Lightsabers are the iconic weapons wielded by Jedi and Sith in the Star Wars universe. With their glowing, colored blades of pure energy and distinctive hum, lightsabers are central to some of the most memorable moments and duels in the films and expanded universe. But not all lightsabers are created equal – some colors are far more uncommon than others.
The Most Common Lightsaber Colors
The vast majority of lightsabers seen in Star Wars produce blades in one of two colors – blue and green. This is especially true of lightsabers used by Jedi. Blue and green crystals are the most common and readily available for Jedi to obtain and build into their lightsabers. According to Star Wars lore, blue lightsaber blades represent Jedi who are more focused on their combat training and martial skills, while green blades symbolize Jedi who are more in tune with the spiritual and philosophical aspects of the Force.
Among Sith, red lightsabers are by far the most common. Sith artificially “bleed” their kyber crystals to turn them red and bend them toward the Dark Side. As a result, almost all Sith-aligned Force users wield ominous red blades.
Rarer Lightsaber Colors
While blue, green, and red blades make up the majority, lightsabers have appeared in a variety of other hues across Star Wars movies, shows, books, comics, and games. Here are some of the less common lightsaber colors:
- Purple: Only one major character has wielded a purple blade: Mace Windu, one of the Jedi Council members in the prequel trilogy. Actor Samuel L. Jackson requested the unique color so his character could stand out onscreen.
- Yellow: Typically only wielded by Jedi Temple Guards, representing their sentinel role. Jedi Sentinels Plo Koon and Bastila Shan also had yellow lightsabers.
- Orange: Almost entirely unique to the Jedi Temple Guards seen in Star Wars Rebels.
- White: Ahsoka Tano’s paired lightsabers produce pure white blades, representing her neutral status between the Jedi and Sith. The Dathomiri Witch Mother Talzin also wielded a white saberstaff.
- Black: Only seen with the Darksaber, an ancient lightsaber constructed by Tarre Vizsla, the first Mandalorian ever inducted into the Jedi Order.
The Rarest Lightsaber Colors
Some lightsaber colors are so rare and unique that they have only appeared once or twice across all of Star Wars. Here are some of the rarest blade colors:
Bronze
The only bronze lightsaber ever depicted in Star Wars belonged to the Jedi Librarian Tera Sinube during the Clone Wars. Sinube’s saber generates a metallic bronze blade, representing the elder Jedi’s studious and scholarly nature.
Silver
This regal color has only been shown wielded by the fanatical Padawan Kueller on the planet Bosthirda in ancient times. Kueller’s unusual silver lightsaber generated a lustrous metallic blade.
Rainbow
Asajj Ventress, Count Dooku’s apprentice, temporarily used a rainbow-bladed lightsaber when she fought Kit Fisto on the aquatic planet of Mon Cala. The crystal producing this unique cascading spectrum of colors was likely a byproduct of the planet’s peculiar environment.
Gold
Gold blades are extremely rare even in Star Wars Legends stories. The only gold lightsaber prominently featured was constructed sometime before the Battle of Ruusan and was kept in the Jedi Temple Archives until it was stolen by Cad Bane during the Clone Wars.
| Color | Number of Known Instances |
|---|---|
| Blue | Over 100 |
| Green | Over 100 |
| Red | Over 100 |
| Purple | 1 |
| Yellow | 6 |
| Orange | 4 |
| White | 2 |
| Black | 1 |
| Bronze | 1 |
| Silver | 1 |
| Rainbow | 1 |
| Gold | 1 |
As this table shows, bronze, silver, rainbow, and gold lightsaber colors are by far the rarest, each appearing only once in Star Wars stories. While unusual colors like purple, yellow, orange, white, and black may seem rare compared to the common blue, green, and red, they still appear quite a few times across different materials. The metallic bronze, shimmering silver, flowing rainbow, and luxurious gold stand out as truly one-of-a-kind lightsabers.
The Meanings Behind the Rarest Colors
These incredibly rare colors each have a symbolic meaning or story behind them in Star Wars lore:
Bronze
The wise Jedi Librarian Tera Sinube constructed his bronze blade to represent his scholarly dedication to preserving Jedi history and knowledge.
Silver
The obsessive Padawan Kueller built his silver lightsaber while secretly studying forbidden texts about ancient Sith rituals, foreshadowing his eventual fall to the dark side.
Rainbow
Asajj Ventress’s temporary rainbow lightsaber manifested from a crystal affected by the unique bioluminescent properties of Mon Cala’s oceans. This instability reflected Ventress’s own conflicted and ever-shifting allegiances.
Gold
The origins of the solitary gold lightsaber remain shrouded in mystery. Some speculate it may have belonged to an ancient Jedi or Force user who was obsessed with riches and power.
Conclusion
Lightsabers are deeply personal weapons for the Jedi and Sith who wield them. Their kyber crystals and distinctive colors reflect their owners’ personalities, styles, backgrounds, and goals. While blue, green, and red are by far the most common shades, the extremely rare bronze, silver, rainbow, and gold sabers stand out as unique expressions of their wielders. For Star Wars fans, seeing the occasional lightsaber with an unusual or unexpected color is always a memorable delight.
With stages upon stages of revision and growth, the lightsaber continues to be one of the franchise’s most iconic elements. The rainbow of different colors is a testament to just how flexible this fantastic weapon can be. While the main colors have become well-established over decades of storytelling, the most exotic hues give an exciting glimpse at what could be possible with the lightsabers of tomorrow.
