Lightsaber The lightsaber , sometimes referred to as a laser sword , is a weapon used by the Jedi , the Sith , and other Force - sensitive s . Lightsabers consist of a plasma blade , powered by a kyber crystal , that is emitted from a usually metal hilt and can be shut off at will . It is a weapon that required skill and training , and is greatly enhanced when used in conjunction with the Force . Though also used by the Sith , the lightsaber is synonymous with the Jedi , with some in the galaxy believing only Jedi can use lightsabers . Lightsabers are generally used for both offense and defense . A lightsaber can cut through virtually anything , from enemies to blast doors . The only ways to block the incoming attack of a lightsaber is with a weapon made with material that conducts energy , such as an electrostaff , Z6 riot control baton , some rare metals or simply another lightsaber . When used defensively , a Force - sensitive can deflect blaster bolts with a lightsaber , and with skill , can even reflect the shots back toward the shooter or some other target . Experienced Jedi can even employ their lightsabers to absorb Force lightning . Most practitioners use one single - bladed lightsaber , though some use double - bladed lightsaber s or even multiple lightsabers at once . Lightsaber combat was divided into seven Forms : Form I , Form II , Form III , Form IV , Form V , Form VI and Form VII . History . Though it is unknown when the first lightsaber was created , it is known they were in use thousands of years before the age of the Republic , in the Great Scourge of Malachor . They were also used in the Battles of Rashfond and the Peacekeeping of Parliock . The proto - saber was an ancient type of prototype lightsaber . Lightsabers took on a more prominent role in galactic affairs as the Clone Wars came to pass . Jedi , previously peacekeepers , became Jedi General s of the Grand Army of the Republic , and thus began using their lightsabers more often than they had in their role of peacekeeping . As the Clone Wars ended , and the Jedi Purge took place , lightsabers became a rarity in the galaxy , as the Jedi who once used them were greatly reduced in number and did not use their weapons as often for fear of drawing attention . For the majority of the reign of the Empire , the only lightsaber that was prominently used was that of Darth Vader , and , in its waning years , that of Luke Skywalker . After the Empire was defeated , Luke began training a new generation of Jedi . These , however , were massacred by Kylo Ren and the Knights of Ren , once again leading to a time where the only prominent lightsaber user was a darksider . Mechanics and specifications . Mechanics . Metal was usually chosen to make up the hilt , but a casing carved from the Brylark tree , wood that is strong as metal , would also work . Some hilts were even crafted of gems . The weapon drew power from an appropriately - sized power cell . Parts that would work to make a lightsaber include modulation circuits and an energy gate . Ones that were necessary include a blade emitter shroud , the emitter matrix and some type of activator to turn the weapon on and off . Other parts that could be added include handgrip ridges and a blade length adjuster . Some lightsabers also featured a non - lethal low - power setting used for training . Single - bladed lightsabers usually had a belt ring so they could be hung from a belt hook , or a wheel - shaped attachment that slotted into a matching belt clip on the owner ' s belt when not in use . During assembly , it was important to not accidentally invert the emitter matrix ; when improperly activated the lightsaber ' s power grid would backfire . At best this could cause the blade to quickly short out , but if left on the faulty weapon would violently explode , potentially killing those in close proximity . Specially designed lightsabers could even use unstable crystals , such as Kylo Ren ' s lightsaber , which featured two laterally facing vents designed to divert excess energy away from the cracked crystal and keep the lightsaber stable . On the aquatic planet of Mon Calamari , the Jedi Kit Fisto , Obi - Wan Kenobi , Anakin Skywalker and Ahsoka Tano were all able to use their lightsabers underwater with no ill effects , although whether this was a standard feature of the weapon or a later adjustment is unknown . Whilst in areas of low light , a lightsaber could easily function as a light source , demonstrated by Jedi Knights Anakin Skywalker , Jedi Masters Yoda and Obi - Wan Kenobi , and Savage Opress . Cutting Power . The power of the energy blade was so great that it could cut through almost anything . One important note about lightsaber wounds is that they rarely