Regardless of the era, lightsabers have always been an inseparable part of that galaxy far, far away and its lore. Apparently, though, Lucasfilm intends to renovate these deadly weapons by introducing a new one in Star Wars: The High Republic.
When Ben Kenobi claimed that lightsabers were “elegant weapons” that belonged to a “more civilized age” in A New Hope, we couldn’t possibly comprehend just how important they’d turn out to be. Much like the living Force, lightsabers are one of the backbone features of Star Wars and its mythology. From the kyber crystals that the Jedi use to power their blue, green, white, and purple sabers, to their crimson-colored counterparts brandished by the Sith, and the peculiar Darksaber, we’ve seen these powerful tools in many shapes and forms over the years. Even Kylo Ren’s unstable crossguard lightsaber was a unique addition in the Sequel Trilogy that made it aesthetically more pleasing.
Now, it appears that the folks behind the Star Wars: The High Republic publishing initiative plan to introduce a new lightsaber to the lore in the upcoming novels. An upcoming canon reference book, titled Star Wars: The Lightsaber Collection, will not only deliver a comprehensive visual guide to lightsabers, but also feature a completely new one from before the days of the Galactic Republic.
Here’s a part of the publisher’s summary:
“Discover never before seen art and illustrations. Featuring photo-realistic renders of lightsabers from Star Wars animation and comics, including Ezra Bridger’s blaster-saber hybrid, the Grand Inquisitor’s spinning blades, and a new lightsaber from The High Republic, this book is a must-have for Star Wars fans.”
Star Wars: The High Republic will take place 200 years before the events of Episode I – The Phantom Menace and revolve around the Jedi Order at the height of their power who face-off against a mysterious force of the Dark Side, a group of bandits that go by the name of Nihil.
Since the new narrative will take us to the days of yore, there’ll be plenty of opportunities to explore other mythical aspects of the Star Wars universe that the movies usually fail to address due to their limited runtime. And we as fans couldn’t be more excited to get into them when they arrive in January 2021.