The Acolyte: Why Did Osha’s Lightsaber Turn Red?

In the season finale of Star Wars: The Acolyte, Osha picks up Sol’s lightsaber, and it later turns red in her hand. Naturally, viewers want to know why this happened. Episode 8, titled “The Acolyte,” focuses on Osha’s relationship with Sol as well as her gradual and perhaps inevitable descent into the Dark Side. She learns that Sol has lied to her for all these years about what really happened to her mother and seeks revenge for what she believes is a betrayal.

Here is why Master Sol’s lightsaber turns red in Osha’s hand.

Why did Master Sol’s lightsaber turn red in Osha’s hand?

In Episode 8, Osha finally learns that Sol killed her mother. Even though he claims that he did it to protect Osha and Mae as the Jedi concluded that Mother Aniseya used the Force Vergence to create them, he still lied about it to her and the Order. Suddenly, Sol starts choking, and it’s initially not clear who is responsible. However, it eventually becomes apparent that Osha is doing that to him.

This is when things start to happen inside Sol’s lightsaber that Osha is holding. The kyber crystals are at the heart of the lightsabers of the Jedi and Sith alike. Osha’s anger, grief, and hatred bleed the blue out of the kyber crystal of Sol’s lightsaber and turn it red. So, when Osha ignites it the next time, it burns crimson.

This is the first time in the history of Star Wars canon that the audience sees the creation of a Sith lightsaber in live-action. The crystals, in their natural state, don’t have any colors. It is only after a youngling chooses them they change their color to green, blue, yellow, or some rare color. As the crystals inherently belong to the Light Side, Sith Lords such as Darth Vader have to “bleed” them using the Force to subdue them, giving their blades their distinctive color. While Osha doesn’t do this consciously in The Acolyte, it is likely what happens.

Did Osha become a Sith in The Acolyte finale?

Yes, Osha becomes a Sith in The Acolyte finale.

The turning of the color of Sol lightsaber’s from blue to red signifies this. She becomes the acolyte Qimir has been searching for, and as Qimir describes himself as a Sith, Osha is presumably as well.

However, the finale shows Darth Plagueis, secretly observing Qimir and Osha. We don’t yet know whether there is any connection between him and Qimir, and if there is, how it works given the Sith follow the Rule of Two during this period. If there is a second season, The Acolyte will likely provide much-needed answers to these questions.