Cal Kestis' second lightsaber

The second lightsaber of Cal Kestis was assembled from spare parts of Jaro Tapal's lightsaber and Cere Junda's lightsaber. Both of these lightsabers were entrusted to Kestis by their respective former owners. The power source for this lightsaber was a pair of kyber crystals. Kestis acquired these crystals from the Crystal Cave found on Ilum during 14 BBY. Initially, the crystals were a single unit, but they fractured into two pieces upon Kestis' discovery.

Echoing Jaro Tapal's weapon, this lightsaber was a double-bladed design. One end had a black grip in the middle and dual emitter shrouds on either side. The opposite end had a flared emitter and an x-shaped pattern that was wrapped. Kestis could ignite either one blade or both simultaneously, allowing him to use the weapon as a single-bladed or double-bladed lightsaber. Additionally, the weapon possessed the ability to split into two independent lightsabers, enabling Kestis to employ the Jar'Kai combat style.

As the Clone Wars approached their end, Jedi Padawan Cal Kestis and his master Jaro Tapal found themselves aboard the Venator-class Star Destroyer called the Albedo Brave. It was during this time that Order 66 was initiated by Supreme Chancellor Sheev Palpatine. This order turned the clone forces on the vessel against the Jedi. During the ensuing skirmish, Kestis lost his first lightsaber, and Tapal tragically lost his life. With his final breaths, Tapal passed his own lightsaber to Kestis. Following Tapal's death, Kestis went into hiding on Bracca as a rigger within the Scrapper Guild, secretly carrying his fallen master's lightsaber with him.

In 14 BBY, Kestis was forced to abandon his hidden life when his connection to the Force was revealed. Now pursued by the Galactic Empire, Kestis joined the crew of the Stinger Mantis. This crew consisted of Greez Dritus, a Latero pilot, and Cere Junda, a former Jedi Knight. Under Junda's guidance, Kestis embarked on a journey to acquire the holocron of Jedi Master Eno Cordova and rebuild the Jedi Order using the list of Force-sensitive children contained within the device. Throughout his travels, Kestis wielded his late master's lightsaber in battles against the Empire and other hostile entities.

However, during his journey, Kestis inadvertently destroyed Tapal's lightsaber while experiencing a Force vision of his traumatic past in the Tomb of Kujet on Dathomir. The lightsaber suffered irreparable damage, prompting Kestis to travel to Ilum to create a replacement. During the Republic era, Ilum was a sacred planet where Jedi younglings would participate in a ritual called the Gathering to retrieve a kyber crystal for their lightsaber construction. Kestis himself had undergone this ritual as a youngling, obtaining the kyber crystal used for his first lightsaber.

Upon landing on Ilum, Kestis made his way towards the Jedi Temple, the traditional starting point for the Gathering, while reflecting on his previous visit to the icy planet. Despite the Empire's occupation of Ilum, Kestis did not immediately encounter any Imperial forces. After entering the Temple, Kestis ventured into the Crystal Cave, where younglings would have typically found their kyber crystals in the past. Although he encountered a few Imperial probe droids upon entering, Kestis was undeterred and pressed on in his pursuit of a crystal.

Ultimately, Kestis fell into a chasm filled with icy water. He began to freeze as he frantically tried to escape the deadly cold water. Fortunately, he managed to climb out and find his crystal. As he grasped the crystal, it inexplicably split into two halves. Despite feeling discouraged, Kestis' determination was reignited by his droid companion BD-1, who had accompanied him into the crystal cave.

Fueled by his renewed resolve, Kestis placed the two crystal halves on a base of ice and began forging a new lightsaber. For the hilt, he incorporated the remains of his master's broken lightsaber and the lightsaber previously wielded by Junda during her time as a Jedi. Like his master's, the resulting lightsaber was a double-bladed weapon. However, it also possessed the unique ability to split into two halves, functioning as two separate single-bladed lightsabers. After completing the construction, Kestis ignited the weapon and split it in two, testing its functionality.

