Yellow Lightsaber Lore and History

It’s no secret that there are a variety of lightsaber colors—and it’s likely that more will be revealed to us in the future—but it’s also true that the different shades do not occur in the same proportions. You tend to see a lot of blue (Jedi) and red (Sith) lightsabers. Green, the color of Luke Skywalker’s lightsaber, appears fairly often as well. All three of these colors have been part of Star Wars lore since the original trilogy and are among the most common colors wielded by Force users. Over the years, however, different colors have made their way into the canon, each with its own meaning, symbolism, and history.

Yellow lightsabers occupy one of these obscure niches. It’s an uncommon blade color, and these kinds of sabers have a tinge of mystery about them, as not everything is known about their history. Below, we’ll examine the history and lore of the Star Wars yellow lightsaber, as well as its meaning and famous Jedi with yellow lightsabers.

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Yellow Lightsaber: Meaning & Mythology

In the current canon, the meaning behind the yellow lightsaber is often attributed to Jedi who hold a special place or designation in the Order. Many Jedi with yellow lightsabers are part of the Jedi Temple Guard, for example, and are tasked with protecting the temple on Coruscant. There are others, however, who don’t fit the mold of either regular Jedi Knights and Masters or Temple Guards. Some of these Jedi, like Rey Skywalker, carry symbolism that extends beyond a single classification, wielding the yellow lightsaber as a beacon of individuality and self-growth. Further still, there is a group of Jedi that wields a yellow lightsaber as a way to seek balance apart from the paths chosen by Consulars (green lightsaber) and Guardians (blue lightsaber).

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Yellow Lightsabers and the Jedi Sentinel

Who uses a yellow lightsaber? A Jedi with a yellow lightsaber is most commonly associated with the Jedi Sentinel (but not exclusively). As you may know already, the Sentinels form one of the three “schools” of the Jedi Order, constituting a sort of middle way between the Consulars and the Guardians. While Consulars emphasized the power of diplomacy and the Guardians developed the incomparable fighting ability, Sentinels tried to combine the best of both worlds.

They also attempted to acquire practical skills outside the purview of the Force. For instance, Sentinels often became expert spies, trackers, and technicians. They understood that the Force couldn’t be relied on to solve every problem they might face.

Sentinels could be found in a number of distinct roles, but they’re probably most renowned as the anonymous security team that composed the Jedi Temple Guard. In this role, Sentinels used yellow double-bladed lightsaber pikes to aid them in safeguarding the Jedi Temple on Coruscant. These impressive-looking pikes were connected to the role, not the individual—that is, they were used to perform the duties of this specific position and were not considered the personal property of the guards using them.

 

Characters Who Have Wielded Yellow Lightsabers

The yellow lightsaber is strongly linked with the Jedi Temple Guard, but this is not the only place where these weapons have been found. 

  • Asajj Ventress: It is known that the former Sith apprentice turned bounty hunter Asajj Ventress stumbled upon a yellow lightsaber for sale on the black market, and she was able to wield it ably for the remainder of her life. Ventress’ weapon looked like a standard lightsaber, rather than the double-bladed pikes of the Jedi Temple Guard. Where it came from, and how it ended up on the black market, remains a mystery.
  • Ahsoka Tano: During the events of the Clone Wars, Ahsoka Tano constructed a secondary lightsaber with a greenish-yellow blade.
  • Yord Fandar: In The Acolyte, Jedi Knight Yord Fandar wielded a yellow lightsaber. He fell in battle against a Sith Lord known as “The Stranger.”
  • Rey Skywalker: At the end of The Rise of Skywalker, Rey has retired the legendary Skywalker blade and is shown wielding a yellow lightsaber. This act is believed to represent her ascension to growing beyond her Palpatine lineage and becoming a Jedi in her own right.
  • Dagan Gera: In the video game Jedi: Survivor, Cal Kestis frees a High Republic-era Jedi known as Dagan Gera. As Gera succumbs to his emotions and falls to the dark side, his yellow lightsaber turns to red.

Why the Yellow Lightsaber Is So Uncommon

Yellow lightsaber wielders are seldom seen in the Star Wars universe. Part of this scarcity is due to the scarcity of the Jedi Sentinel themselves. There aren’t many Sentinels, and the few out there usually keep themselves occupied with clandestine or non-combat duties where they have few opportunities to deploy their sabers. On the occasions when a yellow lightsaber does make an appearance, though, whoever is on the wrong side of it is probably in for a bad time.

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