Skip to main content

star wars - How do Lightsabers turn off and on?


From the Star Wars movies it appears that whether a lightsaber "ignites" is dependent on the circumstance but is there an explanation for how they turn on (i.e. a simple switch on the side or through the Force)?



Answer



It varies, and is completely up to the character who designs/builds the lightsaber.


The majority of lightsabers have some sort of external switch for activation, with said switch being a "dead-man's switch". As long as the switch is depressed, the blade remains activated. The switch itself - called an activation stud - could be anything from a lever or button to a plate.


enter image description here


Of course, if needed this switch can also be activated using the Force... in which case, the lightsaber would activate but then immediately de-activate after the switch is toggled. This technique was famously used by Mara Jade to kill Dequc, the brief leader of Black Nebula. Since she could not physically reach Dequc, she instead hid her lightsaber inside a statue and activated it from across the room while Dequc examined it:



enter image description here


However, there have also been examples of designs in Legends canon where the switch was internal, thereby requiring the Force to activate. These designs were rare, since although an internal switch is more secure, it requires constant focus in order to maintain the blade activation.


In addition, at least one lightsaber - that of Lord Hethrir - was built with NO activation switch at all, instead requiring the wielder to complete the circuit themselves through the Force:



The whining hum of Lord Hethrir's lightsaber filled the room, and the silver-gray light of the blade cast shadows on Tigris's empty hands. Tigris raised his head, to gaze in wonder as he always did at the radiance of Lord Hethrir's saber.


The blade vanished.


"Try once more," Lord Hethrir said, and gave the handle of the lightsaber to Tigris. The handle of the saber felt warm in Tigris's grip. The lightsaber was too large for Tigris's hands, but he clasped it as best he could.


He knew what Lord Hethrir wanted him to do.


The blade of Lord Hethrir's lightsaber could only be activated by the use of the Force. Hethrir would not accept anyone into his inner circles who could not complete the circuit and generate the blade.


Tigris tried, how he tried, to make a connection to the Force, to extend himself, to create the blade.




Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

futurama - How much time is lost in 'Time Keeps on Slippin''

In time Keeps on Slippin' , Farnsworth creates a basketball team which he matures by abusing Chronitons. This leads to time skipping forward by random, but ever increasing amounts. How much time was skipped in this way? Answer Unfortunately, I don't think a good estimate can be made for this, for two reasons: Many of the time skips move forward by an indeterminate amount of time. At one point, the Professor mentions localized regions of space skipping forward much more than others. We then see two young boys on the street below complaining about having to pay social security, only to suddenly become senior citizens and start complaining about wanting their money. Thus, each individual could have experienced a different amount of time skippage.
Post a Comment
Read more

harry potter - How could Expelliarmus beat Avada Kedavra?

I want to be very careful about how I ask this question – I am not asking How did Voldemort die? [CLOSED] Below the text is the relevant passages from Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows if anyone wants to review them (I'm sorry for the amount of text). How did Expelliarmus beat Avada Kedavra and kill Voldemort? I feel the reason Harry's Expelliarmus overpowered Voldemort's Avada Kedavra curse has to do with who was master of the Elder Wand and how the Elder Wand works. I've always had trouble understanding fully how the Elder Wand works, though. How much did the fact that Voldemort never truly won or mastered the Elder Wand factor into how Expelliarmus reacted to Avada Kedavra and caused Avada Kedavra to rebound and kill Voldemort? An answer based in book canon would be especially welcome, but any canon source really is fine. Harry heard the high voice shriek as he, too, yelled his best hope to the heavens, pointing Draco’s wand: ‘ Avada Kedavra !’ ‘ Expelliarmus !...
Post a Comment
Read more

Is there good canon evidence for the "Nightmare Matrix"?

On the Matrix wiki, there's an article about the Nightmare Matrix which says: The Nightmare Matrix was the second prototype Matrix, designed by The Architect after the massive failure of the Paradise Matrix in the hope that human minds would more readily accept an imperfect world with suffering. Unlike the first version, this Matrix instituted a basic cause-and-effect programming and forcibly made those connected to it accept the program. Vamp Prime, a possible remnant of the Nightmare Matrix. It also featured programs that resembled mythical evil creatures in various human mythologies such as vampires, werewolves, zombies, aliens, etc. It also failed, but many of the programs who were designed for it survived deletion in exile. The Merovingian and his wife, Persephone may have had their roots in this version of the Matrix. Upon its failure, the Merovingian started a smuggling ring of programs and information to provide a haven for exiles that would last for 6 cycles in the final ...
Post a Comment
Read more

story identification - Anime with a boy hiring a creature from a stone, meets a man named Dante and starts a journey to collect crystals

I am from India, this anime or animated series (I can't remember this was made by the Japan or other countries) was aired between 2009 and 2012 probably in Jetix/Disney XD (but I'm not sure). This anime starts with a boy (the main character, I forgot his name) who find a stone (or crystal like thing) in his dad's property, his dad was missing that time. Some day he accidentally hire a creature/monster from that stone. Other day some creature attack him and he was saved by his creature and the story begins. In his journey to solve the mystery he meets a middle aged man 'Dante' (probably that was the name; this is the only character name I can remember). He had also some stone. After that they meet with one girl and a women (one of the girls is same age with the main boy character and probably will become his partner as the story goes on). Another women probably Dante's partner. Four of them started their journey to collect all the stone/crystal. They are collecti...
Post a Comment
Read more