"Lightsaber".
A lightsaber (or lightsabre) is a fictional weapon that plays a large role in the movies, games and novels that constitute the Star Wars fictional universe. It is chiefly the weapon of the Jedi and Sith. The lightsaber is the weapon of a Jedi, an elegant weapon of a more civilized age. To carry a lightsaber is an example of incredible skill and confidence, dexterity and attunement to the The Force.
When deactivated, a lightsaber appears as a polished metallic handle, about 30 centimeters long with an ignition button. Complex lightsabers are lined with control studs. At the press of a button the energy contained within is liberated and forms as a shaft of pure energy about a meter long. The saber hums and scintillates with a distinct sound. Its shimmering blade is capable of cutting through almost anything, save for the blade of another lightsaber.
In the hands of a Jedi, a lightsaber is almost unstoppable. It can be used to cut through blast doors or enemies alike. Using the The Force, a Jedi can predict and deflect incoming blaster bolts, or reflect them back at the firer. After the extermination of the Jedi ranks, lightsabers became rare relics. The knowledge of their construction disappeared with their masters. Luke Skywalker, the last of the Jedi, built his own lightsaber as the culmination of his training. Although use of the lightsaber is strictly reserved to the Jedi, the only others capable of handling the difficult weapon are their sworn enemies, the Sith.
The lightsaber first appeared in the film Episode IV A New Hope (1977). At first, the effect was created by having the actors hold rods covered with highly reflective tape and pointing high-intensity light in their direction. The outcome was not satisfying, so in post-production the effect was augmented through rotoscoping the rods. For episodes The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi the use of reflective tape was abandoned and the effect was achieved by rotoscoping carbon stunt 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.
A lightsaber emits a blade of pure energy at a certain length. It's unclear how this energy only exists for a specific length to form a saber. One common explanation is that the emitter matrix forms a tight magnetic field which holds the energized beam in place, while creating a recharge loop back to the power cell. Thus, lightsabers only expend energy when actually cutting something (This explanation of lightsaber operation is similar to that of a Gundam beam saber). Lightsaber beams can cut through most solids, although some materials display resistance to them: other lightsaber blades, the rare mineral cortosis, force-fields of various sorts, phrik (an alloy used in Magna Guards' electrostaffs and Dark Trooper armor), alchemically-enhanced Sith Swords, and superconductors. Some of these materials stop the blade altogether, while others are simply difficult to cut. Mandalorian iron is also known to resist the effects of a lightsaber, and very dense materials, such as heavy armor, have been shown to marginally slow them down. In the New Jedi Order series, the Yuuzhan Vong Vonduun Crab armor is able to slow lightsaber cuts and stabs. Both the Vonduun Crab armor and the Vong Amphistaffs are biologically engineered to be ultra-dense to the point that they can, to an extent, negate the damage caused by the lightsaber's blade. Some Force Adepts are capable of charging ordinary melee weapons with the Force, which enables the weapon to withstand a few lightsaber strikes even when made from simple wood or another substance normally vulnerable to a lightsaber's blade.
When the Old Republic was forming, the first lightsabers were developed as siege weapons. These required a separate power pack, which was often worn on the back, and later, a belt worn power source. The power sources and components were eventually miniaturized to fit inside the hilt and create a simple weapon used in later eras, which was adopted by the recently-formed Jedi Order in the early days of the Old Republic.
The various Expanded Universe (EU) sources, action figures and the prequel films opened up the spectrum of blade colors to many variations of the aforementioned colors, as well as yellow, purple, orange, turquoise, pink, bronze, viridian, brown, silver, and gold, among others; the full variety and extent of focusing gems, and consequently, of colors, is unknown. According to the Expanded Universe, these gems merely determine the blade color. However, in Knights of the Old Republic, different gems may alter the intensity or damage type of the blade (making the blade more accurate, or more effective against droids, for example), in addition to altering its color. It might be worthwhile to note that in these games, separate crystals are used to perform different functions, and only one type of crystal is used to change the blade's color.
