Have you seen “A New Hope and The Empire Strikes Back?”
Then you must have noticed the lightsaber in blue or red. But did you know Obi-Wan Kenobi’s lightsaber was blue in color?
It was linked with the Jedi. Later, he gave it to Luke Skywalker.
However, Darth Vader had a red lightsaber that later shows its association with the Sith.
It all changed in “Return of the Jedi” when Luke Skywalker created a new lightsaber all by himself.
The new lightsaber was actually different from what everyone used to have. It was green in color and was created from the usual color standards.
Usually, in the posters, promotions, and trailers of “Return of the Jedi,” you must have seen Luke carrying a blue lightsaber.
So, when people watched the movie, they learned that Luke was carrying a green lightsaber.
It was actually unexpected for the audience.
So, why was there a change in the lightsaber color?
The Star Wars world has explored this topic in different ways with various media forms, but that happened after the fact.
It has given a spark to many discussions about the lightsaber colors.
The real reason why Luke Skywalker had a green lightsaber instead of a blue one was unrelated to the movie.
It was all about the practicality in real life.
When filming, Luke Skywalker’s lightsaber changed from blue to green. It was because of the difficulty of seeing the actual color with the same background.
It became clear in the very beginning of “Return of the Jedi” when they were filming a battle on Jabba the Hutt’s sail barge.
It was during the daytime.
The blue lightsaber looked like the bright blue sky in the background.
So, they decided to make changes to Luke Skywalker’s new lightsaber.
Later, it turned from blue to green. The decision has given a new idea of adding different colored lightsabers besides red, blue, and green.
It was even more exciting for Star Wars fans after more variety was added.
You will be surprised to know that Luke Skywalker constructing a new lightsaber with a green blade was a deleted scene.
It was never shown in the released version of the Return of the Jedi movie.
The scene was added to the bonus content in the Blu-ray set that was released as “Luke’s lightsaber.” It made total sense that the scene was deleted.
Otherwise, it would have revealed a lot of things. Overall, it would have taken much of the surprise from the events in the movie later.
Scope of Lightsaber Colors in the Future Projects
The Star Wars franchise has expanded by introducing new colors for the Jedi lightsaber.
It was in the “Return of the Jedi,” and it has expanded with different possibilities for future projects.
You must have seen its expansion in the prequel trilogy.
Jedi was wielding a blue, purple, and Star Wars green lightsaber. However, Sith continued to use red.
Further, in “The Clone Wars,” an animated series, Jedi Temple guards carried yellow lightsabers.
You must have also seen Rey Skywalker’s lightsaber, constructed at the end of “The Rise of Skywalker.”
It was also yellow. There were other notable additions, such as –
- Darksaber with a black blade
- Ahsoka Tano’s white lightsaber, and
- An Orange lightsabers
These were featured in the video game “Jedi: Fallen Order.” The variety of lightsaber colors has enriched the Star Wars universe.