Summary
One of the most iconic symbols of any franchise isStar Wars’lightsaber. A Jedi’s weapon, far more civilized than a blaster, meant only to be used in defense, the lightsaber made its on-screen debut in 1977 in the firstStar Warsfilm. At the time, it was an impressive display of visual effects, which had audiences in the theater in awe.
With the introduction of lightsabers came lightsaber duels. While Jedi were only meant to brandish their weapons for defense, the Sith have no such obligation. This contrast gave audiences the first on-screen lightsaber duel, which took place between Ben Kenobi and Darth Vader inA New Hope. From this spawned countless lightsaber duels across movies, TV shows, animated series and more. Yet, for reasons not entirely clear, the quality of lightsaber battles has fallen in recent years.
The Evolution Of Lightsaber Duels
For the purpose of this discussion, lightsaber duels will be discussed with regard to action choreography, rather than visual effects.
The original trilogy (Episodes 4-6), while iconic, didn’t boast the most impressive lightsaber duel sequences. This is likely because it was hard to choreograph complex action scenes with David Prowse in the Darth Vader suit, which actually supports canon. When Anakin was wounded by Obi-Wan, Darth Sidious designed the Darth Vader suit withthe intention of torturing himso he could more effectively harness the Dark Side of the force through his rage. So, while Vader was more powerful with the force, he was in constant pain. This, tied with the weight of the suit, meant he lost a lot of mobility. Also, in the original trilogy, Vader’s only opponents were an elderly Ben Kenobi and a very young Luke Skywalker, who had only just begun his Jedi training. It wouldn’t have made sense for the lightsaber duels to be overly impressive.
When it came time tomake the prequel trilogy, George Lucas saw an opportunity to turn lightsaber combat into an art form, borrowing inspiration from Japanese samurai films. The prequels (Episodes 1-3) were set before the fall of the republic, when the Jedi were at their peak. Force-sensitive children were trained from a young age in all aspects of Jedi culture, including lightsaber combat. Jedi children would have lightsaber lessons, as if it were a math class. With all the lore behind the Jedi during this period, the lightsaber duels needed to be taken up a notch.
Thankfully, the two leads of the prequel trilogy, Hayden Christensen andEwan McGregor, were up for the task. They trained tirelessly with stunt coordinator Nick Gillard, to the point where they could accurately portray elite Jedi that fit George Lucas' samurai-style vision. This training culminated in what most fans argue to be the greatest lightsaber duel of the franchise: Anakin and Obi-Wan’s duel on Mustafa after Anakin turned to the Dark Side of the Dorce. The attacks were fast and intense, and it truly conveyed an image of two masters equaling each other at every turn, with both struggling to come out on top.
Then came the sequel trilogy (Episodes 6-9), which could have been equally or more impressive than the prequels. The cast comprised capable young actors, who also had stunt coordinators to assist them. However, from a narrative perspective, the lightsaber action had to be toned down a bit. The sequel trilogy, much like the original trilogy, is set during a time of oppression. The Jedi and the republic are no longer in power, and assumed extinct by most. So, even though Rey was powerful with the Force, she couldn’t receive the training Jedi would have received in the time of the republic, and thereforeshe’s not as proficient with a lightsaber.
Disney’s Approach To Lightsabers
The action set pieces in the sequel trilogy, and Disney’s other new projects, seem to be deliberately slower. The camera moves with every swing and the lightsabers linger when they land. It creates the impression that they are very heavy and difficult to wield. It’s worth noting that this is lore accurate. There was one scene inThe Clone Warsseries wherePadme picks up Anakin’s lightsaberand comments on how heavy it is. However, it’s also said that a Jedi uses the Force to aid them in wielding these weapons, which is why in the prequel trilogy they seem almost weightless when they are being swung.
Disney’s approach to lightsaber physics makes even less sense in some of their other projects, particularlyAhsoka. TheAhsokaseries was critiqued by die-hard fans for its slow, lackluster lightsaber sequences, which makes even less sense for the character of Ahsoka. Ahsoka was one of the Jedi padawans who was trained by the Jedi council from a very young age during the Jedi’s peak. In her earlier appearances,her fighting style reflected this. She was agile, ruthless, and precise, yet the show dramatically toned her fighting style down for reasons unclear.
Star Warsis a franchise that has always relied on spectacle, so it’s unclear why Disney seems to be steering away from this factor. They aren’t listening to the fanbase, who are very clear about what they want from lightsaber duels and action set pieces.
