What Happened When a King’s Wife Grabbed Anakin’s Lightsaber Without His Knowledge (Legends)

There’s a lesser-known story in Star Wars Legends where a young Anakin Skywalker gets caught in one of the most embarrassing moments of his Padawan years. Before the Clone Wars and before Attack of the Clones, he and Obi-Wan Kenobi went on what seemed like a simple diplomatic mission. Things didn’t exactly go as planned.

A Jedi’s Weapon And A Test Of Focus

In the A Jedi’s Weapon comic (written by Henry Gilroy, illustrated by Manuel Garcia, and published in Star Wars Tales #12 in 2002), Obi-Wan and Anakin are sent to the planet Kashir around 22 BBY, during the Separatist Crisis. The mission sounds routine – King Sha-Mar Ma-dred wants his world to join the Republic – but like most things involving Anakin, it turns into a lesson.

“For this meeting, Anakin, be on your guard… and especially mindful.”

Anakin answers with confidence:

“Don’t worry, Master. I am always mindful!”

Obi-Wan’s dry reply says everything:

“If only.”

Before entering the royal chambers, Obi-Wan reminds Anakin to reposition his lightsaber so that it’s visible, explaining the Kashirim cultural rule: all weapons must be worn openly as a sign of trust. In Kashir, transparency is everything, and hiding a weapon is an insult.

This detail matters because the meeting could shape the planet’s relationship with the Republic. One careless act could do more than embarrass them.

Four Wives, One Mistake

When they arrive, King Sha-Mar Ma-dred appears with his four wives. Their sudden entrance completely distracts Anakin. As the meeting ends and they pass by, one wife casually snatches Anakin’s lightsaber right off his belt—and he doesn’t even notice.

Later, outside the wives’ quarters, Anakin says he still doesn’t understand why Obi-Wan insisted on mindfulness.

Obi-Wan explains that the Kashirim are famous across the galaxy for one thing: theft. A skilled thief is socially valued. Their society judges people by their ability to pilfer.

That’s when Anakin realizes:

“My lightsaber — it’s gone!”

The Sneaky Rescue Mission

Instead of admitting the mistake, Anakin decides to retrieve the lightsaber himself. He excuses himself, slips out a refresher window, and climbs along the palace exterior toward the wives’ chambers.

Inside, three wives tackle him and hold him at knifepoint. They deny taking his weapon and tell him that Ashala—the fourth wife—is with the King.

Anakin sneaks into the King’s chamber, distracting guards with the Force. Ashala admits she stole the lightsaber… but someone stole it from her immediately afterward. Before he can argue, guards return, and he escapes out the window to climb back to the refresher.

Now he’s stuck wondering how he’ll explain any of this to Obi-Wan.

Obi-Wan Already Knows

When Anakin steps out, Obi-Wan is waiting—holding the missing lightsaber. He saw the wife take it earlier and simply used the Force to retrieve it. He stayed silent to see whether Anakin would notice and tell the truth.

Obi-Wan reminds him that mindfulness means awareness and honesty.

“The Kashirim are not the only ones who value trust, Anakin. We need to trust each other, too.”

Then comes the classic Jedi lesson:

“This lightsaber is your life. Don’t lose it again!”

Anakin softly replies:

“Yes, Master.”

Only afterward does he confess to scaling walls, sneaking through windows, and getting pinned down by the King’s wives. Obi-Wan listens, unimpressed, wearing the familiar expression that basically says: *Why do I even try?*