According to what I have read the Jedi created the Lightsaber, but the Sith improved the Lightsaber. The first lightsaber consisted the Force and not metals and crystals, then it evolved into the father of the sabers we know thanks the Je'dall Order. If you want to read exsentively about the origins and changes made to the Lightsaber here is a link: http://starwars.wikia.com/wiki/Lightsaber
Lightsaber Type: Single. Standard hilt. Lightsaber Color: Arctic blue Lightsaber Form: Soresu with a touch of Shi-cho and Djem-So for offense.
Skip to the bolded part if you don't want details and just want to get to my question; This started out as a gripe and has turned into a full blown crusade for some answers and a bit of philosophical debate, or maybe practical debate? Anyway I'm a little bit of a writer and typically I write fantasy, I've been working on a book for the last few years that I'm continuously re-writing as I come up with new information that I want to incorporate. Recently however I've been asked to co-author, something, a book a comic or something with a friend of mine dealing with two Sith that we created a long time ago. I'll spare you the details of the characters themselves as that isn't the spirit of this question; here comes my concern. ---Light-saber Combat, Why? Granted I am a fantasy author so I look at things from the point of view of real-world swordplay. Which for the purpose of duels consists mainly of Fencing as the the primary draw of organized dueling. However I can't help but think of a Light-saber and see this plasma sword, that generates enough heat to nearly instantly carve through flesh. It is by no means a cutting weapon but more akin to a welding torch that can instantly take an entire leg off with the flick of a wrist. There in lies my question! Why is it that in the lore there are these acrobatic flips, long winded swings, drop parries, and swings of any nature when the weapon is as powerful as it is. If the weapon is as hot as it is, you'd believe that the primary form of light-saber would be derivative of Spanish fencing. I'm willing to concede that the weightless nature of the blade means that no matter what someone does with the damn thing an attack would come out fast regardless of tells but there in lies the spirit of combat clashing with Light-saber combat. In actual fencing, or combat you don't want someone to see a move coming. There is no mix ups because it all happens near instantaneously. For visual effect it has some merit but out community as a whole as a built up this regime of light-saber combat that flows in this direction that is the direct opposite of traditional bladed weapon combat. While it's true that it is more fun to watch someone swinging around and flipping I want to theorize a different answer beyond just aesthetics. These are the details that I typically worry over, I'm never willing to just let it be I have to come up with at least another theory as to why Light-saber combat is so illogical compared to all the philosophies of normal combat. tl;dr; Why do you think Light-Saber combat defies the logic of traditional sword-play so radically? BARDAN EDIT: Thread merged with our existing "lightsaber" thread.
I agree with you, Neriah, if I got into a lightsaber duel, I'd absolutely go for a quick thrust to end it before I got hurt. But what works in real life doesn't make a good show on the screen.
Well absolutely, cinematic flare for movies is an absolute must. I however would like an alternative theory. I'm not a fencing purist by any means, but I feel "weightless sword that can cut through anything" doesn't need much more than a good 'ol flick of the wrist to disembowel someone.
I don't really think there is one. A lightsaber isn't really feasible anyway. To me none of the fighting is realistic. They are simply going for visuals and flare. I find the fighting usually quite dull.
If Lucas had included the metals that resist lightsaber blades in his films it would make more sense to use more power based forms like Djem So over just standard foil/sabre/epee in the form of Makashi. Ultimately through, if you watch carefully in the films, lightsabers need some force from the wielder to cut. Qui-Gon had to push the blade deep into the Trade Federation door to actually do damage, he then had to ude the Force to increase the heat. Then in the Duel in Episode II, we see Dooku using Makashi and his cuts do only flesh wounds. This indicates that if you do not put major force behind the saber blade, it will only cut so deep (like a real sword). However, Neriah, your question is reborn in Episode III when Anakin duels Dooku and then with two lightsabers beheads his enemy with little effort. Anakin uses force to do it, he pulls the two blades with great strength and speed to severe Tyranus' head, but if you tried to do with with any sword that is not a authentic Daito (Katana) you would hack the neck and have to cut it like scissors and slowly remove the head. I am surmising that Lucas intended by the Prequels for Lightsabers to be like the Samurai Sword. Sharp enough to cut through flesh like butter and capable with the energy beam to cut through any object. Against flesh, if there is not proper force you get a razor cut or flesh wound, if force is applied, the saber cuts deeper. Even Samurai Swords needed force to severe limbs, heads, and etc.
