Lightsabers, Weapons

The lightsaber is the name of a fictional weapon that plays a key role in the movies, games and novels that constitute the Star Wars universe. more...

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Lightsabers are science fiction versions of their namesake, the saber, but with the metal blade replaced by something resembling a solid bar or cylindrical beam of laser light about one meter long. Lightsabers differ in color (red, blue, green and purple have appeared in the six films, and other colors appear in the Expanded Universe) based upon the specific crystal used in construction. Though they often behave like regular swords, they have been depicted as able to penetrate and cut through most matter with little or no resistance (due to their energy-based nature), and to deflect shots from blasters, the ranged weapons used in the Star Wars franchise. Obi-Wan Kenobi described them as "an elegant weapon for a more civilized age."

The lightsaber first appeared in the film Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope (1977). At first, the effect was created by a handle with a motorized spinning reflector and pointing high-intensity light in their direction. The outcome was not satisfying, so in post-production the effect was augmented through rotoscoping. For episodes V and VI the use of reflective tape was abandoned and the effect was achieved by rotoscoping rods made of aluminum and later carbon fiber rods. For the prequel trilogy, the effect was created using computer animation.

Within the fiction of Star Wars, the lightsaber "blade" is made by a very tight loop of highly focused energy, possibly a loop of plasma contained in a strong magnetic or other field which compresses the circular loop so much that it looks like a cylindrical bar. When deactivated, a lightsaber appears as a polished metallic handle, about 30 centimeters long, with an ignition button. Lightsabers have a distinctive hum.

To carry a lightsaber is a reflection of confidence, dexterity, and attunement to the Force. Although use of the lightsaber is not strictly reserved to Jedi (see General Grievous), the only others widely known of being capable of handling the difficult weapon are the Sith: Darth Maul, Darth Tyranus (Count Dooku), Darth Vader and Darth Sidious (Palpatine).

Colors

In the original film trilogy lightsaber blades were blue, green, or red. The various Expanded Universe (EU) sources, action figures and the prequel films introduced a new color, purple, which is now canon to the series.

Red is usually associated with the Sith whereas blue and green colors are usually associated with the Jedi. Silver and purple are sometimes associated with Gray Jedi, technically non-Jedi force users that stay in the middle and are neither darkside nor lightside. Orange, pink, white, gold, yellow (apart from the Knights of the old republic), and viridian typically do not represent either side, and have been seen used by both. However, the Expanded Universe establishes no direct relationship between a lightsaber's blade's color and its user's affiliation. For example, in the computer game Jedi Knight the Dark Jedi Sariss used a blue lightsaber while her erstwhile ally Yun used a yellow blade. Also, in the "Corellian Trilogy" Luke creates a lightsaber for Leia that is red, although in the "Heir to the Empire" trilogy by Timothy Zahn, Luke builds a lightsaber with a green blade for her, and Mace Windu, a Jedi master from the films has a purple blade.

Read more at Wikipedia.org