Red and bronze colors are usually associated with the Sith. Purple, turquoise, yellow, blue, and green colors are associated with the Jedi. Orange, silver, pink, white, gold, and viridian typically do not represent either side. However, the Expanded Universe establishes no direct relationship between a lightsaber's blade's color and its user's affiliation. For example, the Dark Jedi Sariss used a blue lightsaber while her erstwhile ally Yun used a yellow blade. Both are from the computer game Dark Forces II. Leia Organa Solo (a Jedi) uses a red blade, dispelling any notions that the colours dictate alignment.
Usually, the reduced amount of colors present in later eras is attributed to the Empire, which, in the process of destroying the Jedi Order, destroyed any knowledge of the caves that housed crystals suitable for lightsaber use. Such crystals focus energy and create the blade's unique color. Synthetic crystals, usually red, were often created by Sith to replace the natural crystals found in caverns, which typically had either a blue or green color. During the Old Republic era, Jedi kept strict traditions that kept most Padawans from creating their lightsaber crystals synthetically, either within a furnace, taking a gem and restructuring it via the Force, or a combination of both.
The color of a lightsaber blade depends on the crystals used to focus it. Blue-bladed lightsabers are amost often ssociated with Jedi Guardians; green-bladed lightsabers are generally associated with Jedi Consulars; yellow-bladed lightsabers are usually associated with Jedi Sentinels; and red-bladed lightsabers are almost always associated with the Sith and dark Jedi. Note however, that the color of the lightsaber does not necessarily indicate the nature of the Jedi. Mace Windu's purple-colored lightsaber in the movie was colored differently because Samuel L. Jackson asked for it to be so. In the expanded universe, purple, being a mix of red and blue, shows the mastery of a lightsaber form known as Vaapad or form VII and the light side of the Force which allows Windu to use his fighting style and Force powers dangerously close to the Dark Side without being tainted. It is also said that a purple crystal is a choice only the most skilled masters in lightsaber combat can make, which might also explain his unusual blade color. Usually the lightsaber crystal will call out to its chosen master during the trials to become a Jedi when the padawan travels to Ilum or Adega. This in part is why some sources claim that Jedi traditionally use Adegan crystals.
Prior to the Battle of Ruusan, Jedi used lightsabers in a vast array of colors. Afterwards, Jedi relied on more common Ilum crystals such as blue and green. During his Knight Trials, Mace Windu braved the rock-encrusted world of Hurikane on the orders of his Jedi Master to obtain his lightsaber crystal. He encountered the planet's natives and, in a moment of panic, accidentally threw them over a cliff. Realizing his mistake, the young Padawan saved the natives. It was from this mission that Mace Windu was given the rare crystals as a gift. In the New Jedi Order era, Jedi had a wide array of colors such as orange, yellow, green, blue, purple, and light blue.
The synthetic red crystals favored by the Sith can create a somewhat more powerful blade than blue or green crystals but are generally not as pure because of their artificial nature and can thus be undesirable as the focus of a lightsaber. The Sith apparently had a large supply of red crystals and also favored red as a symbol for passion. It was not uncommon for the Sith masters to supply their learners with the synthesized red crystals. However, Darth Vader, at the beginning of his Sith period, wielded a blue lightsaber, as shown in Revenge of the Sith. Likewise, Exar Kun used a blue double-bladed lightsaber in the Sith War.
Sith lightsaber crystals tend to be red because of Sith Alchemy. When making their own lightsaber crystals, the materials they use and the way they make them almost always turn out crimson. Though most Sith wield a red lightsaber, the color does not affect their decision to use the lightsaber. For example, if the blade turned yellow when first ignited, it would make no difference to the user.
Luke Skywalker constructed his lightsaber using instructions hidden in Obi-Wan Kenobi's abandoned hut on Tatooine. Instead of using natural crystals however, he synthetically created the focusing gems within a compact molecular furnace, also found inside Kenobi's home. While the intense heat of the kiln molded the base materials that Luke had placed inside, he channeled his Force energies through them, which in turn shaped and modified their internal properties. With this process, a completely functional lightsaber crystal can be created. Darth Maul was known to have created his double-bladed lightsaber in much the same way, but with one major difference. During the forming of the crystals within the furnace, the Sith focused all of his blinding rage, aggression, and malice into the gems. This leads to the belief that it may be possible to mold the alignment of the completed crystal itself through this process.
