Summary
AlthoughAnakin Skywalker’sblue lightsaber from the prequel trilogy has become iconic inStar Wars, including far beyond the prequel era, Anakin/Darth Vader actually used six different lightsabers throughoutStar Warsmovies and TV shows. Anakin Skywalker is undoubtedly one ofStar Wars’most powerful Jedi, and he became one ofStar Wars’most powerful Sith. However, that certainly doesn’t mean he was without some odd flaws.
On the contrary, Anakin had a number of flaws and quirks, some grave and some humorous. As just one example,Anakin hilariously had an issue holding onto his lightsabers—and that evidently didn’t stop once he’d turned to the dark side. For that reason, Anakin had and used several different lightsabers in the franchise. Here’s every lightsaber Anakin Skywalker/Darth Vader used throughoutStar Warscanon.
10 Things That Make No Sense About Anakin Skywalker
Although Anakin Skywalker is easily one of the most important characters in all of Star Wars, several parts of his story still make very little sense.
6Anakin’s First Blue Lightsaber
Appeared In: Star Wars: Episode II - Attack Of The Clones
A massive time jump took place betweenStar Wars: Episode I - The Phantom MenaceandStar Wars: Episode II - Attack of the Clones, revealing that Anakin had gone from a scared young boy from Tatooine unfamiliar with the Jedi way to a stubborn teenage Padawan learner. With this jump came a number of changes in Anakin’sStar Warsstory. Among them was the reveal of Anakin’s first official lightsaber on screen: a blue saber that he used throughout some key scenes inAttack of the Clones.
Sadly,one of the most memorable scenes in which Anakin wielded this blue lightsaber was the terrible Tusken Raider massacrethat Anakin carried out after finding his mom tortured in the Tusken Raider camp. However, this wasn’t the same blue lightsaber seen throughoutStar Wars. Rather, this lightsaber was eventually broken inAttack of the Clones. When Anakin and Padmé went to rescue Obi-Wan Kenobi on Geonosis, they were trapped in a room full of heavy machinery. It was during this intense situation that Anakin’s lightsaber was severed.
Humorously, immediately following this incident, Anakin announced that Obi-Wan was going to kill him when he discovered Anakin had broken his saber. Given the way Anakin phrased it, this might even suggest that Anakin had other sabers before this that are unknown in the franchise that he also broke or lost. After all, the certainty of Anakin’s statement implied that he and Obi-Wan had discussed this before. In light of the decade that passed betweenThe Phantom MenaceandAttack of the Clones, it’s certainly possible this was far from Anakin’s first lightsaber accident.
It’s certainly possible this was far from Anakin’s first lightsaber accident.
5Nicanas Tassu’s Green Lightsaber
Anakin had already broken his first blue lightsaber inAttack of the Cloneswhen the Battle of Geonosis broke out, and he certainly couldn’t go without a weapon during this massive fight. Because of that, another Jedi, Nicanas Tassu, let Anakin use his green lightsaber, which is what Anakin can be seen wielding throughout the Battle of Geonosis. In fact,this is the same lightsaber Anakin used to fight Count Dooku in the movie.
It isn’t clear what precisely happened to this lightsaber after Anakin used it, although presumably he simply returned it to its rightful owner. After all, Jedi were said to have a particular bond with their kyber crystals and therefore their sabers. While this green loaner lightsaber may have worked for one battle, it wouldn’t have served Anakin long-term. Anakin, instead, needed to create a new lightsaber for himself, and it seems he wanted one that looked quite similar to his first blue saber.
4Anakin’s Second Blue Lightsaber
Appeared In: Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge Of The Sith
ByStar Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith, Anakin already had his second blue lightsaber. This would sadly be Anakin’s final Jedi lightsaber. However,the legacy of this lightsaber certainly didn’t end when Anakin became Darth Vader. Instead, this blue lightsaber is the very one that has been seen throughoutStar Wars. It was first seen inA New Hopewhen Luke Skywalker wielded it, and it reappeared in the sequel trilogy and was used by both Finn and Rey.
In fact, ironically, this saber was also broken, but not by Anakin—Rey and Kylo Ren split it apart inStar Wars: The Last Jedi. Technically, Anakin lost this lightsaber as well, although that could hardly be considered his fault in the same way his first blue lightsaber’s accident may have been. During their epic battle on Mustafar, Anakin was obviously overtaken by Obi-Wan, famously dismembered and left for dead after he had been completely burned by lava on the molten planet.
