Purple Sabers

Just curious, in nearly every fan film i've seen, there's at least one purple lightsaber. Just a style coincidence or is it a nefarious conspiracy?

You must not have seen many. A Question of Faith, Knightquest, and Broken Allegiance are pretty much the only ones. Unless you count "Way of the Force", which was never released but included a purple double-blade in the trailer.

Purple's just a good color. If Mace Windu could have it, it MUST be the heezy.

M. Scott

Just some Semi-Official info for you (You didn't ask, I know, I know!)

Mace Windu has an Electrum lightsaber, whereas most jedi have Crystal lightsabers. What this means, you'll have to ask someone else.

Petes fact-of-the-day

Electrum is an alloy of gold and silver.

Y'know, I may even be right about that!

Pete

All lightsabre blades are generated by crystals. The colour of the crystals used reflects the colour of the blade they produce.

Electrum is an alloy of gold and silver and refers to the colour of the lightsabre hilt, not the blade.

i guess blue and red sabers just get tiring to look at.

Dies Irae had a purple saber.

Could an evil character use a purple lightsaber and still BE evil....
Curious, the Sith seem to use only red.
If a Jedi were to turn to the dark side, but not become sith....
the new bad guy could keep his original color on his/her lightsaber, right?
B.A. showed a bounty hunter with orange...
hmmmmmmmm.
?

I've been planning to use a purple saber in my own film for three years now. Because the character weilding it is a recovering Dark Sider, but not fully light side, we wanted to go for the inbetween. Between blue and red, you get purple.

Don't think too hard about Mace Windu though. Sam Jackson just likes having something purple associated with all his characters.

M. Scott

"All lightsabre blades are generated by crystals. The colour of the crystals used reflects the colour of the blade they produce.

Electrum is an alloy of gold and silver and refers to the colour of the lightsabre hilt, not the blade."

1. The color of the crystal used has absolutly no relation to the color of the blade, this is established in the EU and since the EU is the only source we have on lightsaber construction, it is official unless George decides to have someone explain lightsaber construction in the next movie.

2. That is pure assumption, no one knows exactly why they call it an electrum lightsaber, it was probably just a cool word someone thought up to explain why his lightsaber color is unique. The crystal used might be laced with electrum, or it might have some electrum mirrors or something inside.

Please dont give people wrong info, it makes it much harder for everyone.

- Venardhi

From the Episode 2 Visual Dictionary:

As a senior member of the Jedi Council, Mace Windu built a new lightsaber for himself. Displaying the highest standards of precision, it represents Mace's mature abilities as a Jedi leader.

Electrum finish for Council senior only.

I know no one mentions in the movie, but is it explained anywhere in the EU why just about all Jedi have blue or green sabers? Or is it just a "that's how things are" kind of thing?

"Don't think too hard about Mace Windu though. Sam Jackson just likes having something purple associated with all his characters. "

Actually, i saw some stuff (actually it was sort of like a pop-up video type scroll under some stuff they were doin on mtv one day) where it said he has a purple lightsaber because he wanted to be able to pick himself out of the crowd in the big fight scene.

Darth_Apporth is right! Do some research and you will find this out. Its talked about in some reference books that you can buy. Also the part about lightsaber construction is outlined in several of the swrpg books which are endorsed and licensed by Lucas.



SWmaster


Why can't the noobs do their own research?

swmaster, which Noob asked that question and required that research? ?

I always thought of lightsaber colors like that:
Blue - Jedi Padawan (Obi-wan in TPM, Anakin in AOTC)

Green - Jedi Master (Obi-Wan in AOTC, Qui-Gon Jin in TPM)

Red - Sith, both Apprentice / Master (Darth Vader, Count Dooku, Darth Maul)

In the making of AOTC there´s this one scene where you see Lucas and Jackson talk and Lucas explains the colors to Jackson. If I remember correctly, Lucas just says, the good ones have green and blue sabers and the bad ones red. That´s the way it is.
And then Jackson jockingly asks Lucas if he can get a purple one and Lucas agrees.

AOTC is the first one where you see other colors than blue, green and red for lightsabers. Overall there are many things that differ from the other episodes. Like the pan up instead of down after the opening crawl. I just think Lucas likes to experiment a lot and try out new things. Same for the saber colors.

Regarding fan films I think this common green, red, blue rule might be a good way to go.
But for my own film, I just asked my pals who acted which color they prefer, so we came up with blue, green and purple for the good guys and red for the bad guy. So it accidently fits in with the a.m. color scheme.

Heck, it´s not even 9 AM here and I´m writing an assay about lightsaber colors... Man, I seriously need some help *lol*

And then Jackson jockingly asks Lucas if he can get a purple one and Lucas agrees.

Believe me, he wasn't joking. That purple turtleneck in "Unbreakable"? All his idea. He just likes having the royal color associated with the right person.

M. Scott

Yes you´re most likely right about Jackson. It was just the way he asked Lucas in that scene that made it look somewhat funny.
I think it´s more or less the same with that rumour (or even fact) that Jackson had B.M.F. (Bad Mother F*****) engraved on his saber hilt in AOTC. Just like he had it on his pocket or something in Pulp Fiction.

actually.... obi wan's saber in AOTC was blue right up until it was taken away from him... then later the other jedi throw him a green one... also, OLD obi wan in ANH had a blue saber... the green blade wasn't introduced till ROTJ...

The blade's color depends on the nature of the jewel it springs from.
www.starwars.com

Please don't give people wrong info, it makes it much harder for everyone.
Venardhi

Please don't mistake wrong info for right info; it makes it much harder for everyone.
Darth Apporth

actually.... obi wan's saber in AOTC was blue right up until it was taken away from him... then later the other jedi throw him a green one... also, OLD obi wan in ANH had a blue saber... the green blade wasn't introduced till ROTJ...

They threw Ani the green. Obi stayed blue.

But ROTJ was the first appearance of a green lightsaber, yeah. Luke's blue didn't appear well against the yellow sand of Tatooine, or it woulda stayed blue and red all the way through.

M. Scott

Funny how this is a real big debate on an imaginary weapon

have YOU ever seen/built a real working lightsaber?

then how do you know what its properties are?

its a movie .. be creative.. make up a reason for sabers being the color they are

From Starwars.com:
The blade's color depends on the nature of the jewel it springs from, and while its length is fixed in the case of a single jewel lightsaber, lightsabers equipped with multiple crystals can have their length varied by rotating a knob that allows the focusing crystal activator to subtly modify the refraction pattern between the gems.

I also believe that the electrum refers as someone stated before to the handle.

EDIT: Now having fully read the posts above, realise that this has already been said... oops oh well

Hey I have a working model right here! As soon as I get my arm reatached Ill show you it.

Doh! there went my other arm. Now im typing with a pencil. LOL

As for the question of which saber color is right, it doesn't matter. Its the personal choice of the lightsaber builder. Though, normaly sith like red and jedi like green and blue.
I have a concept of my own that im thinking of using in a film. The crytal would be a Gallinorean rainbow gem. That means that the saber color could shift and morph during use. Now thats cool!

"Stay on target, stay on target"





SWmaster

Just use whatever color you think looks good... In several of the shots I've finished for JEDI HUNTER, I've used gold, orange and purple (*had* to for a certain character ), in addition to the standard blues and greens...

Helps break up the monotony, especially with multiple light-saber wielding characters...
[image=http://home.usit.net/~f-shysa/Fett/JHselect2.jpg]
Fenn