The Star Wars prequel trilogy changed the franchise in myriad ways, good and bad, but one of the coolest was its lightsabers. They were already one of the most iconic movie weapons thanks to the original trilogy, but a little more limited in scope: even Return of the Jedi‘s reveal that Luke Skywalker’s lightsaber was green was a “woah” moment. The prequels revealed all kinds of other colors, including Mace Windu’s purple, and new styles too: Count Dooku’s curved hilt and, of course, Darth Maul’s double-bladed saber. Along with these came more dynamic lightsaber fight styles, bringing a different kind of action to the saga.
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The sequel trilogy had a lot to live up, and that included lightsabers. It got off to a great start right from the first teaser for Star Wars: The Force Awakens, which gave us a glimpse of Kylo Ren’s crossguard saber, itself one of the all-time cool Star Wars movie lightsabers. Otherwise, though, it stuck to what had previously worked – namely, the Skywalker saber, which ended up in the hands of Rey and was a core part of all three movies. However, the final sequel, Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker, introduced the trilogy’s two coolest, most interesting lightsabers: Dark Rey’s switchblade, and Rey Skywalker’s yellow saber. Unfortunately, it wasted them both.
Dark Rey Was A Huge Missed Opportunity In Star Wars
The dark side version of Rey was teased in The Rise of Skywalker‘s marketing and, while it always seemed likely to be a vision, it did hint at something much more fascinating than what we got in the movie itself. The character only appears for a skirmish with the real Rey, which lasts for around 20 seconds. The idea of Rey turning to the dark side, having long struggled with her identity and place in the world, could’ve been something quite powerful if Star Wars had actually explored it in-depth, but it essentially just amounted to a throwaway trailer moment.
That applies to the lightsaber itself, too. The hinge design is unique in Star Wars movies (though it was used by the Jedi Pong Krell in Star Wars: The Clone Wars), and it would’ve been great to see more of that in action and just what advantages and disadvantages it has. The sequels did that well with Kylo’s crossguard, but while Dark Rey’s double-bladed saber looks even cooler, there wasn’t enough practical application of it.
Just how skillfully does she wield it as an extended double-bladed weapon, building on her practice with a staff? We get a hint of its folded blades trapping another saber, so what other tricks could it allow for? What lightsaber combat form does she adopt while using it compared to a regular saber? They’re things that could’ve shown had The Rise of Skywalker committed more to Dark Rey and would’ve been awesome to see.
The Rise Of Skywalker Wasted Rey’s Yellow Lightsaber (But Star Wars Can Fix It)
The Rise of Skywalker‘s ending not only sees Rey claim the “Skywalker” name, but also unveil her new lightsaber: a yellow one. This choice of color – a first for a Star Wars movie – sparked fervent discussion as to its meaning. Is Rey now an agent of balance? Is it nodding to the Jedi Sentinels of Star Wars Legends? But the truth of the matter is that we don’t fully know why Rey has a yellow lightsaber or what it means to her, besides The Rise of Skywalker following the rule of cool (as with the switchblade). Which, to be fair, it achives.
Rey’s yellow lightsaber is only ignited for a matter of seconds, so we don’t even get to see it in combat at all. The Rise of Skywalker also cut scenes of her building it earlier in the movie, which could’ve answered some of the questions above and better explained the new lightsaber’s importance. Thankfully, Rey will return in an upcoming Star Wars movie – during what’s being called the New Jedi Order era – and that should mean more time for the yellow lightsaber to shine (though her literally digging up the past by retrieving the Skywalker saber can’t be 100% ruled out).
With the character expected to lead a new generation of Jedi, then the importance and meaning of her yellow lightsaber should become clear. It will be a representation of what she stands for as a Jedi, and what she teaches her Padawans. Whether that’s something new and radical that pushes them more towards balance, or sticks with the more dogmatic teachings of Yoda, remains to be seen (though you’d suspect it’ll be more like the former than the latter), but the lightsaber won’t just be a cool weapon, but a core part of that.
Rey’s New Jedi Order movie does not currently have a release date. The next Star Wars movie is The Mandalorian and Grogu, which will be released on May 22nd, 2026, followed by Starfighter on May 28th, 2028.
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