Darth Vader ' s lightsaber / Legends Darth Vader ' s lightsaber was the weapon created and used by Sith Lord Darth Vader from 19 BBY to 4 ABY . Specifications . Darth Vader ' s lightsaber was powered by a crimson synth - crystal with Darth Sidious ' s second lightsaber serving as a model . However , Vader considered his master ' s weapon to be an antique , and sought to create a more personalized weapon with more ballast . Wishing to impress his Master , Vader attempted to create a novel design , but the resulting weapon was little more than a black - alloy version of his first Jedi lightsaber . This weapon featured a thick , ridged handgrip , a high - output diatium power cell , a dual - phase focusing crystal , forward mounted adjustment knobs , and a beveled emitter shroud . However , due to the size of his mechanical hands , Vader was forced to make the grip considerably thicker and longer than his original lightsaber , resulting in a weapon that Vader believed was inelegant to the point of being ungainly . Due to the many modifications featured by his lightsaber , it is possible that Vader in fact created multiple weapons . Vader appears to have experimented with a rounded emitter shroud similar to his second Jedi weapon . He is known to have utilized a crimson Adegan crystal rather than a synth - crystal on at least one of these weapons . History . When he originally joined the Sith , Darth Vader simply continued wielding his second lightsaber that he created as Anakin Skywalker . However , this lightsaber was taken from him by Obi - Wan Kenobi after his defeat at the Jedi ' s hands on Mustafar . Deprived of his weapon , Vader was forced to create a new one . Utilizing a synthetic lightsaber crystal supplied by his Master , Darth Sidious , Vader constructed his new weapon in the shadow of the Death Star I . It would be two standard weeks before this weapon was first used in combat . Vader would use this lightsaber for the rest of his time as a Sith Lord , and used the weapon to kill Obi - Wan Kenobi and cut off the hand of his son , Luke Skywalker . During a second lightsaber duel between Vader and Luke , Luke temporarily succumbed to his anger , and after attacking Vader viciously , he cut off Vader ' s cybernetic right hand , with the hand and the lightsaber falling down the same energy pit in which Sidious died . Behind the scenes . Technically , the first Sith lightsaber designed was Darth Vader ' s . However , there were no early plans to make Vader ' s weapon distinct from the other lightsabers depicted , beyond the black styling on the hilt itself . The concept art of Vader ' s lightsaber hilt was based upon George Lucas ' s descriptions of the weapons as jewel - studded cylinders . Ultimately , the hilt carried by David Prowse in " A New Hope " and " The Empire Strikes Back " was made from the flash attachment of a British 3 - cell MPP Microflash , a flash tube attachment used on forties - era press cameras , with the ridged grip made by gluing portions of hard plastic ' T ' track used for the sliding doors of display cabinets ( often mistaken for wiper blades ) onto the bare cylinder , and the switch plate fashioned from the LED display of a 1974 calculator . In " Return Of The Jedi " , however the original prop was misplaced and a similar ' lookalike ' was created by modifying a 3 - cell Graflex Flash tube like the one used for Luke Skywalker ' s first lightsaber , it is believed by some to be a stunt saber used in the first two movies as the MPP Microflash was much harder to find than the Graflex or possibly even one of the original Skywalker sabers heavily modified . The original lightsaber effect was provided by the reflective , spinning dowel that made up the blade , which appeared to glow to the camera . However , Lucas was unsatisfied with these early effects , and had the glows further augmented by rotoscoped animation . During this phase , it was decided to make the lightsabers have different color blades to further differentiate them , and Vader was given a red blade . While the methods used to create the lightsabers would change over the course of the next two movies , the presentation of Vader ' s lightsaber itself would remain consistent . Alternative depictions . During the final boss battle against Darth Vader , Galen Marek is given the choice between attacking the Emperor and saving Rahm Kota , or finishing Vader . If the player chooses to kill Vader , he engages in a lengthy lightsaber duel with the Sith Lord before telekinetically pummeling him . As he is battered about by Marek , Vader drops his lightsaber , which is retrieved by Marek and rammed into his back . After Marek is badly injured and subsequently " rebuilt " by Palpatine , his belt is seen to hold several lightsabers , Vader ' s included .