Do Jedi despise blasters?

From Obi-Wan's reaction immediately after killing Grievous, it seems clear that he does not care much for blasters? "So uncivilized!", he says. In Episode IV, he says a lightsaber is not as clumsy or random as a blaster, but an elegant weapon of a more civilized age.
So, it would seem that Obi-Wan, at least, do not care for blasters much. Actually, he seems to have a bit of contempt for them, seeing them as being beneath a Jedi.

Is this a trait shared by all Jedi, that they consider melee weapon more chivalrous and honorable than long range ones? Is this a major point of what being a Jedi is, that they have a more defensive weapon to reflect their nature, as defenders of peace.
If so, what is the Sith philosophy concerning firearms. Do they consider them to be beneath them, too?

What do you think?

 

A blaster is clumsy, random, uncivilized and used by every scum in the Universe. The Jedi have their own weapon, one that no one else can use and that everyone fears.

It's about finesse and elegance. The Jedi are an elegant, graceful order ... their weapons should reflect that. A lightsaber is a symbol of power, to control one with the finesse that the Jedi seem to have is unheard of for anyone who is not a Jedi.

So for me, I'd rather have the weapon that demands respect and not a whole lot of people can control rather then a stupid blaster that everyone seems to own.

 

I think they consider their saber styles an art form and an extension of themselves.
They put a great deal of pride and practice into their style.

Although, we see Obi-Wan take up Grievous' electrostaff during the wheelbike chase, and he uses Grievous' own blaster to kill him, so a weapon is a weapon is a pinch.

 

It was said once that at the invention of guns, the art of war had died. I'm not exactly sure who said this or even if its in the proper context; I do know that it refelcted the amount of grace and effort that was put into fighting one's opponent.

With bows and arrows and swords, there was a gread deal of effort into war. I think that the Jedi upheld their standing on this because it set them above the standard weapon of choice. It's most likely that they did not want to be mainstreamed alongside the common fighter but rather one who has respect for his/her enemy in so much that they are willing to fight hand to hand as opposed to fighting from a distance and pulling a trigger.

Notice in ESB when Luke is about to face Vader, he puts his blaster away to bring out the other weapon; the one designed for fighting in the Jedi Arts.

 

You may get respect from having a lightsaber, but it isn't the weapon, it's how you use it. If there's a Jedi walking around with a double bladed saber and he gets killed by a guy will a measly blaster pistol, the respect that comes out of a lightsaber is gone. I think Jedi should be able to use both sabers AND blasters. If they lose their sabers then what happens? Are they dead? Probably. They have the force sure, but a volley of blaster shots at a jedi without his saber would kill him. Well kill anyone. My point is that Jedi should respect normal blasters and learn to use them just as good as their sabers and not think of them as uncivilized. If they are uncivilized then why do the armies that they command in AOTC use blasters and not lightsabers? If they want the world to be 'civilized' then everyone should use a saber. But, if everyone uses a lightsaber, nobody will respect them because it will be a common thing. So I think that blasters shouldn't be put down by Jedi.

 

I don't think Jedi despise blasters...it's just that lightsaber is better for them. The Clone Wars have been going on for 3 years, and it only makes sense for the Jedi to have come in contact with regular every-day weapons. For Obi-Wan to just pick one up and waste Grievous like that shows he knows how to use one if he had to.

 

Well if you call hitting someone with a blaster at point blank range as a skillful marksman then i guess from 5 feet they must be gods. It takes a finger to pull the trigger but skill to hit the mark. For instance i doubt he can fire nearly as good as Jango Fett. Now Jango may have gotten killed by Mace but Mace is a Jedi Master and one of the best with the lightsaber. So Obi-Wan might be able to pull a trigger but that's about it as far as i've seen.

 

It's because not everyone can use a saber.It requires jedi reflexes and incredible skill to be able to fight with a lightsaber.It's certainly not easy.It is also the tradtional jedi/sith weapon and after thousands of years using it NO ONE is better at using a saber than a well trained jedi.And of course every jedi makes their own saber so it's also a respected weapon in that way too.Anyone can buy and use a blaster,but a saber is very special to it's owner and no two sabers are alike...

