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[sphagnum]

Preferably the shade in the OT.

Which varied between films and, in ANH, within the film itself?

 

[Lifejumper]

Soo uuh.. Why are people discussing lightsaber color? Wont rey have anakins lightsaber?

 

[DrForester]

Once you accept that no Lightsaber will ever look as good as Luke's green one, you can lower your expectations down to a reasonable level.

 

[Jest Chillin]

I think George wanted to have blue and green=good, while red was evil.

When the PT came around. I think Sam Jackson asked Lucas if he could have a purple Saber. I think Lucas tried to explain to him his reasoning but Sam insisted. So Lucas just let him have one lol.

The old explanation for the colors was that all the legitimate crystals that were located on Illum were Blue or Green. The Sith, not having access to those crystals, had to manufacture theirs, which resulted in Red.

Then of course came a bunch of other stuff to change that. In the time of The Old Republic, Jedi's saber colors represented their "Class" as in how they utilized the Force and what their responsibilities where. Blue was Guardian, Green was Consular, Yellow was Sentinel. Other colors existed but were super rare and in most cases passed down in a familial line.

A lot of that stuff has been tossed out though. I think now they use the specific name of Kyber Crystals and it's been said that the largest variety of these crystals have been used even in the construction of Superweapons like the Deathstar(s). Wookiepedia suggests that Kylo Ren's saber uses a cracked Kyber Crystal and that's why it's unstable and has the vents that create the crossguard but it's not cited, so I don't know the source of the claim.

 

[DrForester]

The old explanation for the colors was that all the legitimate crystals that were located on Illum were Blue or Green. The Sith, not having access to those crystals, had to manufacture theirs, which resulted in Red.

Then of course came a bunch of other stuff to change that. In the time of The Old Republic, Jedi's saber colors represented their "Class" as in how they utilized the Force and what their responsibilities where. Blue was Guardian, Green was Consular, Yellow was Sentinel. Other colors existed but were super rare and in most cases passed down in a familial line.

A lot of that stuff has been tossed out though. I think now they use the specific name of Kyber Crystals and it's been said that the largest variety of these crystals have been used even in the construction of Superweapons like the Deathstar(s). Wookiepedia suggests that Kylo Ren's saber uses a cracked Kyber Crystal and that's why it's unstable and has the vents that create the crossguard but it's not cited, so I don't know the source of the claim.

Pre-Prequels wasn't Luke's green saber only green because he had to use a synthetic crystal or something? Like green was never meant to be a common lightsaber color.

 

[Veelk]

I like Luke's saber color, but the handle always annoyed me. Granted, most light saber handles look bad, but what the fuck is with that super thin part? Why design it to have a weakpoint, making it likelier to break?

Anakin's is almost as bad. What possible function could that outward jutting rectangular cube serve except to make it awkward to grip?

 

[Toxi]

Soo uuh.. Why are people discussing lightsaber color? Wont rey have anakins lightsaber?

Constructing your own lightsaber is part of becoming a Jedi.

 

[GrayFoxPL]

I hope Kylo Ren gets a shit-saber in the next movie.

 

[sphagnum]

A lot of that stuff has been tossed out though. I think now they use the specific name of Kyber Crystals and it's been said that the largest variety of these crystals have been used even in the construction of Superweapons like the Deathstar(s). Wookiepedia suggests that Kylo Ren's saber uses a cracked Kyber Crystal and that's why it's unstable and has the vents that create the crossguard but it's not cited, so I don't know the source of the claim.

This is all correct. The Death Star has multiple large kyber crystals that focus its laser, and there were hints in the visual dictionary, I believe, that Starkiller Base has unusual crystalline elements (if Starkiller Base is the planet Ilum, which the Jedi went to for their crystal-obtaining ritual, then it is packed with kyber crystals). There was a whole unfinished story arc in TCW about the separatists trying to smuggle a huge kyber crystal off Geonosis for the Death Star, and Rebels has hinted that the Empire is interested in Lothal due to kyber crystals under its surface.

 

[Lifejumper]

Constructing your own lightsaber is part of becoming a Jedi.

If luke didnt lose his fathers lightsaber, would he still build a new one?

 

[DrForester]

I like Luke's saber color, but the handle always annoyed me. Granted, most light saber handles look bad, but what the fuck is with that super thin part? Why design it to have a weakpoint, making it likelier to break?

