Given the Large Imperial Presence in the Space Port, Was It Safe for Luke to Openly Carry His Lightsaber in ANH?

In A New Hope (ANH), we see Luke Skywalker openly carrying his lightsaber on his belt as he strolls through the busy streets of Mos Eisley and enters the cantina.

Considering the heavy Imperial presence in the spaceport, it makes us to wonder if it was safe for him to do that.

Let’s break it down and dive into some key points.

Tatooine’s Lawlessness and Limited Knowledge of Jedi

Tatooine is no Coruscant. It’s an Outer Rim planet, far from the core systems, and not exactly a place known for law and order.

The fact that it’s a hive of scum and villainy plays a big role in why Luke could carry his lightsaber without too much worry.

In Mos Eisley, where smugglers, bounty hunters, and all kinds of unsavory characters hang out, seeing someone with an unusual weapon wouldn’t be too shocking.

For most people there, a lightsaber is just another strange gadget, like any other tool or weapon.

On top of that, Tatooine wasn’t a place where Jedi were often seen, even before the rise of the Empire.

The planet was too far out, too insignificant. By the time of ANH, the Jedi were practically forgotten, especially on a backwater planet like Tatooine.

So, most folks wouldn’t even recognize a lightsaber if they saw one.

It’s like walking through a modern city with an antique sword – you might get a few curious looks, but unless someone’s an expert in old weaponry, it wouldn’t raise alarms.

The Empire’s Disinformation and the Forgotten Jedi

The Empire didn’t just hunt down the Jedi after Order 66, they also tried to erase them from history.

Through propaganda and tight control over information, they painted the Jedi as traitors who attempted to overthrow the government.

This systematic erasure means that by the time Luke was walking around Tatooine, many people wouldn’t even know what a Jedi looked like, let alone a lightsaber.

For the younger generation, those who grew up under the Empire, Jedi were little more than myths.

Luke himself didn’t know much about them until Obi-Wan told him.

While there were still people alive who remembered the Jedi, like Obi-Wan and those who fought in the Clone Wars, the majority of the galaxy had either forgotten or believed the Empire’s version of the story.

Stormtroopers stationed on Tatooine were likely young recruits, unfamiliar with the Jedi Order, and more concerned with enforcing order than recognizing rare artifacts from a near-extinct group.

So, Luke carrying a deactivated lightsaber probably wouldn’t have drawn much attention. To them, it was just another tool in a galaxy full of strange technology.

Obi-Wan’s Risky Public Display

Now, Obi-Wan, on the other hand, took a much bigger risk. When he ignited his lightsaber in the cantina, cutting off a thug’s arm, he was openly announcing to the world that Jedi still existed.

It’s a moment that symbolizes Obi-Wan coming out of hiding. Up until that point, he had spent years living as “Ben Kenobi,” a simple hermit.

But in that cantina, to protect Luke, he chose to reveal himself.

This was risky, not just because there might be the stormtroopers nearby, but also because anyone could have reported him to the Empire.

Jedi were wanted criminals, after all. But Obi-Wan knew that once he stepped into the cantina, there was no turning back.

He needed to secure transport off Tatooine, and this moment marked his full commitment to helping Luke begin his journey.

Despite the risks, Obi-Wan likely felt that getting Luke off the planet and to safety outweighed the danger of being recognized as a Jedi.

Lightsabers as Rare Relics

By the time of A New Hope, lightsabers were no longer commonplace weapons. The galaxy had moved on, and the lightsaber – once a symbol of peace and justice – had become a relic of a bygone era.

Most people, especially in places like Tatooine, would have no reason to connect a lightsaber to the Jedi.

If they even knew what it was, they might assume it was some kind of collectible or antique.

It’s similar to how we view ancient weapons today. If someone were walking around with a medieval sword, you wouldn’t immediately assume they were a knight.

Instead, you’d probably think it was a prop or part of a collection. The same logic applies to Luke carrying his lightsaber.

To the average person on Tatooine, it was just an odd-looking gadget, certainly not a weapon tied to the galaxy’s most feared and legendary warriors.

So, Was It Safe for Luke?

In the grand scheme of things, yes, it was relatively safe for Luke to carry his lightsaber in A New Hope.

The location, combined with the Empire’s efforts to erase the Jedi from memory, made it unlikely that anyone would recognize the weapon for what it was.

While Obi-Wan’s decision to use his lightsaber was riskier, Luke’s lightsaber didn’t attract much attention in the lawless and chaotic streets of Mos Eisley.

Luke may not have been fully aware of the significance of what he was carrying at the time, but the circumstances on Tatooine and the galaxy’s collective amnesia about the Jedi helped keep him under the radar.

So, in this particular case, carrying a lightsaber wasn’t as dangerous as it might seem.