'Star Wars 9' Theory Says Kylo Will Wield This Iconic Lightsaber

Forget about Anakin’s blue lightsaber, Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker may finally bring back Luke Skywalker’s iconic green lightsaber. The last time anyone laid eyes on the long lost weapon was during a flashback scene in Star Wars: The Last Jedi. Still, it hasn’t truly been spotted since Luke used it during the Battle of Endor in Return of the Jedi, so it’s long overdue for a comeback.

Warning! Speculative spoilers for Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker below.

Since Luke’s no longer around to use it his old lightsaber, the obvious choice to inherit it is his nephew Kylo Ren. To align with Kylo’s possible redemption arc (or Bendemption, as fans have taken to calling it), one theory suggests that he’ll wield the green lightsaber to fight against the First Order, or maybe even the Emperor.

Redditor u/OldString1 believes that Kylo will finally be worthy of his uncle’s lightsaber and will use it to fight alongside Rey and the Resistance before the end of Episode IX. Kylo obtaining the green lightsaber would be a “tribute to Luke Skywalker and a sign that Kylo may finally forgive and even respect him,” they write. Plus, the emerald of the lightsaber represents “peace through force when necessary,” and that definitely describes Kylo headed into the final film of the franchise.

Perhaps the green lightsaber’s appearance in the flashback confrontation between Luke and Kylo was also meant to foreshadow its reemergence in The Rise of Skywalker. If Kylo were to truly forgive his uncle for his transgressions and also and realize the error of his ways, then it makes sense to showcase Kylo’s turn toward the Light Side of the Force by brandishing the lightsaber as a sign of peace and redemption.

Wielding it to fight the First Order would prove that Kylo’s come a long way since we first met him in The Force Awakens. Additionally, him fighting by Rey’s side would also reinforce their intense Force-connection and bring them together as Jedis for the first time. 

Lightsabers are tricky things, though. They’re weapons but, much like the magical wands of Harry Potter, they seem to call to specific people. Luke’s blue lightsaber, the first one he ever used, called to Rey in The Force Awakens and the same could now happen with the green lightsaber if it believes Kylo’s ready to receive it. Of course, they’d have to find it first. After all, no one seems to actually know the weapon’s whereabouts, though we can assume it’s collecting dust somewhere on Luke’s island.

With Mark Hamill’s confirmation that Luke will return as a Force Ghost in Episodes IX, it would be fitting if the Jedi Master passed down the lightsaber to his nephew. It would mean that Luke has forgiven Kylo and has deemed him worthy of such a gift. It might even go hand-in-hand with the idea that Kylo will sacrifice himself as the ultimate act of vindication. The lightsaber may be lost, but there’s no better way for it to show up once more than in the hands of a Skywalker descendant.

Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker hits theaters December 20, 2019.