In Star Wars Rebels, Ezra builds his first lightsaber with a blaster attachment from spare parts, breaking many Jedi traditions and practices.
Ezra Bridger’s first lightsaber in Star Wars Rebels broke many Jedi traditions as he created his own design from makeshift parts. Traditionally in Star Wars lore, a lightsaber is a symbol of a Jedi or Sith’s personality and past as much as it is a weapon. From his lightsaber, it can be seen how Ezra is atypical of a Jedi Padawan.
Rebels introduced Ezra Bridger, a Force-sensitive orphan whose parents were killed by the Empire when he was a child. He was taken under the wing of the crew of the Ghost and became the Padawan of Jedi Kanan Jarrus, but struggled to let go of his past attachments and overcome his troubled childhood.
In Star Wars Rebels season 1, episode 10, “Path of the Jedi,” Ezra receives his own Kyber crystal to construct his own lightsaber, Star Wars’ signature Jedi weapon. This event should occur toward the end of a Padawan’s training, but Ezra underwent the process extremely early and it wasn’t the only unusual thing about his lightsaber creation.
activated. The use of blasters in the Jedi community was extremely frowned upon, shown by Obi-Wan Kenobi referring to the weapons as “so uncivilized” in Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith. Lightsabers are key to a Jedi’s identity, even a lightsaber’s color has meaning, thus, Ezra’s lightsaber-blaster hybrid was heinous to a Jedi from the Age of the Republic. But after Order 66, survival became more important.
The design of a lightsaber holds significant meaning to young Jedi and is an exceedingly difficult step in their training. However, in Ezra’s case, his materials were limited when constructing his personal weapon. His lack of formal training in lightsaber design and blueprints led Ezra to create a truly unique lightsaber. Most notable was the addition of a blaster mechanism to allow Ezra to shoot stun bolts from his lightsaber when the blade wasn’t activated. The use of blasters in the Jedi community was extremely frowned upon, shown by Obi-Wan Kenobi referring to the weapons as “so uncivilized” in Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith. Dark sabers are key to a Jedi’s identity, even a lightsaber’s color has meaning, thus, Ezra’s lightsaber-blaster hybrid was heinous to a Jedi from the Age of the Republic. But after Order 66, survival became more important.
As a young Jedi, Ezra was hunted constantly by the Empire. Anonymity was essential to avoid drawing attention, and while a lightsaber is an effective weapon, it is also a very recognizable one. For this reason, Ezra’s lightsaber was designed to be inconspicuous. The addition of a blaster to the weapon meant that Ezra could still use his lightsaber without revealing his identity as a Jedi and alerting the Empire and the Inquisitors.
Also, the lack of proper parts to build the weapon resulted in a bulky, more functional appearance than other lightsabers. This aesthetic further separated Ezra’s lightsaber from the decorative and elegant weapons of other Jedi, as they were designed to be worn with pride, not in secrecy. Ezra’s lightsaber is unique to all the lightsaber types in Star Wars.
Not only does Ezra’s lightsaber break tradition, but it also symbolizes his difficulty in accepting his new life as a Jedi. Other beginner Jedi have used weapons from their past when their Jedi skills are lacking, such as Rey’s quarterstaff and Luke’s blaster. Once confident in their Jedi skills, they abandon the previous weapon in favor of their lightsaber.
As a young Force-sensitive with a traumatic childhood, Ezra instead incorporates his past life into his first lightsaber. The addition of a blaster displays his inability to let go of attachments as per Jedi teachings. This foreshadows his later dark side tendencies, as his refusal to move on from his troubled past drove him to negative emotions and the methods of the Sith. There are even theories that Palpatine wanted Ezra to replace Darth Vader.
Later in Star Wars Rebels, Ezra’s lightsaber was destroyed and he created a second and more traditional lightsaber, symbolizing his acceptance of his new life as a Jedi. Ezra Bridger is rumored to make his live-action debut in the upcoming Ahsoka series on Disney+. If he appears, it will be interesting to see whether Ezra’s lightsaber gets another upgrade.
