Gamers might have first-hand experience using orange lightsabers if they played “Jedi: Fallen Order.” The orange lightsaber was a pre-order bonus offered by Respawn Entertainment, which means protagonist Cal Kestis (Cameron Monaghan) is technically a Jedi who’s held one before. However, seeing how this is mostly an aesthetic choice as opposed to a reflection of Cal’s character, it’s hard to declare him the first canonical orange lightsaber user.
To find others, one must look toward “Star Wars Legends.” This is the Expanded Universe that sprung forth after George Lucas’ first six “Star Wars” movies that fleshed out the galaxy even further. It’s since been deemed non-canonical, but it could offer hints into the true nature of Baylan Skoll and Shin Hati. Within “Legends,” orange lightsabers are most often used by Gray Jedi. They are not fully members of the Jedi Order, utilizing both the light and dark sides of the Force. In these instances, orange lightsabers represent their middle ground, with orange being a cross between red lightsabers used by the Sith and yellow ones used by guards of the Jedi Temple.
Of course, this isn’t always the case, as several full-fledged members of the Jedi Order used orange, too. For instance, Yaddle (a female individual within Yoda’s race) wielded an orange blade in “Legends” before it was replaced with a standard green blade in “Tales of the Jedi.” Additionally, Plo Koon used an orange lightsaber in “Legends,” but it’s been different colors in various other media. It stands to reason that for more casual viewers, “Ahsoka” represents a proper introduction of orange lightsabers into “Star Wars” canon, opening the doors for exciting new possibilities.