Ever since Obi-Wan Kenobi first bestowed this weapon upon Luke Skywalker, lightsabers have become one of the most iconic weapons ever to grace the big screen and an influential staple in pop culture that continues to garner more and more attention and will likely keep on growing in terms of popularity even after a hundred years. And rightfully so. No other fictional weapon comes close to the level of recognition a lightsaber has the second it is ignited and you hear that ominous humming sound just waiting for something to be slashed to pieces. In many ways, it is the sci-fi equivalent of Excalibur. It is a visually striking almost mythical-looking elegant weapon of a more civilized age that managed to capture our wildest imaginations perfectly about a galaxy far, far away.
It Comes In Different Shapes and Sizes
Over the years and through countless different stories, lightsabers have gone far beyond the confines of the movies where they were once restricted to red, blue, and green colors (and that one time there was this one Jedi who had a purple lightsaber) and continue to evolve into various unique designs that often times served as an extension of the wielder’s personality such as the unstable crossguard lightsaber of Kylo Ren with its crackling energy, the smooth and elegant double-bladed lightsaber of Darth Maul, the unusual but tactically superior lightsabers used by the Inquisitors, and even at one point used as whips by the Nightsisters of Dathomir. Just goes to show there was no shortage of creativity when it came to making a lightsaber even deadlier and more effective in the Star Wars universe.
Lightsaber Duels Are Epic
Swordfights have always been prevalent in films but lightsabers brought a whole new level of intensity and uniqueness to the field. With the added benefits of being a force-sensitive lifeform, lightsaber battles were fast-paced, exhilarating, thrilling, and exciting to watch as they had you on the edge of your seat and kept your heart pounding at the thought of a limb flying across the screen or seeing someone use Force abilities like telekinesis or Force-lightning. They also serve as a perfect tool to tell a compelling and gripping story such as the epic duel between Anakin and Obi-Wan. Despite the initial battle being amazing and mesmerizing to watch, it was still a tragic tale of two former brothers-in-arms that once fought through an entire war together and risked their own lives for one another fighting to the death to decide the fate of the galaxy. By the end, nobody truly won and nobody cheered and all the audience was left with were broken hearts.
It Stands Out! The popularity and influence of Lightsabers won’t be stopping anytime soon. Even in the real world, there have been numerous attempts made at bringing this fictional laser sword to life, and to be honest who could blame them? Though in retrospect I do hope they never actually succeed in accomplishing this task because the movies alone should be reason enough to tell you exactly why this is a bad idea. Although I wouldn’t mind entertaining the thought of letting lose my inner Jedi or Sith (hey come on now Vader was cool) just for a moment. But the bottom line is they are cool and fun so long as you don’t chop off someone’s limb.
