Unveiling Obi-Wan's Hidden Secret: The Untold Story of His Pre-Ahsoka Orange Lightsaber

The villains in Ahsoka possess incredibly rare orange lightsabers, however, Obi-Wan Kenobi wielded one prior to the Skywalker saga. In the non-canon Star Wars Legends, orange lightsabers were relatively more common, primarily used by Force users who had not fully embraced the light or dark side. Orange symbolized a middle ground between the Sith's red blades and the yellow ones typically used by Jedi Temple Guards. Although rare, a few genuine Jedi also utilized orange lightsabers in Legends, including Master Plo Koon and Master Yaddle.

In the official Star Wars canon, orange lightsabers are even scarcer. In the games Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order and Star Wars Jedi: Survivor, Cal Kestis can customize his lightsaber to be orange. In Survivor, a bounty hunter even wields an orange-yellow tinted lightsaber. Another surprising instance of an orange lightsaber being used in Star Wars canon is found in Claudia Gray's novel Master & Apprentice, where Obi-Wan Kenobi briefly wields an orange-bladed lightsaber. This peculiar occurrence may provide an explanation for the unique color of the lightsabers wielded by the villains in Ahsoka.

Obi-Wan Kenobi Once Used An Orange Lightsaber - Powered By A Kohlen Crystal

During the novel's climax, Obi-Wan finds himself in a confrontation with a Pijali guard and is compelled to wield his lightsaber. To his astonishment, he realizes that the color of his blade has transformed from its usual blue hue to an orange glow. The truth is unveiled when it is discovered that someone had clandestinely replaced the kyber crystal in his lightsaber with a kohlen crystal, with the intention of rendering it ineffective in combat. Despite the weakened state of the orange blade, it still possesses the capability to cause harm. It successfully cuts through a kohlen-powered shield and inflicts wounds upon the man underneath. Interestingly, had Obi-Wan been using his customary blue lightsaber, he would not have been able to penetrate the kohlen-powered shield, but the injuries he inflicted upon the guard would have been fatal.

Could Ahsoka's Villains Be Using Kohlen-Powered Lightsabers?

In Ahsoka, the dark Jedi characters Baylan Skoll and Shin Hati both utilize orange lightsabers, which indicates a deliberate choice likely tied to their backstory and motivations. Considering that no canon kyber crystal has been known to produce an orange lightsaber blade outside of the games, it is possible that Baylan and Shin are using lightsabers powered by kohlen instead. Ahsoka takes place after the Empire's reign, during which they plundered numerous planets for resources, including kyber crystals that were targeted and utilized to power the Death Stars. It is conceivable that if the villains in Ahsoka had to create new lightsabers, they opted to power them with kohlen as a substitute.

While Obi-Wan's lightsaber temporarily experienced a decrease in power, it does not imply that all kohlen crystals are the same. In the Ahsoka trailer, Baylan and Shin's lightsabers appear to possess the same level of power as regular lightsabers, suggesting the existence of different types of kohlen crystals. Kyber crystals obtained from alternative sources can vary in size, power, appearance, and even influence the type of blade emitted from the lightsaber hilt. It is plausible that the same holds true for kohlen crystals, with their properties being influenced by the specific environment in which they were formed. If this is the case, the mystery of Baylan and Shin's unique orange lightsabers in Ahsoka may have already been explained in the novel Master & Apprentice.