The Lightsaber according to Jedi Knight Obi Wan Kenobi, is “the weapon of the new age.”  Light, compact, and versatile, the Lightsaber is a unique weapon wielded by the two “Force” Factions; The Jedi, and the Sith.  The Lightsaber is a fictional sword that is popular in cinema, video games, TV shows, and novels that make up the Star Wars universe. Lightsabers are swords of pure light, created by a Jedi Knight upon his/her graduation from the Jedi Academy. With its first appearance in Star Wars: A New Hope, The Lightsaber is seen throughout the series as capable of doing the following; deflecting weapon blasts and projectiles, cutting through any matter, vaporizing fluids, punching through walls, and able to decapitate any opponent with a single swipe.

The lightsaber is constructed using a hilt containing the Jedi Ilum crystal.  The Ilum crystal is used to focus light and concentrate it to form a blade.  This is similar to the properties of lasers where light is focused to create a punching effect, hence making the saber capable of punching through matter, but in this case, the light is restricted to follow the shape of a blade, hence creating a saber effect.  There are several kinds of Lightsaber hilts.  The most ancient of these is the “Archaic Saber” wherein the hilt is connected to a power supply usually attached to a belt pack via a cable.  The second and more popular of the Lightsabers , which is called the Electron, has been used in a long period of the Jedi Order.  Electron Lightsabers are self-powered, meaning the crystal, focusing crevice, and power supply are located within the hilt.  Then there are the Curved-Hilt sabers.  Famously used by Count Dooku in Star Wars Episode 2, the curved Hilt Saber can be utilized to adapt to any fighting style employed.  With a flick of the wrist, a Jedi knight or Sith Lord can quickly change the fighting stance. 

There are certain similarities to reality, when considering the various fighting stances and techniques of Lightsaber combat.  Sith Lords such as Dart Maul and Count Dooku have shown some Shotokan Karate stances in their fight scenes while some Jedi like Obi Wan and Qui-Gon Jinn have featured some Kung Fu in their skills.  Even Kendo has been likened to Jedi fighting.  The Jedi Lightsaber is truly a versatile weapon.  It truly is the weapon for the new age.