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The portrayal of the lightsaber in Episodes IV to VI reflects the minimalism of the first three films as compared to the Prequels. In these films we only encounter the straightforward laser sword, straight, long and unadorned (red, blue or yellow) and that's it.

In the world of Episodes I to III this isn't the case though, and ego comes into play with the Jedi and Sith's weapon of choice. From Darth Maul's double lightsaber to Count Dooko's curved scimitar (and not forgetting that Samuel L Jackson as Mace Windu had to have a purple one), what we start to see is the diversification of the familiar straight sword. This continues in Episode VII with Kylo Ren's weapon which is as much fire and sparks as laser. Obi-Wan's memory of the lightsaber as 'An elegant weapon for a more civilized age' seems slightly untrue.

No one in any of the duels has their lightsaber fizzle out on them like Obi-Wan's does on the Death Star duel in Episode IV. In the context of the film this represents his waning strength in contrast to Vader's and the Empire's growing strength. In the wider context though this is an anomaly. We know Vader isn't weakening the lightsaber through a mind trick or he'd be doing the same in all his other duels. So what has happened to Ben Kenobi's lightsaber? None of the other duellists have the double AA battery die on their weapon mid-combat.

When a combatant in a lightsaber duel is mutilated, this is usually a hint at a character flaw or shortcoming. As such it is notable this final battle between Vader and Obi-Wan is the only lightsaber duel in which the loser remains physically intact prior to his evaporation back into the essence of the Force. The inference is that Obi-Wan's integrity of character remains intact. By contrast, Luke loses his hand in a sort of trial by duel, for which he is unready and also not fully trained. Anakin loses his arm through impetuousness (a characteristic which will make him vulnerable to the Dark Side). Dooku loses his hands and head through pride and over-reaching, and the beast Darth Maul is simply cut in half. Windu loses his forearm through blindness and an inability to read the situation.

This happens most clearly in Anakin's final moment of hubris on Mustafar when Obi-Wan's lightsaber literally takes his legs from under him and cuts him in two. It is the most dramatic and brutal of all lightsaber dismemberments and it comes along with the most exacerbated example of a character flaw. In short, the severity of the amputation is a measure of the extent of the character’s shortcomings. It's a brutal, almost medieval, version of proportionate justice.

By comparison, Yoda who is arguably the least-flawed of all the Jedi simply dies in his bed.

Question: What happens to Yoda's lightsaber? Does Luke take it with him when he leaves Dagobah for the final time? Will we see it again in one of the new movies?

The Demise of the Lightsaber

Throughout the chronological course of the first six Star Wars movies there is an implied shift away from the world of Italianate duelling with rapier-like lightsabers and towards a spaghetti western style of combat with blasters a-blazing. In Episode I The Phantom Menace, it's mostly Battle Droids and the Naboo who seem to use conventional blasters and then there's a steady move away from lightsabers towards blasters from there on.

In Episode II (The Attack of the Clones) in the Geonosian arena scene it becomes more or less 50/50. This is (very aptly) the moment when everything hangs in the balance between Jedi fighting with lightsabers and the Battle Droids, Clone Troopers and Jango Fett using blasters. The decimation of the Jedi marks the start on the road towards the decline of their favoured weapon.

By Episode III (The Revenge of the Sith) this decline is well under way. The demise of the lightsaber is represented very starkly by General Grievous scooping up all the lightsabers he can from fallen Jedi which reflects that their use is diminishing. This is compounded by the scene in which Obi-Wan loses his lightsaber and has to resort to despatching General Grievous with a blaster ('how uncivilised' he remarks distastefully). See also my article General Grievous and the Amputation Motif in the Star Wars Films

Then by Episode IV we are at the point where 'there's no substitute for a good blaster at your side kid'. The lightsaber has become rare, antiquated and an actual source of fascination to Luke when he first gets his hands upon one.

In this second Star Wars trilogy we also see a transition. This one however reflects an inferred rise of the lightsaber and by implication of the Jedi. In Episode V The Empire Strikes Back Luke takes both a blaster and a lightsaber to face Vader on Bespin. By the time of The Return of the Jedi however Luke is more sure of himself as a Jedi and takes only his lightsaber when he allows himself to be captured on Endor in order to face Darth Vader for the final time. When Luke is handed over to Vader the point is emphasised by the Imperial officer who tells Vader 'He was carrying only this'.

This pattern of a rise of the lightsaber is not followed by the third Trilogy of Star Wars movies. The Rise of Skywalker does not coincide with the choice of a lightsaber in preference over a blaster. Finn uses both in The Force Awakens, but more significantly Rey is gifted with both a blaster by Han Solo and with Luke's lightsaber by Maz Kanata on the planet Takodana. In the Rise of Skywalker trailers we see that Rey is carrying both. This is a divergence from Jedi tradition and symbolically shows that Rey is taking both the influence and legacy of both Skywalker and Solo forwards in to this new world. The world in which we expect to be promised the possibility of a balance between the light and dark sides of the Force also seems (through Rey's choice of weapons) to promise a balance between the worldliness of Solo and the more earnest traits of Skywalker and also the Jedi of the prequel Trilogy.

The Demise of the Lightsaber in Rogue One.

We have already witnessed the demise of the lightsaber and the rise of the blaster in The Revenge of the Sith as represented by the final battle between Obi-Wan Kenobi and General Grievous. In Rogue One this pattern of demise and rise is continued in the relationship between Baze Malbus and Chirrut Îmwe.

Baze Malbus and Chirrut Îmwe between them represent the tipping point between the old values of the Force and the emerging secular values later to be represented by Han Solo and 'a good blaster'. Chirrut insists that the Force protects him and Baze makes the point that it's actually his heavy blaster that is protecting his friend (and it is a huge blaster). At this point, both seem to be the case. As such the two characters form a good bridge for the paradigm shift in belief systems and the shift in the preferred choice of weapons between Episodes III and IV.

The transition can also arugably be observed in the Star Wars Rebels cartoon in which Ezra Bridger's weapon is both a stun blaster and a lightsaber combined into one. The conflict between the demise of the one and the rise of the other is symbolised quite strongly in Series Two Episode 6 (Always Two There Are) when Ezra is torn between having either lightsaber training or blaster training as both Rex and Kanan want to teach him at the same time.

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All Star Wars action figures, vehicles, collectibles and Star Wars toys shown on this website are the 3.75 inch scale and from my own private Star Wars collection unless otherwise stated. Where possible original vintage accessories have been used but in some instances I have placed Kenner Star Wars figures with either reproduction weapons and accessories or for Hasbro figures close approximations have been used. This is mostly the case for modern Star Wars lightsabers where the correct item can be very difficult to identify on some ocassions. Vintage Star Wars action figures are shown with their original weapon or accessory when I have them. When a vintage Kenner action figure is shown with an accessory which is not original I have tried to point this out where possible.

All of the Star Wars action figures shown were purchased second hand, usually incomplete, and in bulk. They have been reunited with their original weapons and accessories where we could get hold of them.

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