JediAcademy/Lightsaber

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The Weapon Of The Jedi

What is a lightsaber? It is the ancient defensive weapon of the Jedi Order. It is believed to actually predate the rise of the Jedi, which is about 25,000 years ago. It is more than a 'laser sword'. It is used as a focal point for a Jedi's concentration. It is also the ancient symbol of the Jedi. The beings of the universe knew that where a lightsaber was, then life would be protected.

The lightsaber 'handle' is a self contained unit about 12" in length. It contains it's own power source that can go long periods without being recharged. The blade itself that is produced by the handle can be from 4' to just over 6' long. This blade can cut through almost anything, save for coritoris, mystically protected metals, or mandellorian armor. While it will cut through these metals eventually, it takes about 4 or 5 swings to penetrate the metal.

The classic grip for the lightsaber is to have the left hand at the bottom of the hilt, and the right hand at the top. The left hand actually does all the work of moving the weapon up and down, whilst the right hand steers the weapon's direction. The grip used by each hand is somewhat like a tennis grip, the "V" between the thumb and the first finger at the top of the hilt. Unlike a tennis grip, however, the strongest force is applied by the ring and little fingers, not the forefinger and the index finger. Upon activation of the unit an energy 'blade' extends outward in a straight line for about 5 to 6 feet. The blade itself is tightly coherent and opaque, with a slightly rounded 'tip'. The 'core' rod is about 1" in diameter. There is an even smaller cutting core within this one. The rod emanates a glow from it in all directions. The glow dims quickly the further you move from the core, and a lightsaber is of practically no use for lighting an area. When the blade is swung, it appears to occupy more space than it really does, due to the residual phosphorescent image left on the human eye by the passage of such a brightly lit object. The hilt of the saber does not get hot, despite the immense heat of the blade. Though the blade GIVES OFF no heat. Only if one was to touch the blade would you notice heat....as your finger is disintegrated. The 'battery' power source of the lightsaber holds an immense charge. Going years without needing to be recharged.

The blade is not a laser beam. As it can not pass through other lightsaber blades. A laser, by the means we understand light, would pass through another laser effortlessly. And it can deflect blaster bolts. The glow is believed by many to be simply as a way of tracking the blade. Much like tracer rounds in a machine gun. Despite it's broad glowing corona, and it's thickness of about an adult thumb, it makes extremely fine cuts. The blade will remain thoroughly rigid-regardless of how vigorously it is waved about or jostled.

The lightsaber most closely resembles the Japanese shinai (training sword) in both dimensions and use, with several crucial differences. The 'blade' of the weapon has negligible mass. That means the center of gravity for the entire weapon is midway along the hilt, not 20-30% along the length of the blade as is typical with 'physical' weapons. As a result there is negligible momentum in swinging the blade. It may be swung rapidly about with a minimum of effort. As a result, the blade is difficult to employ safely. The slightest motion can send the cutting surface swinging wildly. There is no sense of swinging a weight, as there is with say, a katana - there is no 'feedback'. It would be like trying to tie your shoelaces without any feeling in your fingers. Or trying to play the violin with earplugs. Feedback is a crucial mechanism in developing 'muscle memory'. The weapon will cut through any objects one the first swing. Except for coritoris and objects with mystical protection. A lightsaber does not cut effortlessly through physical objects. It is required the 'blade' be 'pushed' through the object. Different objects offer differing amounts of resistance. As a result, the user must swing the lightsaber with considerable force, and yet, have sufficient control to be able to stop the motion in the event of a miss. Without any momentum, or feedback, it is not easy to develop this skill - it is counterintuitive.

• There are many who believe the lightsaber blade is a manifestation of the Force. That only Jedi can wield a saber since only a Jedi can channel the Force into such a shape. This is totally untrue. The lightsaber is a piece of technology, not a piece of the Force itself.

