Progress Toward More Pink Lightsabers?
Back in October, I mused about the lack of pink lightsabers in Star Wars, and received some feedback from fans who pointed to at least one instance of the color showing up in Aayla Secura’s hands in the Republic comics. Magenta lightsabers – a purplish pink – are mentioned in a few Expanded Universe sources and The Old Republic. Don’t get me wrong; I like magenta. I just think PINK makes a statement that the Star Wars franchise needs to make. I realize and respect that some women don’t like the color or don’t want to be reminded of the girly boxes society has placed on it.
As I noted previously, many women do embrace pink as a representation of femininity or the fight against breast cancer, a disease that will touch women personally more often than men. Star Wars has red, blue, green, yellow, orange, purple, turquoise, and silver lightsabers (plus probably a few more colors). And Star Wars also still has that lingering doubt out there that it’s really “for the boys.”
Interestingly enough, ever since I posted my original pink lightsaber blog it draws hits regularly. People are searching for “pink lightsaber.”
When I went to Disney’s Hollywood Studios a couple of weeks ago to take a few pictures for my Star Wars Weekends posts at Suvudu and FANgirl, I noticed a few things I wanted to share:
- The Jedi Training Academy now includes a female Jedi Master and female Knight as her assistant. Women have filled the assistant role for a while, but it’s great to finally see one promoted to training Master.
- More and more young girls are stepping up to participate as Padawans in the Training Academy, too.
- When I walked through Tatooine Traders at the end of my first Star Tours ride of the day, I found something that warmed my little fangirl heart – Jedi Training Academy shirts with crossed pink lightsabers! (Now I just have to convince them to carry the shirts in women’s sizes.)
Maybe Disney is on to something? Thanks, Lucas Licensing, for giving that your seal of approval.
Tricia Barr's novel, Wynde, won the 2014 Independent Publisher Book Award Gold Medal for Best Science Fiction/Fantasy/Horror Ebook. She was also part of Silence in the Library's successful all-female creator science fiction and fantasy anthology Athena's Daughters, which is available now. For excerpts and tales of her adventures in creating a fictional universe, hop over to TriciaBarr.com.
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I’m still waiting for Hasbro to put out an Ahsoka Tano lightsaber. It’s also impossible to find the action figure of her in the season 3 costume. Somehow, they didn’t carry it over into the new packaging.
I don’t care much for pink, but I’m am glad to hear the stuff about the Training Academy!