In the “Star Wars” galaxy, there’s no such thing as a non-dangerous lightsaber. The blue one held by Obi-Wan Kenobi (Ewan McGregor) is just as life-threatening as the purple one wielded by Mace Windu (Samuel L. Jackson) on the battlefield. It hasn’t been established in canon that any burn hotter or are more or less capable of bodily harm than others. At the same time, even though they don’t come out as the most powerful based on real-world science, in the galaxy far, far away, red lightsabers aren’t to be trifled with.
Red lightsabers are traditionally the weapons of the Sith, who, unlike the majority of Jedi, have no qualms about hacking up those in the way of their goals. The likes of Darth Sidious (Ian McDiarmid), Darth Maul (Ray Park), and, perhaps most notably, Darth Vader (Hayden Christensen) — the killer of countless Rebels and Imperials alike with his crimson weapon of choice — use their deep red blades to strike terror into the hearts of their enemies before swiftly destroying them. Kylo Ren’s (Adam Driver) red lightsaber, which means more than you think, is especially intimidating with its crackling, unstable blade and the recklessness of its user.
Yes, in a real-world sense, red lightsabers are the weakest of them all in terms of temperature. However, in the “Star Wars” universe, where science is thrown out the window and those wielding them are eager to slash through their enemies, it’s wise to avoid them altogether.