bled profusely , even when a limb had been severed . This is because the energy blade cauterized the wound as it passed , and thus even a severe wound did not tend to bleed heavily . Lightsaber - resistant materials . Aside from the blade of another lightsaber , there were rare materials that could withstand a lightsaber blade : Variations . Standard lightsaber Double - bladed lightsaber Double - bladed spinning lightsaber Crossguard lightsaber Curved - hilt lightsaber Lightsaber pistol Lightsaber rifle Lightsaber pike Cane - disguised lightsaber Training lightsaber Shoto - style lightsaber Darksaber Usage and application . Combat . Lightsaber combat was the preferred fighting method used by lightsaber wielders . Throughout the millennia , many combat styles were refined into the seven " classic " forms that serve as the standard , and numerous other fighting methods that call for advanced levels of skill . Lightsabers were most often held with both hands during combat . Rituals . Lightsabers were an integral part of the knighting ceremonies of the Jedi Order . During the ceremony , a Padawan would have his or her Padawan braid ritualistically severed by the presiding Jedi Master . The Master would then motion the blade near each of the Padawan ' s shoulders and say " By the right of the Council , by the will of the Force , [ Insert Padawan ' s name here ] , you may rise " . Practical applications . Lightsabers were able to cut through most materials , and also occasionally functioned as flashlights , although the latter was uncommon . Behind the scenes . Early concepts . The usage of the lightsaber was originally inspired by many of the serials that George Lucas watched and enjoyed as a child , which featured many characters wielding swords . When he began conceiving " Star Wars " , he wished to include swords , creating the " lightsaber " to allow them to better mesh with the futuristic setting . In the early incarnations of the " Star Wars " storyline , lightsabers were not exclusive to the Jedi and other Force - users , but were in fact very mundane . Early concept art depicts lightsabers being wielded by Rebel and Imperial soldiers alike . George Lucas later limited the lightsabers to exclusively the Jedi in order to make them feel more unusual , and heighten the mystique of the Jedi . Also , in early drafts of the script , lightsabers were referred to as " lazerswords . " Crystals first appear in " Star Wars " simply as an embedded decoration on the hilt in the original film ' s . Aside from this single instance , there are no crystals mentioned in any of the movies or their novelizations . Prop design and effects . During the filming of " " , the Anakin / Luke lightsaber was made from a Graflex camera side - attach flash , while Darth Vader ' s lightsaber was made from a Micro Precision Products flash attachment . The handle grips were made with T - shaped pieces of plastic from sliding glass cabinet windows and , contrary to popular belief , were not made with rubber windshield wipers . D - rings were attached to the bottoms of the units so that they could be worn on belts . Obi - Wan Kenobi ' s lightsaber was the most complex hilt at the time . It was assembled from parts of an Armitage Shanks Starlite model Handwheel , Browning ANM2 machine gun booster , WWI No . 3 Mk . 1 British Rifle Grenade and a Rolls - Royce Derwent Mk . 8 / Mk . 9 Jet Engine Balance Pipe . The lightsaber effects during the original trilogy started out in a very complicated manner . During the filming of " A New Hope " , the blade was made of a three - sided rod covered with reflective material . The rod was then rapidly spun by a compact motor in the hilt , reflecting the lights on set and creating an in - camera glowing effect . However , these props were highly limited ; they were cumbersome and fragile , often breaking during fight scenes . Also , the glowing effect was not absolute , as whenever the blade moved out of the light or pointed more directly at the camera the glow disappeared and the actual spinning rod could be seen . In order to partially compensate for this loss of the effect , the blade was rotoscoped and an animated glow was added by tracing onto a blown - up copy of the frame with pen and colored ink , one frame at a time . It was at this phase that blades were given colors , as the props were simple white rods . During the filming of " " , it was decided creating an in - camera glowing effect was more trouble than it was worth , so the spinning rods were swapped for carbon rods . While these new blades were less cumbersome than before , they were still very fragile and frequently broke . However , they continued to be used for " " . When filming began for " " , the new lightsaber