Do all Jedi use lightsabers? Saber Questions Answered
In the vast, expansive Star Wars universe consisting of film, TV, books, games and other media, no pairing is as iconic as a Jedi and their lightsaber. Whatever you see it in, a Jedi knight igniting their saber is always an exciting moment.
But when a pairing is as famous as that, it’s only natural to become curious about this bond. More specifically, do jedi use tools other than lightsabers, or are there Jedi who don’t use a lightsaber at all?
Let’s delve into the lore and find out…
Do all Jedi use lightsabers?
Fay, a Jedi Master in the Star Wars Legends series was so strong with the force that she chose to forgo the use of a lightsaber - preferring to use her force powers. Obi-wan Kenobi was even quoted as saying ‘In all her long decades, she never raised her lightsaber in combat. I don’t even know if she carried one.’
Other Jedi either didn’t use a lightsaber or used one rarely due to their physiology. For example, Master Yoda seems to have abandoned his saber in his old age in the OT - a practical move for the diminutive creature who is so strong with the force he doesn’t need a saber.
In Star Wars Legends, Jedi Master Thon was a dinosaur-type creature who used his natural abilities rather than his saber.
Do Jedi use tools other than lightsabers?
Yes. Luke Skywalker wields a blaster throughout the original trilogy - even in Return of the Jedi when he is a ‘full’ Jedi who is trained in the force. The most famous of all of these examples is when Obi-Wan Kenobi uses a blaster to defeat General Grievous and remarking ‘so uncivilised’. In the Rebels and Clone Wars animated series, we again see Obi-Wan using blasters quite often.
In Star Wars Legends, which may no longer be canon but still contains amazing stories, Jedi Master Vodo-Siosk Bass often used a force-imbued staff instead of a saber - despite being an expert craftsman of sabers. Unfortunately, that same staff was eventually chopped in two by a lightsaber wielded by Exar Kun - leading to Bass’ death. Perhaps not a wise choice, after all.
Ezra Bridger is a character from Star Wars Rebels who had a unique lightsaber/blaster combination that enabled him to shoot blaster bolts as well as wield a standard saber.
Do non-Jedi use lightsabers?
We’re excluding Sith in this, obviously.
Despite the incredible finesse needed to wield a saber, it was commonly thought you also needed force-sensitivity to be effective. However, there’s no real reason a normal person can’t use a lightsaber. Han Solo uses Luke’s saber as a tool to cut open a Taun-Taun.
To use one efficiently, however, you must be force sensitive. A normal person using a saber against a blaster would get shot as they’d lack the skills to deflect it. Bringing a lightsaber to a fight against a Jedi would be even more of a mistake.
General Grievous disproved that notion. A non-force user, Grievous was able to wield multiple sabers and beat Jedi to the point he was regarded as one of the most fearsome duellists in the galaxy. In The Clone Wars, Pre-Viszla is also seen wielding a saber effectively though he is not a Jedi or a Sith.
In The Force Awakens, Finn manages to fend off a weakened Kylo Ren for a brief time - though whether or not he has force-sensitivity is never really confirmed.
It seems clear that Jedi, despite their traditional stance on their iconic tool, do indeed sometimes wield other tools! Still, we’ll stick to lightsabers - they’re just too amazing not to.