We made it out to Disney’s Hollywood Studios today for our first look at the updated Protection and Defense hilt at Savi’s Workshop in Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge. The refreshed theme offers ten white and gold parts, including two emitters, four sleeves, two switches, and two endcaps. All ten are on display, along with an assembled sample lightsaber. It arrives alongside the new lightsaber effects that Disney announced for every hilt theme.
New Protection and Defense Lightsaber Parts at Savi’s Workshop (October 2026)
IN THIS ARTICLE:
- Photos and descriptions of every emitter, sleeve, switch, and endcap, plus how the look compares with the 2023 parts
- What Disney says about the white and gold design and the new lightsaber effects
- A short history of Savi’s Workshop parts refreshes, plus booking details and pricing
Guests at Savi’s Workshop build a custom lightsaber containing one emitter, two sleeves, one switch, and one endcap. Protection and Defense is one of four hilt themes available year-round. We checked out an assembled sample hilt and a drawer holding every part. The theme here is metallic gold standing out against the white.
The sample lightsaber pairs the flared emitter with the fan sleeve, the four-bar switch, and the crescent sleeve, a white sleeve with a sweeping gold arc. Gold dominates the emitter end, and white takes over toward the other end. The hilt shifts from warm metallic tones to a cleaner, brighter finish along its length.
Earlier Protection and Defense parts took a different approach. As we showed in our January 2023 look at the earlier parts, they used brushed silver bodies with copper bands and gold accents. In our photos of the earlier design, an angular, notched silver emitter sits above a gold spear-shaped inlay, and a large copper oval with etched lettering sits near the base. One side adds a small gold plate with a fine etched motif. Another uses a copper diamond plate with geometric etching and a silver endcap with a gold arched pattern.
Emitters (pick one)
The flared emitter has a wide, bell-shaped gold flare with gold prongs rising from a white core. A narrow band of etched glyphs circles the lip of the flare. This is the emitter on the sample hilt.
The other emitter curls off to one side in an angled gold shell. A knurled silver ring and an embossed silver band sit beneath the curve. It is the more asymmetrical of the two.
Sleeves (pick two)
The fan sleeve is gold, with a silver ring at one end. A shell-like fan of raised ribs radiates from a spear-shaped point on the body. Beside the fan, a curved gold plate outlined in silver wraps partway around the sleeve, and white and silver ribbing shows beneath it. This sleeve sits beside the emitter on the sample hilt.
The slotted sleeve is also gold, with a smooth body that gives way to rows of narrow slots. A silver ring and a silver band etched with glyph-like markings follow the slots, and white ridged rings sit at each end. That band echoes the glyph work on the flared emitter.
The arc sleeve is white, covered in bold, concentric gold arcs that sweep toward an oval panel of leaf-shaped gold marks. A wide gold collar caps the end beside the panel. Gold dominates this sleeve, with white showing as bands between the arcs. It is the other sleeve on the sample hilt.
The scrollwork sleeve is the whitest of the four. Branching gold flourishes curl above and below a central emblem, a segmented gold half-halo around crescent shapes and a sword-like blade. Gold bands with a thin silver ring between them cap one end. Its fine linework gives it the most detailed look of the four.
Switches (pick one)
The barrel switch is a white, barrel-shaped piece with gold bands at both ends. A silver-framed oval holds a ribbed gold slider, which gives the piece a clear focal point.
The four-bar switch sets four ribbed silver bars inside a gold-framed housing. A white lattice of gold lines surrounds the housing, with dark triangular cutouts and circular gold ornaments on either side. This is the switch on the sample hilt.
Endcaps (pick one)
The white endcap is tapered, with gold flourishes, a silver top, and a slotted gold band. A small black fitting extends from one side.
The gold endcap has white pinstripes, silver tabs on its sides, and a flared silver base.
Every part shares the same white and gold palette, so any combination guests choose should look cohesive on the finished lightsaber.
Disney’s Description and the Refresh History
Disney says the refreshed hilt features striking white finishes and rich gold detailing, and that each lightsaber carries mysterious ancient Jedi iconography. We spotted the clearest examples in the glyph band on the flared emitter. The slotted gold sleeve carries a similar band in embossed silver.
Disney says the design celebrates the optimism and grandeur of the High Republic and honors those who dedicated themselves to protecting others. Its description frames the theme as a reflection of “a time when the Order stood as a symbol of peace and hope across the galaxy.”
Every hilt theme receives the new lightsaber effects Disney announced. Protection and Defense builds include thermal cutting, spinning, and deflection effects, along with upgraded audio quality and smoother blade activation, Disney says. Disney says pairing a lightsaber with a special “cracked” kyber crystal also unlocks a color-change effect with a flick of the wrist.
Protection and Defense last got new parts in January 2023. The limited-time Reclaimed and Reforged theme debuted on May 4th, 2025. Power and Control got new pieces in May 2026. This update is the second permanent hilt theme to get new parts in 2026.
How to Book Savi’s Workshop
Disney highly encourages advance reservations for Savi’s Workshop. Guests can book up to 60 days in advance through the My Disney Experience app or the Walt Disney World website. A limited number of same-day reservations may be available up to two hours in advance. Walk-ins are also possible based on availability.
The experience costs $274.99 plus tax per builder at Walt Disney World, and every builder must purchase a lightsaber. Disney charges full price if a guest cancels within one day of the reservation or does not show up. Custom lightsabers are nonrefundable and are not eligible for Annual Passholder or other discounts. Dok-Ondar’s Den of Antiquities sells additional parts and kyber crystals separately.
Keep Reading
- Get the full rundown of the new lightsaber effects and cracked kyber crystals that arrived with this hilt update.
- See how the dark side got its turn with the new Power and Control parts from May 2026.
- Compare all four hilt themes in our full look at the April 2023 parts refresh.
- Look back at the first round of updated Protection and Defense parts from January 2023.
As always, keep checking back with us here at BlogMickey.com as we continue to bring you the latest news, photos, and info from around the Disney Parks!