blades were steel and aluminum rods , which were highly durable , but frequently bent and flexed , requiring constant replacement . Despite such a drawback , these rods still saw usage during the filming of " " , as they had no alternative at the time . However , for the filming of " " , the blades were replaced by carbon fiber rods laminated with glass and plastic . These new props were highly durable and didn ' t flex , though they were extremely hard , often causing bruising and leaving scars . While lightsaber effects were still done by rotoscoping for the prequels , they were done digitally , rather than by hand . For " The Force Awakens " , the lightsaber props glowed , using a similar effect used in " Attack of the Clones " during the fight between Anakin Skywalker and Count Dooku . In behind the scenes footage , it was revealed that the actors were using blades similar to the ones made by Master Replicas . This not only added to the environmental realism that was desired , but also immersed the actors in the lightsaber experience , building on the performance and convincing nature of the lightsaber effect . Colors . Lightsabers depicted in the first two released films , " A New Hope " and " The Empire Strikes Back " , had blades that were colored either blue ( for the Jedi ) or red ( for the Sith ) . This color difference was a decision during post - production when the lightsaber blades were being rotoscoped , as the original blades were simply white . In " Return of the Jedi " , Luke Skywalker ' s newly - constructed lightsaber was colored blue during the initial editing of the film , and appears so in both an early movie trailer and the official theatrical posters , but in the final film , it was ultimately colored green in order to better stand out against the blue sky of Tatooine in outdoor scenes . It also appeared as green in re - release posters . Both green and blue became standard blade colors for Jedi lightsabers in the " Star Wars " prequel trilogy . In the same regard , red became the standard Sith lightsaber . Mace Windu ' s purple lightsaber , as first seen in " Attack of the Clones " , was a personal request from actor Samuel L . Jackson as a way to make his character stand out among other Jedi . Jackson ' s favorite color is purple and he frequently requests the characters he plays to use an item of the color in his movies . In addition , there are yellow , white ( like Ahsoka Tano ' s dual lightsabers ) and black , with the latter two being the rarest in the series thus far . Choreography . While the usage of lightsabers was originally inspired by rapiers featured in the old serials George Lucas enjoyed , the final choreography in " A New Hope " looked nothing like fencing . As Jedi and their Sith counterparts were heavily inspired by , the fighting styles utilized were based more on . The slower , more strength - oriented moves of kendo used in the duel also helped mesh with Lucas ' concept that it was a battle between what were essentially two old men . During the filming of " The Empire Strikes Back " , Lucas began ramping up the speed of the duels , making them " faster and more intense , " the idea being that Luke Skywalker was becoming increasingly proficient with the weapon . Also , rather than utilize David Prowse , the actor within the Darth Vader costume , for the duels , they instead had professional swordsman Bob Anderson perform the fights , due to Prowse ' s tendency to repeatedly break the fragile prop blades . Anderson continued to serve as Prowse ' s fighting double during the filming of " Return of the Jedi " . When filming began for " The Phantom Menace " , the new stunt coordinator Nick Gillard ramped up the speed and agility the characters demonstrated in lightsaber duels , the idea being that the prequels took place when the Jedi Order was in " full flower , " at least in terms of combat techniques . Gillard was careful to avoid giving the fight scenes a choreographed look , drawing upon his extensive knowledge of martial arts to create the moves . The end result was a very fast - paced style of fighting , which he described as being like a chess game between grand masters , with every move being a check . This style of choreography was continued on throughout the prequel trilogy . In the choreography , the actors had to know how to fence so they could excel in the lightsaber duels . In Star Wars The Force Awakens , actors such as John Boyega who played FN - 2187 had to do fighting and fencing . On NECN sports they showed the behind the scenes on the new Star Wars movie . Energy output . The infographic at Outerplaces . com calculates that the destructive power of a lightsaber can generate 1 , 600 , 000 , 000 joules of energy .