Darth Vader, light sabers, and blaster bolts

Enola Straight · Post by **Enola Straight** » 2003-01-01 11:46am

In TESB we see Vader deflect Solo's blaster bolts.
Later, we see Vader get tagged on the shoulder with Luke's saber, and in ROTJ Luke severs Vader's hand.

If Vader can deflect a bolt, why not a saber strike?

The Nomad · Post by **The Nomad** » 2003-01-01 12:49pm

Probably because a lightsabre wielded by a Jedi has greater momentum than you average blaster bolt. Or it has different physical effects or way to transmit energy ( blaster = heat transfer, lightsabre=some technobabble molecular slicing for brief contacts, then heat for prolonged ones, as you wish ). Or that this deflection technique needs greater concentration and Vader was caught by surprise or it was due to the "mind fight" part of a Jedi duel. Whatever.

Cal Wright · Post by **Cal Wright** » 2003-01-01 01:38pm

Okay, thought this was going to be yet another thread on the gauntlet. Let me put back down what I have found. In the novelisation it says Vader raised a gauntleted hand and deflected the laser bolts. They ricochet into the walls blasting shrapnel all around. However in the movie there are only sparks on his glove, the bolts are deflected everywhere. What I can tell from this is it is partly the armor and the Force. This would go along with two instances. First off Luke's sabre shoulder strike. It didn't go all the way through, and it was more than a glancing blow. Then when Vader gets his hand cut off. A sabre is far more powerful than a blaster. Look at TPM. Blaster bolts are impacting harmlessly on the walls and doors of the Federation ship. Yet Qui Gon turns around and easily slides his sabre into the blast door. So even if the gauntlet could block the blaster bolt alone, the sabre has so much power it's too much for the glove to handle. Also Vader was probably 'Force' exhausted in a way trying to keep up with Luke.

une · Post by **une** » 2003-01-03 09:15am

Since Vader wasn't decapitated, isn't it possible that he used the Force to repel the lightsaber?

Post by **Vympel** » 2003-01-03 09:33am

une wrote:Since Vader wasn't decapitated, isn't it possible that he used the Force to repel the lightsaber?

It was a glancing blow with not much force behind it, against an armored part of his suit. You DO need strength to thrust a sabre through something, it's not magic. Look at the way they move their sabres when killing battle droids.

Robert Brown has a discussion on it. Too bad he's a total fuckwit.

Sir Sirius · Post by **Sir Sirius** » 2003-01-03 01:32pm

I always though that the bolt reflection thing was a force trick. I mean the gauntlet (looks like a glove) can't more then a few millimeters thick and it is supposed to be cabable of taking a direct hit from Han's blaster (the same one that took pieces of walls in ANH and pierces the armour of Stormies with ease). Unless we assume that Han had his blaster at an unusualy low setting the stuff the gauntlet is made of would have to tremendously durable and if the Imps have something that blaster resiliant why wouldn't they make Stormie armours from the same stuff?

Robert Brown has a discussion on it. Too bad he's a total fuckwit.

Mind explaning the 'fuckwit' part.

Lord Pounder · Post by **Lord Pounder** » 2003-01-03 02:41pm

In fairness a Lightsaber is akin to a big long continueous Blaster bolt. And Luke didn't cut off Vaders arm which i always thought strange. In I Jedi Corran Horns Grand Father was able to absorb all the energy of an enemy's lightsaber.

Cal Wright · Post by **Cal Wright** » 2003-01-03 11:52pm

Sir Sirius wrote:I always though that the bolt reflection thing was a force trick. I mean the gauntlet (looks like a glove) can't more then a few millimeters thick and it is supposed to be cabable of taking a direct hit from Han's blaster (the same one that took pieces of walls in ANH and pierces the armour of Stormies with ease). Unless we assume that Han had his blaster at an unusualy low setting the stuff the gauntlet is made of would have to tremendously durable and if the Imps have something that blaster resiliant why wouldn't they make Stormie armours from the same stuff?

Robert Brown has a discussion on it. Too bad he's a total fuckwit.
Mind explaning the 'fuckwit' part.

If it's the dude I'm thinking of, then he's the whiney bitch. All he can do is criticise the prequels. Maybe before Ep 1 came out he was some sort of demi god on the net, but last I checked if it didn't relate to Ep 4 and the Falcon he'd blast most of it.

Post by **Vympel** » 2003-01-04 02:09am

Sir Sirius wrote:Mind explaning the 'fuckwit' part.

There's a thread about it. Basically he's a huge whiner, has denounced Star Wars as being no longer worthy of discussion, blew his lid when he heard that Curtis Saxton was doing the SW2ICS ("why'd the choose him and not me" he cried!) and is basically one of those ultra-hardcore nothing but Episode 4 and 5 is worthy of being called Star Wars, Lucas-has-lost-the-plot, overly critical psychos.

Post by **Vympel** » 2003-01-04 02:12am

http://bbs.stardestroyer.net/viewtopic. ... wn&start=0

That there's the thread.