THINGS YOU MIGHT WANT TO KNOW ABOUT LIGHTSABRES

THE LIGHTSABRE IS THE WEAPON OF A JEDI, AN ELEGANT

WEAPON OF A MORE CIVILIZED AGE. IT CAN BE USED

TO CUT THROUGH JUST ABOUT ANYTHING

ALTHOUGH USE OF THE LIGHTSABRE IS THE MARK OF A

JEDI, IT IS ALSO USED BY THEIR SWORN ENEMIES,

THE SITH

IN FACT, LIGHTSABRES WERE ESSENTIALLY CREATED

BY THE DARK SIDE. THE FIRST PROTO-LIGHTSABRE

WAS CALLED A FORCESABRE, AND WAS ESSENTIALLY

DARK-SIDE ENERGY CHANNELLED INTO A BLADE

VIA CRYSTALS AND ALCHEMY. IF, SAY, A JEDI PICKED

UP A FORCESABRE, HE OR SHE WOULD RUN THE RISK

OF IMMEDIATELY AND UNWILLINGLY TURNING TO THE

DARK SIDE SIMPLY BY USING IT

THERE ARE SEVEN FORMS OF LIGHTSABRE COMBAT:

1) SHII-CHO, OR “THE WAY OF THE SARLACC”;

2) MAKASHI, OR “THE WAY OF THE YSALAMIRI”;

3) SORESU, OR “THE WAY OF THE MYNOCK”;

4) ATARU, OR “THE WAY OF THE HAWK-BAT”;

5) SHIEN/DJEM SO, “THE WAY OF THE KRAYT DRAGON”;

6) NIMAN, OR “THE WAY OF THE RANCOR”, AND

7) JUYO/VAAPAD, OR “THE WAY OF THE VORNSKR.”

EACH PADAWAN WOULD TRAVEL WITH THEIR MASTER

TO THE SECRET JEDI PLANET OF ILUM, WHERE THEY

WOULD GATHER THE CRYSTAL FOR THEIR LIGHTSABRE

AND CONSTRUCT IT. THE PADAWANS WOULD PUT

THEMSELVES INTO A TRANQUIL STATE AND USE THE

FORCE TO CONSTRUCT AND ASSEMBLE THEIR

LIGHTSABRES. THIS WAS A DIFFICULT TASK, AS

PADAWANS WERE OFTEN PLAGUED WITH TERRIBLE

MENTAL VISIONS DURING THE PROCESS

ARE YOU FAMILIAR WITH THE TERM “CHO MAI”? NO? WELL,

THIS MACABRE TERM STANDS FOR THE TECHNIQUE OF

CUTTING OFF SOMEBODY’S HAND WITH A LIGHTSABRE.

THIS EXPLAINS WHY SO MANY PEOPLE GET THEIR HANDS

CUT OFF IN STAR WARS FILMS

WHEN DARTH SIDIOUS (THE DUDE MOST OF US KNOW

AS EMPEROR PALPATINE) RULED, HE OUTLAWED

LIGHTSABRES, FORBIDDING WIELDING THEM OR EVEN

POSSESSING THEM—EVEN IF ONLY AS A

COLLECTIBLE ITEM

NOT ALL WHO WIELDED LIGHTSABRES HAD FORCE

POWERS. LIGHT FOILS WERE A VARIANT OF THE TRADITIONAL

LIGHTSABRE THAT WERE CONSTRUCTED BY

NON-FORCE SENSITIVE INDIVIDUALS. THEY WERE A

POPULAR DUELLIST WEAPON USED BY NOBLES

GEORGE LUCAS ORIGINALLY INTENDED FOR MANY

OF THE LOWER RANKS, SUCH AS STORMTROOPERS

AND REBEL TROOPS, TO HAVE LIGHTSABRES. LATER ON,

IT WAS DECIDED THAT ONLY THE SITH AND JEDI WOULD

POSSESS THESE WEAPONS, TO BUILD MYSTIQUE AND

REVERENCE FOR THE CHARACTERS WHO WIELDED THEM.