The Jedi and Sith Codes have remained unchanged since the rise of the Old Republic, and it says a lot about the cultures.

The Jedi Code begins with the line “There is no emotion, there is peace.” Those seven words can stand for the entire code, and summarize everything the Jedi are. Their ultimate goal is to keep the peace, and to do so they detach themselves from everything in the galaxy, including themselves, and focus on doing what is “right.” Another thing to note is that their code is always objective and indirect, just like they are.

“There is no ignorance, there is knowledge” is a reasonable line, but the Jedi don’t live up to it. They never truly understand the Force because they cannot see past the Light and into the Dark. When they assume that the prophecy will be fulfilled when the Chosen One destroys the Sith, when they themselves said that it will restore the balance. Ironic, since they are the ones who say “only a Sith deals in absolutes.”

The next line, “There is no passion, there is serenity,” basically repeats the first one. The idea is that in order to operate in the usual trance-like calm, they must first detach themselves from everything so nothing can throw them off because passion is a potential weakness.

“There is no chaos, there is harmony” is a good principle. The idea is that harmony will help them stay in control and maintain the smooth operation of the Order. However, it is difficult to ignore the fact that the Jedi are surrounded by chaos and darkness and don’t even notice until it’s too late.

“There is no death, there is only the Force” is the last line and it appears to mean that when Jedi die, they become “one with the Force.” How this works is unknown, but it appears that Jedi never die, but instead they remain Force ghosts forever.

As with the Jedi Code, the first line of the Sith Code, “Peace is a lie, there is only passion,” could stand for the entire code. The Sith do not believe that peace is a good thing because they grow more powerful when they fight. Passion fuels their hate, which they channel into power. Unlike Jedi, who prefer to be the secret “illuminati” behind the Republic’s government, Sith want all the power for themselves and achieve it through war.

The rest of the code is in first person (I, me). That backs up the idea that they want power for themselves as an individual, not as a society. The second line, “Through passion, I gain strength,” shows that they consider their passion a motivation, not a weakness.

“Through strength, I gain power” is fairly straightforward. They use their strength, not for the greater good, but for themselves.

“Through power, I gain victory” simply means that their overall goal was to gain power, and the last lines, “Through victory, my chains will be broken, the Force shall set me free,” means that when they do become the most powerful being in the galaxy, they will have no more rules to follow, and they will bow to no one.

The Grey Jedi are another Force-using organization. They are incredibly secretive and are rarely known to not be undercover. They use the use the Light and Dark Sides for what they consider to be the greater good. Their code is a blend of the Jedi and Sith Codes.

The first line, as usual, is the most important: “There is no Dark Side, nor a Light Side, there is only the Force.” To outsiders, it appears that they use the Light and the Dark, but because they use both so fluently, they see no distinction, only the one living Force. They use the Force in its purest form, a state where light and dark are relative. In the same way, they are not good or evil, but a blend of both. They do what they believe is the right thing to do, but sometimes in ways that some would consider morally wrong.

“I will do what I must to keep the balance” states the goal of the Grey Jedi: to maintain both the light and the dark, and keep them balanced. The reason is in the next line: “There is no good without evil, but evil must not be allowed to flourish.” After a few centuries without Sith, the Jedi started becoming stuck up and unethical, to the point where they were so unprepared that the Republic fell at the hands of the first Sith who tried to take it. But when there were no Jedi, the Empire’s reign got so out of hand that only the person who helped create it could end it. These are the two situations the Grey Jedi try to avoid, by maintaining both good and evil.

The next two lines, “There is passion, yet peace” and “There is serenity, yet emotion” show that being a human is not a weakness. It is possible to not be a machine and stay in control at the same time.

The last line of the shortened code (there is a longer one) is possibly the most unexpected: “There is chaos, yet order.” The idea is that a constant struggle between good and evil can be chaotic, but on a bigger scale it can be controlled, and an “organized chaos”-like state is not necessarily bad for the galaxy. War leads to huge advancements in technology that would never happen otherwise, and it prevents societies from becoming bored and overconfident, like what happened to the Jedi after millennia without Sith. When Grey Jedi keep a balance between Jedi and Sith they are creating conflict, but by keeping it even they make sure that the delicate balance that keeps a society whole is maintained.

Red, blue and green lightsabers are popping up in the hands of all sorts of characters from a galaxy far, far away with the occasional purple. But what can these colors tell you about the wielder? And how many colors are there? That’s what I’m going to answer.

Note: by the time of the New Republic Force-sensitive individuals chose crystal colors by personal preference rather than moral value.

