Luke Skywalker used Anakin’s lightsaber for years – the same one his father wielded before turning into Darth Vader. Obi-Wan handed it down to him, making it feel like a family heirloom, a symbol of his Jedi path. But eventually, Luke made the choice to leave it behind. He didn’t just lose it – he let it go on purpose. So what happened?
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When Everything Changed for Luke
Cloud City was the breaking point. During his fight with Vader, Luke didn’t just lose a hand – he lost everything he thought he knew about himself.
The moment Vader said, “I am your father,” nothing made sense anymore. His entire journey as a Jedi had been built on a lie. And now, the lightsaber he had trusted and fought with was suddenly a reminder of something much darker.
Why He Went Back for It… and Then Walked Away
A lot of people forget that Luke actually went back to Cloud City to find the lightsaber. Alongside Leia and Lando, he returned to Bespin with a mission – he was to recover the weapon he had lost. It made sense at first. It was the only lightsaber he’d ever used, and it was still tied to his Jedi training.
But as he searched, he realized something: Did he even want it back?
Holding onto Anakin’s weapon meant holding onto his father’s legacy. And after learning what Anakin became, Luke wasn’t sure he wanted that connection anymore. That saber wasn’t a symbol of heroism to him anymore – it was a reminder of Vader’s fall.
This entire sequence is shown in Star Wars (2020) #4, where we see Luke actively searching for the lightsaber but ultimately deciding to leave it behind.
However, the emotional depth behind this choice is expanded in Star Wars Skywalker: A Family at War, which gives us more insight into his mindset and internal struggles during this period.
Breaking Away from His Father’s Shadow
In Star Wars Skywalker: A Family at War, we get more insight into what was going on in Luke’s mind. After Cloud City, he was lost. He reached out to Obi-Wan and Yoda for guidance, but they didn’t respond. He felt abandoned, betrayed. The people he trusted most had hidden the truth about his father from him. How was he supposed to trust them now?
That’s when he started questioning everything. Was he really meant to follow in Anakin’s footsteps? Or was he just setting himself up to make the same mistakes?
By the time he gave up on finding the saber, he didn’t want to be defined by Anakin’s past. He wanted to be his own Jedi, on his own path.
The Possible Meaning Behind Luke’s Green Lightsaber
When we see Luke again in Return of the Jedi, he has a new weapon—a green lightsaber he built himself. And that’s a huge deal.
The green lightsaber symbolized Luke becoming his own person. Before, when he carried Anakin’s lightsaber, he was still clinging to his father’s legacy. When he lost it, that tie was cut—both literally and figuratively. Creating his own saber was Luke saying, I’m not just Anakin’s son. I’m my own Jedi.
This moment makes his journey in the original trilogy even more powerful. He starts as a kid who idolizes the Jedi and his father. By the end, he has fully stepped into his own role, becoming the Jedi Anakin should have been.
Bonus: The Sith Connection to Luke’s Green Saber
Here’s something interesting – Luke’s green lightsaber actually has ties to Sith techniques. If you’re curious about why Luke used a Sith crystal for his green lightsaber, check out this article.