Seeking a new exit from the crystal caves, Kestis began slicing through a path of large icicles to return to his ship. Unfortunately, he inadvertently cut a path into a local Imperial garrison consisting of scout troopers and KX-series security droids. Despite facing enemy reinforcements, Kestis ultimately overcame the gathered Imperial forces using his new lightsaber. As he continued towards his ship, he used the weapon to slice through numerous icicles that blocked his path. Near the entrance, he encountered additional Imperial resistance, including standard stormtroopers, Heavy Weapons Stormtroopers, and elite Purge Troopers. Kestis successfully defeated these assailants as well. Upon emerging from the temple, two AT-STs attacked Kestis. He destroyed the walkers and safely reached the Stinger Mantis, where Junda congratulated him on his success.

After Kestis acquired his new lightsaber, the crew of the Stinger Mantis returned to Dathomir to continue their original mission. Kestis' initial visit to the planet was to retrieve an Astrium that would unlock the vault on Bogano, where Cordova's holocron was located. Kestis used his lightsaber to cut through the various sentient and non-sentient locals that opposed him, eventually making his way back to the Tomb of Kujet where the Astrium was housed. Inside the tomb, Kestis was confronted by Merrin, a native Nightsister. To convince Merrin that he wasn't a threat, Kestis offered her his lightsaber, explaining that a lightsaber alone did not define a Jedi. Merrin recounted how an armored warrior wielding a lightsaber had massacred her clan during the Clone Wars, before returning his lightsaber to him.

Having been allowed to pass by Merrin, Kestis headed deeper into the tomb until he came face-to-face with Taron Malicos, a Jedi Master who had fallen to the dark side following Order 66. Although Malicos attempted to coax Kestis into joining him in his pursuit of power, he turned hostile once Kestis repeatedly refused his offer. The two Jedi engaged in a lightsaber duel. Midway through their fight, Kestis used his lightsaber in its single-bladed function and appeared to be forcing Malicos on his back foot. However, Malicos retaliated through the Force, attempting to crush Kestis with a boulder. Before Malicos could slay Kestis, Merrin intervened, firing blasts of ichor at the fallen master in support of Kestis. The duel continued between Malicos and the team of Kestis and Merrin. Malicos was eventually overwhelmed by the pair and buried alive by Merrin's magick. Kestis and Merrin proceeded to retrieve the Astrium, and Merrin subsequently joined the crew of the Mantis.

After retrieving the Astrium, the _Stinger Mantis _returned to Bogano to finally open the Zeffonians vault and obtain Cordova's holocron. As before, Kestis encountered resistance from the hostile fauna that populated the land between the _Mantis _and the vault. Similar to Dathomir, Kestis cut through the local adversaries and reached the Zeffo structure. Kestis and BD-1 entered the vault and were able to uncover the holocron after the former experienced a malicious Force vision that failed to break him.

Before Kestis could retrieve the holocron, he was interrupted by the Second Sister, a member of the Inquisitorius who had been hunting Kestis since he emerged from exile. After a verbal spat, Kestis and the Second Sister ignited their lightsabers and began dueling for the right to own the holocron. Unlike before, Kestis was able to get the upper hand on the Inquisitor. However, when he grasped her lightsaber he was subjected to a dark Force vision of her past, temporarily immobilizing him. The Second Sister took the opportunity to grasp the holocron and escape the planet.

Kestis made his way out of the vault where he was beset upon by newly arrived Imperial troops, including regular stormtroopers, scout troopers and heavy weapon troopers. After slaying the Imperial troopers, Kestis was able to make his way back to the Mantis where he informed his comrades what had happened in the vault.

