Were There Any Force Users Who Did Not Use A Lightsaber?

Artists rendition of Obi-Wan and Anakin dueling on Mustafar with blue background

Image Source: Creative Bloq

In the Star Wars universe, the history of the lightsaber is very much linked to the Jedi Order, and its physical form is the symbol and the representation of the aura that surrounds Force users. 

Initially thought by a group of monks who were able to manipulate the Force, its invention comes from the need to counter the blaster, a more commonly used weapon during the war between the Republic and Tython. While this weapon was meant to complement a Jedi’s skills in combat and was part of their tradition, there was another subgroup of Jedi, the Gray Paladins, who didn’t appreciate the sole use of the famous laser sword and advocated for the usage of a more offensive weapon like the blaster.

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The different Force traditions and their cultures are the driving points of many events and actions, which create that overall balance in the universe. Most Force traditions, including the Jedi Order, believed that the Force should be front and center in their lives. In this way, the Force users, whether on the light or dark side, would use the Force as a primary weapon to defend their allies or attack their enemies. Either way, the lightsaber would always be the backup option for a Jedi when fighting. A Jedi would often use its Force abilities like telekinesis to down their enemy.

In the case of the Gray Paladins, the Force was more of a piece of equipment than a proper weapon, so they were far less dependent on it than other Force users. According to their tradition, the Gray Paladins believed that the Force suffused all things and that they could not use it as a means to an end. Contrarily to the common Jedi, the Gray Paladins would use the Force only to enhance their existing skills instead of having it give them new ones. For instance, they would use the Force to increase their agility or improve their marksmanship when using their blasters.

Various Jedi and Sith using lightsabers

Source: SyFy

Ultimately, despite being dedicated to the light Force, the Gray Paladins were considered ambivalent Force users because they would draw their power from both the light and the dark side of the Force. They would thus have two different combat styles, a defensive one and a more offensive one. In this way, the latter would adapt their weaponry to their combat style and use lightsabers and blasters to defeat their adversary.

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