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by brianfryer 4477 days ago
Also, why do lightsabers that touch not pass through one another?

Oh, and this theory is an amazing thought experiment!

2 comments

This description says that there are physical glass filaments that they light travels through. So they hit against each other and can't pass through one another.

But the description says "beams from energy weapons hardly affect them and just pass through." But in the movies we see blaster shots being reflected by lightsabers.

IIRC in universe a lightsaber is essentially an infinte blaster shot trapped in a magnetic loop. The crystal tunes the magnetic loop, so blocking blaster shots is simple because the blaster on the "outside" bounces off the same field keeping the plasma "inside" and for the same reason you can have proper sword fights.

I forget if you can shoot a Jedi with a regular bullet but I'd imagine s/he could just dodge it regularly since blaster bolts travel significantly faster.

No, they're much slower. At 24 frames per second, you can watch a bolt from a blaster pistol fly across a room; even a tracer round from a low-velocity handgun would just be a streak. It's more in the range of a good fastball than a bullet.
Considering it has been shown that a lightsaber easily and nearly instantly cuts through most metals, apparently due to extreme heat, that regular bullets would likely not cause an issue.

The speed of the projectile is not an issue either, Jedi use a precognition-like ability to dodge or block blaster fire. That's why a group is required, to eliminate the possibility of them dodging and blocking.

Well, it depends on how thoroughly it dissipates the projectile. Turning a high-velocity slug into a high-velocity blob of superhot molten metal would certainly reduce its penetration, but you still wouldn't want it to hit you in the face.
Still, when lightsabers clash you never see them bending as the article claims they would.
You do see that in Spaceballs, though. Would be hilarious if Mel Brooks turned out to be more technically accurate than the original.
Because that would make for a terrible sword fight scene.

It is interesting to think how you would do battle though, it would basically be the first person / fastest to swing, likely killing both parties anyway.

:\

If there's something lightsabers don't cut through - I think cortosis was mentioned in the KOTOR games - then it would make sense to have a small lightsabre on the tip of a staff of cortosis. (Or perhaps, more practically, a staff coated with cortosis, I don't know how heavy that stuff's meant to be.)

In any case! ^^; A light-spear. You'd be able to parry with the shaft and stab/slice the other person from beyond their reach.

It's not canon, but I remember reading one the expanded universe books that describes a Sith that had somehow created a lightsaber with an extended blade for some perceived advantages. I believe it added 12 to 24 inches to the overall length.
I can just imagine the spam the jedi got in their email inbox after that revelation.