Tip of lightsaber blades?

I don't know if anyone has noticed this, but in some occasions the lightsaber's blade tip would sometimes have a rounded dull shape like a dome.

Other times it has a more straigher edge like an oval.

But in other case, I've seen lightsabers have a sharper 'blade' like tip to them. I think this is slightly seen in Ep 3 when Anakin is holding his Lightsaber to Palpatine after finding out he's the Sith lord)

Here's an image I found to better show it.

[image=http://img837.imageshack.us/img837/5121/sharpblade.jpg]

 

The OT lightsabers tend to be rounded at the top. The PT and TCW lighsabers have more of a pointed tip to them. I actually have no idea why the change to be honest.

 

I guess in-universe it could be explained by a different type/shape of crystal/source within the hilt itself (though I acknowledge what would be the supposed mechanics of the lightsaber are well beyond my interest). The difference in Anakin's particular saber could be justified by Obi-Wan replacing the crystal (or whatever it is ) inside at some point over the 20 years between ROTS and ANH (also justifying the colour differences to some degree if one is seeking it)

Out of universe I guess it just became an aesthetic preference.

 

Yeah perhaps if the crystal had a rounded or dome shape it may make the dome shape tip, while sharper crystals had those edges.

 

In the PT and TCW it's entirely dependent upon what is trying to be conveyed. Sometimes Anakin's lightsaber has a pointed tip in TCW, usually when he's taken a threatening posture... other times it's rounded, like when he's just standing there.

 

Another possible explanation for the changing in the tip shape could be the setting of the magnetic field containing the saber blade. It may be possible to adjust the tip to resemble more of a sharp sword over the dome top we see in the OT.

Going along a bit with what Dawud786 said about what is being conveyed, it may be a symbolism to show Anakin as a more "agressive" character using a sharper tip vs. Luke who is not as agressive as Anakin so he would have a rounded tip, although that would come down to perspective and POV.

 

EDIT: Yeah, that's really not condusive to conversation

 

I like the thin blades with rounded tip from TESB the most. I remember being surprised in ROTS when they had more of a spearpoint. Reminds me of the Unleashed statues.

 

Yeah, I tend to think it's more to do with stylistic choice than anything else. I mean, it's a plasmoid contained in a magnetic field, it doesn't need to be pointy to 'cut' you

 

Well, the art style in TCW means pretty much everything has sharp edges. As for the PT, maybe it was just art evolution. The early lightsaber blades were made by smudging colored rims around the blades. With computer technology, its easier to get the well-defined blade.

 

Adobe after effects 7.0 (By John Knoll and crew) has a lightsaber tutorial with episode 3 footage to practice on. In the tutorial they say that a lightsaber tip is consisted of 3 points (a triangle). The slope of the point should not be flat and blunt, nor should it be sharp like a #2 pencil (therefore that shot from the clone wars is technically wrong by ILM standards) Rather, it should be like a dull well used mini-golf pencil. Brighten up the light source, and blur the edges and you have a lightsaber tip.

(I'll have to grab the actual instructions and give you the stats)