During the initial editing of Return of the Jedi, Luke's lightsaber was colored blue in a trailer. However against the desert blue sky environment, the decision was made to change it to green for a better visual effect, hence the birth of the green lightsaber. It has later been retconned to be the color of a "Jedi Consular", a Jedi who focuses on mastery of the Force rather than lightsaber combat.
That the basics of a dual-phase lightsaber are not rare. This type of lightsaber can be achieved by any lightsaber with two or more actively used crystals in the energy loop, or it can be a property granted by a special functioning of the power cell. Its most basic manifestation within the weapon is the ability to alter the length of the beam or cutting section. Anakin Skywalker's lightsaber is dual-phase capable, for example.
The double-bladed lightsaber, saberstaff, battlestaff, staff saber or lightstaff, is a unique variant in which the handle is about three times the length of a standard lightsaber and has two beam emitters; one at each end. The beams can be activated and deactivated independently, allowing for much versatility. This variant was invented by the Dark Lord of the Sith Exar Kun nearly four thousand years before the Battle of Yavin. Kun was able to carefully adjust both its length, from half a meter to one and a half meters (1.5 to 5 ft), as well as its intensity, allowing the blades' power to vary from that of a deadly blade to an intangible, harmless beam of light. Despite being clumsy and awkward to wield for a real martial artist, the double-bladed lightsaber proved to be a very popular weapon among the Sith and Dark Jedi of Darth Revan's new Sith Empire. Besides Exar Kun, notable wielders of this weapon include Zez-Kai Ell, Jorak Uln, Uthar Wynn, Darth Bandon, Bastila Shan, Darth Maul, Azrakel the Dark Warrior, and possibly Jaden Korr. Despite the strength of the double-bladed lightsaber, the long size of the handle itself seems to be a weakness in battle against another lightsaber-wielding foe—it was cut in half when Darth Maul used it in the duel with Obi-Wan Kenobi and Qui-Gon Jinn in The Phantom Menace. One was also cut in half in the Dark Horse comic book: Resurrection, when the resurrected Lord Maul dueled Darth Vader for the apprenticeship of Darth Sidious. Use of double-bladed lightsabers as primary weapons has been frowned upon by the Jedi because of their aggressive Sith-like nature and usage, since the only purpose of the second blade is to increase damage. Although most Jedi use double-bladed lightsabers for training purposes, some Jedi do specialize in their use as weapons; these Jedi seem to be more susceptible to the Dark Side of the Force.
In the Expanded Universe material it was established that the first Sith Lords used alchemically altered Sith swords, since lightsaber technology had not been developed before the original Dark Jedi were exiled. Sith swords are able to block a lightsaber blade.
In the EU novel Star Wars:Shatterpoint by Matthew Stover, beings on Haruun Kal used an unknown superconducting metal to make vibrating shields called "vibroshields". This metal cannot be cut by lightsabers but will melt if held in contact with them long enough. Mace Windu speculates that the metal was starship armor from an old crashed ship, built back when the metal was sufficient to resist low-rate turbolasers of that time.
Phrik alloy can withstand lightsabers to some degree and was used to create the weapons used by General Grevious's Magnaguards in Revenge of the Sith, as well as by the Dark Troopers featured in Dark Forces.
The Yuuzhan Vong in the New Jedi Order books use biological technology, some of which can resist a lightsaber.
In the Jedi Apprentice novel "Captive Temple," as well as The Essential Guide to Weapons and Technology it is stated that lightsabers coming into contact with water in any amount greater than rain will deactivate them until they are reset. The novelization of The Phantom Menace also supports this, but in the television show Clone Wars lightsabers are seen underwater with no adverse effects. In the novel adaption of Episode 1 Qui Gon Jinn chides his Padawan Obi-Wan for forgetting to turn off his sabre before going under water, apparently to prevent it from shorting out.
It was suggested that Kit Fisto and other water born species specially modify their lightsabers to permit use underwater.