As Anakin lay dying, Obi-Wan picked up the lightsaber and took it with him, which explains how the blue lightsaber ended up on Tatooine in the original trilogy. Sadly,this legendary lightsaber’s time inStar Warsmay truly be over. InStar Wars: The Rise of Skywalker, Rey buried this lightsaber and Leia’s lightsaber on the Lars farm on Tatooine.
This means this lightsaber’s story ended at the same time the Skywalker Saga did.
This was certainly a controversial move byStar Wars, but it does suggest that this lightsaber won’t be seen again. Although sad, this is nice in a sense. For one, this means this lightsaber’s story ended at the same time the Skywalker Saga did. For another,although Anakin’s body may not have been buried on Tatooine, his lightsaber was, close to where he had buried his mother. This is perhaps the closest Anakin could have gotten to being buried next to his beloved mother.
3Count Dooku’s Lightsaber
Although it’s easy to miss, Anakin’s second blue lightsaber wasn’t the only one he wielded inRevenge of the Sith. Rather, at the beginning of the movie, Anakin used his own blue lightsaber but also Count Dooku’s Sith red one to decapitate the Count.Anakin killing Dooku in this way was brutal enough, but it becomes even more so in light of the fact that Anakin killed Dooku with his own lightsaber.
Anakin’s second blue lightsaber wasn’t the only one he wielded inRevenge of the Sith.
This was also foreshadowing, of course. Not only was Anakin willing to kill an unarmed opponent—a clear sign of the growing darkness within him—but he also used a red lightsaber without hesitation. Interestingly, however, Anakin’s own Sith lightsaber was never shown in the prequel trilogy. Obtaining a red lightsaber does not happen automatically; a kyber crystal must be ‘bled’ for the blade to turn red. Ultimately, this happened off-screen, but it does happen in the canonStar Warscomics.
Why Anakin’s Lightsaber Didn’t Turn From Blue To Red When He Became A Sith
Although Osha turned a blue lightsaber red in a matter of seconds, there’s one key reason Anakin Skywalker’s red lightsaber didn’t happen right away.
Nevertheless, it’s fascinating thatCount Dooku’s red lightsaber was technically Anakin’s first Sith saber. Of course, eventually, that was no longer true. Just as Anakin acquired the iconic Sith eyes, in the end, Anakin wielded a red lightsaber of his very own. As mentioned, though, even as a terrifying Sith Lord, Anakin never resolved his habit of losing or breaking his lightsabers.
Even as a terrifying Sith Lord, Anakin never resolved his habit of losing or breaking his lightsabers.
2Darth Vader’s First Red Lightsaber
Appeared In: Darth Vader #4 (2017)
Even once Anakin had joined the dark side of the Force, his behaviors didn’t change all that much, at least when it came to lightsabers. In the canon comic bookDarth Vader #4 (2017), Vader finally acquired a lightsaber with a kyber crystal he could bleed, from a Jedi named Kirak Infil’a. As is the Sith tradition, Vader won this lightsaber in battle with Infil’a, killing him and taking his saber. This was the lightsaber Vader used early on in the Dark Times, even keeping the hilt the same. However, like his Jedi lightsabers, it wasn’t built to last.
Rather, in the comics, this lightsaber was broken in a confrontation between Darth Vader and a group of bounty hunters. Interestingly enough, though, Vader was able to retain the kyber crystal from this destroyed lightsaber, meaning that this same crystal was the one used in the red lightsaber Vader came to be known for. Vader only changed the hilt, finally designing one of his own. Although the exact timeline is a bit difficult to identify, presumably, it was Vader’s second and final red lightsaber that was seen throughout the original trilogy and likely inObi-Wan Kenobias well.
1Darth Vader’s Second Red Lightsaber
Appeared In: A New Hope
While Anakin’s second blue lightsaber might be the most legendary weapon Anakin used as a Jedi, Darth Vader’s second red lightsaber is equally iconic. This is the weapon Vader used throughout the original trilogy, from fighting Obi-Wan Kenobi to the death inA New Hopeto battling with Luke inReturn of the Jedibefore he turned back to the light side of the Force. Ultimately, this was Anakin’s final lightsaber, as he died very soon after his fight with Luke inReturn of the Jedi.
Interestingly, Anakin/Vader has been seen wielding a lightsaber even after his death, in the World Between Worlds in theAhsokashow. However, this isn’t exactly Anakin Skywalker, nor is it even a Force ghost, and he seems to be wielding the second blue lightsaber and the second red lightsaber, respectively, in those scenes, meaning that they are not truly unique weapons. Either way, though, it’s clear thatAnakin Skywalkerhad a number of lightsabers he used throughoutStar Warsthat went far beyond just his blue Jedi lightsaber and his red Sith lightsaber.