After Junda knighted Kestis, the Mantis crew initiated a mission on the water moon of Nur to reclaim the holocron. During this mission, upon entering Fortress Inquisitorius, Kestis utilized his new lightsaber to eliminate anyone obstructing his path, from standard stormtroopers to scout troopers and Purge Troopers. Upon reaching the interrogation chamber, Kestis engaged in a final duel with the Second Sister, ultimately winning the battle with his lightsaber. As Junda attempted to reconcile with the Second Sister, who was once her Padawan Trilla Suduri, Darth Vader appeared and killed the Inquisitor for failing him. Kestis refused to surrender to Vader and was overpowered by the Dark Lord of the Sith, who began tearing the fortress apart in an effort to kill Kestis. After briefly escaping, Kestis once again faced Vader, barely igniting his lightsaber to defend himself. During this, Kestis tried to use the Force to summon his lightsaber to him, but Vader stopped him, the latter turning it on and stabbing Kestis with it. Kestis escaped with his lightsaber, the holocron and Junda soon after. When reunited with all the members of the Mantis crew, Kestis decided to destroy the holocron to keep the children on the list safe from the Empire, by cutting it in half vertically with the blade of his lightsaber.

Some time after his confrontation with Vader and the Second Sister, Kestis modified his lightsaber, incorporating components that made both halves of the weapon resemble Jaro Tapal's saber. The second half of the blade remained attached to his belt in the single blade configuration, which ensured that the hilt was not overly long when only a single blade was being used. Between 12 BBY and 11 BBY, the crew of the Stinger Mantis would infiltrate a Haxion Brood base. During this mission, in which Kestis would use his lightsaber in combat against Haxion Brood bounty hunters as well as stormtroopers who were present on the base, the crew would discover Chellwinark "Fret" Frethylrin, an Imperial analyst who, deceiving the Mantis Crew and posing as a defecting stormtrooper, would inform them of a Omwati named Qeris Lar who funded anti-Imperial operations.

In a meeting with Lar on Hosnian Prime, the crew would learn of a cloaking device known as the Shroud, that the Empire held the schematics of in an installation on Murkhana. With some hesitation, the crew agreed to retrieve the Shroud schematics for Lar.

During the Mission to Murkhana, Kestis would use his lightsaber in combat against many stormtroopers and Purge Troopers, until eventually duelling the Inquisitor Fifth Brother until he was overwhelmed and saved by Junda and eventually Dritus when the Inquisitor took Junda's lightsaber and attempted to strike at the defenseless Kestis.

Upon the Mantis Crew's return to Hosnian Prime, they would discover that Lar had betrayed them to the Empire. Kestis once again duelled the Fifth Brother alongside Merrin inside Lar's office. Both Kestis and Merrin were nearly defeated, until the Shroud's creator, Irei, created an explosive that threw the Inquisitor from the tower.

By 9 BBY, the Stinger Mantis Crew had splintered, leaving Kestis and BD-1 alone to wage a crusade against the Galactic Empire. Together they began to work with Saw Gerrera and his Partisans. During a mission on Coruscant for Saw, the saber was gifted to the Pau'an Senator Daho Sejan by Bode Akuna, Kestis' ally who unbeknownst to him was a Jedi survivor that was working undercover for the Imperial Security Bureau, while Kestis was posing as having being captured, but the saber was quickly reclaimed. He then used the weapon in combat with the Ninth Sister, who slew Sejan. Kestis killed her using the split-saber functionality of his lightsaber.

After the mission to Coruscant, the Stinger Mantis was damaged, forcing Kestis to travel to the planet Koboh and find Dritus in order to repair the ship. On Koboh, Kestis was attacked by the Bedlam Raiders and their reprogrammed B1, B2 and BX series battle droids, who Kestis fought with his lightsaber. Later during his time on Koboh, Kestis would discover and free the fallen High Republic Jedi Knight Dagan Gera, also learning of the planet Tanalorr that was hidden in the Koboh Abyss. Not aware that Gera had fallen to the Dark side, Kestis handed him his lightsaber. Gera then bled his kyber crystal and dueled Kestis. Eventually, Gera would escape with his Gen'Dai servant Rayvis aboard a Bedlam Raider Low Altitude Assault Transport.

