The Meaning Of Every Lightsaber Color Explained [Canon and Legends]

The weapon of choice for both the Sith and the Jedi, the lightsaber held great significance to its user, it being connected to them through the force itself. The colour of the Lightsaber signified the wielders personality, affiliation and even their specific discipline within the Jedi order. 

In legends, a lightsaber would be coloured based upon the colour of the chosen Lightsaber crystal. However in canon, the colouration is determined based upon the user's force abilities and skills rather than colour preference. Today we will be exploring the meanings of all the different lightsaber colours in depth using both canon and legends material. 

First of all we have my personal favourite lightsaber colour: red. Red Lightsabers, in both canon and legends, were made in a slightly different way to other lightsabers. In legends, red lightsabers utilised synthetic crystals which were made using the dark side of the force. However in canon, red blades were produced through the bleeding of a Kyber crystal. This process involved the sith pouring all of their hatred and anger into the crystal, turning it crimson red. In both canon and legends, red lightsabers represented the dark emotions of anger, hatred and greed typically used by the sith. 

However in legends there were some exceptions to this. Adi Galia found an exceptionally rare light red Kyber Crystal and installed it into her lightsaber. Although there is little information on naturally occurring red Kyber crystals, they were attuned to the light side of the force. 

Similar to the red lightsaber crystal was the pink lightsaber crystal seen in legends. These were just as rare as red Kyber crystals but were even harder to acquire. As far as we know, these could only be found within the eggs of the Kinrath, a species native to Dantooine. Just like in canon, these Kyber crystals would change colour depending upon the alignment of the force user. While the Kinrath eggs usually produced a blue or green crystal, on rare occasions they would produce a yellow or pink saber. While it's not known exactly what the meaning of this saber is, I thought it was worth a mention regardless. If I were to guess the meaning of the pink crystal, I would say it was likely similar to the next saber colour on this list: purple. 

As we all know the real reason purple was created was so that Samuel L Jackson could stand out during the attack of the clones. However in universe, purple signified a closer alignment to the dark side than most Jedi. Mace Windu was of course the most famous wielder of the purple lightsaber, signifying his more aggressive fighting style. Windu used a variation of form 7 known as vapad. Form 7 was traditionally used by the sith and was heavily frowned upon by the Jedi order. However, Windu was able to channel some of his and his opponents dark side energy into his fighting style. 

Despite Windus dogmatic views concerning the Jedi and Anakin Skywalker, he was in a way the most balanced Jedi in the order, utilising both the dark and the light thus making his lightsaber purple. 

In legends, purple sabers were slightly different. Instead of symbolising the balance between light and dark, purple sabers were more similar to the pink and naturally occurring red crystals discussed earlier and were made through acquiring incredibly rare amethyst crystals. 

Windu first acquired his saber through the use of the force shatterpoints ability which allowed him to see glimpses of the future. He foresaw that he would create one of the most elegant sabers in the galaxy and the force compelled him to travel to the world of Hurrikan. After a short battle with rock monsters, Windu killed one of them. Distraught, he then used the force to bring them back to life. It was in this moment that Windu realised that he could use his anger to cause great destruction or defeat evil. After this profound realisation, the Rock monsters gifted Windu with the amethyst crystal which he used for the remainder of his life. 

Next up we have blue, the most common lightsaber colour. Within canon the specific meaning and differences between green and blue is yet to be fully explored although both were of course affiliated with the light side of the force. However, in legends blue Lightsabers were used by the Jedi Guardians; one of the three main schools of thought within the Jedi order. 

Users of a blue lightsaber would focus upon more Physical aspects of the force for example force push and force enhanced duelling. They would mainly use their force  abilities to combat threats within the galaxy, usually through brute force. By the time of the clone wars, blue lightsabers were the most common lightsaber colour within the Jedi order in large part due to their abundance upon the planet illum. 

The other primary colour within the Jedi order was the green lightsaber. Green lightsabers were reserved for those who were very powerful in the force. In legends, they were known as the consulars and unlike the jedi guardians, spent most of their time contemplating on the force, seeking to vanquish the dark side through exploring the force rather than with brute force. Diplomacy and planning was the primary weapon of a Jedi consular although they were still trained with a lightsaber up to and even beyond the level of a Jedi guardian in case they ever needed it. Their strong connection to the force often meant that they were often even more skilled with a blade than a jedi guardian as they were able to use the force to quicken their movements and strengthen their blows. 

