2024 Said Goodbye to Luke Skywalker's Yellow Lightsaber, But Here's Why It Deserves to Return
Luke Skywalker has had a number of different colored lightsabers in Star Wars canon, with the first being his father’s blue lightsaber and his most iconic being his own green lightsaber. However, Luke had another lightsaber during the time between losing his blue ‘saber and getting his green one: a yellow lightsaber. In 2024, Luke Skywalker said goodbye to that yellow lightsaber. But, hopefully, that’s not the last fans have seen of it.
Luke Skywalker got his yellow lightsaber in Marvel Comics’ Star Wars Vol. 3 #6 by Charles Soule and Jesús Saiz. This moment in Star Wars canon was pivotal, not just because it saw Luke get a new lightsaber following his defeat to Darth Vader on Cloud City, but because it was the moment the Rebel Alliance had a much-needed resurgence.
This era of Star Wars is set between Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi, and right after Episode V, the Rebellion was reeling after a major defeat that all but crippled the cause. Not only that, but Luke Skywalker had suffered a personal defeat, meaning the ‘new hope’ of the Rebellion was decidedly less than hopeful at the moment. This entire arc bridges the gap between the bleak ending of Episode V, and the hopeful beginning of Episode VI, and Luke’s yellow lightsaber was integral in forming that proverbial bridge.
The ‘Yellow Lightsaber Era’ (as this period of Star Wars history is unofficially known) came to an end in Star Wars Vol. 3 #50, bringing an end to all of Luke Skywalker’s adventures while wielding this iconic ‘saber. The yellow lightsaber was a beacon of hope in the galaxy right alongside the Jedi who wielded it, it was the ‘saber Luke used while becoming the Jedi Master fans see in Return of the Jedi, and the yellow lightsaber actually has a pretty fascinating real-world origin.
Luke Skywalker Used the Yellow Lightsaber During His Most Pivotal Moments
The Yellow Lightsaber is What Luke Trained with to Become a Master Jedi & It was a Symbol of the Rebellion
Luke Skywalker claimed his yellow lightsaber only a few issues into Star Wars Vol. 3, and he carried it with him till the very end of the ‘Yellow Lightsaber Era’. In the issues leading up to Luke getting the yellow ‘saber, the Rebellion had very little hope. As previously mentioned, Episode V was a tough time for the Rebel Alliance, and they needed a resurgence if the cause hoped to continue. After Luke got the yellow lightsaber, he ignited it in front of a number of Rebel leaders, which was symbolic of the reignition of the Rebellion’s cause.
After that, Luke didn’t waste any time putting his new yellow lightsaber to good use - and that included Jedi training. In Episodes IV and V, Luke’s training with Obi-Wan Kenobi and Yoda got cut short due to more pressing matters regarding the Empire. While fans always assumed Luke had simply continued his training with Yoda in between Episodes V and VI, it was still shocking to see the novice from Episode V being introduced as a master in Episode VI. Well, the comics filled in that gap, revealing that Luke did his own form of Jedi training with his yellow lightsaber.
For instance, in Star Wars #13, Luke Skywalker practices blaster deflection with his yellow lightsaber while actually fighting for his life against a gang of criminals. Luke also wields his yellow lightsaber while experimenting with the dark side of the Force, as he briefly gives into his anger and allows it to fuel him during a conflict with Sabé. It’s possible Luke’s yellow lightsaber could have become his red lightsaber if he gave in to the dark side completely, but either way, it’s significant that this is the lightsaber he uses during his temptation to the dark side.
Luke Skywalker’s Yellow Lightsaber Has an Epic Origin
Luke Skywalker Used the Yellow Lightsaber to Battle the Grand Inquisitor
In Star Wars #6, Luke Skywalker travels to an abandoned Jedi Temple after receiving word that Jedi were still living there. Upon walking in, Luke sees an old lightsaber that was once used by a Jedi Temple Guard. Luke - who, at this point, didn’t have a lightsaber of his own - grabs the ‘saber and ignites it, revealing it to be the now-iconic yellow lightsaber. Moments later, Luke is shocked to discover that not only were there no Jedi living in this Temple, but the whole thing was a trap set by the Grand Inquisitor.
