Does Disney's ‘Star Wars’ Hate Green Lightsabers?
Image Source: Syfy
Storytelling has always served listeners in various ways, providing them with gifts such as escapism, inspiration, identification, etc. A little nuance in the story can serve as a critical point of connection. King Arthur had Excalibur, Narnia has its wardrobe, heroes have their logos, and Star Wars has the Jedi and their lightsabers. Since its inception, the Jedi Order has been identified as the main heroes of Star Wars, with lightsabers and their iconic colors as their primary weapons. Initially, the lightsaber colors differentiated between the heroes and villains. Later, lightsaber colors became associated with specific Jedi and their ranks. The expanded universe canon would later explain colors as a choice, or a revelation as to their place in the Force. Recently, Star Wars media has seen a considerable reduction in the number of green lightsabers, which could be worrisome to established fans. Reducing the usage of such an iconic color could make the established fan base wonder if Disney hates green lightsabers.
Image Source: CNET
The lightsaber itself is a highly spiritual weapon. Jedi younglings design their own hilts and power them with kyber crystals. In the EU, the Jedi younglings choose their preferred color, but the Disney canon has portrayed the cyber crystals as living organisms that call to the youngling and reveal their colors upon insertion and activation. That color indicates the Jedi’s spiritual status in the Force. It should also be noted that there were no red kyber crystals; red lightsabers result from Sith killing Jedi, taking their crystals, and performing a ritual known as “bleeding” to turn the crystal red. Blue usually indicated a warrior/guardian status.
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Other common colors have taken on generally accepted meanings. A purple blade states a person had found the essential balance between the light and dark side of the Force. Yellow represents a reliance on skills outside of Force-wielding. White represents a pure stance in the Force. Wielders of green lightsabers were canonically called Jedi Consulars, which meant they studied the more spiritual aspects of the force. Qui-Gon Jinn, Yoda, and Luke Skywalker are all notable Jedi who brandished green lightsabers and were prone to supernatural experiences. These experiences either stopped the dark side from winning or could have stopped the dark side from winning, and revealed needed improvement in the spiritual state of the galaxy. This further begs the question of why Disney would reduce the number of green lightsabers and ignore them entirely in the sequel trilogy.
Image Source: Star Wars
Primarily, Disney envisions a galaxy where the Jedi are remembered as warriors, with few people recognizing the spiritual significance of their religion. Aside from a few pockets of believers, the Jedi are simply considered wizards. The blue lightsaber of Anakin Skywalker is the final relic of that era, which even Rey discards in favor of a yellow lightsaber, which signifies a preference for people over the Force. This also mirrors Disney’s humanistic message, where people are enough to overcome any force of evil themselves. Ironically, Star Wars canon proves just the opposite is true. Mace Windu could not overcome Palpatine because of his fear and pride. Yoda was outdated and realized he trained to fight the Sith of generations past. Anakin’s lust for power and misguided belief in his abilities (not to mention a hastily given title of “Chosen One”) led to his fall to the dark side. All three of these instances in the canon prove that warriors without spiritual balance are doomed to fail. Yoda’s rebalanced spiritual nature allowed him to train the next generation of Jedi that permanently defeated the Sith. Indeed, the green lightsaber and those who wielded them are the true galaxy heroes. The Jedi Consulars were eventually able to move past the need for the weapon itself and draw more closely to what their destiny in the Force was meant to be all along: a spiritual guide.
Image Source: IGN
To say that Disney prefers one color over another is an argument that could be made, as the monolithic organization has shied away from their inclusion. It is more likely, though, that they do not understand the origin or need for the green lightsaber. In the age of warriors, it seems noble to send a message of “fight” against the injustices of the day; however, warriors without a spiritual balance lead to chaos and destruction. It was never just the weapon's color, but the wielder's character that bore its true significance. The spirituality of a warrior still matters if evil is to be genuinely defeated, both in a galaxy far far away and in our world.
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Sources: The Stupendous Wave, Star Wars Theory, CBR, Syfy
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