@Kaito Sai; tl;dr: I agree with you, sort of. Read below for details. I'm not going to disregard what you've said out of a sense of rudeness but instead I think I might have found an answer that I'm looking for. I'm sharing this with the folks here so that more people can pick at it but before I do let me address my core problem with your argument. Qui'Gon Jinn didn't mightily shove his sword into a door in a display of raw power, he used the light-saber to melt through what looked like a few feet of solid metal. Which was there to resist blaster fire and explosives. While your Samurai sword analogy is understandable it's not much of an answer because often times swords didn't take off limbs, bone is very hard to shop through and the heat of a light-saber doesn't slice, it melts. However; I'm going to pose a purely theoretical question based off your argument. Is it possible that lightsaber blades are weightless, but the back of the hilt is weighted down? For logic sake I've had to draw two conclusions: 1: The blade of the lightsaber is weightless. 2: The pommel is very weighted. Your argument about Dooku brings a point, a glancing blow with a lightsaber won't immediately sever limbs. This means that for basic fencing to be ineffective, thrusts have to be ineffective. The weight of the weapon being in the pommel would mean that the tip never has force behind it, and even a lunge possible won't generate enough force. As you've said earlier a lightsaber has to generate some form of momentum to sever limbs. This would mean that the game of lightsaber combat is a game of generating short and efficient momentum in movements of the wrist and arm that get the whole weapon in motion. Flicks of the wrist simply just wouldn't be able to generate enough force to hurt someone in this regard. Incapacitate, perhaps, but not harm. Which would bring me to the conclusion that you'd have to swing a lightsaber. Is this fair logic for everyone?
Neriah, I am willing to concede on the Qui-Gon issue. As for lightsaber blades being weightless, that is the major issue with the design in the first place. If the energy blade itself it weightless, then essentially you are wielding a flashlight and not a sword like weapon. I imagine for the sake of some semblance of cohesion between sword play and the lightsaber, there is some weight to the energy itself. We are delving into the technical issues of a weapon that is pure fantasy and that is inconceivable to build unless it were made of Plasma; which would require a metal blade with plasma surrounding it (like the Energy Sword in the Halo Franchise). I would say that yes you are required to swing a lightsaber to do the most effective damage. However, if we put technical error aside, Darth Maul did a thrust that ended Qui-Gon. I think Lucas did not think really hard about it. Basically, The Lightsaber is a Daito (Katana) and it functions just like a Daito does in real life. However, Lucas wanted to include all forms of the sword fighting: Long Sword Fencing, Rapier, Side Sword, Epee, Sabre, Foil, Kenjistue, Kendo, and beyond. Hi Revanfan1, Shii-Cho is a form that I have used when teaching others the art of Lightsaber Combat.
Lightsaber type: Single Lightsaber color: Purple with black core Lightsaber form: Vaapad It would look something like this.
The Shadow Emperor, your choice of hilt is reminiscent of Starkiller's saber, though more sophisticated. I prefer the Praetor hilt which was made famous by Lord Vader himself.
I am afraid I cannot be of any help goldstandard333. I have never had a custom FX Lightsaber built. I own authentic FX sabers, but they are not a good comparison.
Lightsaber Type: Standard Single Blade Lightsaber Color: Green Lightsaber Form: Makashi for my duels with other blade masters and offence with a sub mastery of Soresu for deffence.
Redimet, I very much approve of the hilt you choose. Obi-Wan and Luke Skywalker's ROTJ hilts are very unique. Makashi is my second favorite from as Shien/Djem So. Makashi is more elegant and as you have said great for "dueling blademasters." Soresu is my greatest weakness, I need to master it.
Thats why I would want to be good in it because against a power duelest Makashi isn't very effective.
Redimet, could you explain some defining attributes of Soresu? I can always recognize Shii-Cho, Makashi, Ataru, Shien/Djem So, Vaapad, and Jar'Kai. But Soresu is elusive to me. Does it have moves that make it look different from other forms? Djem So often has Falling Leaf as a distinguishing attack.
I'm no expert but it was originally designed for blaster bolt deflection and is used for defensive fighting. If you want to see a master at work watch Obi-Wan in ROTS Windu even says in the novel that Kenobi had become the master of Soresu. This is why he was able to hold off Grievious and Anakin in the movie and won. He would defend until his opponent got tired or made a mistake and then would strike. So it uses little stamina and is a dig into the trench type of fighting.
Mine would be a pink lightsaber sith gold dragon thingys running around the whole hilt the rest is black and one blade is a lightwhip the other is a short saber both hilts are small and have little circle things running around it making it look like rope and the hilts are made of gold and obsidian It would be called the bereaver hilt Bardan Edit: Use the edit feature to avoid double posts.
