One of the themes in Star Wars is the importance of family, and the unconditional love family members have, or should have for each other. Love is expressed through kindness to each other, listening to each other and spending time together. But love can also be expressed by the handing down of items such as old antiques, to stay in the family, or other such heirlooms that hold emotional value for family members.

Now, Vader didn't hand down his old lightsaber to Luke out of love, or for the sake of seeing an important treasure stay in the family. Heck, he didn't even know Luke had it! It was old Ben who saw the importance of bringing Luke closer to his destiny, and making a part of Anakin's past a part of his future.

I am always intrigued when I view the scene in which Ben hands Luke the lightsaber, stating that his father wanted him to have it when he was old enough. Without the PT, it seems like a honourable gesture from a father we hadn't met, who wanted his son to become a great Jedi Knight and this was his way of helping that happen. And even in TESB, we find out that Vader is Luke's said father, but only after the lightsaber is cut from Luke's hand (well his whole hand, I suppose!) during the battle in which Vader faced his old lightsaber and it tumbles away into the abyss. At that moment, I hadn't really remembered that Ben said Luke's father wanted him to have the saber, I was more shocked at what Vader just revealed.

But now I can view it and appreciate that Vader sending that lightsaber into the abyss is really like closing that chapter of his life for good. That lightsaber had lots of history behind it and was used for some pretty heinous acts before Obi-Wan took it. I mean, Anakin also used it for good during the Clone Wars as a Jedi, so it definitely served both sides of his history, but it held a rich history nonetheless. And Luke picking it up for the first time and embracing his destiny is absolutely a part of its history. In its inadvertant way, that lightsaber helped to bring Vader down, and bring justice back to the galaxy, even though it wasn't being used any longer. It brought Luke into the fold, and Luke brought down the Sith.

And the handing down of the lightsaber is like handing down any family treasure. It allows the story and the legacy behind it to live on, and the Skywalker legacy is indeed rich with stories. They are a family rife with their own problems and mixed emotions, but they have done a lot of good in the galaxy as well. The lightsaber Anakin had played on both sides of the war and served its owner well, so it makes perfect sense that it should be kept for the next great Jedi of the galaxy. It was important for Luke to take it, though he had no idea how important at the time.

And his losing it signified a new era as well. He was able to continue his journey as a Jedi to construct a new lightsaber and use that one to again take on the Empire and bring balance. Anakin lost the lightsaber and became a new person, as did Luke.

So the passing down of this particular family treasure is an all-important act in the SW timeline. Luke was able to learn new skills from it, but also learned to choose the right path with it. He followed it into the abyss on Cloud City to get away from the tempatations Vader was offering and became a new man. Gone was the treasure that brought him to that point, but the legacy would live on.