variable lightsabers

Enola Straight · Post by **Enola Straight** » 2003-03-25 07:54pm

Do lightsabers have controls other than the on/off button?

Like a control for the length of the blade, or blade intensity (a setting for "stun" while sparring)?

Master of Ossus · Post by **Master of Ossus** » 2003-03-25 08:00pm

Some do. These are more difficult to construct. Kyp Durron introduced such a feature (unique to lightsabers that use multiple crystals) in the Jedi Search trilogy, but it has since been utilized by other Jedi including Corran Horn in "Dark Tide." Lightsabers also have intensity adjustments, which were used by the Dark Jedi Exar Kun to great effect, and are also present on several lightsabers in the Essential Guide to Weapons and Technology. These features are thought to be included in both Vader's and Darth Maul's weapons, as well as others in the EU.

The closest thing I have read about to a "stun" setting is the "training mode" featured on some lightsabers. The "training" setting for lightsabers has only been observed in the RPG source book (in which lightsabers are alluded to that are specifically designed for training and deal less damage than ordinary lightsabers) and the Jedi Apprentice series of books that follow Obi-Wan and Qui-Gon. It is revealed that such lightsabers still cause burns, but cannot slice through flesh and bone easily, and the burns that they inflict are not generally serious except from prolonged exposure. Such weapons would obviously have to closely mimic the behavior of regular lightsabers. The training lightsabers CAN be switched between training mode and regular, but there has never been a lightsaber observed to possess both training mode and either a blade-length adjust or an intensity adjustment such as the other weapons possess.

Spanky The Dolphin · Post by **Spanky The Dolphin** » 2003-03-25 08:02pm

Yes.

IIRC, hardly any have controls for blade length, although Exar Kun's double-bladed lightsabre did.

Some I think have controls for blade intensity, but a "stun" setting for an exotic energy weapon that cuts by shearing electrons would be impossible.

Vader's sabre had a control to change the activation time of the blade, as seen at the start of the Cloud City fight in ESB where it extends slower then usual.

Mad · Post by **Mad** » 2003-03-25 08:04pm

No stun setting that I'm aware of. Actually, I think Corran made a comment that they didn't somewhere in I, Jedi, though that would be based off of what he knows.

It appears that the "stun" setting would be stabbing the opponent in the leg like Dooku did.

Lightsabers can be built to have variable length, sort of, though such designs are rare. In I, Jedi, Corran built a saber that had two settings. He can switch between a white normal-length blade and a long green blade by swapping which crystal is being used.

Master of Ossus · Post by **Master of Ossus** » 2003-03-25 08:06pm

Spanky The Dolphin wrote:Yes.

IIRC, hardly any have controls for blade length, although Exar Kun's double-bladed lightsabre did.

Many I think have controls for blade intensity, but a "stun" setting for an exotic energy weapon that cuts by shearing electrons would be impossible.

Vader's sabre had a control to change the activation time of the blade, as seen at the start of the Cloud City fight in ESB where it extends slower then usual.

1. All lightsabers utilizing multiple crystals at least harbor the theoretical capability of supporting an adjustable blade-length. To my knowledge, no lightsaber has used more than one crystal and has lacked this feature.

2. Impossible or not, a similar setting has been observed.

3. The "Vader's activation time" effect was also demonstrated by Obi-Wan Kenobi's lightsaber in ANH. SW: Insider revealed it as a way to protect the lightsaber from being damaged by another lightsaber with powerful crystals, although Vader probably utilized the setting to achieve an emotional impact as well as a purely practical benefit.

Darth Garden Gnome · Post by **Darth Garden Gnome** » 2003-03-25 08:08pm

I think there is also a function that allows the user to "bend" the blade of his saber back, as to create a curved blade.

Master of Ossus · Post by **Master of Ossus** » 2003-03-25 08:10pm

Darth Garden Gnome wrote:I think there is also a function that allows the user to "bend" the blade of his saber back, as to create a curved blade.

This sounds like a comic-book idea. I have heard of "light whips" being used in the comics. Though I find the idea mind-numbingly stupid, if it is in fact true I will accept it as part of the EU.

Post by **Gandalf** » 2003-03-25 08:51pm

In AOTC Anakins lightsabre extends as he cuts those thigs up that were on Padme. Says so in the commentary.

Spanky The Dolphin · Post by **Spanky The Dolphin** » 2003-03-25 09:11pm

Hmm, so we now have a Canon example of lightsabres with adjustable blade lengths?

