Summary
There may be an in-universe reason whyDarth Vader’s lightsaber from theStar Warsoriginal trilogy resembles his Jedi lightsaber fromStar Wars: Episode II – Attack of the Clonesmore than his Clone Wars-era lightsaber. AlthoughAnakin’s second lightsaberis the first to ever be ignited onscreen in 1977’sStar Wars(now calledA New Hope), Darth Vader’s Sith weapon is the first one to be shown, with Darth Vader boarding the Tantive IV with the lightsaber on his belt.Attack of the Clones, curiously, reveals that Anakin Skywalker’s first Jedi lightsaber is nearly identical to Darth Vader’s lightsaber.
Anakin Skywalker built his first Jedi lightsaber in 29 BBY, carrying the weapon for 7 years until its destruction on Geonosis, as shown inAttack of the Clones. After briefly using his second Jedi weapon following his fall to the dark side, Darth Vader would construct a proper Sith weapon shortly after the events ofStar Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith. Vader would continue to use this red-bladed lightsaber for 23 years, with the weapon being destroyed along with the Second Death Star inReturn of the Jedi.
In its original Legends-era incarnation, Darth Vader’s lightsaber was powered by a dark side-imbued synthetic lightsaber crystal. In the modern canon, it is powered by a Kyber crystal that was “bled” with the dark side.
All 7 Star Wars Characters Who’ve Used Anakin’s Lightsaber (In Canon & Legends)
Anakin’s iconic lightsaber has a fascinating history in the Star Wars franchise, being used by heroes and villains alike in Canon and Legends.
Darth Vader’s Lightsaber Is So Much More Like AOTC Than Anakin’s More Famous Blade
Vader Went For A Less Iconic Design
Curiously, Darth Vader did not base his Sith lightsaber’s design on his Clone Wars-era lightsaber.Anakin Skywalker’s first Jedi lightsaber and Darth Vader’s Sith lightsaber are nearly identical, with the only obvious difference between their hilts being their emitter shrouds, with Darth Vader’s being black and Anakin’s having a chrome hue. Although mostlightsaber hilts are unique, there are notable instances of hilts closely resembling each other or being identical. Luke Skywalker’s lightsaber hilt is extremely similar to Obi-Wan Kenobi’s Clone Wars-era lightsaber, for instance. The similarity between Vader’s lightsaber and Anakin’s first weapon may have a deliberate in-universe explanation.
Anakin Skywalker/Darth Vader
Conceived by the will of the Force itself, Anakin Skywalker was the prophesied Chosen One, destined to bring the Force into balance. Anakin struggled to balance competing attachments to the Jedi Order and his wife Padmé Amidala, and ultimately fell to the dark side, becoming Darth Vader. For years he served as Palpatine’s right hand man, but he was ultimately redeemed by the faith of his son, Luke Skywalker. Now a Force Ghost, Anakin continues to act as an agent of balance.
Why Did Darth Vader Revert To That Older Lightsaber Type?
He May Have Simply Preferred That Older Design
Anakin Skywalker’s second Jedi lightsaber is far more famous than his first, with the wartime weapon seeing far more use than its predecessor and being passed down to famousStar Warscharacters in canon and Legends like Luke Skywalker, Mara Jade, and Rey. Despite this,the lightsaber was most likely made with a sense of urgency, as Anakin needed to replace his first weapon and fight in the Clone Wars. The modern canon may reinforce this explanation, withThe High Republicmultimedia projectrevealing that Jedi have quicker ways of constructing lightsabers during conflicts.
While Anakin might have taken his time constructing his first Jedi weapon, perhaps he was hastier in building his more famous Clone Wars-era lightsaber, resulting in a different and less personalized design. As Darth Vader, however, he was no longer fighting a war, but conquering worlds and murdering Jedi for the Empire, allowing him to spend more time constructing his new lightsaber. This might explain why Darth Vader built a nearly identical lightsaber to his first Jedi weapon after theStar Warsprequels, with Vader perhaps preferring his first design to its more iconic successor.
Star Wars
Star Wars is a multimedia franchise that started in 1977 by creator George Lucas. After the release of Star Wars: Episode IV- A New Hope (originally just titled Star Wars), the franchise quickly exploded, spawning multiple sequels, prequels, TV shows, video games, comics, and much more. After Disney acquired the rights to the franchise, they quickly expanded the universe on Disney+, starting with The Mandalorian.
