Lightsabers were the most iconic Star Wars weapon since the franchise began with A New Hope in 1977, but this new canonical book may be significantly rewriting its history. Lightsabers have come a long way Star Wars movies and TV shows since Luke first lifted his father’s blue saber in A New Hope. Introductions like the Mandalorian Darksaber completely reshaped the conception of lightsabers in the franchise, as did major updates to lightsaber colors and their meanings.
Even in the face of these changes, the history of lightsabers seemed relatively simple. Although there are several lightsaber designs in Star WarsLike Jocasta Nu’s lightsaber rifle and Vernestra Rwoh’s light whip, the classic lightsaber blade appeared to be the original. Now a new canon Star Wars book, Star Wars: The High Republic: The Lightsaber Collectionwritten by Daniel Wallace, called this into question.
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We always assumed light whips were modified lightsabers
The Lightwhip looked like a variation on the standard lightsaber
The light whip has proven to be one of the most creative lightsaber designs in the world. Star Warsand finally made his screen debut in The Acolyte with Vernestra Rwoh’s purple light whip. Maybe because the light whip reached the Star Wars screen after decades of displaying standard lightsabers, and given that the light whip appeared to be an innovative adaptation of this traditional design, it always seemed like the light whip was a variation on the standard lightsaber.
Now, with The High Republic: The Lightsaber Collectionit appears that may not have been the case. In the book, it is confirmed that the light whips used by the Nightsisters of Dathomir comprise the same technology as Jedi light whips such as Vernestra Rwoh’s. Based on recent updates to the story of the Nightsisters of Dathomir in Star WarsThis raises significant questions about whether the Jedi’s standard saber really was the original design – and who used it first.
The light whips used by the Nightsisters of Dathomir comprise the same technology as Jedi light whips.
Ahsoka Retcon Suggests Lightsaber Whip Could Have Come First
Ahsoka shockingly revealed that the Nightsisters predate the Jedi
Between the ways Ahsoka show rewritten Star Wars history was confirmation that the Nightsisters of Dathomir predate the Jedi. This was a truly shocking revelation, as the Nightsisters previously appeared to be a relatively new Force cult. This had implications far beyond the history of the Nightsisters.
Is it possible that light whips came first and that the Nightsisters were the first to use them?
This new take on the history of the Nightsisters suggests that the history of the Jedi may also be misunderstood. One consideration in particular concerns the light whip and, by extension, the history of the lightsaber. If the Nightsisters predate the Jedi and are known to use light whips that match the Jedi, is it possible that light whips came first and that the Nightsisters were the first to use them?
The notion that the lightsaber’s original design may have been a light whip is also in line with other canon. Star Wars books. In Star Wars: The High Republic: A Test of Couragewritten by Justina Ireland, Imri Cantaros (notably, Vernestra Rwoh’s Padawan student) explains:
“[The focusing lens] pushes the energy generated by the kyber out of the blade’s emitter, and the crystal also contains the blade so that the energy remains concentrated. Otherwise, you’d have a blade that just kept moving forward and forward.”
Could this suggest that the “standard” lightsaber design is actually a more recent adaptation?
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What does this Retcon mean for the history of lightsabers?
If this theory is true, this is a pretty radical update to the history of lightsabers in Star Wars. It has long been assumed that the various lightsaber designs are all offshoots of the “traditional” blade first introduced in the original. Star Wars trilogy. This opens up the possibility that there is much more to be learned about the history of these weapons, the Jedi, and other Force users and Force cults..
This may even have implications for the flow of information in the Star Wars Galaxy.
In a sense, this may even have implications for the flow of information in the Star Wars Galaxy. The Force, of course, existed before and outside of the Jedi, as Star Wars established consistently. Even so, it previously seemed that groups like the Nightsisters of Dathomir came after the Jedi. If indeed the Nightsisters used light whips first, it could mean that the first Jedi were learning from the Nightsisters and perhaps other groups of Force users like them.
It will be interesting to see if Star Wars addresses this in the future and, if so, how. Between Star Wars upcoming films is a film rumored to have the title Star Wars: Rise of the Jedi which will focus on the origins of the Jedi. This would be a perfect opportunity for the franchise to explore who the Jedi may have learned from.and that could easily include how the Jedi developed their iconic weapons.
For now, this remains just a theory, but it certainly seems plausible. With the revelation that the Nightsisters of Dathomir came before the Jedi in Star Wars canon, much about the early Jedi and the history of the Jedi and their practices must be questioned. Among the questions to be answered is whether the Jedi modeled their lightsabers after the light whips used by the Nightsisters of Dathomir – and it appears that could very well be the case.