Stormbringer · Post by **Stormbringer** » 2003-03-25 10:07pm

Spanky The Dolphin wrote:Hmm, so we now have a Canon example of lightsabres with adjustable blade lengths?

It would appear so.

Master of Ossus · Post by **Master of Ossus** » 2003-03-25 10:32pm

Spanky The Dolphin wrote:Hmm, so we now have a Canon example of lightsabres with adjustable blade lengths?

Yes. They extended the lightsaber in that scene in Padme's bedroom to ensure that the weapon would make contact with the Kuohouns.

Ender · Post by **Ender** » 2003-03-25 10:35pm

Master of Ossus wrote:The closest thing I have read about to a "stun" setting is the "training mode" featured on some lightsabers. The "training" setting for lightsabers has only been observed in the RPG source book (in which lightsabers are alluded to that are specifically designed for training and deal less damage than ordinary lightsabers) and the Jedi Apprentice series of books that follow Obi-Wan and Qui-Gon. It is revealed that such lightsabers still cause burns, but cannot slice through flesh and bone easily, and the burns that they inflict are not generally serious except from prolonged exposure. Such weapons would obviously have to closely mimic the behavior of regular lightsabers. The training lightsabers CAN be switched between training mode and regular, but there has never been a lightsaber observed to possess both training mode and either a blade-length adjust or an intensity adjustment such as the other weapons possess.

Anakin Solo had built a training sabre in the NJO book Rebirth

Master of Ossus · Post by **Master of Ossus** » 2003-03-25 10:42pm

Ender wrote:Anakin Solo had built a training sabre in the NJO book Rebirth

Did he? Was that when he was fighting the Yuuzhan Vong-look alike droids?

Carboxylus · Post by **Carboxylus** » 2003-03-26 09:05am

actually the first one was built by corran ande another dude befor him in the book I , JEDI and corrans hand three lengths.

phongn · Post by **phongn** » 2003-03-26 09:20am

There are also ultra-low-intensity lightsabres intended for use by young padawans (i.e. the ones in AOTC) so they don't kill themselves in training.

Kurgan · Post by **Kurgan** » 2003-03-27 03:44pm

Bob Brown's page theorizes that the sliding "thumbswitch" on some sabers in the Classic Trilogy accounts for the variable "activation speeds" seen in the canon films.

Example: slide your thumb fast, saber ignites fast. slide it slower, blade extends slower.

Does this mean you could extend the blade part-way? Never observed.

All the stuff about variable length and damage are EU-based, AFAIK.

I listened to the commentary portion in the DVD you mentioned, and in fact it sounds like they're talking about the special effect not the canon abilities of lightsabers.

Illuminatus Primus · Post by **Illuminatus Primus** » 2003-03-27 03:50pm

Master of Ossus wrote:
Darth Garden Gnome wrote:I think there is also a function that allows the user to "bend" the blade of his saber back, as to create a curved blade.
This sounds like a comic-book idea. I have heard of "light whips" being used in the comics. Though I find the idea mind-numbingly stupid, if it is in fact true I will accept it as part of the EU.

Lumiya's lightwhip was not a flexible lightsabre. It was a whip of strands of Mandalorian iron (uncuttable by lightsabres) and energy strands, but I believe the "energy strands" couldn't slice and dice like a lightsabre could, but they could burn and cut.

Lord Pounder · Post by **Lord Pounder** » 2003-03-27 05:49pm

Master of Ossus wrote:Some do. These are more difficult to construct. Kyp Durron introduced such a feature....

I think you'll find it was Gantoris who built that multi length Lightsaber.

The Dark · Post by **The Dark** » 2003-03-27 07:30pm

Master of Ossus wrote:
Spanky The Dolphin wrote:Hmm, so we now have a Canon example of lightsabres with adjustable blade lengths?
Yes. They extended the lightsaber in that scene in Padme's bedroom to ensure that the weapon would make contact with the Kuohouns.

Was it an adjustable length, or was he swiping as the blade extended, with it not reaching full length until he finished the sweep?

Master of Ossus · Post by **Master of Ossus** » 2003-03-27 07:35pm

The Dark wrote:
Master of Ossus wrote:
Spanky The Dolphin wrote:Hmm, so we now have a Canon example of lightsabres with adjustable blade lengths?
Yes. They extended the lightsaber in that scene in Padme's bedroom to ensure that the weapon would make contact with the Kuohouns.
Was it an adjustable length, or was he swiping as the blade extended, with it not reaching full length until he finished the sweep?

It was an adjustable-length lightsaber, the blade was longer than the normally maximum-length extension.

