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I'm looking for an answer that can potentially clear up the controversy surrounding the color of Bacta.

There is some controversy as to bacta's color. Many official sources have indicated that bacta is blueish in hue and pictures provided on LFL seem to strengthen this claim. Rumor has it that it only appeared clear in Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back because of the lighting and camera angles. In the novelization of The Empire Strikes Back, it says that bacta was a thick red liquid.
Source - Wookieepedia

I'm looking for an authoritative source that defines Bacta's color trait. Is it blue, red, clear? Is it, perhaps, both blue and red depending upon environs?

How can we be sure what color it is with seemingly contradicting sources? Has George Lucas, or another Star Wars authority, commented specifically on Bacta and its color?

I'd like to know because I'd like to represent Bacta accurately in some fan art I'm attempting to create.

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It looks pretty damn blue to me...

Bacta Tank

Joking aside, this seems to be a case of "retcon gone mad". Certain properties describe it as a reddish substance, others describe it as blueish. In the Clone Wars and Star Wars games it's clearly blue, in the comics and books the purer bacta product is generally described as a thick viscous red substance.

Star Wars "Micro collection" "Hoth Bacta Chamber" toy showing a blue-tinted plastic cylinder and a blue tank in the box art Image of a "field bacta tank" showing the tank glowing blue Two page spread from the Clone Wars comic short story "Bacta Raid" showing a purple-skinned being in a blue bacta tank

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  • Perhaps Bacta's color changes when it is activated on a subject. Maybe the pure substance is red, but the diluted substance used in off-world trading is blue due to diluting agents. Personally, I agree with your synopsis that this is almost certainly a retcon. Apparently, in the novelization of SW:TESB there are several other notable retcons. i.e. Yoda is blue, Darth Vader's lightsaber is blue. I find it remarkable that LucasArts would allow the publication of the book with these kinds of egregious errors.
    – crush
    Feb 26, 2014 at 14:18
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    Maybe there's Light and Dark Side bacta? :)
    – Allen Gould
    Feb 26, 2014 at 16:18
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    Could also change based on use or added chemical composition. Nobody said all Bacta had to be the same. It's unlikely that it's consistent amongst all races and species either. Also, lights.
    – Nate Diamond
    Feb 26, 2014 at 20:31
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    @NateDiamond - Oh, I don't doubt you could find all sorts of retcon crap in the EU to back up a variety of bacta colours.
    – Valorum
    Feb 26, 2014 at 20:32
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    @jean - In the Star Wars encyclopedia it's described as Red. In the Star Wars Universal Encyclopedia it's described as blue. Who to believe? Aargh!
    – Valorum
    Mar 7, 2014 at 21:11

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