Summary

• Kanan Jarrus had a unique collapsible lightsaber that could be split into two parts, making it easy for him to hide.
• His lightsaber was the perfect weapon for a Jedi in hiding, as the two pieces could easily be mistaken for something else.
• Kanan's lightsaber helped him survive and keep his identity hidden until he was forced to reveal himself to fight against the Empire.

Kanan Jarrus, previously known as Caleb Dume, was an Order 66 survivor who eventually became an integral member of the Rebellion along with the rest of the Ghost Crew. He discovered Ezra Bridger’s connection to the Force, training him to become a Jedi as best as he could as the Empire tried to hunt them down. But, for the longest time, Kanan was able to hide from Vader’s Inquisitors, and interestingly enough, his lightsaber helped him do so.

There are hundreds, if not thousands, of lightsaber designs currently canon in Star Wars. Though many have straightforward hilt designs, reminiscent of the ones first introduced in the original Star Wars movie, others are more unique. Kylo Ren’s lightsaber featured one of the few crossguard designs, for instance – which have since become more popular in the High Republic era. Similarly, the High Republic era introduced a weapon known as the lightsaber whip. And yet, despite all these different designs, Kanan Jarrus’ lightsaber still stands out amongst them.

Kanan Jarrus' Lightsaber Was Actually Collapsible

What made Kanan’s lightsaber so unique in Star Wars Rebels was that it was essentially collapsible. Most lightsabers are designed in such a way that they cannot simply be taken apart – and if they are taken apart, they are not so easy to put back together. Most lightsaber designs are intricate and personal to the Jedi who wield them, hanging on their belts at all times should the need to use them arise. Kanan’s lightsaber, however, could be split into two unrecognizable parts, which he demonstrated in the pilot episode of Star Wars Rebels, “Spark of Rebellion.”

As explained in the Star Wars Rebels: Season 2 Sourcebook, Kanan wore “the main body and grip of the hilt on the small of his back, and the top portion that produced the blade on his left side.” All he needed to do to assemble his lightsaber was attach the two parts and twist to lock them together. Even most double-bladed lightsabers weren’t collapsible, though that would have made them much easier to travel with. Kanan’s lightsaber was truly unique.

Kanan's Lightsaber Was The Perfect Weapon For The Dark Times

Kanan’s two-piece lightsaber made it the perfect weapon for a Jedi in hiding. The two pieces split apart were inconspicuous, easily mistaken for a nondescript technical part of a machine or some other tool. This allowed him to carry his lightsaber with him wherever he went, even when he was out in public, even when Vader’s Inquisitors and the Empire’s stormtroopers were scouring the galaxy looking for any remaining Jedi.

Kanan’s lightsaber helped him survive for a long time without revealing his identity as a Jedi – not until he met Hera Syndulla in John Jackson Miller’s novel A New Dawn, and they became the first two official of the Ghost Crew. And even then, it wasn’t until they tried to save the Wookiees from a horrible fate in Star Wars Rebels’ pilot episode that Kanan was forced to reveal his true identity to a troupe of Imperials, starting a chain reaction that would, eventually, lead to the destruction of the Empire.