 

Using a gun or sword skillfully require training.
I think Obi Wan's clumsy use of a blaster is a nice
counter point to Han's clumsy use of a lightsaber.

Any one can pick one up and hack and pull the trigger,
but to use either with finesse takes talent.

I would imagine that Jango and Boba are as
intense in the upkeep of their guns as the
Jedi are of their swords.

 

I remember once...a flannel-clad man once said. "Any one who needs a gun is weak."

In one of the commentaries he said this. Obi-wan did not need a gun. I expect he could of done it with the sheer power of the force. With time maybe. You need time and peace to draw on the force. Obi-wan didn't really have that. He needed a quick and effective excape, so he took it. I think he meant by, "So uncivilized" he was disapointed in himself, hanging out with clones to much i prezume. He just blamed it on the blaster because he didn't want to burden himself with the fact he was losing his "Grip."

The Lightsaber is a weapon of a more Romantic age. The jedi and Sith fight with the lightsaber in respect of each other. If there is one thing they both agree on, it is the beleif of fighting with honour. Notice Dooku's style, different more so, because he stuck to the "Sparring" technique...traditional duleing against another opponent.

Obi-wan's style, stangely is more of the block-the-incoming-blaster-bolt-style. It is efective, because it is fast, and strong.

Anakin's is much the same. But his is more agressive. Dooku's and Obi-wan's styles mirrior their experiance. Anakin's mirriors his emotions.

Yoda. Well. Idefinite calm. Effectivness. Skill. And Passion.

Luke is all of these at once. Maybe with the exeption of Dooku's influence.

I don't think jedi despize blasters...they just don't approve of them.

And a blaster doesn't make that magestic hum!



(Ok...reading back on that i realise that it might sound a little byest...my parents do tei-chi...i guess the never ending lecturing has paid off...)

Cheers_Cazza

 

It takes training to fight well with a blaster also. It's certainly not easy as you said to fight with a lightsaber but also certainly not easy to shoot a rhino thing charging at you pinpoint in the eye with one shot thus killing it as Jango Fett did in AOTC. And blasters are unique in their own way too. Certain upgrades can be made to it, just as a lightsaber, to make it unique. There are plenty of things a non-jedi can do that a jedi can't. Jedi RELY on the force but non-jedi obviously do not. They don't use it so they rely on themselves. If a jedi loses the force, watch what happens to him. He's finished. But someone who's not force sensitive won't lose what he doesn't conciously(spelling?) have. A non-jedi is in many ways better than a jedi because they don't rely on the force. So blasters are uncivilized and looked down upon by the high and might god-like jedi. Well they all get blasted out when the clones betray them in ROTS so those lightsabers i guess would come in more handy if there were more 'civilized' people in the galaxy huh?

 

I think this line of thinking is on to something. Letting the Jedi use laser swords is a way to symbolically move them beyond the idea of anonymous killing. When one uses a sword one has to kill being no further from the opponent than the length of an arm. In other words, a Jedi looks the enemy in the eyes when he/she fights them and that for me is a way of respecting and honouring the other fighter.

Using a blaster on the other hand allows a soldier to sneak up behind and kill from a distance. Of course it takes skill to become a good marksman, but on a symbolical level it also signifies different values than swordmanship. Star Wars for me is a lot about visual symbolism and blasters make me think of modern armies whereas swords evoke feelings and ideas from, let's say, the Arthurian legends.

To tie this point with Obi-Wan's line, I think he and the other Jedi prefer to fight with lightsabers because those weapons more closely corresond to the Jedi ideals. But if they must, they can resort to blasters. In other words, I agree with Jedi_Master_Cazz .

 

Jedi can stop a limeted number of blaster shots using the force without their sabers (they use their palm) I think the preference for their Lightsabers stems from that blasters are a somewhat "detached" form of attack, and as such is a less "natural" way to use the force. Jedi can enhance thier aim, and anticipation with the blaster, using the force, much like they would in an X-wing, but the tangible interaction with the force is somewhat diminished. Using sabers their whole "being" becomes envolved in defense and attack.

