Ronin, a former Sith turned wandering warrior, carries a red-bladed lightsaber housed in a katana-inspired scabbard. Forged from fallen saber parts, the weapon reflects his past and refusal to align with Jedi or Sith codes. Known for his fluid dual-blade combat and mastery of Form VII, Ronin leaves behind a legacy of adaptability, redemption, and mythic presence in Star Wars: Visions.
In a galaxy filled with ancient orders and rigid allegiances, the Ronin stands apart—a lone warrior whose path is carved not by doctrine, but by choice.
Introduced in Star Wars: Visions, the Ronin’s story unfolds in an alternate timeline where myth, memory, and the Force collide. Central to this wandering swordsman’s tale is his unique lightsaber—a blade unlike any other in the Star Wars saga.
Weathered, enigmatic, and eternally ignited, Ronin’s weapon reflects a legacy of war, loss, and redemption. In the sections below, we’ll explore everything you need to know about the Ronin’s lightsaber—its design, combat style, symbolism, and the legendary duels that forged its myth.
Few figures in the Star Wars galaxy capture the imagination quite like the Ronin.
Emerging from the visually striking anthology Visions, this masterless warrior carries not only a weapon forged in battle, but also a soul burdened by redemption.
Once a Dark Lord who turned against his own kind, Ronin now walks a solitary path, traversing the Outer Rim with only his droid companion B5-56 and a pair of crimson blades.
His tale unfolds like an ancient folktale—part myth, part memory. Haunted by a past drenched in war and betrayal, he sheds the Sith identity and carves a new, ambiguous role: a hunter of his own fallen brethren. With each defeated enemy, he collects their Kyber crystals—not as trophies, but as silent reminders of his former life.
From the village of Genbara to temples hidden in shadow, Ronin’s story is one of exile, transformation, and a fierce search for meaning in a galaxy torn by duality.
The Ronin’s lightsaber is unlike any other in the galaxy, a visual and functional reflection of its enigmatic wielder.
With design roots in feudal Japan and a function born of necessity, this saber was constructed not within the structured halls of a Jedi temple or a Sith forge, but through the Ronin’s own hands—during a time when neither title truly fit him anymore.
The Ronin saber, and the auxiliary blade he carries as a decoy, represent more than craftsmanship—they echo the path of a lone warrior trying to reconcile power with purpose.
Featured prominently in The Duel, the lightsaber debuted in the Visions series as a living embodiment of Ronin’s status as a former Sith who now walks an independent path. Even the scabbard, forged from the remnants of fallen lightsabers, serves as a reminder: this is a weapon born of broken legacies and renewed intent.
Among the many lightsabers we’ve seen in the galaxy far, far away, few are as distinctive or narratively rich as the Ronin’s.
Designed with an elegance that blurs the lines between katana and saber, the Ronin’s weapon is not just a tool of war—it is a story in steel and light.
The deactivated form of the lightsaber resembles a sheathed katana, its structure echoing the shape and spirit of a folded blade. This rare visual design sets it apart from traditional sabers that rely on sleek, modernist lines.
Its scabbard is no mere sheath—it’s a construction of salvaged parts from defeated opponents. In a universe where Jedi and Sith alike wear their sabers openly, Ronin’s concealed approach evokes both secrecy and solemnity.
When ignited, the red blade typically signals Sith allegiance. But Ronin defies that convention. His red saber reflects a history with the dark side, not a present loyalty. Its glow is a paradox: a visual warning, wielded by someone who no longer fights for darkness.
Traditional aesthetics meet advanced mechanics in the saber’s hilt, marrying the culture of the samurai with Star Wars’ signature futuristic flare. The weapon is both homage and innovation.
From its damaged activation to its dual-wielding flexibility, every detail in Ronin’s lightsaber tells us something about him—his battles, his scars, and his refusal to be categorized.
In a galaxy where blade color often reveals allegiance, a red lightsaber typically screams "Sith." But Ronin's red blade resists that easy interpretation.
Its hue is a holdover from his past—a visible scar from a life once steeped in darkness. Once a leader of a Sith rebellion, Ronin now walks a different path. Yet his saber blade remains unchanged, a crimson thread tying him to the destruction he once embraced and now seeks to dismantle.
The red blade serves as both warning and question. Is he still dangerous? Has he truly changed? The color provokes unease because it challenges the very notion of good versus evil. In Ronin’s hands, red no longer means allegiance. It means history.
Ronin’s lightsabers have seen more than their fair share of bloodshed—and not just on battlefields.
Each duel is a moral test, a reckoning of past sins, and a moment of introspection cloaked in the chaos of combat.
In his first on-screen confrontation, Ronin faces an opponent wielding an unusual umbrella-shaped saber.
With fluidity and focus, Ronin adapts and overcomes—his own blade slicing through both enemy and expectation.
Time and again, he battles forces that threaten villages, temples, and civilians. Whether facing a battalion or a lone force-wielder, his style is consistent: swift, precise, and eerily composed.
Kouru’s arrogance meets Ronin’s resolve in one of his most iconic duels. Amid water, stone, and deception, Ronin uses not just skill but strategy—his scabbard hiding a surprise strike that ends the conflict.
