A newStar Warsbook confirms why lightsabers truly are the perfect weapons for the Jedi, 47 years after the first lightsaber appeared on screen inA New Hope. Lightsabers have been developed inStar Warsmovies and TV showsin a number of ways. Not only havelightsaber colors and their meaningsexpanded considerably over the years, but also,DisneyStar Wars’coolest lightsaber designshave proven how creative these weapons can be.A brand-newStar Warsbook hasjust added to this history by providing even more insight into the weapon’s original significance.
The newStar Warsbook,Star Wars: The High Republic: The Lightsaber Collection, written by Daniel Wallace, confirms that a description of lightsabers fromStar Wars: The High Republic: Light of the Jedi, written by Charles Soule, is definitive. InLight of the Jedi, it explains:
“Lightsabers were designed to end conflicts. They were designed to injure no more than necessary, and in the horrible circumstance where death was the only possible outcome, they would kill quickly. No more damage would be done by a lightsaber than its wielder chose.”
Although that was indicated inLight of the Jedi, in that book, it was presented as one Jedi’s view.WithThe Lightsaber Collectionbeing a handbook on High Republic lightsabers and this quote being used to answer the question"What is a lightsaber?“the explanation has become much more—it is now a canonical fact.
Pre-order Star Wars: The High Republic: The Lightsaber Collection on Amazon
What This Lightsaber Explanation Means For Star Wars
This description of a lightsaber has major implications forStar Wars. On the one hand, this means that lightsaber designs are both very intentional and fundamental to the function of the weapon. Because lightsabers have heated blades, they can cauterize a wound without bloodshed. AsLight of the Jedifurther explains, there is also no collateral damage with a lightsaber. The same cannot be said for something like a blaster or other weapons that have a much greater potential to accidentally injure innocent bystanders.
Jedi lightsaber formsalso prioritized defensive moves, such as blocking blaster bolts. Of course, over time, these skills were made more aggressive, such as by turning blaster bolts back around on the attacker. This is in part by nature of how the Jedi changed over time. By the Clone Wars era, the Jedi were soldiers. At that point, lightsabers became weapons of war.
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Our Take On Star Wars' Lightsaber Explanation
The notion that"No more damage would be done by a lightsaber than its wielder chose"is an interesting and potentially problematic one. Yes, lightsabers were evidently intended to be weapons that protected the wielder and limited damage to others, but clearly, they had the potential to be so much more. Not only did that become evident during the Clone Wars, but also,the Jedi ended up giving the Sith an incredible weapon.
In the hands of the Sith, lightsabers became brutal. Anakin Skywalker/Darth Vader’s march on the Jedi Temple during Order 66 made that clear enough. Nevertheless, many Jedi have since returned to the original intention behind lightsabers. Luke Skywalker is a wonderful example of this, as he consistently used his lightsaber to block and defend rather than to attack. ThisStar Warsbook reinforces that this is the proper Jedi way when it comes to lightsabers, which has interesting implications for the future.
Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope
Cast
Star Wars is a seminal science fiction film released in 1977 that follows the quest of Luke Skywalker and Han Solo to rescue Princess Leia from the oppressive Imperial forces. They are aided by the droids R2-D2 and C-3PO, as they strive to restore peace to the galaxy.
