KMC Forums - in clone wars season two there was a jedi with a red lightsaber

The color of a lightsaber blade was heavily dependent on the crystal used in its construction. For the Jedi, these crystals came in many colors and were extracted from natural deposits. Sith, however, made use of synth-crystals to power their weapons, which resulted in Sith blades being almost uniformly red. It should be noted that synthetic crystals do not always result in red blades, since Luke Skywalker's synthetic crystals resulted in a green blade. Jedi have been known to produce blades that are red or approaching that color (such as purple), but perhaps due to the force of tradition, the Jedi Order typically avoided any colors that might associate them with the Sith. Despite this, a small number of Jedi (such as Adi Gallia before the time of the Clone Wars) used a red bladed lightsaber.

Ancient Jedi wielded blades of many colors; blue, green and red, as well as purple, orange, silver, turquoise, pink, bronze, yellow, viridian, emerald, and possibly white and gold, among others; the full variety and extent of focusing gems, and consequently, of colors, is unknown.

Lightsaber crystals do have limited life spans. As the plasma energy that makes up the blade flows through them, they eventually wear out. For the most part, there is a ratio between the strength of a crystal and its longevity. For example, a blue lightsaber is one of the stronger crystals, and even if frequently used, will last over a millenia. On the other hand, a red synth-crystal, if frequently used, will last only a month.

During the days of the "Old Republic" some of the colors held significance as to which class a Jedi chose to become. The initial classes were Jedi Consular, Jedi Guardian, and Jedi Sentinel. The Jedi Consular, whose color was green, were the govermental peace keepers of the Jedi and had a grander mastery of the Force, and focused less towards the physical fighting abilities. The Jedi Guardian, whose color was blue, were, naturally, the guardians of peace and the force, and their training focused more so on the use of their lightsaber skill than force mastery. The Jedi Sentinel, whose color was yellow, were the keepers of Justice and Balance, (of economical and enviromental), who had a nearly evenly balance blend of lightsaber skill and force mastery. But this color selection was not absolutely obligatory - it was more of a tradition, than a real rule.

Around the time of Revan, crystals for lightsabers mostly came from a cave near the Jedi Enclave on Dantooine, though this cave was said to be a myth to fool young Jedi Padawans. By the time of Battle of Naboo, however, the Jedi primarily used the caves of Ilum as the source of their lightsaber crystals. These caves were rich in green and blue crystals, explaining the absence of alternate colors among the Jedi ranks during this period�with the exception of Mace Windu's and Plo Koon's blades (purple and yellow, respectively). During the Clone Wars, major portions of the Ilum caves were tragically destroyed by the Confederacy of Independent Systems. The Empire destroyed crystals on an even larger scale after the war. Bereft of these resources, the Jedi of Luke Skywalker's Order were again forced to scour the galaxy for usable crystals, creating a resurgence in more varied blades. One lightsaber in particular, created by the Jedi student Gantoris, was violet with patterns of rainbow light rippling across its white core.

The 'synthetic' red blade producing crystals favored by the Sith created a somewhat more powerful blade than blue or green crystals, but were not as pure due to their artificial nature and can thus be undesirable as the focus of a lightsaber. Often the Sith Master would craft the crystal and gift it to his apprentice. Despite the differences in color, the function of the different colored blades is the same. Once techniques of synthesizing crystals became more well known, the restrictions on color became less of a concern, except for matters of personal taste or political statement. Various "Dark Jedi" not associated with the extinct Sith Order often retain the colors used as Jedi, though some continue to choose red for symbolic reasons. Plenty of examples exist, however, of Dark Side users who did not use red blades, and even those who were not Dark Siders who used red blades with no ill effects. This has lead many to assume that the color is merely a symbolic consideration, depending on the user.

Some have speculated that the red lightsabers are actually a product of the influence of the Dark Side of the Force. It is alleged that somehow the one constructing the saber actually "infuses" some aspect of the Dark Side into the device itself, causing the blade to change color. This might also explain why Dark Side users so often switch to red after turning. However such a notion could be explained away as superstition, and speculation based on the common practice of the Sith using red blades (after all, Exar Kun, who was one of the most feared Sith Lords of all time, wielded a double-bladed blue lightsaber). Those who embrace the Dark Side may simply wish to imitate the Sith traditions by choosing a color favored by them. That such misinformation could be spread among the general public would give the Jedi one more reason not to associate with them by choosing colors other than red.

This being noted, there were advantages and disadvantages to synth-crystals. As mentioned before, they could actually produce a blade stronger than traditional crystals, which possessed the possibility to "break the blade" of other sabers by overloading the energy matrix and instantly burning out the enemy's weapon. Although a rare occurance, it was still common knowledge and a terrifying proposition in duels. Additionally, Sith blades also seemed to be less maneuverable than their Jedi counterparts.

There is some controversy surrounding what exactly produces blade color in a lightsaber. Is it purely based on the type or color of crystal, the focusing mechanism, power level, "tuning" or some other aspect? Clearly, the crystal has some effect, but it may not be the sole factor in determining the color. It has been determined that the plasma emitted from the power cell of a lightsaber has no effect on the saber's color. Color is determined by a lightsaber's primary crystal because secondary crystals create effects to a lightsaber's blade.

__________________

My Sigs: http://www.killermovies.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=405474