• There are those who believe there is some mystical bond between a Jedi and his/her lightsaber. The most quoted analogy is that of Japanese Samurai...whose katana is considered to be his soul. The saber is in fact the formal weapon of the Jedi, not necessarily the only weapon, and it is not necessarily restricted TO the Jedi. The saber is a symbol of the Jedi, but that is as deep as the mystical connection goes.

• The lightsaber can be used WELL by an exceptionally trained person.

• Jedi can use them better than anyone else.

• Jedi CHOOSE to use sabers as their formal weapons, probably to showcase their Force enhanced skills.

• Jedi are culturally associated with lightsaber in most of the universe.

Lightsaber Blade Colors And What They Mean

Yellow/Orange

(We believe these two interchangeable) - "Luminous beings are we; not this crude matter." The Yellow abilities deal with energy, both in its physical and metaphysical forms.

Blue

Mind over matter is the basis for telekinesis; mind over mind is the nature of a Force duel. Blue deals with countering mental attacks, seeking the paths of others' thoughts, and the universe of the mind.

Green

Of all the colors, this is perhaps the most important. Nature is the focus of this discipline; growth, life, and the course of natural evolution are involved with this color. Users of these skills often have a longing for gardens after a while of exposure.

Red

Red is often a symbol of attack and chaos, making it the least used of the Aing-Tii powers. Still, mastery of these abilities will help those constantly on the front lines of a battle. It has recently been learned that red lightsaber blades can actually break another lightsaber's blade. Red crystals are ordinarily unsuitable for lightsaber, since they are less stable than the customary green and blue crystals Jedi use for the blade generators in the lightsaber. However, red crystals glow in harmonic vibration when energized by the dark side of the Force. When energized in this way, red 'Sith' crystals can actually produce a stronger blade that has the rare potential to 'break the blade' of Jedi lightsaber, overloading the energy matrix and instantly burning out the saber of the unfortunate opponent. This rarely happens, but it is a known and frightening possibility in combat.

Brown

Brown, the color of the rock beneath, invokes the powers of defense. Similar to the "Protection" Sith discipline, the users of the Aing-Tii skills find that power is not as important to this as circumstances are. ==== Purple/Violet ==== - The color of seeing through illusion is purple. Truth in the face of lies, truth in the face of other truth. Those who specialize in this discipline can see through illusions and dispel them, or simply cause select others to see what is really there.

Silver

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Lightsaber Blade Strength

A lightsaber blade was a mass-less form that neither radiated heat nor expended energy until it came into contact with something solid. The power of the energy blade was so great that it could cut through almost anything, although the speed through which it cut depended on the density of the subject. One important note about lightsaber wounds is that they rarely bled profusely, even when a limb had been severed. This is because the energy blade cauterized the wound as it passed, and thus even a severe wound did not tend to bleed heavily.

When cutting through dense material, the immense electromagnetic field generated by the arc caused resistance rather than letting solid matter enter and interrupt the arc. This gave the blade a feeling of being solid when immersed in dense material. Rarely, some solid materials could actually pass through the electromagnetic field and short out the arc. Other electromagnetic energy fields and coherent energy were also repelled by lightsabers' arcs. These include most force fields, blaster bolts, and other lightsaber blades.

Lightsaber-resistant materials

Aside from the blade of another lightsaber, there were rare materials that could withstand a lightsaber blade, but with varying degrees of success:

