The new Star Wars lightsaber - A defence

[thejboy88]

Okay, as a lot of us know, there's a new Star Wars film coming out this year, and the trailer has been dissected and talked about for a long time now,. But there's one thing about it that people seemed to really enjoy making fun of, and that's the new lightsaber design wielded by what is presumably our villain of the piece.

Now, despite all the mockery this gets, I actually don't mind this new design. In fact, as controversial as this might sound, I actually think it's a good idea as far as lightsabers go. Let me explain why I think this is. Lightsabers, in past films, have always been shown to be able to cut through anything, so it makes sense that extra protection is needed if you're going to pit one against another. If you look at real-life swords form medieval times, especially swords like claymores (which the new saber is designed to look like), they had a guard where the handle met the blade, to protect the hands of those wielding it if another enemy blade came along.

This is just speculation on my part, but I think that was what they were going for with the design of this new LS. Because if you're fighting a guy with another LS, then you'll need that extra protection, and since LS blades cut through anything, that means the only suitable way to have such a guard is with those two smaller LS blades at the side, rather than metal like old claymores had. Don't get me wrong, I love the classic LS's as much as the next guy, but much like real swords, having no guard makes it difficult to protect the wielder's hands from oncoming attacks unless they block with the blade, which we know doesn't work 100% of the time.

Maybe I'm reading too deeply into this, but that's what I took from all this.

Edit: Apologies if this is a thread that has been done before.

 

[Benpasko]

The intention is clear, but lack of crossguard has never shown to be an issue in star wars. Plus you can chop the emitters off of a saber, so if a blade did indeed slide straight down it would just slice them right off. Personally, I think it looks cool and trying to justify a lightsaber is a losing battle in the first place.

 

[DoPo]

If you look at real-life swords form medieval times

Ok, same question like people asked in the other thread [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/forums/read/18.872334-All-the-Jedi-and-Sith-should-have-been-without-hands-NO-EXCEPTIONS] - how are the blades going to slip?

 

[Queen Michael]

Lightsabers aren't designed to be practical. They were illogically designed to begin with, and the crossguard doesn't change that.

 

[Scarim Coral]

Have you NOT seen the other thread on this recently as that thread pretty much explained it.

Honestly I too am fine with the new designed since it was a new original idea that NO ONE not even George Lucas have even concepted the idea of! I mean you had a double sided lightsaber, a rapier like saber that Count Dooku had but not a lightsaber with light crossguard???

 

[Neverhoodian]

Why does everyone automatically assume it's a crossguard? The energy emitted appeared to be more unstable than what we're used to seeing, with the edges flickering like a bunsen burner; perhaps it's simply exhaust valves for excess energy?

The intention is clear, but lack of crossguard has never shown to be an issue in star wars. Plus you can chop the emitters off of a saber, so if a blade did indeed slide straight down it would just slice them right off. Personally, I think it looks cool and trying to justify a lightsaber is a losing battle in the first place.

Ah, but what if the energy doesn't stop at the metal?


But yeah, I find it rather silly people were losing their shit over something like that in a setting that features magical space wizards.

 

[Chicago Ted]

Nah, I think the design is pretty stupid. Remember what happened to Maul's light saber in Episode 1? I would expect the part attaching to the handle to be cut through, and then whatever advantage lost. Not to mention the increased chance of hurting yourself with it.

You want an actually good cross guard design, how 'bout this:

 

[Tatsuki]

You know what I'm going to ignore what you are saying (sorry) and attack a personal bugbear I have had for years with lightsabres...

If you are going to use a hiltless weapon then you want to predominantly use a hanging guard against an equal opponent.

I know its a fantasy world and weapons will not "slip" down eachother in the same way, but watching any lightsabre duel just grates on me because I automatically go to the real life comparison.

I'm not very good at it but I do some training for sabre, backsword and rapier and in turn I teach him La Canne (swiss cane fighting). Unless you are using something like a katana (I won't turn this into a war but the weapons were amazingly designed, but made out of inferior materials) which will break with repeated blocking and parrying you want your hand to be above the blade.

GRRAAARGHarglebargle...

ok mini rant over. I know the lore will probably have its reasons why they don't but I can't help it.

 

[chadachada123]

Fuck what Disney says: The EU is still canon, since it provides decent explanations for this. The emitters could be excess energy, the blade could be split at the center instead of being three separate blades, could be made of cortosis (lightsaber resistant), etc.

I'm more bothered by the practicality of it. One awkward twist of your wrist, and goodbye hand. The other crossguarded lightsabers from the EU, like the one posted above, don't suffer from this.

 

[Johnny Novgorod]

I don't care how anybody puts it, it still looks like a kid's silly idea of 'awesome'. You might as well be explaining how sharks with freakin' laser beams attached to their heads makes sense.

 

[TheRightToArmBears]

I like it. Mainly because it looks fucking cool, but also because it makes no less sense than traditional lightsabers anyway. I mean, you're working on the assumption that force users have extreme reactions and skills to use these, it's not such a leap to imagine that one particular Sith is practiced with a hilt that will chop your wrists off if you suck. I'm pretty sure there's some kind of handwavium in the old EU that could withstand lightsaber blades and it wouldn't be too much of a problem to assume the emitters were made out of those- especially considering that in order withstand the blades they produce, they would have to.

