Throughout his path as an Imperial soldier, Rebel agent and a revered Jedi Battlemaster, Kyle Katarn used at least three lightsabers in his life.
His first, originally owned by Jedi Master Qu Rahn, emitted a green blade. After being passed down to Kyle by his father Morgan Katarn, he wielded it in battles against several Dark Jedi, it was destroyed by Boc Aseca, but Kyle acquired the yellow bladed lightsaber of the redeemed Dark Jedi Yun. Later, he constructed his own blue bladed lightsaber after joining the Jedi Praxeum, distinctive for its two handgrips and longer hilt.
Who is Kyle Katarn?
Kyle Katarn was a well-known Force-user Human male. He started as an officer for the Empire but switched sides to join the Rebels. Later, he became a Jedi in the New Jedi Order.
He often worked with Jan Ors, a smuggler and fellow Rebel agent, together, they went on many secret missions for the Rebel Alliance and the New Republic including stopping the Dark Trooper Project.
Katarn found out he could use the Force and taught himself to become a Jedi while searching for the Valley of the Jedi.
On this journey, he faced the dark side within himself and fought High Inquisitor Jerec and his followers. After beating them, Katarn became a Jedi Master. However, on a mission to explore an old temple in Dromund Kaas, he was tricked by its dark influence and temporarily turned to the dark side, thanks to his Padawan “Mara Jade” he was able to come back to the light.
Katarn decided to cut himself off from the Force and leave the New Jedi Order to become a mercenary again. When Jan was apparently killed by the rogue Dark Jedi Desann, Katarn chose to use the Force again, he retrieved his lightsaber, stopped the Empire Reborn’s plans, became friends with Luke Skywalker, rescued Jan and ended the new Shadow Trooper Program and the plot to destroy the Jedi Academy. Katarn then returned to his role as a Jedi Master and continued teaching at the Jedi Praxeum.
He fought against the Yuuzhan Vong and stayed an important ally to the New Republic helping during the Dark Nest Crisis and the fight against Sith Lord Darth Caedus in the Second Galactic Civil War, he also joined the Jedi High Council in the New Jedi Order and served for many years.
Kyle Katarn’s First Lightsaber (Qu Rahn’s Lightsaber)
Kyle Katarn first used a lightsaber that once belonged to the Jedi Master Qu Rahn himself, it was green bladed, around 1 BBY, Rahn saw Katarn could turn from his Imperial roots, so Rahn gave Katarn’s dad Morgan the green lightsaber.
The lightsaber stayed hid in the Katarn family droid WeeGee on Sulon for years. In 5 ABY, Kyle, then a Rebel agent, found it. He also found a recording from his dad, the recording urged Kyle to use Rahn’s lightsaber for good.
This green lightsaber went with Katarn on his pivotal mission to stop the Seven Dark Jedi, led by Jerec, this lightsaber helped Katarn in tough spots like the Sulon canals and the deep Ruusan Valley, he used it against fearsome enemies like Yun, Gorc, Pic and the scary Maw.
The lightsaber’s story ended on Ruusan. Boc Aseca, one of Jerec’s Dark Jedi, broke it in anger over his father’s death, Katarn was tempted to hurt captive Jan Ors with the saber, almost turning to the dark side but he refused, rejected darkness and left Qu Rahn’s lightsaber behind, he took the weapon of fallen Jedi Yun instead.
Kyle Katarn’s Second Lightsaber (Yun’s Lightsaber)
After the destruction of Qu Rahn’s lightsaber, Katarn started using the yellow bladed lightsaber of the Dark Jedi Yun, this lightsaber had a special grip design with curves to fit the user’s hand perfectly for a good grip.
This lightsaber had a great story, Rahn briefly stole and used it on Jerec’s ship Vengeance when fighting Jerec’s Dark Jedi, Rahn cut the fearsome Maw in half with the blade but Jerec overpowered him.
