- Yellow lightsabers don’t have a canonical meaning thus far but may represent balance, practicality, and new beginnings based on current Star Wars lore.
- Jedi Temple Guards and Jedi Sentinels used to wield yellow lightsabers. They were a symbol of the Temple Guards’ duty and the Sentinels’ belief in balance.
- Rey Skywalker created her own yellow lightsaber after giving up the lightsabers Luke and Leia gave her, representing her transition to a new stage of her life.
What is the meaning of a yellow lightsaber?
Yellow lightsabers signify harmony, practicality, and change. Because yellow lightsabers are a relatively new (and rare) development in Star Wars lore, they don’t have an “official” or canonical meaning. However, based on their appearances in Star Wars media (most notably in The Rise of Skywalker), their significance is still open to interpretation. Since yellow lightsabers tend to be wielded by brave, resourceful Jedi warriors, they represent the following values: Wisdom and knowledge. Yellow lightsabers are associated with Jedi who specialize in unraveling the secrets of the Force and represent a deep understanding and knowledge. Loyalty. Jedi Temple Guards used to wield yellow lightsabers; thus, this color represents their steadfast devotion to the Jedi cause. Practicality. Yellow lightsabers have a history of being wielded by Jedi who believe in using alternative practical skills instead of the Force to accomplish their goals. Harmony. Yellow lightsabers are often wielded by Jedi who manage to find inner peace and balance, laying internal conflicts to rest. Change. Yellow lightsabers represent acceptance of change and the wielder’s willingness to forge a new beginning for themselves.
Rey’s Yellow Lightsaber in The Rise of Skywalker
The yellow lightsaber represents Rey’s newfound internal balance. Throughout the Star Wars sequel trilogy (The Force Awakens, The Last Jedi, and The Rise of Skywalker), Rey struggles to manage all of the different influences within herself; she wants to be a Jedi and fight for the light side—but is secretly a granddaughter of Palpatine, vulnerable to the dark side. By the end of the trilogy, she finally masters those influences and chooses the path of the Jedi. Therefore, Rey’s new yellow lightsaber may represent her ability to find balance despite the light and dark within herself.
Her lightsaber color may also represent bringing balance to the Force. By the end of The Rise of Skywalker, Rey is one of the few remaining guardians of the Jedi cause—if not its only protector. Regardless, she’s the most important Jedi figure of her time. Rey learned from Luke Skywalker, helped Leia Organa, and brought Kylo Ren (Ben Solo) back to the light. Now that they’re gone and Rey has brought balance to the Force, her yellow lightsaber may symbolize that change. Rey’s yellow lightsaber may also tie back to the Sentinels of legend, who believed in balancing practical skills with Force skills. As a former scavenger, Rey has plenty of practical skills and knows how to use them in addition to the Force.
The yellow lightsaber also signifies Rey’s new life as a Skywalker. Rey’s character arc in The Rise of Skywalker involves rejecting her bloodline as Palpatine’s granddaughter—and, afterward, taking the name “Rey Skywalker” by choice. She also symbolically buries Luke and Leia’s sabers at the Lars Homestead on Tatooine before activating her new yellow lightsaber; this depicts her transition into a new life and her decision to leave the past behind her. Rey’s lightsaber may also look noticeably different from any other saber in the film series as a way to set her apart from other Jedi and mark the end of her unique story (thus far).
Yellow Lightsabers in Star Wars Lore
Yellow lightsabers are associated with the Jedi Temple Guard. The Clone Wars, a Star Wars animated series, depicts Jedi Temple Guards with yellow lightsabers. They all wield double-bladed weapons (much like Darth Maul’s red lightsaber) to mark their position and the sacred duty assigned to them. The Jedi Temple Guard wear masks to remain anonymous and are sworn to protect the Jedi Temple on Coruscant. Jedi Temple guards are disciplined and highly skilled, with a deep knowledge of the Force. This lends itself to the idea that yellow lightsabers are associated with knowledge—and using knowledge to serve the greater good.
In Star Wars legends, Jedi Sentinels also used yellow lightsabers. According to Star Wars lore, Sentinels were Jedi who sought to find balance between the Consulars and Guardians. They wished to master the more practical aspects of being Jedi, like tracking and espionage. In other words, they didn’t believe the Force should be the answer to all their problems and wanted to balance between using the Force and other practical skills. Sentinels are very rare in Star Wars, which is one supposed reason why yellow lightsabers, in turn, are also uncommon. While Sentinels may still exist, it’s possible that they’re not well-known in the current Star Wars canon because they fly under the radar and rarely use lightsabers when they could use other skills to defeat or outsmart enemies. The Sentinels’ ideology is also similar to the grey Jedi, who believed that a balanced knowledge of Force and practical skills was the best path in life.
Bounty hunter and former Sith Asajj Ventress wields a yellow lightsaber. However, she bought it on the black market with the lightsaber having already been created by another Jedi, so it's possible that Ventress' use of the yellow saber was a total coincidence. On the other hand, Ventress was a Sith who turned away from the dark side and chose her own path, separate from both Sith and Jedi. Sith generally use red lightsabers—but because Ventress left the Sith, her use of a yellow lightsaber may represent that change in path and her new calling as a bounty hunter looking for autonomy and individuality. Additionally, some Sith lords wanting to establish unique identities and differentiate themselves might choose to wield a yellow lightsaber (or another lightsaber color that isn't red).
Luke Skywalker carries a yellow lightsaber in one Star Wars comic. In movies, Luke has wielded a blue lightsaber (passed down from his father, Anakin) and a green lightsaber (which he created himself). However, in the Marvel Comics’ 2020 Star Wars collection, Luke has a secret yellow lightsaber as well. The comic centers around Luke’s search for his father’s blue lightsaber (which he lost after his fight against Darth Vader, along with his hand).
Lightsaber Color Meanings in Star Wars
Lightsaber colors reflect their wielders’ personalities and positions. While lightsaber focus crystals used to change color to indicate a Jedi’s class, that changed over time; now, typically, a lightsaber’s focus crystal is a reflection of its wielder’s personal choice and temperament. Crystals take on a particular color once they establish a bond with the lightsaber’s user. Only in a few specific instances did all Jedi of a certain rank or role share the same color lightsaber (such as the Jedi Temple Guards and their yellow sabers). Blue lightsabers represent righteousness, bravery, and a strong spiritual alignment with the focus crystal within the saber. Green lightsabers are associated with harmony, spirituality, helpfulness, and goodwill and tend to be used by wise senior Jedi. Purple lightsabers (mainly seen in the possession of Mace Windu) represent moral ambiguity and an affinity with both the dark and light sides of the Force. White lightsabers (as seen in the possession of Ahsoka Tano) represent purity and autonomy, free from the influences of both the Jedi and the dark side. Want to know which lightsaber best fits your personality? Take our quiz!
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