Can a Jedi Use Another Jedi’s Lightsaber?

Every militant force has to have a way to protect itself. 

Even the more illegal organizations have weapons in our society. This is surprisingly reminiscent of the Jedi and the Sith in the Star Wars universe. 

In Star Wars the main weapon of choice is the lightsaber. 

Lightsabers are formed from a substance known as a Kyber Crystal. Although lightsabers may seem to be plentiful throughout the galaxy, the crystals are surprisingly tedious to come by. 

Therefore, not everyone can just make a lightsaber. 

To find a Kyber Crystal, the young Jedi, also known as Padawans, are sent to the Crystal Cave on the planet Ilum. There they would mine the crystals needed for them to construct their lightsabers. 

Once in their possession, the Kyber Crystal reacts with the positive energy exuding from the youngins. Once that happens, the color of the crystal adjusts to suit its new wielder.

Ergo, the Kyber Crystals are partial to the light side of the Force. 

So how exactly do Sith get hold of the crystals for their lightsabers?

Well, given that the Sith can’t mine crystals for themselves, they have to obtain their lightsabers after they defeat a Jedi. Alternatively, they can steal the lightsabers. 

From there, they would remove all the light, positive energy from the crystal and fill it with their negative darkness. This process is known as Bleeding. 

After the crystal is bled, it turns red and is now at the mercy of the Sith. 

Considering how sensitive the crystal seems to be to its specific user, is it possible for a Jedi to use another Jedi’s lightsaber? 

This is a valid question and will be answered as we progress through the article. 

So without further ado, let’s dive into it. 

Can a Jedi use another Jedi’s lightsaber?

As temperamental as the crystals seem to be, they aren’t all that special. 

They do not impart any special abilities to the Jedi. They don’t make the Force work better. Quite frankly, they aren’t that much different from a Samurai Sword or any other weapon in our reality. 

Even though the crystals are designed for their specific Jedi, that’s about where the specialties end. Essentially, all lightsabers are created equally. 

For that reason, a Jedi can use another Jedi’s lightsaber if need be. 

The lightsabers don’t make the Force users more attuned to the Force, nor does it strengthen any techniques or make the Jedi more powerful in any way. The lightsabers are just a tool they use to aid them in battle. 

Can a Jedi use a Sith lightsaber?

Now, it’s well known that the Sith gain their lightsabers through violent and unethical means. Then when they do obtain this lightsaber, they completely dismantle it, bleed the crystal, and rebuild it to fill their needs. 

The Sith can then use the lightsabers like they were always in their ownership. 

Once such Sith is General Grievous. He was a warlord who served as the dark side’s commanding officer during the Clone Wars against the Galactic Republic. 

During this time, he held the position of General within the Separatist Droid Army. In addition to that, General Grievous attained the title of Supreme Martial Commander of the Separatist Droid Armies. 

General Grievous had no problem proudly flaunting his many stolen Jedi lightsabers during battle, in all his conquests. 

Since the Sith are, in theory, allowed to use a Jedi lightsaber, the Jedi can do the same. Most likely, if the situation is dire, the Jedi can use a Sith lightsaber. 

Of course, they would need to be careful when doing so. This is because the red lightsabers are filled to the brim with everything the Jedi have spent their entire lives trying to avoid. 

If the Jedi that used the Sith lightsaber isn’t secure enough in everything they’ve learned during their teachings, then chances are they could fall into the dark side. 

Even so, this doesn’t have to be the case. 

Just take the legendary Jedi Master, Obi-Wan Kenobi. 

If he used an enemy lightsaber during battle, it would most likely be because he was forced into a compromising position. 

There, unarmed and in grave danger,  he would have virtually no other choice but to use a Sith lightsaber to save himself and his comrades. 

This act would not mean he had been poisoned by all the pain, hatred, and rage the Sith poured into the Kyber Crystal. 

Obi-wan is so headstrong in his belief in the light side, that it would be next to incredibly difficult for him to fall prey to the dark side of the Force. 

Thus, it’s perfectly fine if a Jedi temporarily used a Sith lightsaber, just as long as they don’t forget their training.

How many lightsabers can a Jedi have? 

When a Jedi finally gets their lightsaber, they usually have one. 

However, that’s generally just like a right of passage and by no means the standard of the number of lightsabers a person is allowed. 

Most Jedi Guardians are trained to fight with two lightsabers. They often opt to just use one. This may be out of pure convenience, but whatever the reason they have, they have the option to use multiple if they want to. 

There’s a term for the use of two lightsabers during battle. It is called Jar’Kai.

One Jedi that is a well-established practitioner of Jar’Kai is Ahsoka Tano. She preferred to use two lightsabers as opposed to one. 

Granted, she eventually became an individual free from both the Galactic Empire and the Galactic Republic, for reasons mentioned above. 

Still, Ahsoka was one of the few Jedi who put her talents on full display by using two swords. 

Some Jedi have used multiple lightsabers but for a shorter time. Such as Kit Fisto, Obi-Wan Kenobi, and Anakin Skywalker.

Conclusion 

The lightsaber is one of the most important parts of a Jedi’s journey. 

Not only is it their only weapon, aside from the Force, when heading into battle, but they have to go on an entire expedition to find the crystal to create it. 

Once they find their crystal, then, the color is specialized to them and they now have their personalized lightsaber. 

That doesn’t mean they can’t use another Jedi’s lightsaber. A Jedi can even use a Sith’s lightsaber if need be. 

What’s more, the Jedi have been taught to use two lightsabers at once. It’s just that many of them choose to use only one.