroes. Kylo Ren’s ragged lightsaber still bleeds red, emphasizing his links to Vader and the dark side.
The Last Jedi introduces major exceptions though. Luke now uses a green lightsaber when teaching Rey about the Force, having lost his old blue one. And at the end, broom boy is seen using the Force while dreaming of becoming a Jedi and wielding a blue lightsaber, despite having had no training.
Rogue One retains the general blue=good, red=evil dichotomy. Jyn Erso finds a Jedi’s blue lightsaber crystal in Saw Gerrera’s cave, contrasting with the red lights of the Empire’s Death Troopers. Unused concept art for the film showed “grey Jedi” with white lightsabers, suggesting Lucasfilm toyed with showing more shades of the Force.
While it shakes things up, the Disney canon ultimately retains the symbolic lightsaber colour coding. The “good guys” wield blue and green blades, while red signifies villains affiliated with the dark side.
Exceptions in Canon
However, canon also depicts several exceptional cases that break the colour “rules”:
- Ahsoka Tano, former Jedi Padawan turned rebel operative, wields white lightsabers in Rebels after purifying red Darksaber crystals.
- The Jedi Temple Guards seen in The Clone Wars have yellow lightsaber pikes, instead of the usual blue or green blades of their era.
- The Inquisitors, Jedi hunters serving the Empire in Rebels, all wield spinning red lightsabers.
- Mace Windu retains his unique purple lightsaber, as Samuel L. Jackson’s personal request to George Lucas.
These exceptions demonstrate lightsaber colours do not absolutely determine a character’s affiliation. Ahsoka shows a good character with white lightsabers, while the Inquisitors prove villains sometimes wield red blades. Mace Windu’s purple lightsaber also resists easy categorization.
Meanings in Canon
Though rare, different lightsaber colours can still carry symbolic meaning in Disney canon:
- Blue represents Jedi Guardians and heroes connected to the legacy of the Jedi Order.
- Green is associated with Jedi Consulars and wise masters who embody the Force.
- Red is found among Sith, Dark Side adepts, and others who use the dark side.
- White symbolizes purification and finding balance between the light and dark within.
- Yellow is used by Jedi Temple Guards, serving as protectors.
These associations are looser guidelines rather than hard rules. But across films, TV shows, and other media, lightsaber blade colours continue to offer visual shorthand for a character’s role in the mythology.
Conclusion
In summary, lightsaber colours do still carry symbolic meaning in Disney’s canon universe, though with more flexibility than in past canon:
- Blue and green blades represent heroic Jedi, red is for villains.
- But there are exceptions, like Ahsoka’s white lightsabers and yellow Temple Guards.
- Colours offer useful visual shorthand, but don’t absolutely define a character.
- Rarer hues like purple, white, and yellow add nuance about wielders’ roles and mindsets.
So lightsaber colours are not meaningless in canon. They visualize characters’ alignments, roles, and journeys. But the new canon allows more freedom to use colours in unconventional ways. The symbols evolve as Star Wars storytelling grows more complex.
