In Star Wars, the lightsaber represents the never-ending conflict between good and evil. The blue lightsaber represents the Jedi order and the red color symbolizes the Sith.
However, the first three Star Wars films; A New Hope, The Empire Strikes Back, and Return of the Jedi only featured blue, green, and red lightsabers.
Then after, as the Star Wars canon progressed, more lightsaber colors appeared (both in canon and non-canon media).
But, what do lightsaber colors mean?
Each Lightsaber is personalized to its wielder. Those who aim to become Jedi Knights must first go through a series of challenges leading them to their own kyber crystal.
When they succeed in their trials, a crystal linked to their energy comes into existence. The self-acquired crystal then converts into an energy beam and becomes a lightsaber with its unique meaning.
All Lightsaber Colors and Meanings
1. Blue Lightsaber
The initial appearances of both blue and red lightsabers can be traced back to Star Wars: A New Hope. A blue lightsaber indicates a wielder’s deep “spiritual alignment” with the crystal and a commitment to the values upheld by the Jedi Order.
When a Jedi was combat-ready and headed for the front lines, they would often sport a blue lightsaber blade to show that they were a Guardian.
Blue lightsabers were used by Obi-Wan Kenobi, Luke Skywalker, and some others.
2. Green Lightsaber
The second most popular color for Jedi lightsabers, green, is often linked with peace, compassion, spirituality, and intelligence. In fact, it isn’t until the third movie, “Return of the Jedi,” that we see a green lightsaber.
When Luke’s blue lightsaber was destroyed in The Empire Strikes Back, along with his hand, he created his own blade which turned from blue to green.
After finishing his Jedi training, Luke Skywalker joins the ranks of the wise and experienced Jedi, who are known to favor the green lightsaber.
Remember that in the EU, Jedi Consulars are denoted by green lightsabers; hence, Ahsoka Tano wielding a pale green shoto lightsaber is noteworthy.
3. Purple Lightsaber
Purple lightsabers, a rare color even among the Jedi, are often associated with the late Jedi Master Mace Windu. Samuel L. Jackson submitted a request to George Lucas, whose favorite color is purple, that the lightsaber itself be formed of purple light.
Therefore, the rare purple lightsaber has no significance in the Star Wars canon and is instead relegated to the status of intriguing trivia.
However, because purple is a blend of two complementary colors, red and blue, in the Expanded Universe, it denotes moral ambiguity, doubt, and royalty. The purple lightsaber’s wielder demonstrates a balance of the Force’s good and evil sides.
4. Yellow Lightsaber
The Yellow lightsabers are one of the rare colors featured in Star Wars: The Clone Wars and represent warmth and optimism. The yellow blade is only given to Jedi Sentinels, who adopt the personality change or master the art of battle. Therefore, when guards of the Jedi Temple sacrifice their identities for their duties, they secure yellow lightsabers.
The last time we saw the yellow lightsaber was at the end of The Rise of Skywalker when Rey officially became the next Skywalker. As a result, the blue color of her lightsaber changed into a golden/yellow one.
5. Orange Lightsaber
In the most recent Star Wars video game, Jedi: Fallen Order, orange lightsabers are introduced and there is currently no context for this color beyond its intrinsic uniqueness and commercial value. Even within the game, this color is exceptional because it was made available to those who pre-ordered it.
In Star Wars Legends, Jedi Master Yaddle, Mandalorian Knights, and other characters use orange lightsabers which symbolize the sun, fire, and heat.
6. White Lightsaber
Ashoka is well known for wielding a pair of white lightsabers, which may or may not be connected to the fact that white kyber is associated with red crystals that have been corrupted.
After the destruction of the Jedi Temple, Ahsoka hid with the Sixth Brother and his lightsaber, which contained rare Kyber crystals.
To show her independence from the Jedi Order and her dislike for the dark side, Ahsoka invoked the Force to purify them and restore them to white. She upgraded two lightsabers, one of which was a shoto, with new white crystals.
7. Red Lightsaber
There is no doubt that a lightsaber of blood-red color symbolizes the Sith. As the Sith cannot create an invisible relationship with their Kyber crystals, they must resort to stealing or other means to obtain the raw materials necessary to construct their lightsabers, unlike the Jedi.
They “bleed” the crystal by releasing their destructive emotions (such as anger, fear, and sadness) into it, causing the crystal to turn red.
In the Star Wars Expanded Universe, however, the Sith did not have access to genuine Kyber crystals, so they developed red artificial Kybers to use in their lightsabers.
Many members of the Sith Order, including Darth Vader, Count Dooku, Darth Maul (with his signature two-bladed lightsaber), Darth Sidious, and Kylo Ren, have been spotted with lightsabers of the red color.
8. Black Lightsaber
The first Mandalorian, Tarre Vizsla, fashioned the one-of-a-kind black lightsaber (also known as a Darksaber).
In contrast to standard lightsabers, the Darksaber’s blade is shorter and more conventionally shaped. It was later seized by members of House Vizsla from the Jedi Temple, where it had been stored after Vizsla’s death.
The dark saber may only be obtained if the previous owner is killed, making it a symbol of authority for the Mandalorians.
Lightsabers In Expanded Universe
The colors above are all canon in the Star Wars universe, but many others haven’t made it into the main storyline and are still only found in the Expanded Universe.
In this canon, lightsabers are forged from various crystals in addition to Kyber, and the blade color varies with each crystal.
As a result, several different hues of lightsabers, including silver, cyan, gold, viridian, bronze, and more, have appeared in the Star Wars Expanded Universe.
Also, it’s not out of the question that some of these lightsaber colors will eventually be adopted into the Star Wars canon, given the recent trend of numerous things from the EU being adopted into the official storyline.