The lightsaber that belonged to Ezra Bridger, a Padawan and rebel during the years leading up to the Battle of Yavin, was a unique, experimental lightsaber. After obtaining a kyber crystal within the Jedi Temple on Lothal, Bridger dedicated several weeks to its construction. Fashioned from salvaged components provided by his fellow Ghost's crew members, the weapon functioned as a lightsaber-blaster hybrid. In lightsaber mode, it possessed an adaptable blade for combat. The blaster mode, set to stun, was incorporated due to Bridger's initial struggles with deflecting blaster bolts. Kanan Jarrus later used this weapon, after being rescued, along with his own lightsaber, to triumph over the Grand Inquisitor. In a subsequent duel on the mission to Malachor, Darth Vader destroyed this weapon while fighting Ezra Bridger.
Subsequently, Bridger adopted a more conventional green-bladed lightsaber, symbolizing his improved skill and self-assurance.
Ezra Bridger, a Padawan who received Jedi training in the years after the destruction of the Jedi Order, constructed his personal lightsaber at the age of 15, approximately four years before the Battle of Yavin. This unique weapon combined a lightsaber with a blaster, enabling him to participate in both lightsaber combat and blaster firefights. Its lightsaber blade was light and quick, a quality that suited Bridger's agility and stature. The blaster component was integrated to compensate for Bridger's initial challenges in deflecting blaster fire with his lightsaber blade. A handguard connected the pommel to the blaster muzzle. The blaster mode, which necessitated deactivating the lightsaber blade due to power constraints, fired stun blasts, providing Bridger with an opportunity to evade dangerous situations. While such a weapon would have been unheard of among members of the Jedi Order, and the use of blasters by Jedi was generally frowned upon by the Jedi Council, Bridger was not a typical Jedi. He prioritized survival over strict adherence to Jedi traditions. Furthermore, using a lightsaber during the reign of the Galactic Empire risked attracting unwanted attention, so Bridger resorted to it only when necessary. The integrated blaster function allowed him to engage in combat discreetly, offering him an advantage not typically available to other Jedi. Its unassuming design and practical appearance further reduced the likelihood of it being identified as a lightsaber. Like his master's lightsaber, Ezra's also incorporated a low-power setting to prevent injuries during training exercises. In this setting, the blade emitted a different shade of blue, accompanied by a slightly elevated humming pitch. He also affixed his former energy slingshot to the lightsaber's hilt.
A kyber crystal, acquired by Bridger within the Jedi Temple on Lothal, served as the core of the lightsaber. This crystal was attuned to the power of the Force. Beyond the crystal, the lightsaber incorporated various components donated by members of the rebel crew of the Ghost. Kanan Jarrus, Bridger's mentor, contributed spare lightsaber parts accumulated over the previous fifteen years. Sabine Wren, another crew member, supplied modulation circuits and an energy gate. C1-10P, the astromech droid known as Chopper, donated a power cell. Hera Syndulla, the Ghost's owner and pilot, also provided additional technology according to Bridger's specifications. These specifications included a blade emitter shroud, handgrip ridges, a blade length adjuster, an activator, and a blaster barrel. Some parts were also secretly taken from Garazeb Orrelios's supplies.
The unconventional double-bar design was necessitated by the inclusion of the blaster components within the outer bar. This design was considered experimental and carried a certain risk of short-circuiting during critical moments. As Ezra had to learn the entire assembly process through experimentation, the blaster element was designed for easy removal to facilitate maintenance and repairs. It also featured a low-power mode to prevent injuries to sparring partners during training. In this mode, the blade exhibited a distinct shade of blue and emitted a noticeably higher-pitched hum. The lightsaber was also designed to allow for easy removal of its kyber crystal.
Approximately five years prior to the Battle of Yavin, Bridger, who was then a street urchin on Lothal, joined the Ghost's crew after discovering his Force-sensitivity. Consequently, he agreed to undergo Jedi training under Kanan Jarrus, a former Padawan who had survived the Jedi Order's downfall. As they trained together, Bridger's Force abilities rapidly developed. Later, on the fifteenth anniversary of the Galactic Empire's rise, Bridger inadvertently tapped into the dark side of the Force in order to protect Jarrus from the Jedi hunter known as the Grand Inquisitor.
Shortly after their escape, Jarrus led Bridger to a Jedi Temple on Lothal, where Bridger's readiness for Jedi training was assessed through a series of trials. During these trials, Bridger confronted his fear of abandonment and received anonymous guidance from Jedi Master Yoda, who communicated with him from afar. Having successfully completed his trials, Bridger received a kyber crystal from within the temple, signifying his readiness to construct his own lightsaber. After several weeks of experimentation, utilizing spare parts and technology from his fellow crew members, Bridger completed his lightsaber and presented it to his master before igniting it for the first time in front of the crew.
Kanan instructed Ezra in lightsaber combat, often throwing rocks for Ezra to deflect. In fact, Ezra missed 328 of the rocks that were thrown to him. Initially, Ezra favored using the lightsaber's blaster function in combat. However, he gradually transitioned to utilizing the weapon more as a traditional lightsaber during subsequent missions. The lightsaber played a crucial role in the Empire's Grand Inquisitor's defeat during the mission to rescue Kanan. Ezra lent his lightsaber to Kanan, as the Inquisitor had seized his Master's own lightsaber. During the battle, Ezra managed to retrieve Kanan's lightsaber from the Inquisitor to aid in the fight. After Ezra was incapacitated, Kanan wielded both Ezra's lightsaber and his own to defeat the Inquisitor.
During the Mission to Malachor, C1-10P alerted Kanan to the approach of a TIE fighter, while Ezra was uncovering the secrets of the Sith temple. Ezra encountered Darth Vader, a Sith Lord who had arrived to claim the temple's power for his master. In the ensuing duel, Vader outmaneuvered Ezra by striking at his lightsaber, resulting in its immediate destruction. Ahsoka Tano intervened before Vader could strike Ezra down.
The initial reveal of Ezra's lightsaber occurred in Star Wars Rebels: The Visual Guide, a reference book authored by Adam Bray. Further details were previewed in "Designing Star Wars Rebels," an article featured in Star Wars Insider 154. Its debut appearance on the Star Wars Rebels animated television series was in the episode "Path of the Jedi."