When Was the Lightsaber Invented?

The lightsaber is a staple of Star Wars and one of the most iconic weapons ever created for sci-fi and cinema.

In the Star Wars universe, it is the weapon that the Jedi Knights and Sith Lords have been using in their neverending war for the Republic and to fans of the franchise, replicas of these weapons, such as the Darth Vader Neopixel lightsaber, are the ultimate collectable.

Based on everything we’ve seen and read from the Star Wars movies and books, it is clear that lightsabers have been around for a very long time, but just how long have these energy swords existed and when was the very first lightsaber invented? Keep reading to find out.

Origin of the Lightsaber

According to the Star Wars canon, the true origin of the lightsaber remains a mystery. However, the old Star Wars Expanded universe (now known as Star Wars Legends) does reveal the history behind the creation of the first lightsabers. Based on the information obtained from the Star Wars Legends, here is everything there is to know about the invention of the first lightsaber.

There Were Predecessors of the Lightsaber

Like most inventions, the lightsaber didn’t always exist in the form that it does today. In fact, the primitive weapons created by the Rakata were what served as precursors for the eventual development of the lightsaber.

One of these early weapons was proto-lightsabers known simply as ‘Forcesaber’. The weapon was created and utilised by the Rakata (a war-like race) thousands of years before the formation of the Republic. The Rakatan hunters, known as the Force Hounds, were in charge of constructing these forcesabers.

These hunters were in tune with the Force, and the forcesabers they made ignited in the same way lightsabers do, and they were powered by special laboratory-grown crystals that channelled energy from the Dark side. These forcesabers also came in a variety of colours, and they first appeared in the Star Wars: Dawn of the Jedi miniseries.

Because of its association with the Dark side, the influence of the forcesaber was however limited, and even though the basic idea of it appealed to the Je’daii Order, its members couldn’t use them without potentially being corrupted.

The Invention of the First Lightsaber

According to Legends (Star Wars: The Old Republic), the first lightsaber, also known as “the First Blade” was forged by a Je’daii Master known simply as ‘The Weapons Master’. Not much is known about this Weapons Master, but there are speculations that it was a title held by Tem Madog, a Cathar Jedi who lived on Tython and was in charge of the Great Temple of the Forge, Vur Tepe.

This First Blade remained in Tython for thousands of years until it was recovered by Rajivari during the Force Wars. It has also resurfaced several times in galactic history, but it was only seen in the Star Wars: The Old Republic RPG. Rajivari inscribed the location of a vast storehouse on its hilt before returning it to the droids on Tython, thus, making the lightsaber even more significant.

It is this First Blade that served as the foundation for the lightsabers that followed.

In terms of design, the earliest lightsabers used a focusing crystal that was placed in the hilt to generate the saber’s blade. But, they had to rely on an external power pack that was connected to the hilt with a cable. This external power pack was quite bulky, and as one would expect, it made it difficult for these lightsabers to actually be wielded. They were, however, used in the Hundred-Year Darkness and during the Old Republic Era.

Eventually, the Sith also took up the use of these early lightsabers and, with technology, modified their design to no longer require a power pack. This made it easier for the sabers to be wielded in battle, and soon after, this new and improved Sith lightsaber design was adopted by the Jedi.

What was the Colour of the First Lightsaber?

From the Star Wars Movies standpoint, the first lightsaber fans ever saw was the blue lightsaber that Obi-Wan Kenobi gave to Luke. However, from a Star Wars historical standpoint, there is sadly no data in both the Star Wars canon and legends to suggest the colour of the first lightsaber or First Blade. The protosabers the Je’daii used were, however, in different colours.

Conclusion

Star Wars lightsabers are powerful meele weapons that have been around for thousands of years, with Rakatan forcesabers serving as the precursor for them. The first lightsaber (First Blade) was forged by a Je’daii Order member called the Weapons Master, and it was its design that inspired modern lightsabers.