Star Wars: The Acolyte Is Not the First to Show THAT Happening to a Lightsaber

This article contains spoilers for The Acolyte and Star Wars Jedi: Survivor.

There’s plenty to discuss in the season finale of Star Wars’ latest live-action entry on Disney+. Whether or not you’ve watched the episode of The Acolyte, it’s highly likely you’re aware of the discussions surrounding the series. One recurring topic has been the live-action depiction of a lightsaber’s power source, the Kyber crystal, being “bled” to change from its brilliant blue shade to the menacing red that inspires fear across the galaxy.

Star Wars audiences have been aware of the concept of lightsaber bleeding since the release of E. K. Johnston’s Ahsoka in 2016. They saw the process visually for the first time in 2017 with the release of Marvel Comics’ Darth Vader #5. These facts have been consistently brought up in discussions over the past week. What’s often missed or forgotten is that Star Wars audiences—especially those who cross over from watching or reading content into gaming—have already seen a lightsaber bleed carried out on screen, though not in live-action.

Star Wars: Jedi Survivor celebrated its first birthday in April. It was actually Respawn Entertainment’s game that brought this process to screens for the first time in 2023. When the series’ protagonist Cal Kestis finds a mysterious Jedi from the High Republic era submerged in a bacta tank and rescues the stranger from his suspended state, the Jedi wastes no time giving into the hatred and anger he feels. Anger because the Jedi of his time left him in the tank for two centuries. It’s here that we see what was once a shining yellow blade turn red.

It’s Dagan Gera, wonderfully portrayed by Cody Fern, who allows Star Wars fans to see the first lightsaber bleed carried out. For those wanting to see this process occur outside of The Acolyte, you’re in luck. Dagan’s scene provides a very different portrayal compared to Osha. For Dagan, it is a clear and intentional decision. He actively bleeds the crystal himself, knowingly and deliberately turning his back on the Jedi Order that abandoned him. Given that these two scenes are so different, it will be interesting to see how Star Wars utilizes the process in the future. How additional Force users’ lightsabers become the fear-inspiring glowing scarlet remains to be seen.

Mostly, I just couldn’t let Dagan Gera be erased.