Ahsoka is a unique Force-user in the Star Wars franchise - and, consequently, she has distinctive white lightsabers that have rarely been seen elsewhere in the canon. When Ahsoka Tano made her debut in Star Wars: The Clone Wars, she was initially controversial. But strong writing - not to mention a tremendous performance by voice actor Ashley Eckstein - soon made her a fan-favorite character. She's essentially become the main recurring character in various Star Wars TV series, and Rosario Dawson is set to reprise her role as a live-action version in the upcoming Ahsoka series following her appearances in The Mandalorian season 2 and The Book of Boba Fett.
Ahsoka cuts a distinctive figure thanks to her dazzling white lightsabers. It's easy to dismiss as an aesthetic, but Star Wars has consistently stressed a lightsaber blade's color as quite important. Ahsoka started out with green lightsabers, which usually denote inner harmony and compassion. When Ahsoka left the Jedi Order, the experience had a profound impact on her character; thus in Star Wars: The Clone Wars season 7 she wields blue blades, which signify strength of character and inner resolve. Fast-forward to Star Wars Rebels, though, and Ahsoka's blades have changed color once again to white, and the story of Ahsoka's white lightsabers is told in EK Johnston's novel Ahsoka.
Why Ahsoka's Lightsabers Are White
As confirmed at the end of The Clone Wars series and the Tales of the Jedi spin-off series, Ahsoka was one of the many Jedi survivors who went to ground after Order 66. A naturally righteous and courageous individual, Ahsoka realized she was unable to simply stand by and watch as the Empire caused suffering on a galactic scale. But every time she stepped out of the shadows, she found herself hunted down by Darth Vader's Inquisitors as revealed in Johnston's novel and later shown in Tales of the Jedi. That being said, she would take a more active role as seen in Star Wars Rebels under the codename Fulcrum.
Ahsoka defeated one of these Inquisitors in battle, and Johnston's book confirms she took the kyber crystals from his lightsabers which had been corrupted by the dark side - a process the Sith refer to as "bleeding" a kyber crystal. Ahsoka was able to use her own connection to the light side of the Force to realign and purify the kyber crystals, healing them from the dark side's influence. In so doing, she created the unique and distinctive white crystals she's seen wielding in The Mandalorian season 2.
Ahsoka's white lightsabers will also be seen in her own series as Tano clashes with new Star Wars villains. This will include mysterious Force-sensitive warriors wielding orange-bladed lightsabers, an Imperial Inquisitor, and most importantly the return of the Imperial Remnant's Grand Admiral Thrawn. Having been a primary villain in Star Wars Rebels, the brilliant Imperial tactician went missing just before the events of A New Hope, having disappeared into the Unknown Regions of space. However, both The Mandalorian season 3 and trailers for Ahsoka have teased his imminent return as "Heir to the Empire".
Why Ahsoka Has TWO Lightsabers, Not One
Originally, Ahsoka Tano built her first green-bladed lightsaber prior to becoming a Padawan to Anakin Skywalker at the dawn of the Clone Wars. However, she would later construct a smaller saber known as a shoto to wield as well, featuring a matching hilt and green blade. This second saber was part of Ahsoka's decision to take up the fighting style known as Jar'Kai, the art of dual wielding which could be done with one long blade and one shorter as Tano did, or even with two sabers of equal length in combat as seen with agents of the dark side such as Asajj Ventress.
Ahsoka wielded her green lightsabers until she left the Jedi Order just before the Clone Wars' end, leaving both sabers in the care of her former master. However, Skywalker modified the sabers while he had them, hoping that his apprentice would one day return to the Order. This led to Ahsoka having blud-bladed lightsabers when she agreed to aid the Republic during the Siege of Mandalore, using them to duel with none other than Darth Maul himself. However, the events of Order 66 and the Fall of the Republic saw Ahsoka leaving the blades in order to fake her death and go into hiding during the rise of the Empire.
What Ahsoka's White Lightsabers Mean
According to Star Wars Rebels showrunner Dave Filoni, the white lightsabers Ahsoka built during the Dark Times reflect that she's neither a Sith nor a Jedi. She's in a unique position, serving the light side of the Force while remaining unbound by the traditions of the Jedi Order. Where other Order 66 survivors like Cal Kestis dream of restoring the Jedi Order, Ahsoka has no real interest in this idea despite visiting Luke Skywalker and his Jedi academy in The Book of Boba Fett. Instead, Ahsoka is focused purely on overthrowing the Empire before the original trilogy and fighting the Imperial Remnant in its aftermath, bringing balance to the galaxy.
Ahsoka stands in a very solitary place, a former Jedi who resists the Sith and any other threats that may emerge. Her lightsabers being such a clear white is traditionally a symbol of purity, suggesting Ahsoka should really be praised for this stance. There's a sense in which she is more true to the light than any of the Jedi who trained her in the Star Wars galaxy as she's not bound by history. Instead, it seems Ahsoka does what she believes the Force wills in any given situation. It will be fascinating to see what else about these white lightsabers will be revealed when Ahsoka begins streaming this August.