What Does a Yellow Lightsaber Mean?

When Rey ignites her lightsaber for the first time, the yellow blade shines bright against the sand swept landscape of Tatooine and introduces us to a new color of lightsaber. 

But what is the meaning of the color yellow? Does the color of the lightsaber tell us anything about the path Rey will walk?

There is no specific meaning for a yellow lightsaber. The blade each Jedi constructs gets its unique color from the kyber crystal that resides within it. This crystal gains its color as it bonds with its owner. 

The color of the lightsaber is simply a reflection of that owner’s connection with the force and the living crystal. 

Where does the yellow lightsaber come from?

A yellow lightsaber might be rarer than other colors of lightsabers, but the origins of this type of lightsaber are much the same. Each Jedi (or Sith) crafts a unique lightsaber. 

Each individual chooses the lightsaber parts that will make up their lightsaber, including the kyber crystal that gives each blade its unique color. 

In fact, crafting a lightsaber is considered a key step in the path to becoming a Jedi, so while some Jedi may wield other’s blades for a while, they eventually craft their own signature blade. 

The exception is the Jedi Temple Guard, who are issued their yellow lightsabers as part of their uniform. The Temple Guard is the first Jedi we see onscreen who wields this lightsaber color. 

How is a lightsaber constructed?

A lightsaber is made up of several components, many of which are unique to the force-user crafting the blade. 

A power cell is necessary in lightsaber construction, as it powers the plasma blade. 

Other essential components include an emitter matrix, an emitter shroud, and an activator/switch. 

And of course, all of these pieces need to fit into some kind of durable hilt.

Additionally, lightsabers can be designed with all kinds of other features, including belt loops, hilt grips, lenses, adjusters for blade length/strength, and more.  

But the most important part of lightsaber construction is the kyber crystal. This crystal focuses the plasma blade and connects the lightsaber to the force, specifically the Jedi that the crystal is attuned to. 

The only thing that is different in constructing a yellow lightsaber from any other lightsaber, is the color of the kyber crystal used. 

Where do kyber crystals come from and how do they get their color?

A kyber crystal can be derived from a few different sources. 

Colorless Kyber crystals are usually found growing naturally in caves. Before the fall of the Galactic Republic, these kyber crystal caves were largely controlled by the Jedi Order. 

The crystals have an innate connection with the force, and Jedi Younglings would often go through a trial to obtain their first kyber crystal. The kyber crystal would select them and take on its unique color as part of the bonding process. 

The younglings would then use this crystal to construct their first lightsaber and graduate to Padawan.  

Later, after the fall of the republic, kyber crystals became more scarce as the empire mined them for use in their superweapons (i.e. Death Star). 

The Jedi and other force sensitives after the fall of the Republic could inherit a lightsaber/ lightsaber crystal, or they could obtain a new crystal(s) through searching, scavenging, and even sometimes theft. 

A colorless crystal would gain its color when it bonded with its owner, while a kyber crystal that was previously owned by another person would either retain its color or change color over time as it better attunes itself to its new owner. 

What does a yellow lightsaber mean?

The color yellow doesn’t inherently mean anything; it is simply a reflection of that Jedi’s connection with the force. 

In the Legends universe, the stuff removed from canon with the release of The Force Awakens, very specific traits were assigned to those who wielded a yellow lightsaber. 

A yellow kyber crystal designated a Jedi who walked the path of the Sentinel. 

The Sentinel was considered a balance between the Jedi Guardian and the Jedi Consular. They equally explored knowledge of the force and perfected their combat skills. 

In addition, sentinels often exhibited a high degree of non-force-based skills, including stealth, hacking, demolitions, and more. This allowed sentinels to excel at roles such as investigator, spy, artist, or security personnel. 

Is the yellow lightsaber good or bad?

Unlike a red lightsaber that marks a Sith, a yellow lightsaber is not inherently good or evil. 

In the Legacy Star Wars universe, yellow lightsabers denoted those who equally regarded combat and knowledge pursuits, meaning the wielder of such a lightsaber was well balanced and perhaps least likely to fall to the dark side. 

According to the new canon, the color of a Jedi’s lightsaber reflects their unique connection with the force. Yellow lightsabers have been wielded by the light side (Rey) and the dark side (Ventress). 

Which Jedi have yellow lightsabers?

Blue and green are the most common lightsaber colors seen among the Jedi of the Star Wars universe, making other colors like purple, orange and yellow, much rarer. 

Not many named Jedi in the Star Wars saga have wielded yellow lightsabers. The most notable wielders of a yellow blade are the Jedi Temple Guards.

The only other concrete mentions of Jedi wielding yellow lightsabers include Ahsoka who wields two lightsabers, one green and the other yellow-green. Luke, who briefly wielded a Jedi Temple Guard’s lightsaber before he constructed his infamous green one, and Rey. 

In Star Wars Legends, there were several other notable Jedi who wielded yellow lightsabers including: 

• Bastila Shan
• Ganner Rhysode
• Tyvokka
• Plo Koon
• Mallie Marek

Are the Jedi Temple Guards required to use yellow lightsabers?

All Temple Guards start out their life as Jedi Knights. They are handpicked from the Jedi Order to serve as Guards. These guards are well-regarded throughout the Jedi Order, and becoming a guard is largely thought of as a calling. 

As a part of a Temple Guard’s service, they are encouraged to embrace anonymity and emotional detachment. 

The Jedi Order issues each guard the same uniform, face mask, and double-bladed yellow lightsaber to promote this idea. 

While a Temple Guard may have wielded a different color lightsaber when they were a Knight, once they transition to a Temple Guard, they use only this yellow lightsaber. 

Where did Rey get the yellow lightsaber?

During the course of the timeline for The Rise of Skywalker, Rey begins to construct her

lightsaber. 

Many of the pieces she uses in its construction come from the quarterstaff that she wielded before taking up Anakin/Luke Skywalker’s lightsaber. 

Sometime after the defeat of Palpatine’s clone, Rey completes the construction of her lightsaber and displays it onscreen for the first time during her visit to Tatooine. 

As for where Rey acquired her lightsaber crystal, this remains a mystery. She could have found a natural source, an already harvested crystal, or even reused a crystal from either Luke or Leia’s lightsaber. 

Conclusion

Before Rey appeared on screen with her yellow blade, there were few instances of a yellow-colored lightsaber popping up in the Star Wars universe. 

This also means that, to a degree, information about those who wield such a blade is lacking. 

Still, while yellow is rarer for a lightsaber than green or blue, the color itself does not signify anything special. 

Except for the Jedi Temple Guard, who wield only yellow blades as a way to preserve their anonymity, a Jedi who wields a yellow lightsaber is not special in any way. 

While yellow lightsabers were associated with specific Jedi traits and paths in the past, this is no longer the case. 

Any Jedi, or other force users, can use a yellow lightsaber, and it does not limit the path they walk. 

For Rey, the yellow lightsaber signifies her growth as a Jedi; what the future holds for her remains a mystery.