After seeing some reallykick-ass lightsaber duelsin the otherStar Warsmovies and TV series, it’s hard not to revisit the first between Obi-Wan Kenobi (Sir Alec Guinness) and Darth Vader (David Prowse) inStar Wars: Episode IV - A New Hopeand not be somewhat underwhelmed (especially when comparedto this fan edit). However, it still stands as one of the most poignant moments in the franchise, and the first truly unexpected turn ina franchise full of them, with Obi-Wan allowing Vader to strike him down, leaving nothing but his robes and his lightsaber behind. But in the commotion that follows, we lose sight of Vader, those robes, and that lightsaber.So, what happens to Obi-Wan Kenobi’s lightsaber afterward?
Star Wars Canon Has No Idea What Happened to Obi-Wan Kenobi’s Lightsaber After ‘A New Hope'
According to officialStar Warscanon, Obi-Wan Kenobi’s lightsaber is… well, no one knows. That last shot of his lightsaber, atop the heap of robes that used to be the Jedi, is the end of it. So we, as fans, are left to speculate on its eventual fate. The thing is,that fate becomes invariably tied to the fate of the Death Star, and if you’ll recall,things don’t go wellfor the Imperial battle station in the film.
The most likely scenarios play out like this. One: it stays right there atop the heap, and is destroyed along with the Death Star. Two: a stormtrooper picks it up and is destroyed along with the stormtrooper and the Death Star. Three: Vader picks it up and takes it to his bedroom, puts it up in his trophy cabinet, where it, and the trophy cabinet, is destroyed along with the Death Star.In theory, the only way the lightsaber survives is if Vader picks it up and has it on his person while piloting his TIE fighter. After that? Beats me.
Obi-Wan Kenobi’s Lightsaber Lives on in the Non-Canon ‘Star Wars Legends’ Universe
If you’re willing to accept the final scenario laid out above, thenthe non-canonStar Wars Extended Universe,rebranded asStar Wars Legendsin 2014, actuallydoesknow what happened to Obi-Wan Kenobi’s lightsaber. InDark Horse Comics’Star Wars: Purge - The Tyrant’s Fist, Darth Vader is seen collecting the lightsabers of three Jedi he slaughters and adding them to a collection, one he started after committing to finding – and killing – every last Jedi. If this is true, thenit only makes sense that Vader, collecting the lightsabers of Jedi he has no personal connection to,would take the lightsaber of the one Jedi he hates most of all, Kenobi, as a prized possession. Even though he should have let the whole “you cut off my legs” Mustafar incident go by then. He had the high ground, Skywalker. Take some damn responsibility.
I digress. Anyway,asLegendstells it, Vader did take the lightsaber and stored it as a trophy, presumably having it in his pocket, or having sent a droid to bring it to Mustafar before the Death Star went BOOM. Years later, Luke Skywalker recreated the Jedi Order, and some of his students went to Bast Castle (Vader’s private fortress on Vjun) searching for relics. While there, they came across a false Darksider by the name of Orloc, who had Obi-Wan’s lightsaber in his possession. Not for long, however, as the Jedi students would reclaim it and bring it back to Luke.
The Rise and Fall of Anakin Skywalker: A Full Timeline of His Transformation Into Darth Vader
A timeline of the rise and fall of the Chosen One.
The lightsaber would be stolen from Luke’s quarters by Uldir Lochett, a non-Force-sensitive human. Uldir tracked down Orloc, hoping he would teach Uldir how to use the Force, with his attempts at becoming a Jedi had proven fruitless. Uldir’s fellow students showed up to confront them, and after a battle where the lightsaber changed hands repeatedly, it would eventually fall to Anakin Solo.From there, the lightsaber ended up at the Jedi Academy, where it presumably still is. Or was. The “long time ago in a galaxy far, far away” thing throws me off all the time.
Could Obi-Wan Kenobi’s lightsaber resurface inStar Warscanon? It’s possible, withLegendscanon being mined for materialfor the properStar Warscanon, but unlikely. There is one last possibility, though. What if the only reason thatForce Ghost Kenobihas his lightsaber is because it did done get blown up real good with the Death Star, becoming a Force Ghost itself? I’m good with that.
Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope
