Lightsaber

"This is the weapon of a Jedi Knight. Not as clumsy or random as a blaster. An elegant weapon for a more civilized age."

- Obi-Wan Kenobi

The lightsaber, sometimes referred to as a laser sword, was a weapon used by the Jedi and the Sith. Lightsabers consisted of a plasma blade, powered by a kyber crystal in Jedi weapons or a Sith crystal in Sith weapons, and emitted from a metallic hilt. It was a weapon that required skill and training, and was greatly enhanced when used in conjunction with the Force. Though also used by the Sith, the lightsaber was synonymous with the Jedi, with some in the galaxy believing only Jedi used lightsabers.

Lightsabers were generally used for combat and defense. A lightsaber could cut through virtually anything, from enemies to blast doors. The only ways to block the incoming attack of a lightsaber was with an electrostaff or another lightsaber. When used defensively, a skilled user could deflect blaster bolts with a lightsaber, and even reflect the shots back toward the shooter or some other target. Experienced Jedi could even employ their lightsabers to absorb Force lightning. Most practitioners used one, single-bladed lightsaber, though some used double-bladed lightsabers or even multiple lightsabers at once.

By approximately thirty years after the death of the Galactic Emperor, Darth Sidious, Kylo Ren wielded a red crossguard lightsaber that extended with two miniature blades.

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. . The weapon drew power from an appropriately-sized power cell. Parts that will work to make a lightsaber include modulation circuits and an energy gate. Ones that are 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. Single-bladed lightsabers usually had a belt ring so they could be hung from the owner's belt when not in use.

During assembly, it was important to not accidently invert the emitter matrix; when activated, this would cause the lightsaber's power grid to 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.