Name: Gantoris
Species: Human (Eol Sha)
Lightsaber Color: Purple
Created by: Kevin J. Anderson
First Appearance: Jedi Search (1994)
Gantoris had dreams that a dark man would come for him, teach him magical powers and then the dark man would kill him. When Luke Skywalker came to planet Eol Sha, Gantoris assumed that Luke was the dark man from his dreams. Gantoris gave Skywalker two tests (escaping a volcano and battling a fireworm). When Luke did not perish Gantoris agreed to go with the Jedi. Gantoris thus became Luke's very first student of his Jedi Praxeum.
At Yavin, Gantoris did meet his "Dark Man", but it was not Luke Skywalker. The ghost of Exar-Kun, a Sith Lord, whispered to Gantoris in his dreams. Kun convinced the apprentice that Skywalker was withholding powerful secrets and the Sith instructed Gantoris on how to build a lightsaber.
Weapon in hand, Gantoris challenged Skywalker to a duel. Luke's other students watched as Gantoris lashed out with his anger in an attempt to defeat the Jedi instructor. Luke countered with defensive techniques and was able to force-pull the lightsaber from the mutinous apprentice. To the surprise of his other students Luke chose not to punish or berate Gantoris for his actions.
Kun approached Gantoris that night with terrible visions of Gantoris' tribe being wiped out by Imperial forces. Gantoris attempted to attack the Sith with his lightsaber but Exar-Kun incinerated the Jedi apprentice on the spot.
His remains were discovered the next morning. Luke's faith in his ability to teach a new generation of Jedi was shook. Gantoris would be Luke's first failed student, but not his last.
Behind the Scenes
Gantoris was instructed by Exar Kun to build a duel-phase lightsaber. These lightsabers had multiple Kyber crystals, which allowed sabers to quickly change length and even color.
The 2015 reference book "Ultimate Star Wars" confirmed that Darth Vader's lightsaber in canonically a duel-phase lightsaber.