Red: Red lightsabers are used by individuals deep in the Dark Side, such as Sith and Dark Jedi, though not all Dark-Side users have them. Red lightsaber crystals are synthetic; so they are more compatible with Dark Side energy. Occasionally, they may even shatter the opponents blade, overloading the matrix, but that is rare. Famous users: Darth Vader, Emperor Palpatine, Darth Maul, Count Dooku…

Blue: Blue is the color of a Jedi Guardian, Jedi Warriors who use force on a very physical level. The first branch of Jedi (Consular and Sentinel are the other two), they are possibly the most skilled swordsmen in the Jedi Order, and the Galaxy. Blue lightsaber crystals, like most other naturally occurring ones are found on the planet Ilum. Famous users: Obi-Wan Kenobi, Anakin Skywalker, Luke Skywalker, Plo Koon, Ki-Adi Mundi, General Grievous…

Green: Green is used by Consulars, the second branch of Jedi, who prefer to study the mysteries of the Force, fight evil in their minds, and concentrate on Force abilities rather than combat skills. Consulars try to not use their weapons, however will not hesitate to do so if necessary. Famous users: Yoda, Qui-Gon Jinn, Luke Skywalker, Ahsoka Tano, Luminara Unduli…

Yellow: This is the color of Jedi Sentinels. Sentinels, the third and least known branch of Jedi, seek to keep balance between the other two branches, and to destroy all traces of the Dark Side, going undercover for months at a time.They also concentrate on tech, distraction and surveillance. Here’s an analogy: When faced with a sealed door, a Guardian will slice it open, a Consular will knock, and a Sentinel will pick the lock. Famous users: Plo Koon, Yeareal Poof, Bastilla Shan.

Purple: These lightsabers are used by individuals who combine both sides of the Force into an aggressive fighting style, sometimes having mixed loyalties. Gray Jedi also use these sabers. They are Force-users who openly use both sides of the Force, and strive to keep balance between the Jedi and Sith. Famous users: Mace Windu, Revan, Mara Jade.

Orange: Orange tends to be used by Jedi who focus on negotiation as well as combat. Wielders of this color often operate in the Sentinel class. Famous users: Yaddle, Plo Koon (again!)

Gold: Gold lightsabers are generally associated with strong Light Side abilities. Famous users: Qu Rahn.

Bronze: Bronze sabers were used mostly by Jedi who used physical strength as well as Force abilities. They are possibly the rarest color there is. Famous users: Lowbacca.

Silver: Used by Jedi who are very calm and focused on the living Force as a whole. Silver wielders sometimes operate in the Consular class. Famous users: Tera Sinube.

White: Wielded openly and arrogantly by the Imperial Knights, and not many others, white lightsabers are used by those with extremely narrow-minded philosophy. Note: Imperial Knights have nothing to do with the Galactic Empire or Sith Empire. They have their own Empire Famous users: All Imperial Knights.

Darksaber: Black, like white, is used by Sith with a very narrow view on the Force. However, instead of serving a master, wielders of the one known darksaber (“stolen from the heart of the Jedi Temple”) are the master. Famous users: Darth Maul, Pre Visla, Sabine Wren.

What kind of lightsaber would you have? Write about it in the comments. Here’s mine: Two sabers, a red and a blue, which can be joined together into a double-blade. When joined, the crystals’ colors mix, giving both blades a uniform purple hue. The core would be black instead of white.

There’s plenty of fun trivia about The Force Awakens; here’s the seven I liked the most.

1. In Rey’s force vision, both Obi-Wan actors’ voices were heard. The word “Rey” was taken from Alec Guinness’s “afraid” and Ewan McGregor delivered “these are you’re first steps.”
2. Daniel Craig played the stormtrooper Rey mind-tricked into loosening the restraints. And dropping the blaster. James Bond is a stormtrooper!
3. The Force Awakens is the first Star Wars film where no one loses arms.
4. The freighter that Han and Chewie flew before they found the Falcon again was called the Eravana.
5. Phasma’s look was originally considered for Kylo Ren.
6. The doctor that tended Chewie’s arm was played by Christopher Lee’s niece (Lee played Count Dooku in two Star Wars films). This is fun because Ewan McGregor (Obi-Wan) is Denis Lawson’s nephew. (Lawson played x wing pilot Wedge Antilles). Star Wars really about family.
7. Chewie had to chose between breaking a wookiee life-debt and avenging Han when he saw what Kylo Ren did. Life debts expand to family members, so when he swore to protect Han, he also swore to protect Ben, thus shooting him was breaking his oath. He must have decided that Kylo Ren was not Ben Solo anymore, and fired a shot into his heart. This shot weakened Kylo and had a big effect on the duel between Rey and Kylo.