It was made to resemble Obi-Won's.

I love the skinny part. Gives it character. Lightsaber's going to slice through it anyways if it hits the hilt. Skinny or not, won't make a difference.

 

[Veelk]

It was made to resemble Obi-Won's.

I love the skinny part. Gives it character. Lightsaber's going to slight through it anyways if it hits the hilt. Skinny or not, won't make a difference.

Oh, man that's even worse. And it even also has that stupid jutting cube that Anakin's had. It's no wonder Obiwan lost, there's no way to hold that thing well.

It's impractical, it's aesthetically displeasing, I don't like it.

 

[MMarston]

Man, we've really reached bottom of the barrel discussions havent we?

 

[Jest Chillin]

Pre-Prequels wasn't Luke's green saber only green because he had to use a synthetic crystal or something? Like green was never meant to be a common lightsaber color.

I'm not sure exactly when that came to be explained but I believe it was an EU novel that takes place between Empire and Return. And yes, it was said that he had to manufacture his and to do so, used a special furnace at Obi Wan's home to create the crystal. Similarly to the way Sith manufacture theirs, in order to create it he had to meditate and imbue the crystal with his own Force power so the crystal took on his traits.. creating the unique color of Green. (Sith's darkside influence of anger/hate/blahblahnegativestuff causes theirs to turn out various shades of Red).

But yeah.. like I said, later that stuff gets changed and suddenly Green goes back thousands of years to The Old Republic days.

Basically the video games added stuff because it looked cool but those additions weren't considered canon at the time. Until new novels came out that took those ideas and ran with it, thus making it kinda-sorta canon.

Most if not all of that stuff has been thrown out but some of it likely made it's way back in with the new novels and comics and cartoons. I don't know what has stuck around though.

 

[Toxi]

Palpatine's lightsaber looks like a dildo.

 

[sphagnum]

Palpatine's lightsaber looks like a dildo.

 

[Veelk]

Palpatine's lightsaber looks like a dildo.

Maybe, but atleast you can grip it. Which I'm sure he did. Frequently. Furiously.

 

[DrForester]

Maybe, but atleast you can grip it. Which I'm sure he did. Frequently. Furiously.

Keep in mind it's a blade that has 360 degrees of attack. It's not a sword that needs to be rotated in the hand to position the angle of the blade. The little block on some of the lightsabers would not have been an issue at all.

 

[The Flash]

Maybe, but atleast you can grip it. Which I'm sure he did. Frequently. Furiously.

 

[injurai]

Which varied between films and, in ANH, within the film itself?

ANH, before recoloring.

 

[DrForester]

Why does the emperor briefly turn into Joe Lieberman?

 

[Veelk]

Keep in mind it's a blade that has 360 degrees of attack. It's not a sword that needs to be rotated in the hand to position the angle of the blade. The little block on some of the lightsabers would not have been an issue at all.

You wrap your hands around it 360 degrees or near so. It doesn't matter what angle you hold it at because it's going to be bugging some part of your hand. I've held the replica's in my hands, I know how awkward it feels. It'd be awful if force was actually applied and I needed to hold it strongly.

 

[Twilight Gap]

You can tell he was excited for that moment, like that feeling when you break a 3+ year dryspell.

 

[sphagnum]

I've always wondered how he keeps his lightsabers in those big sleeves without them falling out.

 

[zma1013]

I like the cold industrialized look on the normal lightsabers as it fits in better with everything else in the universe. As if anything else in the galaxy looks functional, but it all sure looks iconic and unique.

That ergonomic dildo one is fugly as fug.

 

[Aselith]

I've always wondered how he keeps his lightsabers in those big sleeves without them falling out.

It's actually a suppository, he's just very talented from years of practice in force levitation.

 

[Crossing Eden]

No I threw that together the other week.

Oh sweet.

The Darksaber was stolen from the Jedi Temple.

Oh ok. It seems modified tho.

 

[sphagnum]

I really like the idea of the first lightsaber, as shown in the Art of TFA. Wish I had a picture, but it's basically just a kyber crystal wrapped up with wood or something to hold it in place.

Also Gungi's lightsaber is pretty cool.

 

[Twilight Gap]

no love for the water faucet Dooku's Lightsaber?

