The lightsaber has become an iconic weapon that shows up in most Star Wars movies.
Both the protagonist Jedi and antagonist Sith regimes use them.
A lightsaber’s usual construction is about 3 feet long and emits metal plasma from its sheath.
Each character does add their personal touches to the design to make it fit their battling preferences and abilities.
Color variations of light sabers include green, blue, white, purple and yellow.
These colors contrast the color used by the Sith force, which is led by Darth Vader.
The evil Sith side consistently uses red lightsabers.
For other characters in Star Wars universe, lightsaber color is more variable.
Luke Skywalker
Luke Skywalker is the hero and main protagonist in the first three Star Wars films produced by George Lucas.
He wielded three lightsabers over the course of the Star Wars franchise.
Luke Skywalker – Blue Lightsaber
The first lightsaber Luke Skywalker wielded was blue.
Luke’s blue lightsaber appeared in the first Star Wars (1977) film, retroactively titled Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope in 1981.
Luke inherited the blue lightsaber and the Luke lightsaber color became the Skywalker lightsaber color and a signature color of the Jedi.
Luke Skywalker – Yellow Lightsaber
In Star Wars comics, many characters have wielded lightsaber colors they haven’t yielded on screen.
In Marvel comic book Star Wars #6, Luke Skywalker first wielded a yellow lightsaber he discovered in a Jedi outpost on Tempes in the Outer Rim Territories.
Luke Skywalker – Green Lightsaber
Luke’s green lightsaber was first wielded in Star Wars: Episode VI Return of the Jedi (1983).
While the storyline sees Luke building a new lightsaber, the lightsaber was never meant to be green.
Promotional materials and an early movie trailer showed Luke wielding a blue lightsaber as usual, but when the film was released Luke’s lightsaber was green.
The new green color was chosen because it showed up better against the blue sky.
Now, it’s canon, and one of the main colors that distinguishes the Jedi regime.
Darth Vader
Darth Vader is the villain and main antagonist in the first three Star Wars films – A New Hope, The Empire Strikes Back, and Return of the Jedi.
He wielded only one lightsaber over the course of the Star Wars franchise.
Darth Vader – Red Lightsaber
Red is the color of the Sith empire, and the only color lightsaber Darth Vader wields.
Darth Vader’s red lightsaber appears in the first three Star Wars movies, as well as in Star Wars video games and comic books.
While Darth Vader’s lightsaber never changed color, it did look slightly different throughout the Star Wars franchise as Vader made upgrades and improvements to his weapon.
Yoda
Yoda is a Jedi Master and mentor to Luke Skywalker who first appeared in the The Empire Strikes Back (1980) and has appeared in every Star Wars film since.
He wielded only one lightsaber over the course of the Star Wars franchise.
Yoda – Green Lightsaber
Yoda’s green lightsaber first appears in Star Wars: Episode II – Attack of the Clones.
Due to his small size, Yoda’s green saber is built shorter than other lightsabers, with a reduced hilt and blade, categorizing it as a shoto or lightdagger.
After its original appearance, Yoda’s green saber featured heavily in The Clone Wars, as well as in video games, novels and comics.
Obi-Wan Kenobi
Obi-Wan Kenobi is a Jedi Master and mentor to Luke and Anakin Skywalker who appeared in the original and prequel Star Wars trilogies, as well as in The Clone Wars, games, and comics.
Obi-Wan has wielded three lightsabers over the course of the Star Wars franchise.
Obi Wan – Blue Lightsaber
Although Obi Wan has wielded three separate lightsabers, all of his sabers have featured blue blades.
Obi-Wan’s original blue lightsaber first appeared in The Phantom Menace.
Rey
Rey is a Jedi Master and granddaughter of Darth Sidious.
She appeared in the Star Wars sequel trilogy, as well as in video games, books, and comics.
Rey wielded two lightsabers in the Star Wars universe.
Rey – Yellow Lightsaber
Rey created her yellow lightsaber herself. She revealed it on Tattoine, shortly before taking up the name of Skywalker.
Luke Skywalker had also wielded a yellow blade in the Star Wars universe, cementing the yellow lightsaber as a Jedi and Skywalker staple.
Rey’s yellow lightsaber first appeared in Star Wars Episode IX: The Rise of Skywalker (2019).
Rey – Blue Lightsaber
The blue lightsaber Rey wielded was actually the original lightsaber of Anakin Skywalker, which was passed down to Luke Skywalker, who lost it, along with his hand, in a battle with Darth Vader.
Rey found it, wielded it to defeat Kylo Ren, and attempted to return it to Luke, then carried it herself when Luke didn’t want it.
The original Skywalker saber was finally destroyed in battle, but Rey rebuilt it and continued to use it as her primary saber.
Kylo Ren/Ben Solo
Kylo Ren is the alter ego of Jedi Ben Solo. As Kylo, he was master of the Knights of Ren.
He appeared in the Star Wars sequel trilogy, as well as in video games, books, and comics.
Kylo Ren/Ben Solo has wielded two lightsabers over the course of the Star Wars franchise.
Ben Solo – Blue Lightsaber
The first lightsaber Ben Solo crafted was as a Padawan under the mentorship of his Uncle Luke Skywalker.