 

Irvin Kershner wears flannel?!?

I had no idea...

I mean, I totally agree with the statement, but I think Jedi Master_Cazz is just ascribing it to the wrong commentator.

 

I do not think that the jedi hate blasters, They don't think it is much dangerous because they can easly block it. They think that blasters are "uncivilized" and it is a clumsy weapon.

 

Well in a world full of blasters a lightsaber is more of an passive agressive weapon. Using it's enemy's own malice against him, thus deflecting the bolt back to its source.

I think this is what being a Jedi is all about, sporting a blaster would require a more preemptive/offensive posture because you couldn't deflect any of your enemy's shots.

 

I think that the Jedi prefer lightsabers over blasters because lightsaber duels are a sort of art form. You have to know how to handle one to use it - with a blaster, you just aim and shoot. The training required to use (and have) a lightsaber takes lots of time and effort, showing dedication.

It also seems like Obi-Wan disliked blasters, on a personal note.

 

Well in the EU Quinlan Vos has a blaster and uses it instead of a lightsaber and he seems to have no problem with it. I think that most Jedi accept blasters as a weapon but they don't accept as a primary weapon because its an offensive weapon and the lightsaber is more defensive.

 

Has anyone considered that the "So uncivilized!" comment might be referring to General Greivous or the fight itself, not blasters? At least that's the way I've always seen it. I think Obi-Wan was simply disgusted with the monster that he was fighting....not to mention the mess he left when he exploded. I don't think he cares much for blasters, but I don't think he's necessarily opposed to them either. It's just not his weapon of choice.

And look how long Jango's blaster lasted up against Mace's lightsaber! Was it....what? Five seconds?

 

Has anyone considered that the "So uncivilized!" comment might be referring to General Greivous or the fight itself, not blasters?

No. He's talking about the blaster itself.
It is a link to Alec Guiness' line in ANH
"an elegant weapon for a more civilized time."

Mace is just better with a sword than Jango is his weapon.
Much like Palpatine is better with lightning than Mace is at deflecting lightning.
Jango does kill Jedi with his blaster, so it's not like
a lightsaber is de facto better than a blaster.

 

Wow, what a great post, I'm suprised no one commented.

I strongly agree, and you sound like Kreia from KOTOR II, when she is speaking to Atton in the residential quarters on Telos, too bad I can't find the quote...

 

Anyone can shoot a blaster. Not everyone can handle a lightsaber. Jedi are traditionalist people. They believe in fencing, and old way of combat. They see blasters as the future, a change to their universe, and the Jedi are not quite liberal enough to accept blasters as weapons. Even though Obi-wan finishes off Grievous with one, he still finds it 'uncivilized'.

In the new order, the Jedi aren't so traditionalist; they've adapted to the changes in the galaxy. Thus, they wield blasters along with lightsabers if they so choose to, and it is quite common.

 

I think that they like the idea of the lightsaber as a defensive weapon. The Jedi advocate peace above everything ("We're keepers of the peace, not soldiers"). Lightsabers are largely a defensive weapon when one is confronted by an enemy who is only armed with a blaster. To a Jedi, of course, anyone who carries a blaster is weaker than they are. They are not supposed to harm others unless it is necessary (though they may be more callous when it comes to droids.

In all the films, Jedi kill relatively few sentient creatures in combat,and only if their lives are in immenent danger (eg. Yoda vs. the Clone Troopers on Kashyyyk, Luke vs. the Scouts on Endor)

For them blasters may represent mindless aggression - in other words, Sith characteristics

 

Here's how I see it. It's not that the despise blasters it's that once they learn to use the force and lightsaber they no longer have a need for a blaster. I mean the can block shots from blasters with there lightsabers. They can also use the force to pull blasters way from others. It's not like they would never use a blaster it's just they have no need for it.