Used throughout the Star Wars saga, Anakin Skywalker’s lightsaber is one of the franchise’s most iconic items, used by characters throughout canon and the original timeline, the Expanded Universe (aka Legends). Anakin’s lightsaber was the first to be ignited on screen, debuting in 1977 and introducing both Luke Skywalker and the viewers themselves to the Jedi weapon. From that point on, the lightsaber would be passed down through generations, and its history would be depicted, with heroes and villains alike using the weapon. The storied and at times dark history of the lightsaber reflects the life and legacy of Anakin Skywalker.
Several characters in canon and Legends owned Anakin’s lightsaber but didn’t truly wield it. The first was Obi-Wan Kenobi, who, in both continuities, took the lightsaber from Darth Vader following their duel on the planet Mustafar. For 19 years, he kept the weapon in his home on Tatooine, waiting for the opportunity to pass it down to Luke Skywalker, where it would become the weapon of a Jedi once again. After Luke lost the weapon in Cloud City, the lightsaber was found by an ugnaught worker. In canon, the lightsaber was somehow acquired by Maz Kanata, who stored it, waiting to hand it down to the next worthy wielder, much as Obi-Wan did.
In Legends, Darth Vader killed the ugnaught and took the lightsaber, storing it in one of The Emperor’s safehouses on Wayland, along with Luke’s severed hand. During the Thrawn Campaign, the insane dark side user Joruus C'baoth took possession of both the lightsaber and the hand, using the hand to create a clone of Luke Skywalker. The clone, referred to as “Luuke Skywalker,” was identical to Luke in both appearance and fighting ability, but he had no mind or will of his own, serving C'baoth and attempting to kill the real Luke. During their intense battle, the clone was killed by Mara Jade, effectively following a suggestion that Palpatine planted in her mind to kill Luke Skywalker, but doing so without killing the real Luke. In both versions, then, the lightsaber of Anakin Skywalker has had an incredible journey, and several different users.
Anakin Skywalker
When his original weapon was destroyed in a Geonosis droid factory, Anakin Skywalker built his famous lightsaber at the start of the Clone Wars, using a similar design to its predecessor. In canon, the lightsaber’s iconic blue blade comes from a Kyber crystal, which turned blue upon bonding with Anakin. In Legends, he chose a pair of Force-imbued blue Adegan crystals from Illum to power his weapon. Anakin wielded his new lightsaber throughout the Clone Wars, destroying countless Separatist droids and battling dark side users, such as Asajj Ventress. In his final fight with Count Dooku, Anakin defeated the Sith Lord and used his weapon, along with Dooku’s own, to decapitate his defenseless opponent, bringing him ever-closer to his eventual turn to the dark side.
Darth Vader
In Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith, Anakin Skywalker, in his desperation to save the life of his wife Padme, makes a Faustian bargain and betrays the Jedi Order, joining the Sith and taking on the Sith name Darth Vader. In the following years, Vader would unlearn all he’d learned from the Jedi and build a red-bladed Sith lightsaber as his new weapon, but in the immediate aftermath of his turn to the dark side, Vader wore Jedi robes and used his blue-bladed Jedi lightsaber to slaughter the Jedi on Coruscant and the Separatist leaders on Mustafar. Vader’s use of Jedi clothing and weaponry led some Jedi (or even younglings) to assume he was still their ally until he murdered them.
Luke Skywalker
Given to Luke by Obi-Wan at the start of his Jedi training, Luke famously used his father’s weapon in Star Wars and The Empire Strikes Back, unaware of its horrific usage when his father became Darth Vader. Luke used the weapon throughout the three years between the two films as well, with canon and Legends both depicting his adventures mainly through comics. In Legends, Luke battled the aspiring Sith warrior, Kharys, in Marvel’s original Star Wars comics. In the Star Wars: Empire comics, Luke encounters a veteran Clone Trooper, earning his trust by showing him Anakin’s weapon and convincing him to join the Rebellion by explaining how the Jedi and Republic were betrayed. In canon, the more recent Marvel Star Wars comics depict Luke’s use of the lightsaber, including his conflicts with the Imperial operative Kreel and the infamous bounty hunter Boba Fett.
Mara Jade
At the end of the Legends-era Thrawn Trilogy, Joruus C'baoth and Luuke are both defeated, and Luke is reunited with his father’s lightsaber. Instead of keeping it, he gives it to his newfound ally, Mara Jade, as she begins her path towards Jedi knighthood. During her Jedi training, Mara Jade constructs her lightsaber, a purple-bladed weapon, which she uses throughout Operation Shadow Hand, as seen in Jedi Knight: Mysteries of the Sith. As a Jedi Knight and eventually Jedi Master, Mara Jade would alternate between using Anakin’s lightsaber and her own. Mara’s final moments were spent fighting the Sith Lord Darth Caedus (formerly Jacen Solo) using Anakin’s weapon. After her death, Luke recovered the lightsaber, keeping it in the Jedi Temple among his other possessions.
Finn
In Star Wars canon, the next wielder of Anakin’s lightsaber was the former First Order Stormtrooper, FN-2187, aka Finn. Finn travels with his allies to Maz Kanata’s castle on Takodana in Star Wars: The Force Awakens. When the First Order attacks the castle, however, Finn is given the Jedi weapon by Maz. Though unfamiliar with lightsaber usage, Finn bravely fought against First Order troops. He even wields the lightsaber against Kylo Ren himself at the end of the film, putting up a decent fight against the lethal (but badly wounded) Knight of Ren before he’s defeated. What Finn lacked in training, he more than made up in worthiness, repeatedly demonstrating tenacity and dauntlessness throughout the sequel trilogy.
Rey
The next wielder of Anakin’s lightsaber was the granddaughter of Palpatine himself: the scavenger Rey. Rey was offered the weapon on Takodana before Finn, but she refused after it bombarded her with a Force-imbued vision. When Finn was defeated by Kylo Ren, Rey embraced her power in the Force and wielded the lightsaber against Kylo. Rey would later self-train on Ahch-To and fight against Snoke’s Elite Praetorian Guards with the weapon, as seen in Star Wars: The Last Jedi. In a Force-powered struggle between Rey and Kylo Ren for the weapon, it was broken in half.
Rey later repaired and used the Skywalker lightsaber as her main weapon for the remainder of the war between the Resistance and the First Order. Upon learning of her heritage, Rey felt unworthy of the lightsaber, but with Luke Skywalker’s help, she regained the confidence to fight, using the Skywalker weapon (along with Leia’s) to defeat her grandfather. Rey’s use of the lightsaber proved that anyone, regardless of their background, could be a hero.
Ben Solo
As Kylo Ren, Ben briefly used Anakin’s lightsaber to kill a Praetorian Guard, but after returning to the good side, Ben was given the weapon once again by Rey. On Exegol, Ben used the Skywalker weapon against his former disciples, the Knights of Ren, swiftly defeating the powerful dark side users before facing off against Palpatine alongside Rey. In Canon, this was the last time the weapon would be used in battle, fittingly wielded by a redeemed dark side user fighting against the last Sith Lord. After the Battle of Exegol, Rey brought Anakin’s lightsaber to Tatooine, burying it in the remains of the Lars homestead and bringing the Star Wars saga full circle.