Star Wars School: The History of the Lightsaber
Exploring the background of one of the coolest weapons ever seen on screen.
Welcome back to Star Wars School, where we delve into the past, present and future of that franchise we all love so much. Today we’re discussing the lightsaber -- truly one of the greatest weapons ever imagined!
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The Forcesaber
Before the lightsaber, there was… the “forcesaber”! At least, that’s according to the Expanded Universe of Star Wars books and media. (Yes, yes, we know the EU is no longer canon -- but it’s still cool, not to mention our best roadmap for the design of the world’s greatest weapon.)
The crude forcesabers were used by the imperialistic race the Rakata some 25,000 years prior to A New Hope. But the problem with the forcesaber was its reliance on Dark Force energy as its power source, which tempted its users anytime the weapon was utilized.
The Protosaber
The predecessors to the Jedi, known as the Je’daii Order, took their cue from the forcesaber when designing the earliest lightsabers. Utilizing frozen blaster technology, which created an arced energy beam that began and ended at its source, these cumbersome “protosabers” required an external power supply that would be worn by the user and linked to the actual hilt by a power cable. Not the most efficient in battle.
The payoff was this design bypassed any reliance on the Dark Force. But due to their power-hungry and unstable nature, protosabers were mainly used as siege weapons and for ceremonial purposes for many generations. (And they failed to give us anything close to as awesome as Yoda putting the hurt on Sidious. Obviously.)
In fact, the Jedi would also continue to use actual Force-imbued bladed weapons for thousands of years to come.
Sith Refinements
Proving that one should never underestimate the Sith, it was they who first replaced the external battery of the protosaber with a power cell that would sit within the very hilt of the weapon itself. No more bulky batteries or ungainly power cables would be required. Further refinements stabilized the lightsaber, which by now had more or less become the device that we all know and love so well. The Sith also introduced the use of a synthetic focusing crystal, which gave the energy blade a red hue. Eventually, the infamous Darth Revan and Darth Malak adopted these crimson blades, which of course would become standard for Dark Lords of the Sith for millennia to come. Because they love to coordinate nearly as much as they love to pillage the galaxy and blow things up!
The Jedi finally began wielding the so-called modern lightsaber during the Great Hyperspace War, which pitted the Galactic Republic against the Sith Empire some 5,000 years prior to A New Hope. Ironically, the new design of what would become the Jedi’s signature weapon was based on the alterations implemented by their archenemies, the Sith. Such biters.
A Rite of Passage
The construction of an individual’s lightsaber eventually became a rite of passage for young padawans on their way to full-fledged Knighthood. For generations, many Jedi built their lightsabers in the Force-infused crystal caves of the planet Ilum.
Different styles of lightsaber combat evolved, with the Jedi predominantly using the seven classic forms. And a wide variety of design variants would grow out of the initial single blade and hilt concept. The double-bladed saber is perhaps the most famous of these, thanks to Darth Maul, but there have also been lightsaber pikes, guard shoto sabers, underwater lightsabers, lightwhips… and of course those cute little training lightsabers for the Younglings. Oh, the Younglings…
After the Purge
After the Jedi Purge seen in Revenge of the Sith, lightsabers became contraband. Only Darth Vader and a few other servants of the Empire were allowed to carry the weapon. But the Jedi and Jedi in training who survived the purge continued to carry their prized sabers, sometimes hiding them in plain sight.
Even Luke Skywalker was forced to use a synthetic crystal when constructing his new saber in a deleted scene from Return of the Jedi.
The Future of a Long Time Ago
Interestingly, Luke’s first lightsaber -- the blue one -- had originally belonged to his father Anakin. And looking to the future of Star Wars -- well, the future of a long time ago in a galaxy far, far away -- while a lightsaber is typically a very personal item custom built by and for one user only, this particular blade may be about to be handed down to a third generation of Jedi. Concept art for The Force Awakens indicates that the new character Finn will also possess the Anakin/Luke blue saber.
We also know that The Force Awakens’ new villain Kylo Ren wields a crossguard saber. A crossguard design has been seen before in the Expanded Universe, but it’s that crackling, slightly chaotic energy blade that’s of particular interest. The specifics of this blade remain a closely guarded secret… for now.
As we head to a new generation of Star Wars movies, let’s take pleasure in the pure perfection of all lightsabers. Truly, an elegant weapon…
So there you have it -- a brief history of the lightsaber. Do you have an interesting fact to share about the weapon? What’s your favorite saber? Let us know in the comments -- and may the Force be with you…
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