Summary
Luke Skywalkerused a red-bladed lightsaber shoto in theStar WarsLegends continuity, and there may be a good reason for the weapon’s unusual hue. In the modernStar Warscanon, red-bladed lightsabers come fromKyber crystals that have been “bled” by the dark side of the Force, a process traditionally performed by Sith Lords. In the Legends timeline, however, red lightsaber crystals are traditionally used by Sith and other dark side users, but thelightsaber colordoes not necessarily indicate a dark side affiliation, as there are instances of Jedi and other Force-users wielding red-bladed weapons.
Less than a year after the events ofReturn of the Jedi, Luke Skywalker battled Lumiya, the Dark Lady of the Sith and the first true successor to Palpatine and Darth Vader. Luke Skywalker was soundly defeated in his first duel with the Sith Lady, who used alightwhipto devastating effect. Before their next bout, however, Luke constructed a shoto lightsaber to give him an edge against Lumiya’s signature weapon. Luke’s shoto helped him best Lumiya, but its red blade may confuseStar Warsviewers, given Luke’s status as the first of a new generation of Jedi.
Lumiya established the next iteration of the Sith Order after Darth Bane’s dynasty.
Star Wars: What Is The Rarest Lightsaber Color?
While there are common colored lightsabers in Star Wars lore, there is one color that has only been created three times in Star Wars canon.
Luke Skywalker’s Red-Bladed Lightsaber Was Made Before Colors Were Decided
There is a simple real-world explanation for Luke Skywalker’s shoto having a red blade. In 1985 – when the weapon debuted –red had not been established as the dark side-affiliated blade color, just as blue and green were not necessarily confirmed as Jedi colors yet. It wasn’t until the early 2000s that these parameters were established, as many lightsaber wielders – be they Sith, unaffiliated, or evencouncil members of the prequel-era Jedi Order– used a variety of blade colors, with dark side-users having blue-bladed weapons and Jedi using red bladed lightsabers.
The Prophet of the Dark Side, known as Sariss, used a blue-bladed lightsaber, and the Jedi Master Adi Gallia is sometimes depicted as wielding a red-bladed lightsaber.
In-Universe, Was There Ever A Reasonable Explanation For Luke’s Red Lightsaber?
Notably, the prequel trilogy-era Jedi who used blade colors other than blue or green (or purple, in Mace Windu’s case) were retconned to have always used these two common hues by the release ofStar Wars: Episode II – Attack of the Clones. Yet, perplexingly,Luke Skywalker’s shoto never underwent such a retcon, even when it reappeared in theLegacy of the Forcenovels. For this reason, there must be an in-universe explanation for the shoto’s red blade. The context surrounding the weapon’s construction may provide an answer.
Luke Skywalker’s shoto was most likely constructed using a synthetic lightsaber crystal, just like his green-bladed weapon. Unlike the green lightsaber, however, Luke did not spend over a month meticulously crafting the weapon. In his haste to face Lumiya again, Luke most likely built his shoto hurriedly, creating another synth-crystal and not taking the time to choose a specific hue. This most likely resulted in a red gem, as was usually the case for synth-crystals. Despite this, most members of the New Jedi Order inStar WarsLegends used synth-crystals, yet red-bladed lightsabers were extremely rare among Luke’s students.
Star Wars
Star Wars is a multimedia franchise that started in 1977 by creator George Lucas. After the release of Star Wars: Episode IV- A New Hope (originally just titled Star Wars), the franchise quickly exploded, spawning multiple sequels, prequels, TV shows, video games, comics, and much more. After Disney acquired the rights to the franchise, they quickly expanded the universe on Disney+, starting with The Mandalorian.