The lightsaber then returned to Yun’s possession, who used it in his intense fight against Katarn on Sulon, but then Yun made a noble sacrifice using the lightsaber one last time to save Katarn’s life when another of Jerec’s followers, Sariss, tried to kill Katarn after his crash on Ruusan, with Yun’s sacrifice, his lightsaber passed into Katarn’s hands.
Katarn kept using Yun’s yellow lightsaber for the rest of his mission against Jerec’s Dark Jedi, he defeated Sariss, Boc Aseca and finally Jerec. However, when Katarn briefly fell to the dark side of the Force, he also used this weapon, a reminder that all Jedi walk a fine line between light and dark.
Katarn chose to make a new lightsaber, he did this to mark his new start as a true servant of the light side of the Force and the Jedi way.
Kyle Katarn’s Third Lightsaber (The Blue Lightsaber)
After joining Luke Skywalker’s Jedi Praxeum on Yavin 4, Katarn made his third and most well-known lightsaber, a blue bladed one with a long hilt and two grips, this lightsaber became a sign of Katarn’s status as a Jedi Battlemaster and his strong faith in the ways of the Jedi Order.
At first, Katarn went to the Praxeum as he feared the dark side’s pull, he saw skilled students like Gantoris and Durron give in to its lures.
Not wanting that fate, Katarn made the hard choice to leave, he left his new blue lightsaber with Skywalker when he went back to being a mercenary with Jan Ors.
But then the Empire Reborn crisis ignited Katarn’s Jedi drive again. When Desann seemed to kill Jan on Artus Prime, an angry Katarn returned to the Praxeum, set on getting his lightsaber back. Skywalker said Katarn had to finish the the Praxeum ‘s hard training course first, Katarn took on that challenge.
From then on, Katarn’s blue lightsaber was key in his mission to defeat Desann’s Empire Reborn forces. On Nar Shaddaa, Katarn used his lightsaber to scare a bartender into giving him facts, those facts led Katarn to the crime lord Reelo Baruk.
On Cloud City, Bespin, Katarn fought Empire Reborn Jedi and Desann’s student Tavion, Tavion revealed Jan was alive reigniting Katarn’s determination.
In the Lenico Belt, Katarn used his blue lightsaber to fight Empire Reborn soldiers on Admiral Fyyar’s ship Doomgiver to save Jan.
On Yavin 4, Katarn fought through the Jedi Praxeum with his lightsaber helping Jedi students in battling Reborn and Shadowtroopers, he reached the inner room and defeated Desann with his lightsaber.
Even after the Empire Reborn crisis was resolved, Katarn’s blue lightsaber remained a constant companion on missions to worlds like Alzoc III, its unique design with its longer hilt and dual handgrips, made it instantly recognizable as the weapon of the legendary Jedi Battlemaster.
While the specifics of Katarn’s lightsabers may no longer be considered canon within the Star Wars Saga, Katarn’s lighsabers still show his special journey from Imperial to a skilled and devoted Jedi warrior after the Empire fell, from Rahn’s gifted saber to Yun’s sacrifice and finally Katarn’s own blue lightsaber, these were weapons of a man who overcame his roots to serve the light.
Frequently Asked Questions
Kyle Katarn was an expert in the fifth form of lightsaber combat “Djem So”, he also knew other forms like “Shii-Cho” and “Ataru”.
Kyle Katarn’s style was the fast style of lightsaber combat, used by members of the New Jedi Order.
Katarn’s mastery of the Force was amazing, he surpassed all but the strongest Jedi Masters,
Even Kylo Ren who rarely acknowledged such abilities recognized Katarn’s skill, his telekinetic powers were exceptionally strong.
One big reason Kyle Katarn’s canon status is unclear is because his most important deed goes against the new official canon. In the game “Star Wars: Dark Forces”, Katarn steals the Death Star plans leading to events of the original Star Wars movies, but this contradicts the current canon.
Kyle Katarn was a Force-sensitive man who worked for the Rebel Alliance as an operative, he was from Sulon and later became a Jedi in the New Jedi Order, Katarn used to be an Imperial officer before defecting to join the Rebellion.