In a cloistered temple, Ronin flips the tables on a would-be attacker. The lightsaber becomes more than a weapon—it’s a scalpel, dissecting the situation with precision and grace.
As word of his identity spreads, Ronin becomes a target. Even when overwhelmed by numbers, his dual sabers cut through chaos, reaffirming that this wanderer is no easy prey.
Ronin’s lightsaber technique is as unorthodox as his philosophy.
He doesn’t just fight—he performs, turning combat into a dance of blade and balance. With two sabers at his disposal and a mastery of deceptive movement, Ronin’s combat is defined by adaptability rather than aggression.
Though his tale exists in a reimagined galaxy, Ronin's fighting style has left a real mark on the broader Star Wars mythos.
His techniques—blending swift dual strikes with quiet, calculated patience—have inspired new interpretations of lightsaber combat.
Drawing from samurai disciplines and lightsaber forms alike, Ronin often adopts stances that prioritize efficiency and surprise. His footwork is grounded in tradition; his blade work is anything but.
Ronin is a student of Form VII—Juyo/Vaapad—known for its aggressive and unpredictable strikes.
But where others may be consumed by the form’s intensity, Ronin refines it, using its chaos not as a weapon of domination, but as a tool of redemption.
Though Ronin never teaches, his story and style live on.
Jedi, Sith, and wanderers alike have studied his methods. His name is spoken not in temples, but in whispers—always in reverence.
The Ronin’s lightsaber is a single-bladed weapon powered by a Kyber crystal, like most sabers in the galaxy—but its design, function, and origin set it apart.
It features a weathered hilt housed in a protective scabbard, and remains ignited due to internal damage. Wielded by a former Sith turned solitary wanderer, the blade has become a symbol of resistance, complexity, and contradiction.
Unlike standard lightsabers that deactivate with a switch, Ronin’s blade cannot be turned off due to a malfunction—or perhaps by design.
To carry it safely and discreetly, Ronin uses a specially built scabbard fashioned from broken saber parts. The result is a sheath that hides his weapon in plain sight and serves as a respectful homage to traditional samurai swords.
Ronin walks a third path—one that exists beyond the rigid binaries of Jedi and Sith.
Once a Sith Lord, he has since renounced that mantle and does not subscribe to the Jedi Order’s doctrine either. His philosophy is one of balance, forged from experience rather than allegiance, blending light and dark in pursuit of something more nuanced: personal atonement.
Primarily, it’s the color of his blade. The red hue is universally recognized as a Sith hallmark, and his combat prowess and dark garb only deepen the association.
However, while he once bore that title, Ronin no longer acts on behalf of Sith ideals. His continued use of a red lightsaber is a remnant of the past, not a declaration of current belief.
Ronin is deeply inspired by ancient Japan and Japanese history and folklore, particularly the archetype of the samurai without a master.
His story, as told in Star Wars: Visions—specifically the short "The Duel"—blends the visual and philosophical aesthetics of Feudal Japan with the moral ambiguity of a post-war galaxy. He is a product of two worlds: Star Wars and the Kurosawa-esque tradition that helped inspire it.
He likely could—his mechanical knowledge appears extensive. But the saber’s broken state may be more intentional than accidental.
The constant ignition and reliance on a scabbard reflect both the wear of his past and the burden he carries. Whether it’s a limitation or a personal choice, the damaged lightsaber blade has become a part of his identity.
To wield a lightsaber like Ronin’s is to fight with purpose, patience, and unpredictability.
It requires mastery of both single and dual-blade techniques, as well as the ability to adapt one’s stance on the fly. Above all, it means embracing a style that’s less about aggression and more about balance—understanding that the blade is both a weapon and a burden.
Treat it as you would any fine instrument. Wipe down the blade with a soft cloth after each use, paying attention to any debris collected around the emitter.
If your saber uses realistic sound or lighting effects—as many replicas do—avoid submerging it or exposing it to moisture. Use mild cleaning agents and disconnect any electronic components before maintenance.
The Ronin’s weapon consists of three main parts: the lightsaber hilt, the blade, and the scabbard. The hilt is a weathered, cylindrical structure with small ridges and ornate detailing.
The blade is powered by a crimson Kyber crystal and remains constantly active. The scabbard, a standout feature, is built from fractured remnants of fallen lightsabers—both a tool and a tribute.
Visions introduces a wide array of unique characters, each reimagining the Star Wars mythos through a cultural lens.
While none mirror Ronin exactly, several characters share his traits—wandering exiles, Force users outside the Jedi-Sith dichotomy, and warriors shaped more by conviction than creed. Ronin stands apart, but he is not alone in his narrative spirit.
The Ronin’s lightsaber is as much a storyteller as the man who wields it. Its unconventional design, constant ignition, and scarlet glow speak to themes of redemption, legacy, and resistance.
In a galaxy reimagined through the lens of legend, the saber becomes a character in its own right—echoing a warrior’s past, illuminating his present, and hinting at a future where the Force is not just light or dark, but something altogether more human.