Way cooler villain than Darth Maul IMO. Too bad he never became more than a pawn.

 

[GhaleonEB]

I think it winds up conveying things just fine, given that she's literally on the right side.

I'd like to have seen her make the decision not to kill him, rather than have the gulf that forms make the decision for her. It's an important beat for her arc, and while I think her hesitation could be interpreted as such, I felt that valley forming was too convenient.

 

[Toxi]

no love for the water faucet Dooku's Lightsaber?

Love it. Comparing it to other lightsabers, it looks very much like an elegant designer product version.

Though it could use some viagra.

 

[LegendofLex]

I'd like to have seen her make the decision not to kill him, rather than have the gulf that forms make the decision for her. It's an important beat for her arc, and while I think her hesitation could be interpreted as such, I felt that valley forming was too convenient.

It's all a symbolic representation of the choices and dilemmas the characters are making and facing anyway.

Rey gets backed up against a cliff? It's because she's being pushed to make the decision she's been running from since Takodana.

Rey gets separated from Kylo on the right side of a chasm? It's because she just chose to reject killing the man she just disarmed, thus rejecting the call of the dark side.

 

[Twilight Gap]

It's too bad he went down so easy in Ep III. Both of his fights with Anakin were so poorly choreographed. He wrecks in both of the cartoons.

It's all a symbolic representation of the choices and dilemmas the characters are making and facing anyway.

Rey gets backed up against a cliff? It's because she's being pushed to make the decision she's been running from since Takodana.

Rey gets separated from Kylo on the right side of a chasm? It's because she just chose to reject killing the man she just disarmed, thus rejecting the call of the dark side.

I think Ghaleon is saying that it was too on the nose. Most of the visual storytelling was subtle up to that point.

Love it. Comparing it to other lightsabers, it looks very much like an elegant designer product version.

Though it could use some viagra.

Dude was old cut him some slack.

 

[SolVanderlyn]

Windu's purple saber is the GOAT. The story behind it was pretty cool too.

First lightsaber

As a Jedi initiate, Windu was able to see shatterpoints in the force, allowing him to glimpse the future in brief visions. During these visions, Mace was able to see the lightsaber he would eventually build. This was a cause for concern within the Jedi Council, as Windu was unable to construct a weapon resembling the lightsaber he saw in his visions.

At the age of fourteen, Windu requested a true challenge, so that he would be able to find the parts necessary to build the lightsaber. Upon his request, the council sent him to the planet Hurikane alone.

Upon his arrival, he was chased away by the natives, but was easily able to gain the upper hand with the Force. At one point, he caused one of the natives to shatter, but was able to painstakingly reconstruct the individual. As a result, the natives presented him with a violet-colored lightsaber crystal, which he used to finally construct the lightsaber he had seen in his visions of the future.

Second lightsaber

Sometime before 22 BBY, Mace created a second lightsaber, in recognition of his position as a senior Jedi Council member. It was built to the highest standards, emphasizing precision and quality. The weapon incorporated an electrum finish reserved only for the most senior of council members, as well as the signature violet crystal of his earlier weapon. His second lightsaber served him throughout the galaxy-spanning Clone Wars, until his death at the hands of Supreme Chancellor Palpatine in 19 BBY - who was the Dark Lord of the Sith Darth Sidious. The lightsaber plummeted out of the shattered window of the Chancellor's office after Windu's hand was severed by Anakin Skywalker, with its owner soon following.

 

[Veelk]

Love it. Comparing it to other lightsabers, it looks very much like an elegant designer product version.

Though it could use some viagra.

Honestly, what more phallic weapon is there than the sword? And Jedi's sword actually erect themselves for a fight.

They're penises. They're all fighting with penises. /freud

 

[Twilight Gap]

There's a spaceballs reference in here somewhere.

 

[Dommo]

Name another good female character in the OT.

What's the first thing Lando says to Leia in Empire?

I mean, yes there aren't a large number of well represented female characters in the original SW films, but if you're going to have only one, you could do far worse than Leia. That isn't to say there aren't huge improvements to be made or that the films are excused or that I wouldn't have preferred the films to be far better balanced gender-wise, but Leia is a pretty strong-willed, independent character.

