The lightsaber is the symbol of Star Wars. It transcends the franchise itself and time and again is voted as the best piece of tech in any movie ever made. It’s something we’ve all dreamed about owning. It’s something we’ve all dreamed about using. But how do they actually work and could we all be wielding lightsabers of our own one day in the near future? I think the answer will surprise you….
The lightsaber is the signature weapon of the Jedi, Sith and other force sensitives in the Star Wars universe. It is a weapon that requires skill and training to use, and is greatly enhanced when used in conjunction with the Force.
Though it is unknown when the first lightsaber was created, it is known that they were in use thousands of years before the age of the Republic, in the Great Scourge of Malachor. They have deep roots in the Star Wars universe, so it’s important to understand how they work.
Lightsabers consist of three primary components, all of which we will be exploring in detail - the hilt, the lightsaber crystal and the plasma blade. The iconic plasma blade stems from the lightsaber crystal, which is encased by the hilt.
Since there’s so much detail given about lightsabers in the Star Wars universe we’ve decided to split the video into 2 parts. We’ll be looking at the hilt and lightsaber crystals in this video, which is part 1, and we’ll be exploring the plasma blade and real life lightsabers in part 2, so be sure to keep an eye out for that also!
Let’s begin by exploring the foundation of the lightsaber - the hilt. Lightsaber hilts are the basic, all-encompassing part of a lightsaber. A combination handgrip, blade emitter, activator switch and power source, are held within the inner workings of the weapon that allow it to produce its distinctive energy-based blade. (Show diagram or relevant photo)
A typical saber hilt is roughly 12 inches long, about the size of a large flashlight. The hilt contains a lot of really cool tech which allows lightsabers to function correctly. At the bottom of the hilt is the high output diatium power cell. The energy from the power cell is pushed through focusing lenses and turned into plasma. The diatium power cell also serves as the primary power source of the weapon. The power cell is in turn wrapped beneath the power field conductor, power vortex ring and an inert power insulator. The primary crystal turns the plasma from the power cell into the deadly plasma blade, imbuing it with special properties as it does this. The magnetic stabilizing ring towards the top of the hilt, as the name suggests, creates a magnetic field to stabilize the plasma blade, some tech that is grounded in reality, as large electromagnets are actually used to control and stabilize plasma in nuclear fusion reactions...a nice touch.
There are also cycling field energizers which allow the user to alter the length and power of the blade using the blade length adjustment knob. Immediately below and mounted internally lay the blade arc tip, followed on the outside by the blade power adjustment and blade length adjustment knobs. Following the arc tip is mounted the blade energy channel which is nested amongst the cycling field energizers. Within the crystal energy chamber lies the focusing crystals, the focusing crystal activator and the primary crystal which is attached to the primary crystal mount. The plasma blade emanates from the crystal energy chamber. Rounding out the components that go into a typical hilt are the handgrip connector and a sturdy belt ring. Lightsaber hilts come in many shapes and sizes. These include a standard hilt, the double bladed lightsaber hilt, the double bladed spinning hilt, the curved hilt and the Shoto-style hilt to name but a few.
One of the most interesting hilt designs of late to surface in the Star Wars universe is the one found on Kylo Ren’s lightsaber, with the crossguard hilt design. Expect a full explanation on how his lightsaber works in a future video.
While the most common crystals used in the process are from the Adega system, Ilum, and Dantooine (in the so-called "Crystal Cave"), Jedi and Sith used a variety of crystals to produce various colors, effects and unique abilities.
Before placing the crystal in the lightsaber, the Jedi or Sith has to imbue them with the Force. To do this, the Force-user is required to meditate on the crystal for many days. Luke Skywalker meditated on his crystal in Ben Kenobi's home for many days with only R2-D2 to keep him company.
While the Jedi used natural crystals, the Sith mostly used red-hued synthetic crystals. Sith-made synthetic crystals created a slightly more powerful blade when energized by the dark side of the Force. The most powerful and sought-after gems are rare Kyber crystals. However, though lightsabers are powerful weapons, their design is so flexible that practically any kind of crystal can be used. Kyber crystals are so sought after as they concentrate energy in a unique manner through the Force, resonating with it.
Lightsabers come in many different colours. Around 4000 BBY, lightsaber crystals were used to indicate a Jedi's chosen class. Blue indicated a Jedi Guardian, a Jedi who used the Force on a more physical level. Green indicated a Jedi Consular, a Jedi who preferred to reflect on the mysteries of the Force and fight the dark side at its heart. Yellow indicated a Jedi Sentinel, a Jedi who honed his or her skills in a balance of combat and scholarly pursuits. This distinction fell out of practice in later years when most Jedi used blue or green crystals from Ilum Caves based on personal choice. The synthetic crystals, favored by users of the dark side for their offensive properties, were impregnated with the negative energies of their creators which gave to the crystals their red colour; the majority of the Sith and Dark Jedi wielded crimson-bladed lightsabers, though colours similar in hue to red, such as orange and magenta, were prevalent too.
The hilt and the crystal of the lightsaber function in order to produce the powerful plasma blade….which we will discuss in part 2 of this series.