The History and Evolution of Ahsoka Tano’s Lightsabers

Ahsoka Tano has some of the most recognizable lightsabers in Star Wars. Her distinctive reverse grip fighting style makes her one of the most dynamic Jedi to watch in combat. From Star Wars: The Clone Wars, Star Wars: Rebels, and now The Mandalorian, Ahsoka has grown from an enthusiastic Padawan training under Anakin Skywalker to a poised Jedi master who survived Order 66.

Her live-action debut in the second season of The Mandalorian showed off her white lightsabers and their unique curved hilts. With the Rosario Dawson-led Ahsoka show around the corner, let’s take a look back on the history of Ahsoka Tano’s lightsabers.

Ahsoka Tano’s First Lightsaber

Originally, Ahsoka wielded a single green lightsaber, with a grommet at the hilt. She used this lightsaber in her early appearances in The Clone Wars. Later, Ahsoka used this lightsaber in conjunction with her second, shorter lightsaber.

Why Does Ahsoka Tano Have Two Lightsabers?

While The Clone Wars never showed the moment in which Ahsoka got her second lightsaber, an episode in the Tales of the Jedi series on Disney+ provides a more practical explanation. In Tales of the Jedi‘s fifth episode, “Practice Makes Perfect,” Anakin, Captain Rex, and a squad of clone troopers rigorously train Ahsoka in combat. The clones stand in a circle around her and fire their blasters at her. Ahsoka initially struggles with the exercise because she is only using one lightsaber, making it difficult to defend her backside. But once she gains her second lightsaber, a shortened “shoto” blade with a yellowish-green color, she is more successful in defending herself from all directions.

What Lightsaber Form Does Ahsoka Use?

Because she uses two lightsabers, Ahsoka uses a lightsaber form known as Jar’Kai. Other practitioners of the form include the Sith assassin, Asajj Ventress. This is an uncommon lightsaber form, and it took Ahsoka some time to master, as detailed in the Star Wars: Forces of Destiny season one short, “Teach You, I Will.” Forces of Destiny revealed that Yoda encouraged Ahsoka to train with two lightsabers, identifying Jar’Kai as a form that more honestly captured Ahsoka’s personality and fighting style.

When Does Ahsoka Receive Her Second Lightsaber?

Ahsoka’s second lightsaber debuts in season three of The Clone Wars, specifically the episode “Heroes on Both Sides.” The episode follows a time jump, making Ahsoka a much more experienced Jedi. The episode does not show, however, where Ahsoka got her yellowish-green second lightsaber from. Instead, it hangs on her belt alongside her original lightsaber.

In the years since this episode aired, other animated Star Wars shows have come closer to providing an explanation for this change, like Tales of the Jedi. It leaves the door open for future projects to depict what is likely a decisive moment in Ahsoka’s journey as a Jedi.

Ahsoka’s Blue Lightsabers and Their Fate

Later on in the The Clone Wars series, the Jedi confiscated Ahsoka’s lightsabers. The season five episode “The Wrong Jedi” saw Ahsoka put on trial for sedition and murder. She left the Jedi Order. She didn’t get her lightsabers back until she temporarily rejoined the Republic’s war for the Siege of Mandalore. Anakin returned her lightsabers to her, noting that he had made some improvements to them. Ahsoka’s lightsabers then turned blue.

Ahsoka used these blue lightsabers for the battle on Mandalore until the clone troopers received Order 66. After surviving the clones’ attack, Ahsoka she parted with the lightsabers after burying several clone troopers on a moon. Ahsoka presumably dropped both her lightsabers, though only one is shown, near the graves. By leaving her lightsabers there, Ahsoka faked her own death.

Later, Darth Vader visited the moon and found one of Ahsoka’s lightsabers. Remembering his former Padawan, Vader took Ahsoka’s lightsaber back to his ship. Considering that The Mandalorian takes place years after the events of The Return of the Jedi, and Vader’s death, the current whereabouts of Ahsoka’s blue lightsaber are unknown.

How Did Ahsoka Tano Get Her White Lightsabers?

Ahsoka got her white lightsabers from the kyber crystals of a Sith Inquisitor called Seventh Brother in the 2016 novel, Ahsoka, by E.K. Johnston. Seventh Brother attacked Ahsoka while she was in hiding on the planet Ilum. She defeated him and took the kyber crystals from his dual lightsaber. Using the light side of the Force, Ahsoka cleansed the crystals of their red hue from the Sith, making them white.

Using scrap metal around her, Ahsoka forged two hilts for the crystals. Like her previous lightsabers, one of the lightsabers is a shoto blade, while the other is normal length. Over time, Ahsoka modified the hilts so that they became the elegant, curved lightsabers fans are familiar with today. Her lightsabers’ white color is symbolic of her decision to align with neither Jedi or Sith.

Which Lightsabers Will Ahsoka Use in the Star Wars Disney+ Show?

Considering that Ahsoka used her white lightsabers in The Mandalorian, she will use them again as she searches for Admiral Thrawn. Still, there is plenty of Ahsoka’s backstory that has not yet been explored in depth. Other Star Wars shows like The Mandalorian and Andor featured flashback scenes of the protagonist when they were young. Therefore, it isn’t totally out of the question for Ahsoka to feature similar scenes. Perhaps Ahsoka could reveal how she got her second lightsaber as a Padawan. Maybe the series will even feature flashback sequences where she wields her blue lightsabers. Ahsoka Tano is unlike any other Jedi in Star Wars, and she deserves a deeper look into her path as a warrior.

Ahsoka will premiere on Disney+ on August 23.