As George Lucas, creator of the Star Wars franchise, told Samuel L. Jackson in response to him asking if his character, Mace Windu, could wield a purple lightsaber (because purple was his favorite color), “good guys are green and blue and bad guys are red.” However, Lucas went on to grant Jackson’s character a purple lightsaber and rewrite all his canon lore regarding lightsaber colors because of it.
So what, now thanks to Samuel L. Jackson’s color preferences, do lightsaber colors signify in the Star Wars universe? The in-universe explanation for Mace Windu’s purple lightsaber is that he channels both the dark side of the Force (which is associated with red lightsabers) and the light side of the Force (which is more generally associated with blue lightsabers) — hence, the purple lightsaber. What I wanted to take this opportunity to do is dive into each of the eight canon lightsaber colors and what they’re associated with according to the writers and fanbase of Star Wars and see how that stacks up against more established color symbolism and associations recognized by designers. How much is George Lucas wanting Luke Skywalker’s lightsaber to be green just to make it distinct from his father’s and Samuel L. Jackson’s favorite color being purple, and how much really functions as truly symbolic and capitalizing on these established associations for visual storytelling?
The Blue Lightsaber
The first lightsaber to grace the screen in the first Star Wars movie released, A New Hope, was the blue lightsaber gifted to young Luke Skywalker by the now elderly Obi-Wan Kenobi. Blue is associated with trust and loyalty and is said to have a calming effect. This lines up perfectly with the intended characterization and cinematic presence the Jedi are supposed to have. The negative attributes are passivity and predictability which also very nicely demonstrates the shortcomings of the Jedi order which are expanded upon in the prequel trilogy as well as The Clone Wars animated series.
The Red Lightsaber
In order of appearance, the red lightsaber was the second to enter the Star Wars canon, with it being introduced during Darth Vader’s fight with Obi-Wan Kenobi also in A New Hope. Every Sith, including Darth Sidious/Emperor Palpatine, Darth Maul (above), Count Dooku, and Asajj Ventress use red lightsabers. Canonically, red lightsabers are created by taking a kyber crystal and pouring in all of your anger and hatred and making the crystal “bleed.” However, red is more than the color of blood and I think that it really does a perfect job of conveying a lot about the Sith (the order opposite of the Jedi to which Darth Vader belongs). Red symbolizes action, strength, and passion. Interestingly, this is perfectly on point for the Sith code which claims, “peace is a lie, there is only passion. Through passion, I gain strength. Through strength, gain power, etc.” This shows how the ideals of the Sith are perfectly articulated by the symbolism of the color red: passion, power, and strength. It also shows a rejection for what the color blue symbolizes, which is peace, but in-universe is an idea inherently linked with the Jedi. Additionally, red is also very symbolic of romantic love and sexual desire, which is also interestingly linked with Darth Vader and his descent to the dark side of the Force. The Jedi, forbid attachments and reject romantic love, which is a large element of what pushed Anakin Skywalker to become Darth Vader (because of his crippling fear of losing the object of his affection). The most interesting symbolic element of the color red itself and Darth Vader’s character is that the idiom “seeing red” means to be so blinded by fear and anger that you cannot see anything, only red. This is essentially exactly what happens to Anakin. This means that when he ignites his red blade to strike down his former mentor, harm his son, kill innocent people, he is seeing red both literally and metaphorically.
The Green Lightsaber
Coming in third, first appearing in Return of the Jedi as Luke Skywalker’s new lightsaber after he lost Anakin’s in his fight against Darth Vader at the end of Empire Strikes Back, the green lightsaber is meant to represent a Jedi who is more in tune with the living Force than your average Jedi, one that focuses on their connection with the Force more than their skill in combat.
In the broader color symbolism, green often represents nature and tranquility. As in the Star Wars universe, the Force flows through and connects all living things, green is a good choice for a Jedi who emphasizes this connection over their dueling prowess. It also symbolizes balance, which is another thematic element that many Jedi across all three film trilogies emphasize. Ironically, however, throughout the prequel trilogy (and most of canon lore preceding Order 66 at the end of Revenge of the Sith), there is a dramatic lack of balance, with thousands of Jedi holding a tremendous amount of power and the Sith believed to not exist at all. This plays into a feeling of security that the color green provides, a feeling that isn’t necessarily supported by the truth.