THEHOOLIGANJEDI · Post by **THEHOOLIGANJEDI** » 2003-03-27 09:54pm

Master of Ossus wrote:Some do. These are more difficult to construct. Kyp Durron introduced such a feature (unique to lightsabers that use multiple crystals) in the Jedi Search trilogy, but it has since been utilized by other Jedi including Corran Horn in "Dark Tide." Lightsabers also have intensity adjustments, which were used by the Dark Jedi Exar Kun to great effect, and are also present on several lightsabers in the Essential Guide to Weapons and Technology. These features are thought to be included in both Vader's and Darth Maul's weapons, as well as others in the EU.

The closest thing I have read about to a "stun" setting is the "training mode" featured on some lightsabers. The "training" setting for lightsabers has only been observed in the RPG source book (in which lightsabers are alluded to that are specifically designed for training and deal less damage than ordinary lightsabers) and the Jedi Apprentice series of books that follow Obi-Wan and Qui-Gon. It is revealed that such lightsabers still cause burns, but cannot slice through flesh and bone easily, and the burns that they inflict are not generally serious except from prolonged exposure. Such weapons would obviously have to closely mimic the behavior of regular lightsabers. The training lightsabers CAN be switched between training mode and regular, but there has never been a lightsaber observed to possess both training mode and either a blade-length adjust or an intensity adjustment such as the other weapons possess.

Actually it wasn't Kyp that created it. It was Gantoris.

Kurgan · Post by **Kurgan** » 2003-03-28 08:57am

No, the lightsaber was longer in those shots, because they needed the blade to hit both of the creatures.

Meaning, the actor Hayden is just swinging a prop sword (or just a handle) at nothing (or natalie portman lying on a bed set), and the SFX guys had to make the lightsaber longer in this shot than in others in order to make it look like it was hitting the CGI critters (where they were supposed to be positioned).

In other words, a staging goof corrected by optical effects later. It's mere speculation on our part that Anakin's lightsaber has an adjustable length setting, and he used it to make his lightsaber longer for this one occasion.

If that were true, why wouldn't they show us him doing a quick flick of the wrist or pressing a special button to let us know he's doing something special? It's not like the blade was a mile long, just "a little long."

Master of Ossus · Post by **Master of Ossus** » 2003-03-28 10:00pm

Kurgan wrote:No, the lightsaber was longer in those shots, because they needed the blade to hit both of the creatures.

Meaning, the actor Hayden is just swinging a prop sword (or just a handle) at nothing (or natalie portman lying on a bed set), and the SFX guys had to make the lightsaber longer in this shot than in others in order to make it look like it was hitting the CGI critters (where they were supposed to be positioned).

In other words, a staging goof corrected by optical effects later. It's mere speculation on our part that Anakin's lightsaber has an adjustable length setting, and he used it to make his lightsaber longer for this one occasion.

If that were true, why wouldn't they show us him doing a quick flick of the wrist or pressing a special button to let us know he's doing something special? It's not like the blade was a mile long, just "a little long."

They don't even show the Jedi touching buttons to turn on their lightsabers. Look at the scene of Obi-Wan jumping over the pit in TPM. Why should they show us something special in this scene?

The lightsaber is longer. Period.

Kurgan · Post by **Kurgan** » 2003-03-29 05:22pm

In most scenes that show lightsaber activation, we see the actors miming the gestures to hit a button or slide a switch. This isn't always the case, but it is established behavior for lightsabers.

Are we to assume that if Obi-Wan hit the button in one scene and didn't in another that the buttons aren't necessary to activate the saber? A quick fix is that he "touched" the button with the Force (even though its just an acting glitch).

Darth Maul hits buttons on his saber to extend a second blade.

We've never seen a Jedi activate his lightsaber once, then extend the blade to a longer length sometime later (extension is always a continuous, completed event in one motion). Thus we have no proof of variable length lightsabers in the movies, short of this tenuous example which is evidentally an SFX fudge (via the commentary).

Now, if you could show me that in the AOTC novelisation or official screenplay that in fact, in this scene Anakin engaged a special "longer length" mode on his lightsaber, that would end the argument, from a canon source.

Obviously, as per official continuity, "variable length" lightsabers are part of Star Wars, since nothing in the pure canon contradicts it (that I know of), but we also don't see definitive examples of variable length lightsabers being used in the films, and this example seems a poor one.

Even if its been proven that no lightsaber can be variable length in the canon, EU fans can always speculate that these special features were invented after the canon films or are very rare and that explains their absence (just as we've been speculating as to the Stormtrooper heights/voices and the clones issue or whether water shorts out lightsabers).

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