 

[Flames66]

At first I didn't like it, then I watched the trailer a few more times and began to enjoy the sound it made. Listen to the deep bassy sound and you can hear the chord the blades make as they activate.

 

[RJ 17]

Nah, I think the design is pretty stupid. Remember what happened to Maul's light saber in Episode 1? I would expect the part attaching to the handle to be cut through, and then whatever advantage lost. Not to mention the increased chance of hurting yourself with it.

You want an actually good cross guard design, how 'bout this:

Pretty much this, right down to the picture.

The problem isn't that the design in the movie looks goofy (I think it looks pretty sweet as well), but rather that - even in a world where such a thing as a Light Saber exists - it would fail immediately at it's intended purpose if it was put to the test since another light saber would just lop off the little connector on the side of the handle if a light saber blade ever slide down there.

In truth, if you wanted a good cross guard for a light saber, it would have to be a three-pronged design like in the pic above.

Honestly I too am fine with the new designed since it was a new original idea that NO ONE not even George Lucas have even concepted the idea of! I mean you had a double sided lightsaber, a rapier like saber that Count Dooku had but not a lightsaber with light crossguard???

Oh you should see some of the stuff they have in the extended universe of comics and novels.

There's light saber whips for crying out loud...explain THAT one, science!

Personally I'm still holding out for some light saber nunchuks! I mean why the hell not? YOU KNOW IT'D BE FRICKIN' AWESOME!!!! :3

 

[Fox12]

Nah, I think the design is pretty stupid. Remember what happened to Maul's light saber in Episode 1? I would expect the part attaching to the handle to be cut through, and then whatever advantage lost. Not to mention the increased chance of hurting yourself with it.

You want an actually good cross guard design, how 'bout this:

Pretty much this. The blades are facing away from the user, limiting danger, and are capable of stopping and capturing a blade.

Or, alternatively, you could simply add a shield guard to the pommel, like an actual blade. It would still look stupid, but at least it wouldn't fail catastrophically at its purpose. It could even serve the duel purpose of keeping a wielders hand away from his own blade during combat.

But no, little J.J. drew this picture in his binder in 6th grade, so this is what we're stuck with. In other news, George Lucas probably thought this was the greatest idea in history before bathing in a pool of cocaine.

 

[Tsun Tzu]

Fuck what Disney says: The EU is still canon, since it provides decent explanations for this. The emitters could be excess energy, the blade could be split at the center instead of being three separate blades, could be made of cortosis (lightsaber resistant), etc.

I'm more bothered by the practicality of it. One awkward twist of your wrist, and goodbye hand. The other crossguarded lightsabers from the EU, like the one posted above, don't suffer from this.

Right here.

I've been a proponent of the "It's fucking made of Cortosis, end of story" angle since the whole 'controversy' started.

 

[VanQ]

The reason they showed that crappy design is simple. They want it to be obvious who the target demographic for the movie is.

Spoiler alert: Its target demographic is the same as the recent Transformers, Star Trek and TMNT movies.

 

[Loonyyy]

Nah, I think the design is pretty stupid. Remember what happened to Maul's light saber in Episode 1? I would expect the part attaching to the handle to be cut through, and then whatever advantage lost. Not to mention the increased chance of hurting yourself with it.

You want an actually good cross guard design, how 'bout this:

Pretty much this, right down to the picture.

The problem isn't that the design in the movie looks goofy (I think it looks pretty sweet as well), but rather that - even in a world where such a thing as a Light Saber exists - it would fail immediately at it's intended purpose if it was put to the test since another light saber would just lop off the little connector on the side of the handle if a light saber blade ever slide down there.

In truth, if you wanted a good cross guard for a light saber, it would have to be a three-pronged design like in the pic above.

Honestly I too am fine with the new designed since it was a new original idea that NO ONE not even George Lucas have even concepted the idea of! I mean you had a double sided lightsaber, a rapier like saber that Count Dooku had but not a lightsaber with light crossguard???

Oh you should see some of the stuff they have in the extended universe of comics and novels.

There's light saber whips for crying out loud...explain THAT one, science!

Personally I'm still holding out for some light saber nunchuks! I mean why the hell not? YOU KNOW IT'D BE FRICKIN' AWESOME!!!! :3

They did that to an extent with Ventress' lightsaber from the prequel EU. Two blades connected with a leash.

 

[Smooth Operator]

You need hand guards on steel swords, because when clashing they bounce, flex, distort and most of all slide like ice against each other. You are always very very close to loosing all your fingers by sheer random physics of steel blades crashing together, that shit goes all over the place.
And no part of steel sword behaviour has ever been even remotely displayed in anything lightsaber related, considering the side blades also do not complete the saber structure those struts would just get cut off if one were to slide another lightsaber down to said "guard". Ergo not a guard at all.

For offensive purposes however that thing should come in handy, you essentially get a sword and dagger in one, for a regular human that would obviously pose more threat to the wielder then anyone else, but these guys aren't human are they.
And I don't mind a new design, the story on lightsabers was always that every wielder crafts his own unique thing but we have never even seen that coming to fruition outside spin-off joke content.

 

[WouldYouKindly]

Isn't it possible that it's a beam splitter in the handle rather than 3 separate emitters? Furthermore there used to be lightsaber resistant metals in the EU. You could just bring one of those back as your explanation