Lightsabers are famously Jedi weapons inStar Warscanon, as the Jedi have used them for thousands of years to help maintain peace in the galaxy - and it isn’t because lightsabers are the most convenient or practical weapons out there, either.The Jedi use lightsabersspecifically because they require deliberate and precise handling to be effective, which forces the Jedi to appreciate the lightsaber’s life-taking power with every swing. That being said, there is another weapon that can be made from the same components that make up a lightsaber, andStar Warsshould bring it back ASAP: the lightsaber rifle.
In the story arc told inStar Wars: Doctor Aphra#32-36 (by Simon Spurrier, Wilton Santos, Caspar Wijngaard, and Andrea Broccardo), the notorious archaeologist/thief, Doctor Aphra, comes across an ancient (and forbidden) Jedi weapon called the Farkiller, which is effectively a lightsaber rifle that the Rebel Alliance wanted to use toassassinate Emperor Palpatine. Doctor Aphra also learned that the Farkiller was created by two Jedi who were excommunicated from the Jedi Order and marked as Apostates because of their creation (Oo’ob and Var-Whill), further confirming that the Farkiller was, indeed, a forbidden Jedi weapon.
However, forbidden or not, that didn’t stop the chief librarian ofthe Jedi Archives, Jocasta Nu, from using it against Darth Vader many years before the events of the Doctor Aphra story arc. InDarth Vader#9-10 by Charles Soule and Giuseppe Camuncoli (which takes place shortly afterthe events ofRevenge of the Sith), the newly-corrupted Darth Vader is on a mission to secure (or destroy) every Jedi artifact of importance to the Empire. That mission puts him face-to-face with Jocasta Nu, who uses the forbidden Farkiller to fight Vader - and she very nearly succeeds in killing him.
Based on these examples, it’s clear to see that the Farkiller has popped up sporadically throughout Star Wars canon, but it never stuck around. It was forbidden by the Jedi upon its creation (with those who created it receiving banishment as punishment), it was used only under the most dire of circumstances by the chief Jedi archivist, and it was coveted by the Rebellion in their efforts to topple the Empire. But, other than that, the Farkiller really isn’t amajor weapon inStar Wars. Why? Well, interestingly enough, Anakin Skywalker asked that very same question, and Obi-Wan Kenobi gave the answer.
Obi-Wan Kenobi Already Revealed Why the Jedi Will Never Use the Lightsaber Rifle
Anakin Skywalker Thought a Weapon Like This Would Be a Good Idea
InStar Wars#25’s “Obi-Wan and Anakin: The Lesson”, readers are shown a never-before-seen training session where Anakin asked his master why the Jedi have to use lightsabers, and if the kyber crystal that powers their lightsabers could be used in other ways. To that, Obi-Wan explains that lightsabers require precision and discipline, which are fundamental in Jedi doctrine. The lightsaber helps ensure that a Jedi will be responsible with their power. Anyone can mindlessly shoot a blaster to take a life, but deliberate thought and effort is required to take a life with a lightsaber, and the Jedi must keep that in mind.
Without really knowing it, Anakin Skywalker had the same idea as Oo’ob and Var-Whill. But, just as those two ancient Jedi were punished for actually creating such a weapon, Obi-Wan Kenobi steered Anakin away from such ideas. That not only adds a layer of irony to the fact that Darth Vader would eventually have to face such a weapon, but also offers a clue as to how a lightsaber rifle could be utilized inthe future ofStar Wars. In fact, it could be argued that the Farkiller has already made another appearance inStar Wars’ more recent chronology - a much bigger and deadlier version.
The Lightsaber Rifle Shouldn’t Be a Weapon of the Jedi, but of the Sith
The Sith Should Use Lightsaber Rifles (& Sort of Already Did)
The Farkiller takes the kyber crystal within a lightsaber and uses it to power a ‘mega-blaster’. If that sounds familiar to Star Wars fans, it should, because that’s basically what the Death Star is. Emperor Palpatine effectively used the design of the Farkiller to create his planet-destroying Death Star, as that super-weapon was powered by a large portion of kyber. Not only that, but Palpatine used that idea yet again with his planet-destroying Star Destroyers from the sequel trilogy. This shows the horrific evolution of Farkillers inStar Wars, but the franchise should still bring back the weapon in its original form. But, what would that look like?
Star Wars Just Opened the Door For Sith Yoda, And It’s Honestly Long Overdue
Yoda is famously a great Jedi Master in Star Wars canon, but what if he was a Sith Lord? Now, Star Wars has the chance to answer that very question.
It seems clear that the Jedi will never use Farkillers, so how canStar Warsbring them back? Easy. The franchise can bring back Farkillers the same way it evolved them: give them to the Sith. The Sith don’t care about the sanctity of life or the significance of taking it, and modern Sith have already used versions of Farkillers with the Death Star and Star Destroyers. So, ifStar Warsactually does bring back this forbidden lightsaber rifle, then it seems obvious that the Sith (not the Jedi) should wield them.