The Grand Inquisitor (who was merely a specter clinging to life through the dark side and tethered to this Temple) attacked Luke, as he meant to kill the young Jedi-in-training just as he had done to so many other Jedi before. However, Luke’s inherent power and natural skills were too much for the Grand Inquisitor, and Luke defeated him before taking off with his new lightsaber. This was Luke’s first major victory in a lightsaber duel, and it was done with his yellow lightsaber.
Luke Skywalker’s Yellow Lightsaber has a Fascinating REAL-WORLD Origin
Star Wars Made the Yellow Lightsaber Canon AFTER 1 Real-World Mistake
Not only was the in-world origin of Luke’s yellow lightsaber incredibly significant and utterly badass, but the real-world origin of it is arguably even more fascinating. Long before yellow lightsabers were even canon in Star Wars (let alone the idea that Luke himself wielded one during the events of the original trilogy), the yellow lightsaber originated as a component of a Star Wars action figure by Kenner Toys - more specifically, a manufacturing error.
Kenner accidentally gave its Luke Skywalker action figure a yellow lightsaber instead of the blue one he had in Star Wars: A New Hope (which, at the time, was simply titled Star Wars). When this error occurred, the only two colored lightsabers that existed in Star Wars canon were red and blue, making this error stand out even more than it would today, since Star Wars canon and Legends have introduced a plethora of colored lightsabers any character could wield. Now, that mistake has finally been fixed, as Luke did wield a yellow lightsaber during this particular Star Wars era.
Luke Skywalker’s yellow lightsaber gave hope to the Rebellion when it needed it most, it was the ‘saber Luke used to become a Jedi Master (and flirt with the dark side), it was the lightsaber with which Luke had his first victory in a major lightsaber duel, and its real-world origin is fascinating. So, while the ‘Yellow Lightsaber Era’ has come to an end with Star Wars #50, these moments prove that this particular lightsaber was too significant in Luke Skywalker’s life to be gone forever, and absolutely deserves to return.
- Created by
- George Lucas
- First Film
- Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope
- Cast
- Mark Hamill, James Earl Jones, David Prowse, Carrie Fisher, Harrison Ford, Daisy Ridley, Adam Driver, Ian McDiarmid, Ewan McGregor, Rosario Dawson, Lars Mikkelsen, Rupert Friend, Moses Ingram, Frank Oz, Pedro Pascal
- TV Show(s)
- The Mandalorian, Andor, Obi-Wan Kenobi, The Book of Boba Fett, Ahsoka, The Acolyte, Star Wars: Skeleton Crew, Lando, Star Wars: The Clone Wars, Star Wars Rebels, Star Wars: The Bad Batch, Star Wars: Resistance, Star Wars: Young Jedi Adventures, Star Wars: Visions
- Movie(s)
- Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace, Star Wars: Episode II - Attack of the Clones, Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith, Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope, Star Wars: Episode V - The Empire Strikes Back, Star Wars: Episode VI - Return of the Jedi, Star Wars: Episode VII - The Force Awakens, Star Wars: Episode VIII - The Last Jedi, Star Wars: Episode IX- The Rise of Skywalker, Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, Solo: A Star Wars Story, Star Wars: The Clone Wars, Star Wars: Dawn of the Jedi, Star Wars: New Jedi Order
- Character(s)
- Luke Skywalker, Han Solo, Rey Skywalker, Emperor Palpatine / Darth Sidious, Obi-Wan Kenobi, Ahsoka Tano, Grand Admiral Thrawn, Grand Inquisitor, Reva (The Third Sister), The Fifth Brother, The Seventh Sister, The Eighth Brother, Yoda, Din Djarin, Grogu, Anakin Skywalker/Darth Vader, Leia Organa, Ben Solo/Kylo Ren
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.
