Warning! This post contains SPOILERS for Ahsoka episode 2
Contents
Summary
- Anakin Skywalker’s iconic lightsaber belonged to Rey Skywalker more than it did to Luke, based on new insights about lightsaber ownership.
- Luke admitted that his father’s lightsaber never felt like his own, highlighting the importance of a strong connection between a Jedi and their lightsaber within the Force.
- Rey repaired Anakin’s lightsaber, bonding with the crystal and making it truly her own by pouring her own essence into it with the Force.
Star Wars has revealed some intriguing insights about lightsabers, supporting the strong argument that Anakin Skywalker’s iconic blue lightsaber belonged to Rey Skywalker more than it ever did in the hands of Anakin’s son Luke. Serving as the most recognizable lightsaber in the galaxy far, far away, the lightsaber of the Chosen One was passed down through the decades, having been wielded in all three trilogies of the Skywalker saga. However, new reveals regarding lightsaber ownership suggest that the lightsaber was best used when it was wielded by Rey.
Like many Jedi Padawans, Anakin created his first lightsaber after selecting his kyber crystal. He then built it according to the traditions of the Jedi and presumably under Professor Huyang’s supervision, an ancient droid created by the first Jedi to assist Padawans in the construction of their lightsabers as noble weapons. Following his first lightsaber’s destruction in Attack of the Clones, Anakin’s replacement was the very same lightsaber that would be wielded by his son Luke in the original trilogy and by Rey in the sequels. However, new reveals have confirmed that the blade was better in Rey’s hands than Luke’s for a very specific reason.
Luke Has Admitted Anakin’s Lightsaber Never Felt Like His Own
Luke Skywalker first wielded his father’s lightsaber after it was given to him by Obi-Wan Kenobi in A New Hope. He’d then go on to wield the blade in Empire Strikes Back while ultimately losing it during his duel with Darth Vader, just before the reveal that Vader was his corrupted father. This motivated Luke to construct his own green-bladed lightsaber which he’s seen using in Return of the Jedi, though the young Jedi also recovered a yellow-bladed lightsaber which he temporarily used between losing his father’s lightsaber and building his own. This has been revealed in Marvel’s ongoing Star Wars comic series set after the events of Empire Strikes Back.
Now, the recent Star Wars #35-36 from Charles Soule and Madibek Musabekov sees Luke struggling to make repairs to his yellow lightsaber after the kyber crystal within was damaged. Referring to the old Jedi texts he’d recovered to continue his training between the events of the movies, Luke comes to realize how connected a Jedi should be to their lightsaber within the Force, something he admits he never really felt with his father’s lightsaber nor the one he found in an old Jedi outpost. As a fun reference, the comics also have Luke discovering that he’s missing a technical manual for lightsaber repairs written by Professor Huyang himself.
Ahsoka Has Finally Revealed How A Lightsaber Gets A New Owner
Luke’s lack of connection to his father’s lightsaber is contrasted with comments made by Professor Huyang in Star Wars’ new Ahsoka show on Disney+, set in the years after Return of the Jedi. Having been aiding Ahsoka Tano and Sabine Wren in their mission to prevent the return of Imperial leader Grand Admiral Thrawn, Huyang and his vast knowledge of lightsabers have provided some very interesting insights. Not only was he able to identify the new villain Baylan Skoll as a former Jedi based on his lightsaber, but the ancient droid has also assisted in Sabine’s lightsaber training as she seeks to become a Jedi herself with Ahsoka’s guidance.
Just before the disappearance of Jedi Ezra Bridger in the series finale of Star Wars Rebels, Ezra gave his lightsaber to Sabine who’s still wielding the blade in Ahsoka. However, she’s also made some modifications to the hilt as Huyang observes in Ahsoka episode 2. While Sabine says the lightsaber still belongs to Ezra, Huyang counters that her years wielding the blade herself combined with the alterations do indeed make the lightsaber hers. This is rather interesting, implying that Sabine’s connection to the lightsaber should be quite strong following the steps she took to make it her own (assuming she unlocks her ability to connect with the Force itself).
Rey Repaired Anakin’s Lightsaber – And Bonded With The Crystal
After Luke lost Anakin’s lightsaber, it somehow ended up in the hands of Maz Kanata which in turn was given to Rey years later in The Force Awakens. As such, Rey continued wielding the blade during her training with Luke Skywalker (who wanted nothing to do with it), though it was eventually split in two by Rey and Kylo Ren at the end of The Last Jedi. Having recovered most of the pieces and the shattered kyber crystal within, The Rise of Skywalker revealed that Rey repaired the lightsaber and it’s confirmed she poured her own essence into fixing the broken crystal, healing it with the Force.
Considering the aforementioned reveals about lightsaber ownership, it does seem as though Rey truly made Anakin’s lightsaber her own in the Star Wars canon. While Luke inherited the blade as Anakin’s son, it seems a true connection with a lightsaber built by someone else requires more than simply wielding it. One has to place their own identity onto the lightsaber, effectively choosing the blade so that the lightsaber itself can then bond with its new owner as well.