Here are all 3 of the lightsabers used by Obi-Wan Kenobi in the Star Wars movies, and how they all differ. First portrayed by Alec Guinness, "old Ben" Kenobi was a pivotal figure in the original 1977 Star Wars adventure, dragging Luke Skywalker from his boring moisture farm existence on Tatooine into an exciting life training in the ways of the Force. Although he fell to Darth Vader before the film's end credits, Kenobi's presence continued throughout the original Star Wars trilogy thanks to the handy Force ghost mechanic.
Obi-Wan's character expanded considerably when Ewan McGregor was cast in the iconic role for the Star Wars prequels. Exploring his years before white hair came calling, Star Wars fans saw Obi-Wan Kenobi learning his Jedi craft, training Anakin Skywalker and surviving Order 66 to set up his exile on Tatooine. Throughout this period, Obi-Wan is rarely far away from his lightsaber, and the character works his way through 3 separate models across the his quartet of movie appearances.
Appropriately for a Jedi of his stature, Obi-Wan treats his lightsabers with a certain amount of reverence, respecting the tradition and lineage that comes with the ancient laser sword. Despite Obi-Wan's calm and even-tempered nature, he was also no slouch when it came to wielding the weapon, famously defeating Darth Maul, Anakin Skywalker, General Grievous and various others during his pomp. But which lightsabers did Obi-Wan use, why did he change them, and how did they change?
The very first lightsaber Obi-Wan Kenobi uses in Star Wars chronology debuts during the opening minutes of The Phantom Menace, as Ewan McGregor's character is introduced as a fresh-faced young padawan under the tutelage of Liam Neeson's Qui-Gon Jinn. This early blade is classic and traditional in almost every aspect. The hilt takes the form of a standard black and gray grip - a clean design free from any bells and whistles. Obi-Wan's lightsaber is also based directly on the weapon of his master, Qui-Gon, and this shows a certainly amount of deference from student to teacher. The blade itself is regular blue; no purple or yellow showing-off here. In many ways, Obi-Wan's original lightsaber is representative of his personality. Kenobi was dedicated, obedient and serene - the quintessential Jedi, unlike the more rebellious Qui-Gon.
In The Phantom Menace, Kenobi uses this early lightsaber to hack down countless paper-thin battle droids, but it's the epic duel on Naboo for which this sword will be best remembered. Pitting Obi-Wan and Qui-Gon against the apprentice of Palpatine, Darth Maul, the trio go all-out in Naboo's cavernous generator chamber while John Williams unleashes "Dual of the Fates" in the background. After watching his master fall, Obi-Wan is kicked into a generator shaft by Maul and barely manages to hold on. Unfortunately, his lightsaber falls into the abyss, forcing Kenobi to use Qui-Gon's blade in one final, decisive blow against the spiky Sith.
As pointed out by Anakin Skywalker, Obi-Wan wasn't in the habit of treating lightsabers as disposable tools. That was how a no-good smuggler or bounty hunter would treat a blaster; hardly behavior fitting of a Jedi. Nevertheless, the loss of his original weapon was unavoidable, and a replacement was needed as Obi-Wan was promoted to Jedi Knight and took Anakin as a padawan learner as per Qui Gon's wishes. Somewhat predictably, Obi-Wan didn't rock the boat when it came to designing his second Jedi weapon - the new lightsaber is almost identical to his first. Aside from a slightly altered opening, McGregor uses more or less than same weapon in Attack of the Clones as he did in The Phantom Menace, so much so that some fans mistakenly thought Obi-Wan might've recovered his original lightsaber from the depths of Naboo. Again, the similar design fits with Obi-Wan's character. Not only would Kenobi want to keep honoring Qui-Gon (especially following his recent death), but the Jedi is very much a "if it ain't broke, don't fix it" kind of guy.
Obi-Wan Kenobi uses this replica during Anakin Skywalker's training and in Attack of the Clones, lops off the hand of bounty hunter Zam Wesell before she can get to Padmé Amidala. Perhaps the biggest outing for Obi-Wan's second lightsaber comes during a thrilling battle with Jango Fett on the rainy platforms of Kamino. Unfortunately, this lightsaber would also be lost before the end of the film. When Obi-Wan is captured by Count Dooku on Geonosis, the weapon is confiscated and never returned to its owner, leaving Kenobi to use a temporary replacement during the infamous Battle of Geonosis.
After Geonosis, Obi-Wan Kenobi required a new lightsaber yet again. Rather than simply recreate his old favorite for a third time, however, the newly-appointed Jedi Master decided to shake things up with a brand new design. This bulkier hilt has an all-black grip with silver banded around the base and the ignition switch. The trigger itself was now long and gold, rather than the round, red button of old. In a striking feature, Obi-Wan's final lightsaber tapers into a narrow gold neck before widening out into a bowl shape at the tip. This vastly different style might suggest that Obi-Wan has emotionally moved on from the death of Qui-Gon in his more mature years, but might also prove how Obi-Wan has become more individual during his experiences on the battlefield. Despite the radical changes, the blade itself remained Obi-Wan's trademark blue. From a behind-the-scenes perspective, this lightsaber is the model fans first witnessed in 1977, and therefore its appearance in Revenge of the Sith was necessary in order to bridge the two trilogies.
Obi-Wan constructs this third and final weapon following Attack of the Clones and uses it throughout The Clone Wars, in his fated battle against Anakin on Mustafar, and then into his lonely days on Tatooine. Finally, Obi-Wan dusts off his lightsaber and fights Anakin in a rematch that ends with his demise. Because of its history, this lightsaber is surely the most storied of Obi-Wan's weapons, as well as the one most closely associated with the character. Furthermore, it's the only lightsaber used by both Alec Guinness and Ewan McGregor. In Disney canon, it's not clear what happens to the relic after Obi-Wan's defeat. In the Legends section of Star Wars, Vader took it for himself as a trophy, but as far as official material is concerned, it can only be assumed that the weapon was destroyed by Luke Skywalker along with the first Death Star. Fortunately, the lightsaber's legacy would continue when Luke Skywalker used it as a basis for his green blade, thereby mirroring Obi-Wan's own influences from Qui-Gon back in the Star Wars prequel trilogy.
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