• Cortosis, although a rare and expensive metal, was a popular defense against lightsabers. Purified cortosis ore had the ability to momentarily "short out" a lightsaber blade, rendering it inoperable for a brief period of time before the wielder could reactivate it. Lightsabers with Mestare crystals were known to be immune to this effect. Cortosis alloy was sturdier than purified cortosis ore, but was only capable of deflecting a lightsaber blade and not deactivating it. One reason why cortosis was so expensive was the need to refine it. Pure, unrefined Cortosis ore was—for unknown reasons—dangerously ionized and anyone who touched it would be killed instantly. There were multiple methods of forging cortosis armor and weapons, each with varying effects.
• Phrik, was a rare metallic compound that could withstand a lightsaber blade, although unlike cortosis, Phrik did not possess the ability to cause the blade to short out. Phrik was most notably used in the construction of the electrostaffs wielded by General Grievous's MagnaGuards. Other notable uses of Phrik included elements of Palpatine's lightsaber and Dark trooper armor.
• Darkswords were an ancient type of sword made from a special material that could parry lightsabers. Unlike cortosis, this material did not possess the ability to temporarily deactivate a lightsaber blade it made contact with.
• Armorweave was a cloth said to give some resistance to lightsabers, although the protection the reinforced material afforded was limited.
• Sith alchemy was employed during the eras of the first Sith Empire to augment the properties of metals so as to counter the seemingly unstoppable lightsaber. The Sith also made use of such elements as cortosis in the forging of their Sith swords. After the original Sith Empire, the most notorious use of Sith alchemy was in the construction and reinforcement of Darth Vader's armor.
• Mandalorian iron: A metal found on the planet Mandalore—known as beskar in the Mandalorian language—Mandalorian iron could be forged into several configurations to take advantage of its exceptional lightsaber-resistant qualities. Commonly used in the creation of Mandalorian armor or weapons, the metal was also used to construct the door sealing Freedon Nadd's tomb.
• Force weapon: Weapons imbued with the power of the Force could be used to parry a lightsaber's blade without harm.
• Water: All lightsabers, unless specially made, would short out when they were submerged in water, due to rapid chain reactions and the instant overpowering of water on the blade. In rain, a lightsaber would steam up, but not short out. Some Jedi, specifically those of aquatic species, designed special lightsabers that could activate underwater.

Other counteracting materials existed in the galaxy, such as various energy shields. Some animals, such as lava dragons, were possessed of natural armor that reflected the blade. Superconductive materials (e.g. ultrachrome, Quantum-crystalline armor) deflected lightsaber strikes. The skin of the Tikulini worms of Jazbina was able to withstand a lightsaber strikes. The Zillo Beasts native to Malastare also had plate-like armor resistant to lightsaber blows

Lightsaber Types

Hilt variations

• Standard lightsaber

The standard lightsaber consisted of a straight hilt approximately 20 to 30 centimeters long. As it is the standard make, it has no defining features other than details on individual hilts, as each weapon is often self-fabricated by the wielder and customized to suit their specifications.

• Double-bladed lightsaber

Also referred to as saberstaffs and Sith lightsabers, double-bladed lightsabers consisted of a single hilt that projected a blade from both ends, resulting in a deadly staff-like weapon. Most saberstaff hilts were of increased length, as they usually consisted of two separate lightsabers connected at the pommels. According to the Tedryn Holocron, saberstaffs were first invented by the Sith Lords of the old Sith Empire. The first recorded usage of the weapon was by the Sith Lord Exar Kun, who obtained the schematics for the weapon from a Sith holocron, using them to modify his existing Jedi lightsaber. The usage of double-bladed lightsabers eventually gave rise to the use of paired lightsabers. As many double-bladed lightsabers were simply two separate lightsabers joined at the pommel, this was taken advantage of and the weapons were connected with a locking mechanism rather than a solid weld, allowing the two weapons to be separated for Jar'Kai dual-blade combat. Many duelists used the paired function to surprise enemies in combat, wielding it as a saberstaff before separating the weapons. Other versions of the paired lightsaber had the weapons joined by a fiber cord instead of a locking mechanism. Those linked by the fiber cords were held by the cord and flailed about, exchanging control for unpredictability.

• Guard shoto (also referred to as "lightsaber tonfa")

A variation on the standard short shoto lightsabers, guard shotos featured an elongated hilt with a secondary handle built angling 90 degrees out from the main hilt. They were built to be carried by the second handle, with the blade parallel to the forearm, allowing the weapon to be easily used for blocks. Due to the defensive nature of the weapon, it was recommended that the casing be machined out of lightsaber-resistant phrik alloy.