Like other Skywalker sabers, the blade was blue.
Ben’s blue lightsaber first appeared in Star Wars: Episode VII – The Last Jedi, after the first appearance of his red blade.
After renouncing the dark side, Ben wielded the Skywalker lightsaber, which also had a blue blade.
Kylo Ren – Red Lightsaber
When Ben Solo went to the dark side, he altered the energy of his lightsaber and the blade turned red.
Kylo Ren’s red lightsaber first appeared in Star Wars: Episode VII – The Force Awakens, before the revelation of his blue lightsaber.
Anakin Skywalker
Anakin Skywalker is a Jedi Knight and Chosen One of the Jedi Order.
He appears in the original Star Wars trilogy as Darth Vader and the prequel trilogy.
Anakin wielded two lightsabers before going to the dark side.
Anakin Skywalker – Blue Lightsaber
Like all Skywalker lightsabers, Anakin Skywalker’s lightsabers had blue blades.
Anakin’s original blue saber first appeared in Star Wars: Episode II – Attack of the Clones.
Anakin Skywalker – Green Lightsaber
Anakin wielded one additional lightsaber during the franchise.
Anakin’s green lightsaber was never really his, though, but borrowed during battle.
After his own (blue) lightsaber is taken and he is set to be executed, the Jedis come to the rescue, tossing Anakin a lightsaber with which to fight.
The saber is green, and he wields it for the rest of the film.
Darth Maul
Darth Maul is a Dark Lord of the Sith and Galactic Empire crime lord who appeared in Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace and The Clone Wars, as well as in video games, books and comics.
Maul wielded only one lightsaber in the Star Wars universe.
Darth Maul – Red Lightsaber
Red is the color of the Sith empire, and the only color lightsaber Darth Maul wields.
It first appears in The Phantom Menace.
Mace Windu
Mace Windu is a Jedi Master who served on the Jedi High Council of the Galactic Republic.
He appeared in the Star Wars trilogy prequel, as well as in video games, books and comics.
Windu wielded only one lightsaber in the Star Wars universe.
Mace Windu – Purple Lightsaber
Mace Windu crafted his purple lightsaber (though it’s billed as amethyst in the Star Wars ‘verse) after becoming a member of the Jedi High Council.
Windu’s purple lightsaber first appeared in Star Wars: Episode II – Attack of the Clones.
Ahsoka Tano
Ahsoka Tano is a rebel leader and former Jedi Padawan of Anakin Skywalker.
She appeared in Star Wars: The Clone Wars, Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker, and The Mandalorian, as well as in comics and books.
Tano wielded three lightsabers in the Star Wars universe.
Ahsoka Tano – Green Lightsaber
Ahsoka Tano crafted her first lightsaber from the kyber crystal she earned at a Jedi Order Gathering.
The saber featured a green blade.
A green lightsaber was another signature Jedi color.
Ahsoka Tano – Yellow-Green Lightsaber
After Tano started studying Jar’Kai, she traveled back to Ilum, where she had received her first crystal, for another kyber crystal.
With it, she built a complementary shoto lightsaber with a yellow-green blade.
Ahsoka Tano – Blue Lightsaber
Ahsoka Tano’s main lightsabers underwent a color change when she left the Jedi Order after being falsely accused of a crime.
Luke Skywalker tinkered with her sabers while they were in his possession, and the blades became Skywalker blue.
Ahsoka Tano – White Lightsabers
Ahsoka wielded yet two more lightsabers during the Star Wars franchise.
Ahsoka’s white lightsabers she crafted after leaving the Jedi order.
They had curved hilts, and were designed to use in tandem.
Count Dooku
Count Dooku was a Jedi Master who was went to the dark side and became Darth Tyranus, a Dark Lord of the Sith.
He appeared in Star Wars: Attack of the Clones, Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith, The Clone Wars film and subsequent TV shows.
He wielded one lightsaber with two different colors of blade in the Star Wars universe.
Count Dooku – Blue Lightsaber
Count Dooku designed his own lightsaber when he was still a Jedi.
While he was part of the Jedi Order, the blade burned blue.
Count Dooku – Red Lightsaber
Once Count Dooku became a Sith lord, the blade of his saber turned red.
Darth Revan
Darth Revan was a Jedi Knight who turned to the Dark Side to become a Sith Lord, only to betray the Siths in order to help the Jedis.
His first appearance was in the 2003 video game Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic.
His first film appearance was in Star Wars: Episode IX – The Rise of Skywalker.
Darth Revan – Blue Lightsaber
The first lightsaber Darth Revan crafted as a Jedi has a blue blade.
Darth Revan – Green Lightsaber
After defeating Darth Malak, and while still a Jedi, Revan changed the blade of his saber to blue.
Darth Revan – Violet Lightsaber
After being captured by the Emperor and imprisoned in a stasis chamber for 300 years, Revan’s lightsaber changed to violet upon his release.
Darth Revan – Red Lightsaber
When he turned to the dark side, Revan replaced the crystal in his saber to turn the blade red – the signature color of the Sith.
Can’t get enough about lightsabers? Check out A Guide to Star Wars Lightsaber Colors.