Once Kestis reached Dritus at Rambler's Reach, Kestis, Dritus, and Akuna, who had joined Kestis on Koboh and was still posing as an ally, journeyed to Jedha to find Junda and discover more about Gera and Tanalorr. On Jedha, Kestis used his saber in combat against native creatures such as Skriton, as well as occupying Imperial forces. Kestis would meet with Merrin, who would guide him to Junda's Archive. There they met Eno Cordova, who had been working with Junda to establish the archive and work with the network known as the Hidden Path. Junda and Cordova helped Kestis gain the information he sought about Tanalorr and the crew returned to the Koboh system.

Back on Koboh, Kestis explored the Stone Spires and used his lightsaber to duel and defeat Tague Louesh, a Bedlam Raider Lieutenant armed with a double-bladed lightsaber gifted to him by Rayvis.

On the Shattered Moon of Koboh, Kestis engaged in combat with a re-programmed IG-100 MagnaGuard and then faced Drya Thornne, a Bedlam Raiders Lieutenant, in a duel. Thornne's weapon of choice was a lightsaber with retractable crossguards. Following his victory over Thornne, Kestis took apart her lightsaber and integrated its crossguard emitter into his own.

After discovering two broken Abyss compasses, which were essential for navigating the Koboh Abyss, during his missions to the Shattered Moon and the Stone Spires, Kestis and the crew of the Mantis made their way back to Jedha to consult Master Cordova about the devices. Upon their arrival, they discovered that the Empire was on the verge of discovering Pilgrim's Sanctuary, the Hidden Path's refuge. Together, Merrin and Kestis intervened, preventing the Imperial Excavation team from succeeding. Kestis wielded his lightsaber against numerous stormtroopers, scout troopers, and several DT-series sentry droids. Later, Kestis would utilize his lightsaber to strike at a modified Trident-class assault ship that the Empire was using in an attempt to destroy Pilgrim's Sanctuary. After the group returned to The Archive, Akuna presented Kestis with a LW-896 Blaster Pistol. Initially hesitant to accept the weapon due to Jaro Tapal's teachings against blasters, Kestis, after some encouragement from Akuna and Merrin, began to incorporate the blaster into his combat style alongside his lightsaber.

Returning to Koboh once more, Kestis found out that the Bedlam Raiders had taken ZN-A4 "Zee" to their base, which was located in the wreckage of a Lucrehulk-class Battleship. Kestis and Akuna launched an assault on the Lucrehulk, battling numerous Raiders and battle droids, including Droidekas. While moving through the battleship, Kestis was ambushed by Rayvis. When Kestis attempted to defend himself with his lightsaber, he realized that it had little effect on the Gen'Dai due to their species' regenerative abilities. Eventually, Kestis reached the control tower, where he once again engaged in a lightsaber duel with Dagan Gera, who managed to escape once again. Kestis and Akuna then successfully rescued Zee.

Kestis traveled to the Shattered Moon to face Rayvis, where he engaged the Gen'Dai in a lightsaber duel. Eventually, Rayvis yielded. Kestis extended an offer for Rayvis to join him, but Rayvis declined, instead requesting a warrior's death at Kestis' hand. Kestis complied, striking Rayvis' head with his lightsaber, resulting in his death.

After learning from Rayvis that Gera possessed the final compass, Kestis began his ascent towards the Koboh Observatory, battling numerous stormtroopers and indigenous creatures along the way. After passing through and attacking Imperial Post 8L-055, Kestis used his lightsaber to eliminate several stormtroopers, Jumptroopers, scout troopers, and sentry droids from the hanger. Upon reaching the upper levels of the base, Kestis engaged and killed Rick with his lightsaber. Arriving at the observatory, Kestis and Akuna fought the Bedlam Raiders and Imperials, ultimately confronting Gera in the Grand Oculus. Together, Akuna and Kestis battled Gera, who employed a Force Illusion during their confrontation. Ultimately, Kestis turned Gera's illusion against him, impersonating Santari Khri, a Jedi whom Gera trusted. After Gera realized the deception, Kestis impaled him with his lightsaber. Several blaster shots fired by Akuna and a final strike from Kestis led to Gera's demise. The two recovered the slightly damaged abyss compass, and Cal departed to return to the Mantis. Unbeknownst to Kestis, Akuna took half of Gera's split-saber.