As well as there being a variety of lightsaber blade colours, there are also many different styles for the hilt. A Jedi must fashion his own saber, so there is no uniform look to the hilt. Many apprentices will model their lightsabers in a style similar to their master's as a sign of respect. Many Jedi will make their own hilt out of various machined or found parts, such as the case of Corran Horn building a lightsaber out of a wrecked speeder bike throttle assembly in I, Jedi.
Lightsaber forms are characteristic styles of lightsaber use in battle. Unlike real-world martial arts forms, which are primarily training routines, lightsaber forms are more akin to different theories and methods of fencing. There are seven named forms described so far:
The seven forms are introduced by Attack of the Clones: The Visual Dictionary and Star Wars Insider #62. The names of these forms are from the computer/video game Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic II: The Sith Lords, and was further developed through Expanded Universe comic books and novels.
It is reasonable that the Jedi and the Sith have developed other combat styles besides the seven classic forms.
According to Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic II: The Sith Lords, there are 11 forms but a Jedi/Sith can only learn 7 of them. This is likely referring to the "Force forms" that you can learn in the game as well.
It is said that corrupted and Dark Jedi brought the technology of the lightsaber to the Sith. And the Sith, seeing the capabilities of such a weapon, adopted their own practices and traditions concerning the weapon.
Lightsaber technology was developed over thousands of years. The first lightsaber models, used thousands of years BBY, had to be connected to an external power source since a power source small enough to fit in a saber's hilt had not yet been discovered. Power sources often consisted of a power pack worn on the back and connected to the lightsaber's hilt by a power cord. The technology was vastly improved as smaller lighter power sources were discovered and implemented.
Typically, Jedi are given lightsabers on the first day of training. Jedi Masters emphasize that the lightsaber is a measure of progress for an apprentice because lightsaber techniques take great skill and concentration. It is considered a final test for a Jedi padawan to be able to construct his own lightsaber. According to a Star Wars novel, the construction takes place in a cave on Ilum. The padawan goes in by himself and only comes back out when he has made a lightsaber (though in the Clone Wars micro-series, the padawan and master go into the caves).
- The crystal is the heart of the blade.
- The heart is the crystal of the Jedi.
- The Jedi is the crystal of the Force.
- The Force is the blade of the heart.
- All are intertwined:
- The crystal, The blade, The Jedi.
Clone Wars - Cartoon Network
- You are one.
- - Speech made during lightsaber construction ceremony
When younglings begin their training at the Academy, they are issued safe lightsabers that cannot cut in order to learn their basic use. After a youngling has been chosen to train under a master, he or she must construct his or her first lightsaber. Padawans usually base their lightsaber designs on their masters' lightsabers; Obi-Wan Kenobi constructed his lightsaber from The Phantom Menace and Attack of the Clones with similarities to that of Qui-Gon Jinn and his friend Quinlan Vos. Luke Skywalker's lightsaber from A New Hope and The Empire Strikes Back was the same lightsaber his father used in Revenge of the Sith. It was taken away from Anakin Skywalker, after his near fatal battle with Obi-Wan Kenobi, and given to Luke, whereas Luke's lightsaber from Return of the Jedi closely resembles that of Obi-Wan Kenobi. Jedi will use this design to construct their lightsabers until they are given the rank of Master, when they will construct their own unique lightsaber. Sometimes, the Masters would keep the lightsaber they created before they became Jedi Masters. Like Luke Skywalker's green lightsaber, he created his saber when he was still in the rank of a Jedi Padawan/Knight. He still kept the saber through the EU. It depends if the individual wants to keep the lightsaber.
The blade is completely round, thus more akin to a rod than a blade, and capable of instantly burning human flesh into a carbonized mass and melting high density alloys within seconds. The weapon is noted for instantly cauterizing wounds, thus eliminating bleeding after a lightsaber wound; however in some cases in the Expanded Universe, a limited amount of blood flow does occur. Two other exceptions include: In Episode IV: A New Hope, Obi-Wan Kenobi slices off the arm of a thug at a Cantina on Tatooine. As the Camera views in on the arm, a pool of blood can be seen beneath it. Also, in Episode I: Phantom Menace, when Obi-Wan Kenobi cuts Darth Maul in half, a spray of Blood is seen. The blade does not radiate any heat and only uses energy when it cuts through something. A lightsaber that is merely on uses none of its energy since the power core recharges itself, but consistent use occasionally requires a recharge or replacement of the power core.
