Lightsabers have been the most iconicStar Warsweapon since the franchise began withA New Hopein 1977, but this brand-new canon book might be significantly rewriting their history. Lightsabers have come quite a long way inStar Warsmovies and TV showssince Luke first held up his father’s blue saber inA New Hope. Introductions such asthe Mandalorian Darksaberhave completely reshaped the conception of lightsabers in the franchise, as have the major updates tolightsaber colors and their meanings.
Even in light of those changes,the history of lightsabers has seemed relatively straightforward. Although there are a number of lightsaber designs inStar Wars, such as Jocasta Nu’s lightsaber rifle and Vernestra Rwoh’s lightwhip, the classic lightsaber blade seemed to be the original. Now, a brand-new canonStar Warsbook,Star Wars: The High Republic: The Lightsaber Collection, written by Daniel Wallace, has thrown that into question.
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We’ve Always Assumed Lightwhips Were Modified Lightsabers
The Lightwhip Seemed Like A Variation Of The Standard Lightsaber
The lightwhip has proven to be one of the most creative lightsaber designs inStar Wars, and it finally made its on-screen debut inThe Acolytewith Vernestra Rwoh’s purple lightwhip. Perhaps because the lightwhip came to theStar Warsscreen after decades of the standard lightsabers being shown, and given the lightwhip seemed to be an innovative adaptation of that traditional design,it has always seemed as though the lightwhip was a variation of the standard lightsaber.
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Now, withThe High Republic: The Lightsaber Collection, it seems that may not have been the case. In the book, it is confirmed that the lightwhips used bythe Nightsisters of Dathomircomprise the same technology as the Jedi lightwhips, such as Vernestra Rwoh’s. Based on recent updates to the history of the Nightsisters of Dathomir inStar Wars, this raises significant questions about whether the Jedi’s standard saber truly was the original design—and who used it first.
The lightwhips used by the Nightsisters of Dathomir comprise the same technology as the Jedi lightwhips.
Ahsoka’s Retcon Hints The Lightsaber Whip Could’ve Come First
Ahsoka Shockingly Revealed That The Nightsisters Predate The Jedi
Among theways theAhsokashow rewroteStar Warshistorywas the confirmation thatthe Nightsisters of Dathomir predate the Jedi. This was a truly shocking revelation, as the Nightsisters had previously seemed to be a fairly new Force cult. This had implications far beyond just the history of the Nightsisters.
Is it possible that lightwhips came first and that Nightsisters were the first to use them?
This new insight into the history of the Nightsisters suggests that the history of the Jedi may also be misunderstood. One consideration in particular pertains to the lightwhip and, by extension, the history of the lightsaber. If the Nightsisters predate the Jedi and are known to use lightwhips that match the Jedi’s, is it possible that lightwhips came first and that Nightsisters were the first to use them?
The notion that the original lightsaber design may have been a lightwhip is also in keeping with other canonStar Warsbooks. InStar Wars: The High Republic: A Test of Courage, written by Justina Ireland, Imri Cantaros (notably, Vernestra Rwoh’s Padawan learner) explains:
“[The focusing lens] pushes the energy generated by the kyber out the blade emitter, and the crystal also contains the blade so that the energy stays concentrated. Otherwise, you would have a blade that just kept going and going.”
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 inStar Wars. It has long been assumed that the various designs of lightsabers are all offshoots of the ‘traditional’ blade first introduced in the originalStar Warstrilogy.This opens up the possibility that there is so 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 theStar Warsgalaxy.
In a sense, this may even have implications for the flow of information in theStar Warsgalaxy. The Force of course existed before and outside of the Jedi, asStar Warshas consistently established. Even so, it previously seemed as though groups such as the Nightsisters of Dathomir came after the Jedi. If indeed the Nightsisters used lightwhips first, then this could mean the earliest Jedi were learning from the Nightsisters and perhaps other groups of Force-users like them.
It will be interesting to see whetherStar Warsaddresses this moving forward and, if so, how. AmongStar Wars’upcoming moviesis a movie rumored to be titledStar Wars: Dawn of the Jedithat 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 this could easily include how the Jedi developed their iconic weapons.
For now, this remains only a theory, but it certainly seems like a plausible one. With the revelation that the Nightsisters of Dathomir came before the Jedi inStar Warscanon, so much about the very first Jedi and the history of the Jedi and their practices has to be questioned. Among the questions to be answered is whether the Jedi modeled their lightsabers off the lightwhips used by the Nightsisters of Dathomir—and it seems like that could very well be the case.
