Via Starwars.com:

JEDI WEAPONS OFTEN HAVE GREAT STORIES — AND MEANING — OF THEIR OWN.

“An elegant weapon for a more civilized age.” Obi-Wan Kenobi’s description of the lightsaber’s role as an ally of a Jedi Knight in A New Hope proved to be succinct and accurate. A Jedi’s training involved the crafting of one’s own lightsaber, and the duty of every Jedi Knight included protecting the iconic weapon. Unfortunately, throughout the Star Wars films, many sabers suffered the fate of being lost or destroyed in the heat of battle. In other cases, Jedi would take up a lightsaber that was not their own. Such incidents occurred in the lives of many prominent Jedi and often marked a significant development in the paths of those Jedi and the saga.

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