Star Wars: All 6 Lightsabers In The Rise of Skywalker Explained

Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker included no fewer than six different lightsabers. Directed by J.J. Abrams, who co-wrote the script with Chris Terrio, The Rise of Skywalker wrapped-up the nine-movie Skywalker saga. To do that, it was full of returning characters and new faces, and the same can be said for its lightsabers.

The Jedi weapons have always been a major part of the Star Wars franchise, though had more humble origins back in the original trilogy. Starting off with just standard blue and red variants, it was even a big deal when Luke unveiled a green lightsaber in Return of the Jedi. The prequels and subsequent tie-ins changed the game on that front, though, introducing a range of different lightsaber colors to Star Wars canon, with all kinds of different styles.

As The Rise of Skywalker concludes over 40-years of Star Wars movies, then it seems only fitting it features several different lightsaber designs and colors beyond just red and blue. The lightsabers in The Rise of Skywalker reference the past, and push forward with some new ideas as well.

The Skywalker Lightsaber

The Skywalker lightsaber is the most iconic of the lot in Star Wars, so of course it gets one last showing in The Rise of Skywalker. That said, it may be at least a little surprising to see it return in such good shape, given it was broken in two during Star Wars: The Last Jedi. Though it wasn’t shown in the movie itself, tie-ins for The Rise of Skywalker (namely, the Visual Dictionary and the novelization) have revealed just how the lightsaber was fixed, as Rey used the Force to weld the two halves of the hilt back together, and used Force Heal to repair the damaged kyber crystal inside. This can be seen in its slightly re-worked design, which includes a new piece of metal and leather between the two parts, and solder marks showing where Rey put it back together.

First owned by Anakin Skywalker and then passed on to Luke, the blue Skywalker lightsaber is officially Rey’s by the time of The Rise of Skywalker. She uses it when training under Leia at the beginning of the movie, to duel Kylo Ren on the remains of the Death Star II, and finally, when facing off against Palpatine in the movie’s final battle. During that fight sequence, Rey passed the lightsaber to Ben Solo via the Force, with him using it to take out the Knights of Ren and help fight the Emperor, with the Skywalker saber back in the hands of the familial bloodline. After Ben’s death, Rey buried the Skywalker lightsaber at the Lars homestead on Tatooine, cementing its legacy and allowing it to rest for good.

Luke Skywalker’s Green Lightsaber

Luke Skywalker’s green lightsaber, which he used after losing his blue one (alongside his hand) during his duel with Darth Vader on Bespin, was rather conspicuous by its absence in Disney’s Star Wars sequel trilogy. Although Luke certainly had his green lightsaber with him after Return of the Jedi, and it has appeared in several canon sources since too, the weapon only shows up a couple of times in flashbacks. The first was in The Last Jedi, when he briefly turns against Ben Solo, sensing the darkness within him.

It’s sole appearance in The Rise of Skywalker is also a flashback, this time as a younger Luke spars with a similarly de-aged Leia, training her to be a Jedi. It had been hinted in The Last Jedi‘s novelization that Luke’s green lightsaber was with him on Ahch-To, but even if so there was no sign of it in the movies. Given the lightsaber became a symbol of Luke’s failure as a Jedi Master, since it was the weapon he almost used against his nephew, then perhaps it isn’t a surprise he chose to leave it in the past.

Leia Organa’s Blue Lightsaber

One of the many major reveals in Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker is that Leia did indeed train as a Jedi under Luke, only to give up because she sensed that completing her training would lead her son to the dark side, which didn’t work out too well in the end. Though past movies – most notably The Last Jedi – had hinted or shown aspects of Leia’s Force-sensitivity, this was the biggest look yet at it. More surprising than knowing Leia trained as a Jedi, though, was that Luke had kept her blue lightsaber all those years, even taking it with him into exile on Ahch-To, despite cutting himself off from the Force and his family. The weapon is noticeably different from Luke’s, with an Art Deco feel and rose gold colorings alongside the more traditional silver. Leia’s lightsaber is also passed on to Rey, who uses it to help defeat Palpatine, given Leia another role in the defeat of the Emperor and salvation of the galaxy, before it too is buried on Tatooine.

Kylo Ren’s Red Crossguard Lightsaber

Kylo Ren’s red crossguard lightsaber became instantly iconic when it featured in the first teaser trailer for Star Wars: The Force Awakens. With the crossguard hilt differentiating it from much of what had come before, and its jagged, almost-angry blade conveying the sense of rage and conflict felt by its owner, it was a perfect design to complement the trilogy’s new villain. The lightsaber has had a few different uses – including being briefly wielded by Rey in The Last Jedi – and in The Rise of Skywalker, it also becomes a symbol of Kylo Ren’s downfall and the rise of Ben Solo. Rey uses it to stab him, almost killing him (before she again uses Force Heal), and Kylo himself then throws the saber away after being confronted by the memory of his father, Han Solo. The crossguard lightsaber is swallowed up by the ocean of Kef Bir, representing Ben’s rejection of the dark side and definitive return to the light.

Dark Rey’s Red Double-Bladed Lightsaber

Another new lightsaber introduced in Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker is the double-bladed red lightsaber wielded by Rey’s dark vision, as teased in the trailers for the movie. Rey encounters her dark counterpart amid the wreckage of the Death Star II, reflecting the darkness within herself as a Palpatine. Unfortunately, Dark Rey never extends beyond being a brief tease, so there’s not much chance to see the double-bladed saber in action. The weapon has a unique design, with a switchblade-style hilt that allows it to quickly unfold into the kind of double-bladed weapon used by Darth Maul in Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace. The hilt is also filled with lots of black and red accents, befitting the character and showing just how it’s the opposite of who Rey really is.

Rey Skywalker’s Yellow Lightsaber

Of course, the biggest new blade revealed in Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker is Rey’s yellow lightsaber. This comes at the very end of the movie, which unfortunately means there’s no chance to see her wield it in a duel, but nonetheless the sight of the yellow lightsaber is impressive (and surprising) by itself. Yellow lightsabers aren’t new to canon, with even Luke Skywalker using one in Star Wars comics, but this is the first to be seen in live-action. The lightsaber harkens back to Rey’s roots, composed of cloth hangings and parts of her old staff, which make it feel like an appropriate weapon for her to use (though it does make it more of a shame that it’s not double-bladed). A sub-plot showing Rey building the weapon was cut from the movie, but she did do at least some of it while at the Resistance base.

Aside from being made from her staff, giving it a very different hilt design alongside its unusual color, Rey’s yellow lightsaber also has a rotating emitter, further differentiating itself from other lightsabers in Star Wars canon, and linking itself more closely to what we’ve sen of Rey. The choice of yellow is symbolic for Rey as well, signifying that she is leaving the old ways of the Jedi Order behind, much like Luke wanted, and forging her own path, carving out a new reputation for the Skywalker name. The yellow can also be seen to represent balance – as used by the Jedi Temple Guards – with Rey now taking on the role of helping to bring a new sense of balance to the Force, merging a Palpatine with a Skywalker, dark with light.

Intriguingly, flashes of blue and green can be seen when Rey ignites her lightsaber in Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker, which could suggest she used crystals from Leia’s blue lightsaber and Luke’s green one, which would feel satisfying – though wouldn’t explain the mystery of the green lightsaber, since it’s never shown. Overall, though, Rey’s new yellow lightsaber feels like the right weapon for Rey Skywalker.

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