What do the different lightsaber colours mean? Lightsabers, you know them, you love them. They’re the main weapons from a galaxy far, far away, but what do the colours mean?
The chosen weapon of the Jedi Knights and the Sith Order, not as clumsy or random as a blaster; instead, they’re elegant weapons for a more civilised age. We’ve seen countless lightsabers across the myriad of Star Wars movies and Star Wars series, and these weapons come in a variety of different colours.
From ruby red to vibrant violet, Star Wars lightsabers can be almost any colour, and the colour of the blade can often tell us a little about the personality of its owner. So what do the lightsaber colours mean? Well, we’ve gone digging through the Jedi archives to answer that very question. (Editor’s note: for the record, we’ve only included lightsabers included in the movies and TV series, we know there are a lot of other colours in the Star Wars games).
Blue lightsabers
The first lightsaber we see in the Star Wars timeline is a blue one, and this colour is the one most associated with the Jedi. Blue is traditionally seen as a soothing colour that represents good.
In Legends’ canon, the blue blades were associated with righteousness and bravery and were predominantly used by Jedi Guardians. The Guardians were a group within the Jedi order who prioritised martial skill with a lightsaber over the spiritual side of the Force. Jedi like Obi-Wan Kenobi use a blue lightsaber.
Green lightsabers
Green is the second most common colour of lightsaber. Green is associated with the natural world and growth; it’s arguably the colour of life. Whether by coincidence or design, the green lightsaber is also the colour used by the most powerful onscreen Jedi.
Both Luke Skywalker and Yoda use green sabers and yes, we know Anakin Skywalker was the chosen one and used blue, but he turned to the Dark Side before realising his potential. In Legends, canon Jedi Consulars who sought to master the Force instead of the blade, used green lightsabers.
Red lightsabers
Red Lightsabers, like blue, were introduced in the first Star Wars movie and are exclusively used by the Sith and Dark Side users like Darth Vader and Emperor Palpatine. Red as a colour is associated with anger, hate, passion, and violence, the things that supposedly drive the Sith.
In Legends canon, the red colouration came from the fact that the Sith used artificial crystals in their lightsabers. These crystals were stronger than their naturally occurring counterparts but also more unstable, the perfect metaphor for the Sith.
Since then, however, the canon has changed. Instead, the red colour comes from the Sith, forcing a lightsaber crystal to “bleed”. Basically, a Sith apprentice is tasked with killing a Jedi, stealing their lightsaber crystal and then pouring their hate into the rock. This infects the force-attuned crystal with Dark Side energy, corrupting it in the process and turning it red.
Purple lightsabers
There’s only been one canon example of a purple lightsaber, and it belonged to Mace Windu. In our world, purple is associated with pride, wealth, and mystery. However, in a galaxy far, far away, this unique lightsaber colouration is meant to symbolise that the user walks the path between light and dark (red + blue = purple) and represents moral ambiguity.
Of course, it’s worth noting that this is just the in-universe hand-waving. In reality, Windu uses a purple lightsaber because Samuel L Jackson requested it so that he could see himself in the big battle at the end of Attack of the Clones.
Yellow lightsabers
Yellow lightsabers are used by Jedi Temple guards and Rey Skywalker. This is probably the colour we know the least about; however, yellow as a colour is associated with happiness, optimism, and loyalty.
In Legends canon and the videogames, yellow-bladed lightsabers belong to those who seek to marry the teachings of Jedi Consulars and Jedi Guardians. Basically, Jedi who are working towards mastering both the combative and spiritual side of the Force.
White lightsabers
White lightsabers are exceedingly rare and most notably used by Anakin Skywalker’s former apprentice Ahsoka Tano. Devoid of any colour, these lightsabers seemingly represent how the user doesn’t follow the path of the Jedi or the Sith and instead walks their own path.
Curiously, in the case of Ahsoka’s lightsabers, the crystal at the heart of this weapon wasn’t always white; it used to be red. When Ahsoka defeated its old master, however, she purified the weapon turning the blades white.
Black lightsabers
There’s only one known black lightsaber in existence, the Darksaber. Introduced in the animated series The Clone Wars, the Darksaber has a storied history and several unique properties beyond its black blade.
The weapon is heavier than a standard lightsaber, it produces a blade shaped more like a katana than a standard longsword, and finally, its wielder is technically the rightful ruler of the Mandalore people. The black colouration of the blade is likely to represent the dark history of the weapon, and its weight is symbolic of the responsibility that comes with being a leader. Heavy is the hand that wields the saber, I guess?
After defeating Moff Gideon in a duel in The Mandalorian season 2, that weight fell on the shoulders of Din Djarin, who wields the weapon at the beginning of season 3, before handing it over to Bo-Katan. The Darksaber is destroyed in The Mandalorian season 3 episode 8 ending.
Love Star Wars? Then you’re in luck. We have guides to the best Star Wars bounty hunters, Star Wars droids, and even the best Star Wars villains. Or for something more specific, dive into what to expect from the Andor season 2 release date and the Ahsoka release date.