Lightsabers work in the rain but let off steam when doing so, as seen by Obi-Wan Kenobi's use of his lightsaber in the rain on Kamino in Attack of the Clones. Lightsabers can be modified to work underwater, even though regular lightsabers will deactivate when in contact with water. In the Clone Wars TV show, Kit Fisto's lightsaber was specially altered to work underwater. Also, in the comic book adaptation of the novel Splinter of the Mind's Eye, Luke Skywalker dives into an underground lake and uses his lightsaber to cut free floating plants to make a raft. It may well have been built with this ability when initially constructed by Anakin Skywalker.
The cutting area of a lightsaber is supposedly only a few micrometres wide, with all of the rest supposedly being coronal discharge, as is illustrated in "Dark Force Rising", when Grand Admiral Thrawn tells his crew to examine some of their casualties for microscopic cuts.
Lightsabers are powered from the control studs by a circuits channel and focusing crystal found only in nature on the planet Ilum. Before 1,000 BBY, the Jedi also used crystals from the planet Ruusan. This appears to be a matter of tradition rather than necessity since there are many examples of crystals from elsewhere in the galaxy being used effectively in lightsabers, particularly with the revival of Jedi Order after the downfall of the Empire. Since the Jedi control the supply of suitable crystals, the Sith use synthetic crystals that generate a red blade. Some of the early Sith had other blade colors, but as fallen Jedi they may have re-used the crystals of their old lightsabers. Shadows of the Empire has Luke Skywalker using a synthetic crystal in his lightsaber construction. Green blades can also be created from corusca gems from the gaseous planet of Yavin (Jacen Solo used a corusca gem for his lightsaber) or any green-hued crystal capable of withstanding the strains of having so much power flow through them. This is true of other hues, as well. Natural crystals are usually preferred to synthetic, since there have been instances of synthetic crystals failing at unfortunate times, as happened to Corran Horn in I, Jedi.
When the activator is pushed, internal power cells create photoelectric energy and the blade is focused from the crystal. A tight beam of anti-protons appears on command, which is focused through one, two, or three multi-faceted crystals. The activation button energizes the weapon forming a positively charged shaft of coherent packets of anti-proton energy about a meter (3 ft) long. The anti-protons are attracted back to the saber hilt by a negatively charged, high-energy flux aperture. The anti-proton packets are recycled to create the glowing blade by a power cell superconductor. The saber hums and scintillates with a distinct sound and has a shimmering blade. The entire functioning processes are completely contained and self-regenerative. Lightsabers lose little power when they come in contact with other objects, and thus can last almost indefinitely.
The typical design of the hilt is generally a straight tube. Count Dooku however, preferred a curved hilt, better suited for his Makashi dueling style (similar to fencing).
According to the novel I, Jedi, there were myths at one point that the lightsaber was powered by the Jedi's connection to the Force. However, records preserved by Corran Horn's grandfather Rostek Horn indicate that the Force is only used at the end of construction. Once all the pieces are assembled, the Jedi uses the Force to meld them on a molecular or lower level, permitting extreme energy efficiency. This efficiency is what allows the blades to remain lit and active for long periods of time.
Sometimes certain events necessitate a change in a Jedi's preferred weapon. A Jedi would modify the lightsaber or construct a new one to suit the demands of the situation at hand. As seen in Knights of the Old Republic, the sabers can be improved with the installation of certain crystals, lens, emitters and power cells and sometimes a Krayt Dragon Pearl
In the New Jedi Order series, Anakin Solo rebuilds his lightsaber using a Yuuzhan Vong crystalline lifeform known as a lambent that he personally attuned, meaning, he tuned it to respond to conscious will. With the lambent emplaced as the primary focusing medium of the lightsaber, Anakin was finally able to marginally detect the presence of the otherwise Force-dead Vong. Though not as effective as true Force-sense, this "Vongsense" was still sufficient to do combat with the Vong who, until then, were able to meet Jedi on a level playing field since they were "absent" from the Force.