Upon returning to Jedha, preparations were underway to relocate The Archive and the Hidden Path to Tanalorr. After Cordova repaired the compass, Imperial forces, summoned by Akuna, arrived. While Junda and Kestis were distracted, Akuna held Cordova at blasterpoint, stealing the compass and then executing the Jedi Master. Kestis, shocked and saddened by Cordova's sudden death and Akuna's betrayal, pursued him across The Archive and on Speeder bikes. Kestis used his lightsaber to engage a scout trooper on a speeder bike, ultimately lifting him into the air and into the path of an oncoming TIE/ln space superiority starfighter. Kestis then used his weapon to damage Akuna's speeder, causing both of them to crash. While threatening Akuna with his lightsaber, Kestis demanded to know the reason for his betrayal. Akuna warned Kestis that he needed to rescue his family from The Archive. As Kestis prepared to strike with his lightsaber, Akuna used the Force to push Kestis away, revealing himself to be a Force-sensitive Jedi survivor. Akuna then ignited Gera's saber and dueled Cal, ultimately defeating him as Kestis fell from the cliff. Before losing consciousness, Kestis reached out for his lightsaber.

After Kestis returned to The Archive, he discovered that Junda had been killed in a duel with Darth Vader. Devastated by his loss and enraged by Akuna's betrayal, Kestis used a locator beacon that he had given to Akuna to track him to an ISB base in the Nova Garon system. Attacking the base, Kestis made his way to Akuna's quarters, where he encountered Akuna's daughter, Kata Akuna. She noticed the lightsaber on his belt and realized that he was a Jedi. While questioning Kata about her father's destination, Bode arrived, and Kestis confronted him. After discussing his past, Bode used the Force to push Kestis away once more and fled with his daughter. Enraged, Kestis tapped into the dark side, using his lightsaber to cut down the Imperials in his path as he pursued Bode, who managed to escape. Kestis used his lightsaber to threaten Lank Denvik, but Merrin intervened, preventing Kestis from killing him.

Upon returning to Koboh again, the crew aligned the arrays and created a small opening in the Abyss to fly through.

Arriving on Tanalorr, Merrin and Kestis confronted Bode, who, consumed by his rage, attacked. Kestis used his lightsaber in the duel and once again tapped into the dark side to defeat Akuna, ultimately killing him with his blaster pistol.

Kestis would often brandish his lightsaber in combat against the Haxion Brood Bounty Hunters, all for the sake of Caij Vanda. When Vanda later double-crossed Kestis on Koboh, he used his lightsaber in a heated confrontation with her and the bounty hunter Boba Fett.

The second lightsaber wielded by Cal Kestis made its initial appearance in the 2019 video game titled Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order. Although the weapon's blade is canonically blue, its kyber crystal can be altered to other colors, such as green, orange, purple, yellow, indigo, cyan, and magenta. Furthermore, the hilt of the lightsaber can be customized through various materials, sleeves, emitters, and switches. The materials available range from Arcetron, Cerakote, Corundum, Crodium, Duralium, Laminasteel, to Slivian iron. In New Journey + mode, the lightsaber can be given a red crystal and blade.

In the 2023 sequel, Star Wars Jedi: Survivor, the lightsaber combat was designed around the new "stances", each stance offering a different way to use the saber. 5 stances (Single blade, double blade, dual wield, crossguard and blaster) were available for the player to equip at mediation points, with two stances being equipped at any one time. Each stance reflects a different playstyle and has its own skill tree. In terms of customisation, different cosmetic components were made available as well as the new blade color white. The player also had the option to customise the crossguard vents that would appear when the crossguard stance was equipped, and the wear visible on the saber. As well as this, in all New Journeys started after completing the main story, a new "Party" saber color was added, which swapped between the existing saber colors (except red) every time the player blocked, parried or attacked.