The blue lightsaber passed to Luke Skywalker in the first Star Wars movie, like the green lightsaber he made in Return of the Jedi, are iconic pieces of lore known to his most devoted fans. But even casual fans of Luke and the franchise may not know that his first lightsaber, quite possibly his most powerful of all, has still not been adapted into any movie.
Luke Skywalker’s First Lightsaber Never Appeared in The Movie
The Strange Story of Luke’s Pink Lightsaber (And Its Meaning) Started at Marvel Comics
Modern movie audiences may not know that as the world awaited the release of the first Star Wars (1977), Marvel Comics provided an opportunity to see the film’s action and characters as an early sneak peek. Created by by Roy Thomas and Howard Chaykin, based on the screenplay and story by George Lucas, Star Wars #1 arrived April 12, 1977. A month earlier than the movie’s May release..
And as the world opened up the comic to be introduced to Luke Skywalker, they watched as he ignited his father’s “lightsabre,” as beam of pure, pink energy. To date, there is still no official explanation for Luke’s pink lightsaber. But with the story based entirely on Lucas’ vision for the series (more on that later), other creators would eventually lean into the choice.
Pink Lightsabers Became The Most Powerful Color in Star Wars Lore
From Magenta Blades To Kaiburr Crystals, “Pink” Marked Exceptional Power
In the years of novels, comic books, role playing games, and other adaptations which created the Star Wars expanded universe, the lore behind lightsaber colors virtually exploded. From the idea of Sith bleeding lightsaber crystals red, to the colors reflecting the lightsaber’s wielder, the meaning behind a lightsaber color became intensely layered. And so came the pink.
Of all the non-canon “Legends” characters not yet returned to official canon, Mara Jade and her magenta blade may be the most anticipated. Not only for her romantic ties to Luke Skywalker, but for her mysterious insights into Emperor Palpatine, as his secret operative. And it was Palpatine who gave Mara her magenta/pink kyber crystal seed… without revealing its source.
Mara Jade’s blade is just one of multiple pink-hued crystals of extreme significance in Star Wars lore, launched by Luke’s comic weapon. The Star Wars RPG took up the theory and introduced pink Dantari crystals, modified variants of kyber crystals which granted a lightsaber’s wielder awareness of unseen dangers. Fundamentally, these pink variants were always explained as ‘uniquely powerful.’
The trend reached its high point when Timothy Zahn’s novel Splinter of the Mind’s Eye, originally written as George Lucas’ sequel to the original Star Wars movie, introduced the all-powerful cosmic “Kaiburr Crystal.” An artifact not only supremely powerful, but capable of magnifying Force ability, and healing the near-dead. All of which gives pink energy a superlative rank in the Star Wars universe.
Star Wars Lore Agrees: Luke’s Pink Lightsaber Would Be His Most Powerful Ever
A Secret Variation He Deemed Too Powerful, or Too Cool (Like His Shoto Blade)?
The expanding story of Luke Skywalker within the new Star Wars canon has delivered several twists, even giving Luke greater Force powers than most fans ever thought possible. Among those changes is also new colors of lightsaber, the most notable being the never-before-seen yellow lightsaber he wielded after losing his father’s in Empire Strikes Back.
But through it all, Star Wars has resisted the urge to return Luke’s first, pink blade back into his hands. With no explicit reason for the decision, fans of Star Wars lore are left to do what they do best: speculate on the “Legends” continuity at work. And it’s becoming less and less likely that Luke learned of so many powerful pink energies… and never attempted to wield them.
To be fair, it’s possible that a pink lightsaber crafted by Luke Skywalker, allowing him access to unique Force abilities, unleash new levels of attack, or commune with will-dominating powers was simply too dangerous. So if Star Wars ever does decide to deliver on the first Star Wars #1 lightsaber, they have an existing reason for why it never lasted.
So until the new live-action Luke Skywalker canon series introduces a film depiction of his first unofficial pink saber, fans must only wish for it to become a reality. The same goes for Luke’s second pink-toned, shortened shoto lightsaber, introduced in Star Wars #96 in 1985. But we’ll allow fans to decide which of these pink lightsaber variants in Luke Skywalker’s arsenal claims the top spot.
- Died
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Star Wars: Episode VIII – The Last Jedi
- Alliance
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Jedi
- Race
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Human
