The Lightsaber in Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order is Incredible, Why Can’t I Buy It? March 18, 2020

Posted by Maniac in Editorials.
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After seeing the Star Wars Trilogy for the first time in 1994, I wanted to be a Jedi. After I got my first computer I played the hell out of Jedi Knight: Dark Forces II, but while I could play as a Jedi and learn the ways of the Force in that game, I felt detached from it due to the fact it was just that, a game. For decades, fans of Star Wars have wished there was a place they could go where they could feel like they were truly part of the Star Wars universe. Until this past year, the closest they ever got was the Star Tours ride found at Disneyland and Disney’s Hollywood Studios. While the ride was great, and certainly groundbreaking for its time, newer technology is available to recreate a film-quality interactive environment. In 2019, ordinary people finally got the chance to visit a part of the Star Wars universe when Disneyland and Walt Disney World opened Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge.

Last year, EA released the first Star Wars video game developed under their watch that was actually good, Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order. Set between the events of the original and the prequel trilogies, Fallen Order puts you in the shoes of Cal Kestis, a former Jedi Padawan now in hiding after the rise of the Galactic Empire. When his identity is exposed, he has to team up with a rag tag crew as they travel across the galaxy to stay one step ahead of the Imperial Inquisitors. Here’s the game’s reveal trailer.

Over the course of the game, Cal (and through him the player) must reconnect to the Force and relearn the teachings of his former Jedi Master. Cal’s path to relearn the ways of The Force ties directly into his path to repair the damaged lightsaber he has in his possession. While the player can find all sorts of new lightsaber parts (including emitters, switches, handles, and metallic finishes), the saber itself can only be repaired by certain workbenches scattered throughout the galaxy.

We’ve never seen a Jedi or Sith construct their own lightsabers in the Star Wars films. A scene was filmed for Return of The Jedi’s opening which showed Luke putting the last touches on the green lightsaber he used throughout that film, but it was not in the film’s final cut nor was it restored for any of the film’s Special Editions so I don’t consider it canon (Ed Note: The scene can be watched on Disney+). However, in Galaxy’s Edge, which is entirely canon, visitors are able to build their own custom lightsabers from scratch at a place called Savi’s Workshop. Here’s a video to show what building a custom saber is like courtesy of YouTube Channel Ordinary Adventures.

I know after seeing that you probably think Savi has access to some really cool stuff. Savi’s employees (who humbly call themselves The Gatherers) have admitted that like Cal, they sourced the parts people are using to create custom lightsabers from out of the way locations across the galaxy including old Jedi and Sith Temples. Many of the exact same lightsaber parts Cal can find in Fallen Order can be selected in when building custom lightsabers at Savi’s! In fact, YouTube Channel jackfrags has replicated building a custom lightsaber with some of same lightsaber parts they used in Fallen Order. However, there are limitations to what can be currently built. Unlike Cal, the Gatherers are not Force sensitive and because of that are reliant on technology, training and practice to assist their customers in constructing new lightsabers.

Just be aware this part of the article will include SPOILERS for the ending to Star Wars: Jedi Fallen Order. You have been warned.

When the game begins, Cal only has access to a heavily damaged single-bladed lightsaber. We find out later in the game who it belonged to and how it was damaged, and it turns out the saber was originally constructed to be double-bladed, but the second blade no longer functioned. As the game progresses, Cal has the opportunity (if the player looks hard enough) to find special workbenches on worlds such as Dathomir that has the tools and components to repair the saber and restore its original double-bladed functionality. This makes perfect sense in the Star Wars canon as double-bladed lightsabers are incredibly rare. Since Darth Maul, one of the first characters we’ve ever seen wield a double-bladed saber, originally came from Dathomir it makes perfect sense his home planet had the tools to restore Cal’s saber to its double-bladed functionality.

Upon completing the penultimate planet in the game’s story, Cal’s fully restored double-bladed lightsaber is destroyed, this time wrecking all of its functionality. Only one planet was left in the galaxy with the supplies Cal needed to construct an entirely new lightsaber, Ilum, the home of the now disbanded Jedi Temple. Thankfully, the caverns underneath the Temple were mostly untouched, and an advanced workbench with a single Kyber Crystal were still in the cave.

That scene look cool to you? I want to buy that lightsaber right FREAKING NOW! Unfortunately, as of the time of writing, you cannot build a custom double-bladed lightsaber or custom saber with detachable ends like Cal was able to construct in Fallen Order at Savi’s workshop. Nor is a replica of any version of Cal’s lightsaber sold at the upscale gift shop, Dok Ondar’s Den of Antiquities. However, I believe I now understand the reason why. Did you notice Cal use the Force to give a little vibration to the saber just before igniting it for the first time? If Savi’s employees are correct, Cal is using the Force to perform the final alignment of the Kyber crystal, a very complex and dangerous task made easier by Cal’s use of the Force. If my theory is correct, the workbenches at Savi’s are currently inadequate to assemble more complex lightsabers and since the Gatherers are not Force sensitive, that would make it impossible for them to replicate a lightsaber of high complexity. It just emphasizes the danger that knowledge really can be lost and destroyed. Hopefully this will not remain a permanent issue for Savi’s people, but it is unlikely it is something they will be capable of in the foreseeable future.

I want to applaud the game’s artists took the time to offer players access to the exact same components currently used to build custom lightsabers at Galaxy’s Edge. I couldn’t tell you if the game took inspiration from the parks or vice versa (the parks did launch before the game did) but that attention to detail should be commended. If you haven’t picked up Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order yet (on your platform of choice) you totally should. It’s an incredible game I recommend to anyone who has a love of Star Wars and owns one of the platforms it’s currently available on.

Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order is out now for the PC, Xbox One and PS4.

UPDATE: The May 4th Patch has added even MORE components that are normally for sale at Savi’s Workshop into the game. Apparently my theory that Fallen Order’s developers were talking to the people who run Disney’s theme parks is accurate. Now, when can we get a Cal Kestis saber for sale in the parks?

Oh before we close out I want to give a shout out and special thanks to the YouTube Channel VincentVision who filmed one of the funniest videos I’ve seen at Savi’s and for letting us feature that video on this article as well.