Anakin Skywalker personally constructed his initial lightsaber, which became his signature weapon. This lightsaber featured a blue plasma blade, and was identifiable by its bulky controls and the prominent ridges along its hilt. During a confrontation within Poggle the Lesser's battle droid manufacturing complexes, specifically the foundries of Geonosis, a mechanical cutting arm destroyed this lightsaber. Soon after, the First Battle of Geonosis took place, marking the beginning of the Clone Wars. Sometime before the Battle of Christophsis, Skywalker crafted a new lightsaber to replace the original.
Circa 29 BBY, the Padawan learner Anakin Skywalker journeyed to Ilum. It was there that he discovered the kyber crystal that would power his first lightsaber, enabling him to complete its construction.
After building his lightsaber, Skywalker went back to Coruscant and took part in lightsaber training. In one session, Skywalker modified a Jedi training droid's appearance to resemble Darth Maul and his distinctive double-bladed lightsaber. He won by cutting the droid in half with his lightsaber.
Skywalker carried his lightsaber on an investigation with his master, looking into a distress signal.
Following their assignment to Carnelian IV, Skywalker and Kenobi were preparing to spar within the Jedi Temple training grounds when Anakin inquired about the Jedi's preference for lightsabers over other kyber crystals-powered weapons. Kenobi responded with the same reasoning Qui-Gon Jinn had once shared with him: that wielding a lightsaber demonstrates intention and thoughtful consideration before its use, reinforcing the Jedi's role as protectors rather than destroyers.
When Grand Master Yoda was taken from Glee Anselm, Kenobi and Skywalker set out on a rescue mission, unaware that it was actually a test designed for them.
While pursuing Zam Wesell, the attempted assassin of Padmé Amidala, through the aerial pathways of Coruscant, Skywalker latched onto Wesell's airspeeder. He activated his lightsaber and thrust it into the speeder's cockpit, trying to damage the controls, but the weapon was dislodged from his grip. Fortunately, Obi-Wan Kenobi, who was trailing closely behind in the speeder Skywalker had initially used for the chase, managed to catch it. After Skywalker forced Wesell to crash near the Outlander Club, Kenobi returned the lightsaber, urging him to be more careful with it, and stating that it was his "life".
After Tusken Raiders abducted Skywalker's mother, he tracked her to their camp. Upon finding Shmi, she passed away in his arms, triggering a murderous rage in the Padawan. He used his lightsaber to slaughter the entire tribe, sparing no one, not even the women and children.
Following Count Dooku's capture of Obi-Wan Kenobi on Geonosis, Skywalker and Padmé Amidala launched a rescue operation, infiltrating one of the Geonosian droid foundries. During a battle within the facility, Skywalker was knocked down and trapped under heavy machinery. Although he managed to free himself, a descending mechanical blade severed his lightsaber in two. Skywalker only realized the weapon was destroyed when he tried to activate it, lamenting that Kenobi would be furious with him for his carelessness.
At some point between his experience on Geonosis and the mission to Benglor, Anakin Skywalker constructed a new lightsaber for himself. He used this lightsaber throughout the Clone Wars until the time of his Duel on Mustafar. Despite losing his lightsaber, Skywalker, now the Sith Lord Darth Vader, created his third and last lightsaber, which was inspired by his first.
When Verla inquired about Skywalker's identity, Ferren Barr instructed his droid, Endee, to display files 430 through 459. The droid projected a hologram featuring Aurebesh characters spelling out Skywalker's name, along with a video of Anakin using his first lightsaber to fight B1-series battle droids.
Decades later, while reflecting on memories of the First Battle of Geonosis at the Petranaki Arena, Vader imagined himself defending Padmé from battle droids in the arena, wielding his first lightsaber.
After recruiting Sabé, Vader collaborated with her to overcome Governor Tauntaza's security forces. During one of their encounters, Vader recalled using his first lightsaber to murder the Tusken Raiders.
Anakin Skywalker's initial lightsaber made its debut in the 2002 canon Star Wars film Star Wars: Episode II Attack of the Clones.
Sources give conflicting accounts of when Skywalker first constructed his lightsaber. He used his first lightsaber throughout the Marvel comic mini-series Star Wars: Obi-Wan and Anakin, when he was twelve. However, Star Wars: Absolutely Everything You Need to Know and its updated edition both state that he built the lightsaber on Ilum at age fourteen.