"Master Eeth Koth, I have something to return to you. It is a product of your own hands, which you once entrusted to mine. In returning this lightsaber, I return your trust." — Mace Windu
The Jedi tradition of entrusting one's lightsaber to a fellow member of the order is called the Concordance of Fealty. This exchange represents a bond between companions of the Force and imparts a sense of support in battle. A Jedi is graced by such a gesture from a respected friend.
The real-world explanation for this development was to solve a problem. For Episode I, publicity information and images showed Samuel L. Jackson's Mace Windu with a different lightsaber than the one he had in the film itself. As Star Wars fans are notorious about spotting discrepancies like this, a back-story, or retcon, was created.
Windu's real lightsaber has the initials "BMF" indented in the hilt as a reference to the film Pulp Fiction, where Jackson's character Jules Winnfield has the words "Bad Mother Fucker" stitched on his wallet. This was removed in all replicas, however, since it was just for the actor's benefit and was only included in his personal prop.
Towards the end of the Battle of Naboo in Phantom Menace, after Qui-Gonn Jinn's death, Obi-Wan is holding on to a port on the interior of a melting pit, his lightsaber having fallen down it. In order to defeat the almost-victorious Darth Maul above, he jumps up and pulls Qui-Gonn's lightsaber (which he had noticed lying on the floor) to him using the Force and used it to slay Darth Maul. It is unknown about the rules concerning the Concordance of Fealty with deceased Jedi.
It is possible, however, that the Jedi are willing to share their blades should they be used to save another's life. An example is during Episode II, when Anakin and Obi-Wan are handed lightsabers to defend themselves in the Battle of Geonosis.
For The Empire Strikes Back, the lightsaber-blade props were simple white rods, and the glow effect was achieved entirely through a special kind of animation called rotoscoping, in which animation is drawn over live footage to maintain precision.
For Return of the Jedi and the later movies, the hilts were machined from aluminum. In place of the glowing blade, carbon rods were used as blade reference during fight scenes. In the first two prequel films, they upgraded to resin "stunt" handles and aluminum tubes. For the final film of the Star Wars saga, Revenge of the Sith, the aluminum was replaced by a carbon-fiber blend specifically manufactured for the production. These props had to be reinforced because during the early stages of these props' use, they would often snap from the impact when the actors used them to film combat sequences. The filming of one lightsaber sequence, such as the final Obi-wan/Anakin duel on Mustafar in Revenge of the Sith, could take several months because each actor had to memorize a complex sequence of 1000+ moves and execute them perfectly.
In the prequel movies, the blades were created digitally. Many have commented that the lightsabers in the DVD release look worse than the original—blaming the advanced remastering algorithm used to prepare the films for a digital release. Luke Skywalker's lightsaber on board the Millennium Falcon in A New Hope was for most of the scene not colored at all and remained white; however, in a true special effects gaffe, in a short shot where it was colored it was green rather than the bluish color it had earlier in the movie.
It is interesting to note that there is poor lighting throughout the Star Wars saga in regard to the light the sabers themselves cast. Light is typically cast across the face of a digital character, such as Yoda in Episodes II and III. When a saber passes by a human figure, there is very little glow cast across the figure or face. An exception is that during the Dooku/Skywalker fight in Attack of the Clones, the actors shot close-ups while holding, essentially, neon tubes colored appropriately for their blades. This was not done to contradict anything previously stated but purely dramatic effect.
Creators of fan films have used various techniques for creating the coveted "lightsaber effect," most of which involve programs such as AlamDV, Adobe After Effects, Adobe Photoshop, MainVision, The GIMP, LSmaker, crimsonfx (for Mac), or Blender.
The characteristic sound is added later by the sound effects team, but Ewan McGregor mouthed his own lightsaber noises before being asked to "leave it to the professionals" when filming The Phantom Menace. Liam Neeson and Hayden Christensen did the same. The characteristic lightsaber sound is a combination of a film projector's light and interference caused by a television on an unshielded audio cable.