• Curved-hilt lightsaber

Curved-hilt lightsabers were of a design which featured a hilt with a built in curve. This was usually done to allow the hilt to fit better into the palm, facilitating the use of one-handed fighting styles such as Makashi, or to provide variable blade angle to confuse opponents.

• Lightsaber pike

Resembling pole-arms in many respects, lightsaber pikes featured extremely long handles, up to two meters long, with a somewhat shorter and thicker lightsaber blade. The handle was machined from phrik alloy to prevent it from being cut in two, as the purpose of the weapon was to provide increased range in close combat.

• Sabercane

The sabercane was a simple variation on the standard; a lightsaber concealed as the head of a cane. In combat, the handle would be detached from the body of the cane and wielded normally. Tera Sinube wielded such a weapon, as did the Sith acolyte Haazen.

• Electrum detail

The only difference an electrum-detailed lightsaber possessed compared to the standard was that its casing was built with the golden electrum metal. A purely cosmetic accessory, this feature was only allowed to high-ranking members of the Jedi Order, being a prestigious honor bestowed on masters who have demonstrated their strength and skill.

Blade variations

• Training lightsaber

Training lightsabers were essentially regular lightsaber, only engineered with a permanent low-power setting, rather than the adjustable setting featured on standard weapons. As their name indicates, training lightsabers were used for instructional purposes, teaching initiates how to wield a lightsaber. Due to their permanent low-power setting, training lightsabers were extremely limited in the type of damage they could cause, the most severe injuries being burns and serious bruises. In fact, the weapon was so weak that an individual could physically grab the blade and suffer no injury besides the burns and bruises.

• Dual-phase lightsaber

While most lightsabers featured a built-in length adjust, dual-phase lightsabers allowed for rapid transitions between two sets of preset lengths. The dual-phase lightsaber was originally conceived early in history, being used for the purpose of lightsaber dueling. The most common usage at the time would be to switch between a standard length and one of increased length as a surprise tactic during lightsaber duels. In more contemporary times, however, it is more common to have the secondary length be shorter for precision cutting.

• Shoto

Essentially, a shoto was a short lightsaber. Featuring a shortened blade length and diminutive handle, it was basically a miniaturized lightsaber. Shotos were usually used as the secondary weapon in dual-blade combat, as their smaller blade length resulted in a less intensive gyroscopic effect, making the weapon easier to handle. Shotos were also used a primary weapons by some duelists, most who did so being of diminuative size, making a full sized lightsaber impractical, though this is not always the case. Examples of this would be duelists such as Vandar Tokare, Picaroon C. Boodle or Yoda.

• Underwater

While most lightsabers shorted out when the blade touches water[3], this blade was made to operate underwater due to two crystals employed in a bifurcating cyclical-ignition pulse. Generally only Jedi from aquatic races would go to the trouble of constructing a waterproof saber, as only they had the mobility to use it effectively underwater. Nautolan Jedi Master Kit Fisto used such a modification in his lightsaber. However, there were several other non-aquatic lightsaber wielders who modified their weapons so they were functional underwater.

• Darksaber

This ancient lightsaber had a unique black blade that was flattened and came to a point like a traditional sword, rather than the rounded beam of more standard lightsabers.

Who Can Use A Lightsaber

Those who are Force sensitive and trained in using the lightsaber can of course use one. Certain beings with extreme telekinetic control can handle one. People who can't use the Force or aren't TK sensitive won't be able to use a lightsaber with much proficiency. The extreme muscle control needed to handle the massless blade would wear a person out in no time.

How To Get A Lightsaber

A novice Jedi Knight should be able to create his first lightsaber in about a month. A trained Jedi Master can, in a hurry, could construct one in a few days. Note that the Star Wars Journal: The Fight for Justice indicates that a Jedi is given his lightsaber on his first day of training. Anyone can technically construct one. But it requires certain Jedi powers to make final connections. .... or .... You can kill someone with a lightsaber. Take theirs.