My primary problem with your post is that the first thing that Lando says to Leia being "Hello, what have we here?" is not a reflection on the film itself being sexist. I actually can't believe this needs to be said. Lando is a sleezy womanizer - an exaggeration of even Han Solo. He's supposed to be a creep (at least initially) and that line is supposed to trigger feelings of cringe in the audience. Once again - a character's actions and words are never a direct reflection of the film's own opinions (at least, no well written character).

Serious question.. how are you ever able to enjoy anything?

What satisfies your standards?

Just an example I watched the other day... possible Best Picture nominee Ex Machina

Spoiler

features Poe Dameron building an army of female sex robots and keeping them hostage at his estate

does that make that film automatically an evil piece of shit?

Likewise, once again

Spoiler

Oscar Isaac's character in Ex Machina is not a mouth-piece for the film's own opinions. He's another sleezy womanizer who is riding some extremely shaky moral ground. This is a crucial element of the film and raises some extremely interesting and frightening artificial intelligence dilemmas. Ex Machina isn't interesting in spite of its 'sexist undertones.' It's interesting directly because it addresses these issues.

Seriously, I find it troubling we're unable to recognise when a film itself is being sexist, and when well written, flawed characters are being skillfully dramatised.

 

[DrForester]

no love for the water faucet Dooku's Lightsaber?

Way cooler villain than Darth Maul IMO. Too bad he never became more than a pawn.

Dooku went to the dark side after failing countless Jedi Welding classes.

 

[-griffy-]

Pulled this out of that VFX reel:

 

[QuantumZebra]

Man, we've really reached bottom of the barrel discussions havent we?

Tune in tomorrow for "idk rey still seems way op" and "Finn should have ptsd and be in a psych ward the whole movie"

 

[Veelk]

Pulled this out of that VFX reel:

Seriously, look at that dead eyed, blank stare and tell me that Kylo Ren is not thoroughly out of it.

 

[QuantumZebra]

Once you accept that no Lightsaber will ever look as good as Luke's green one, you can lower your expectations down to a reasonable level.

Yep that really is numero uno

 

[Crossing Eden]

Pulled this out of that VFX reel:

This shot is so utterly perfect. So much weight.

 

[-griffy-]

Seriously, look at that dead eyed, blank stare and tell me that Kylo Ren is not thoroughly out of it.

Look at how he is just advancing on Rey, making these HUGE, powerful swings just pushing her back to the crevasse.

 

[MMarston]

Pulled this out of that VFX reel:

something something rhymes

 

[GhaleonEB]

It's all a symbolic representation of the choices and dilemmas the characters are making and facing anyway.

Rey gets backed up against a cliff? It's because she's being pushed to make the decision she's been running from since Takodana.

Rey gets separated from Kylo on the right side of a chasm? It's because she just chose to reject killing the man she just disarmed, thus rejecting the call of the dark side.

I don't feel like that follows, though. Up against a cliff forces you to make a choice. A chasm spawning between you and your foe takes the choice of whether to kill them or not away from you, which is my problem with it. But even rolling with it...

I think Ghaleon is saying that it was too on the nose. Most of the visual storytelling was subtle up to that point.

...then this too. But I don't want to belabor it. In the scheme of things it's a very small pont.

Pulled this out of that VFX reel:

Thanks for this. So many great decisions when designing this sequence. The weight of the weapons, the lack of excessive flourishes, the clear framing. Rey was reeling by that point in the fight.

And I just love the coloring and location for this fight. It's just a gorgeous set.

 

[-griffy-]

Speaking of...

Also:

And I've got an album of more here, but I don't want to kill the page with too many large gifs that'll do for now.

 

[BreezyLimbo]

I really dug the lightsaber fight. Like, it was saved for the end. In PT, it felt like every 5 minutes they were pulling out their sabers for no reason.

 

[Veelk]

One other thing about lightsabers.

Even though Kylo Ren's was poorly made, I don't see how it was actually inferior. The unstable saber blade seemed to function identically well to a normal lightsaber and looked pretty rad, and the extra vents he needed to ended up serving a tactical function that aids him when he wants them to.

It's a neat framing of Kylo Ren's character in the star wars franchise. He's not exactly put together the right way, but for what he needs to be, being put together the right way (actually being the vader clone he wants to be) would be counterintuitive. He's the right character for the job BECAUSE of his flaws.

 

[Toxi]

Mad Max crossover fanart by CollinSearle



I dig it.