When the prequel trilogy began filming, George Lucas said that all Jedi would have blue, green, or similarly-colored lightsaber blades, not only to differentiate themselves from the Sith, but also to give them their own visual identity. Whenever there were flashes of blaster fire or explosions around, the color of a Jedi's lightsaber would shine through.
Arguably one of the most lusted-after props in film history, various toy replicas have been released, ranging from essentially a flashlight with a plastic tube attached, to accurate copies of the original film props, complete with motion-sensitive sound effects and colored blade. Toy lightsabers are consistently the best-selling of all Star Wars related merchandise. However, it appears the beam of pure energy boasted by the original lightsabers will remain fiction for some time to come.
The strongest inspiration for the lightsaber is probably the "force-blade" from the Lucky Starr series of science fiction novels for young adults, originally published 1952-1958 by Isaac Asimov under the pen name "Paul French." The force-blade is described as: "The most vicious weapon in the Galaxy. Outwardly, it was merely a short shaft of stainless steel that was a little thicker than the haft of a knife but which could still be held nicely in the palm. Within it was a tiny motor that could generate an invisible nine-inch-long, razor-thin force-field that could cut through anything composed of ordinary matter. Armor was of no use against it, and since it could slice through bone as easily as through flesh, its stab was almost invariably fatal."
In the documentary "Empire of Dreams", George Lucas stated that the origin of the lightsaber stemmed from his desire to place swordfights similar to those in The Adventures of Robin Hood in the Star Wars films. The laser property was inspired simply by the need to make it futuristic (metal swords would feel out of place in futuristic setting that relied on lasers for its firearms).
Additional stories which may have inspired the lightsaber include: Kaldar, Planet of Antares (1933) by Edmond Hamilton, Gather, Darkness! (1943) by Fritz Leiber, Nightwings (1968), by Robert Silverberg, an episode of Far Out Space Nuts (1975-1976), and The Lord of the Rings (1954, 1955) by JRR Tolkien. Asimov's force-blade expands on his earlier invention of "a penknife with a force-field blade," first used in his Foundation novel (1951).
As well, a laser-eye surgery device tried using the name, but was countered by a lawsuit from Lucas.
Instead of a laser-based device, the most believable design for a lightsaber-like device would use plasma confined by a magnetic field. Plasma is a super-heated gas and is also the fourth state of matter, the color and luminosity of which varies depending on the temperature and composition. Plasma could be ionized by a particle beam from a compact particle accelerator; at relativistic energies, the beam would produce its own blue glow along its axis from Cherenkov radiation.
Keeping a gas in the plasma-state requires considerable energy: 40 kW are necessary for a 10 centimeter (4 in) saber at 10,000°C (18,000°F). It would be difficult to fit the required generator into the saber's hilt. To control and increase the length of the blade, the plasma would need to be confined within a magnetic field. Although this design would behave like a lightsaber from the Star Wars movies, it is considered foolhardy to confine plasma magnetically. A handful of magnets would disrupt the confinement field, and plasma would spill onto the saber's wielder. Furthermore, the magnetic field would prevent the plasma from performing any cutting action because it would always be shielded from whatever the blade struck by the magnetic field.
To make a semi-solid beam of energy which could interact with both matter and energy would require containing a quasar and quantum singularity inside the hilt. The gravitational field would pull all the quasar's expelled plasma back moments after the quasar releases them. The speed of the returning plasma would form a chainsaw effect allowing it to cut through the matter with ease, while still being stopped by an opposing beam. A modulated gravity field would bounce, allowing for the reflection of energy beams. So far, no known substance exists which is able to contain a quantum singularity or to contain and/or focus a gravitational field.
A lightsaber in reality would be difficult to wield , since its center of gravity would be in the hilt next to the hand. A real sword has its center of gravity further from the hand, which allows the user more control and power in the swings and thrusts. With a lightsaber, a user would need to have much more control and wrist strength in order to accurately use a lightsaber with strength and power.
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