The Lightsaber

“Not as clumsy or random as a blaster. An elegant weapon for a more civilized age.”

—Obi-Wan Kenobi

Early Development of the Lightsaber

The Rakata

The Forcesaber was a precursor created by the Rakata, an advanced imperialistic race. Users were able to channel the dark side of the Force through black laboratory-grown crystals which would create the glowing energy blades. But its reliance on Dark Force energy as its power source tempted its users anytime the weapon was utilized.

The Protosaber

The Je'daii Order, predecessors to the Jedi, studied and researched the "frozen blaster" technology and developed a method to generate a focused beam of energy that arced in a circumferential path back to its source, creating a controlled energy circuit and leading to the first portable high-energy blades. However, these preliminary lightsabers were highly unstable and inefficiently guzzled energy from a belt-mounted power supply; they could only be used for a brief duration before overheating. As a consequence of these flaws, the first lightsabers were little more than seldom worn ceremonial objects.

“When you look at the dark side, careful you must be. For the dark side looks back.”

—Yoda

Advancements and Usage by the Sith Empire and Jedi Order

Sith

The Dark Lords of the Sith Empire were ultimately responsible for the advancement of lightsabers, replacing the belt-mounted power pack with a power cell within the hilt. An internal superconductor was introduced, which transferred the returning looped energy from the negative-charged flux aperture back into an internal power cell. With this modification, the power cell would only expend power when the energy loop was broken, such as when the lightsaber cut something, solving the power supply problem.

Jedi

The technological innovations pioneered by the Sith Empire were brought to the Republic and the Jedi during the Great Hyperspace War, which pitted the Galactic Republic against the Sith Empire in 5000 BBY. With the Sith defeat at the end of the war, modern lightsabers were adopted by the Jedi Order. Ironically, the new design of what would become the Jedi’s signature weapon was based on the alterations implemented by their archenemies, the Sith.

“Energy constantly flows through the crystal. You're not fighting with a simple blade as much as you are directing a current of power.”

—Kanan Jarrus

Kyber Crystals: The Power Source

Ilum

The construction of an individual’s lightsaber eventually became a rite of passage for young padawans on their way to full-fledged Knighthood. For generations, many Jedi built their lightsabers in the Force-infused crystal caves of the planet Ilum. The color of the lightsaber blade depends on the color of the kyber crystal and the Jedi’s personal relationship with the Force. Most of the crystals on Ilum are blue, which is the most common color for a Jedi saber.

Red Kyber

Red lightsabers, on the other hand, are exclusively wielded by the Dark Side. They are unnatural at their core, as kyber never grows red. The color comes from a process called “bleeding,” where the Sith or Dark Sider drains the kyber crystal of its light, corrupting it in the process. Because Sith don’t have training in the ways of the Jedi, they typically steal their crystals after slaying the “rightful bearers”.

“To be Jedi is to face the truth, and choose. Give off light, or darkness, Padawan...”

“...Be a candle, or the night.”