Given that Alec Guinness’ wise mentor Obi-Wan Kenobi needed to face off against David Prowse’s dastardly Darth Vader, this obviously presented a problem for stunt coordinator Peter Diamond. That’s right: the original swords used in A New Hope were so fragile, that they almost always broke when they came into contact with each other. Indeed, in the hands of a heroic Jedi Knight or a villainous Sith Lord, the lightsaber is effectively the ultimate weapon, capable of deflecting blaster fire, and – just as importantly – block another lightsaber.įunnily enough, the real-world lightsaber props used on the first Star Wars film actually came up embarrassingly short in this last regard. Within the Star Wars universe, the lightsaber is renowned for its ability to cut through virtually anything.
20 The First Lightsaber Props Were Incredibly Fragile With this in mind, we’ve combed through all the available factoids to bring you our top 20 Crazy Behind-The-Scenes Facts About Lightsabers. Yet the overall look and sound of the lightsabers has ultimately changed very little over the past 41 years – a testament to the enduring appeal of Star Wars creator George Lucas’ initial concept.Īs you might expect from a prop that can lay claim to four whole decades of filmmaking history, the lightsaber boasts a veritable treasure trove of behind-the-scenes trivia.
Likewise, the choreography used in the thrilling lightsaber duels that have become a signature element of the Star Wars series has also grown more sophisticated over time. Where once the distinctive, colored glow of the laser sword was realized with painstaking, manually rotoscoped animation, this process is now achieved relatively simply via digital effects.
The movie magic responsible for the lightsaber has evolved considerably since it first debuted on screen. Ever since they first appeared in 1977’s Episode IV: A New Hope, these hi-tech blades – which paradoxically manage to harken back to a more romantic era – have captivated audience imaginations. When ranking the most iconic cinematic weapons of all time, the lightsabers seen in the Star Wars franchise arguably deserve the top spot.