Star Wars: Why The Acolyte Has More Lightsaber Colors

Back when the only Jedi left on the scene was Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamill) fans only knew of three lightsaber colors: blue, green, and if you took a walk on the Dark Side, red to show just how evil you really were. There's a lot more to the true meaning behind each lightsaber color, though, and in the first two episodes of "The Acolyte," it's clear that we're going to see more than just the original three get fired up, given how long ago we're heading back into the "Star Wars" universe.

Being in the prime of the civilized age where this elegant weapon thrived, there are a variety of colors on show, demonstrating not only how many different shades there are, but the prominence of the Jedi Order in this time period as a whole. Besides the go-to tints of green, blue, and Sith red making an appearance, the rarely seen yellow (notably picked by Rey Skywalker as her new lightsaber at the end of "The Rise of Skywalker") also lights up the screen thanks to new Jedi on the block, Yord Fandar (Charlie Barnett), who is quick to raise arms if the opportunity arises. But what difference does it make what color your laser sword is? Well, during the time of the High Republic, quite a lot. It just depends on your mood and, more importantly, how a specific Jedi feels the Force.

While it might be some fans' introduction to the High Republic era of the "Star Wars" universe, the time long before Order 66 wiped out the Jedi ("All of them") has already been explored in books and comics. Through these formats, the color coding of lightsabers is far more prominent and a reflection of how each individual of the Jedi order perceives the Force around them. 

In Charles Soule's novel, "Star Wars: Light of the Jedi," it's revealed that every Jedi feels the presence of the Force differently. In the book, Avar Kriss feels it as a song, while Elzar Mann perceives it as a "deep, endless, storm-tossed sea." Some see it as fire or water, but all are one with the mysterious presence that only a select few can understand and their specific shade of lightsaber is a reflection of that.

We already know that "The Acolyte" will introduce a brand new purple lightsaber with a huge whip twist, so it'll be interesting to see how many more shades of the rainbow will make it into the new series. The whip-like version of the weapon seen in previews confirms purple will be present, but what about rose pink, aqua, or espresso beige? Well, given that the cast has already teased lightsaber battles on par with "Episode I," we can expect to see a whole lot more as "The Acolyte" continues.