Next up we have turquoise lightsabers, perhaps the rarest of all the saber colours. While their exact meaning is not known, it can be assumed that the colour represented a force alignment somewhere between a Jedi Guardian and a consular. Their rarity can largely be attributed to the extreme expense and scarcity of turquoise lightsaber crystals. The first known way of acquiring a turquoise or teal blade was by using the sunrider's destiny lightsaber crystal. This crystal was one of a kind and once properly tuned, this lightsaber could only be used by  its rightful owner. The second way of obtaining a turquoise blade was by utilising a rainbow gem as the lightsaber crystal. Rainbow gems were found only on the planet of gallinore and were in fact a form of silicon based life. Jedi Tenel Ka utilised several of these gems in her rancour tooth lightsaber hilt, producing a turquoise blade. It is said that each of these gems cost the same as a Mon Calamari Star Cruiser, perhaps making this lightsaber one of the most valuable items in the entire galaxy. 

The Jedi guardians and consulars were of course the main schools of thought within the Jedi order, but there was a third known as the Jedi Sentinels. In legends, sentinels used a yellow lightsaber and was typically regarded as somewhere between a Jedi guardian and consular. However they also differed from both other schools of thought significantly.Sentinels focused on perfecting skills that were not usually associated with the Jedi Order, taking on the practical aspects of the Jedi guardians but also the contemplative nature of the consulars. They usually stayed away from the Jedi temple, preferring to conduct their Jedi affairs within communities throughout the galaxy. 

However in both canon and legends, yellow lightsabers were also used by the Jedi temple guards, some of the most devoted Jedi in the order and in legends, a sub-section of the JUedi sentinel school of thought. They were so devoted to their role that the position required them to have absolutely no emotional attachments or identity. They would contemplate on the force without the distraction of their identites while committing themselves to violence if it was required. Jedi temple guards did not go out and find a kyber crystals like other Jedi. Instead, the yellow sabers would be passed down to them from previous temple guards to prevent them from having attachment even to their own lightsaber.

Jedi sentinels and temple guards were not the only ones to use yellow lightsabers however. The early Jedi often used yellow or orange bladed protosabers, although the colouration may have been because lightsaber technology had not been refined at this point. 

The Eternal empire were also seen using yellow lightsabers. Although they were secretly led by the Sith Emperor Vitiate under the disguise of Valkorian, the knights of zakuul as their force users were known explored all aspects of the force. Although they studied and used the dark side, members were encouraged to share their findings with the rest of the order, something that almost never happened within the Sith Empire. Similar to the Jedi sentinels, they also placed a great deal of emphasis on technological progress as well as the force. 

In my opinion, the meaning of the yellow lightsaber is the most confusing, it being used by some of the most devoted and rebellious adherents of the Jedi order as well as the Eternal Empire and of course Rey Skywalker. If I were to make a guess, I’d say that yellow represents those who explore many aspects of the force but also have a broad understanding of other skills such as technology. Most commonly, yellow is associated with a wielders dedication and persistence in undergoing learning, be that about the force or otherwise.  

Next up we have white. The white colour was unlike many of the other colours seen in canon as it was not chosen by the kyber crystal but rather through the healing of the kyber crystal 

 This lightsaber colour was achieved by reversing the process of bleeding discussed earlier in the video. In this way, they would free the crystal of the dark side, changing the colour to pure white. A force wielder may choose to do this to signify their lack of affiliation with either the Jedi or the Sith, much like Ahsoka Tano. Some claim this is the lightsaber colour of the grey jedi. However, as Ahsoka doesn’t use the dark side, I believe that white still signifies the light side of the force only without the dogmatic teachings of the Jedi. 

Another saber colour we know very little about is black, seen only in the darksaber. We know that the original owner of the darksaber, tor vizla was of course a mandalorian and much more warlike than his Jedi brethren. Many speculate that it was constructed using the dark side or maybe even a combination of both the dark and the light but thus far we have not received an explanation of its meaning.

Last of all, we have the orange lightsaber, the newest colour in Star Wars canon thanks to the Jedi Fallen Order game. This lightsaber colour was exceedingly rare in both the legends and canon timelines. In legends, orange lightsabers represented those who sought peaceful resolutions to conflict, much like Jedi with green lightsabers. However, like the yellow lightsaber wielding Jedi sentinels, they spent more time on the front lines of a conflict, seeking to bring balance and peace through negotiation and people skills rather than meditation on the force. While we don’t know what the orange sabers meaning is in canon just yet, some speculate that it might be similar to purple, with purple being a mix between Jedi guardian and the dark side while orange is a mix between a Jedi sentinel and the dark side.