The Purple Lightsaber
The purple lightsaber was created for Samuel L. Jackson in The Phantom Menace due to the nothing else but fact that it is simply his favorite color. However, fans have argued that a purple lightsaber shows something unique in-universe about the Jedi wielding it. Their explanation is that a Jedi who has a purple lightsaber can use both the light and dark side of the force, essentially mixing the traditional blue lightsaber representing the light side and the red sith lightsaber.
Unlike the other colors discussed thus far, this does not line up with the more widely viewed symbolism of the color purple. Purple in wider design and fiction is more often used to symbolize magic, mysticism, or creativity. It also, due to its history as an expensive pigment, symbolizes royalty and power. None of these line up with ideas that are relevant to Mace Windu’s characterization or the interpretation by fans. However, the fact that purple is used to symbolize creativity is indicative of the fans, who worked to include this spontaneous, not narratively driven decision, into their view of this fictional universe. The idea of purple as symbolizing a moral grayness, a balance of good and evil, is pretty unique to Star Wars fans.
The Darksaber
First introduced in 2010 in the Star Wars animated series, The Clone Wars, the darksaber is a katana-shaped lightsaber-esque weapon that has a black core and is the only one of its kind. In universe, it was created by the only ever Mandalorian Jedi, Tarre Vizsla. The darksaber can only be won in combat and the wielder becomes heir to the Mandalorian throne. Following its introduction in Star Wars: The Clone Wars and it’s reappearance in Star Wars: Rebels, it came into live-action with the Disney+ series The Mandalorian, where it is wielded by Moff Gideon who is defeated by Din Djarin who, as of the time this was written in November 2021, is the current holder of the darksaber.
Having black as the color for the lightsaber that determines the rightful ruler of the Mandalorians was a decision that is very much supported the symbolic connotations around the color black. Black evokes authority, prestige, power, and is seen as an intimidating color, which has exactly the gravitas that the darksaber is intended to have.
The Yellow Lightsaber
Also introduced in Star Wars: The Clone Wars, yellow lightsabers were first seen being wielded by Jedi Temple guards, mysterious masked and cloaked figures that were tasked with the job of protecting the Jedi Temples across the galaxy. The yellow lightsaber reappeared in 2019 in Rise of Skywalker. At the end of the sequel trilogy, Rey Skywalker, similar to how Luke Skywalker in Return of the Jedi made for himself a new lightsaber with a crystal that better reflected his character after the loss of Anakin’s lightsaber, Rey makes herself her own lightsaber with a yellow blade.
I had always assumed that Rey having a yellow blade was meant to emphasize the character’s most prominent personality traits: optimism, perseverance, and confidence. However, like with the purple lightsaber, the take of the Star Wars community on what yellow means as it pertains to kyber crystals is very different. The yellow lightsaber is the “sentinel,” which makes sense for the Jedi Temple guards. As the last of the Jedi, the last of the Skywalker family name, at the end of The Rise of Skywalker, Rey essentially becomes the last sentinel of the legacy of the Jedi and the Skywalkers. Interestingly though, both interpretations of the color choice both make sense and contribute to the visual symbolism, which I think adds layers to the visual media that without both interpretations would be lost.
The White Lightsaber
First introduced in Star Wars: Rebels and reappearing in The Mandalorian, are the white lightsabers wielded by Ahsoka Tano. White lightsabers can only be created by healing or purifying a red Sith kyber crystal. This is demonstrated in the 2016 Ahsoka novel by E.K. Johnston where Ahsoka purifies the crystals that belonged to a Sith inquisitor.
White traditionally symbolizes purity, goodness, and cleanliness, and this appears to make sense, as it is the result of a purified crystal. However, this touches on something that I find incredibly compelling about the narrative choices in Star Wars. A white crystal can only come from a Sith crystal. More generally, innocence and purity are things that once lost cannot be recovered, making white completely untainted, untouched. However, in Star Wars, redemption is something that is not only possible but occurs over and over again. In Return of the Jedi, Darth Vader comes back from the dark side and is redeemed through saving Luke Skywalker. At the end of The Rise of Skywalker, Kylo Ren comes back from the dark side and is redeemed through saving Rey Skywalker. Thus, in Star Wars, white is not necessarily complete purity, but healing, balance, and forgiveness. I personally feel as though this symbolism that implies that goodness is possible even after incredible pain and evil, is a very compelling narrative and visual choice.
While a lot of lightsaber color symbolism is not particularly subtle (red=angry, bad, blue=peaceful, good), a lot of the more recent additions to the Star Wars lightsaber canon has brought a lot of nuance and room for interpretation for the iconic, elegant weapon for a more civilized age.