For years,Star Warsfans have dreamed of having a real lightsaber. The weapon of the Jedi. The weapon of a more civilized age. Of the many things George Lucas created that exist only in a galaxy far, far away, perhaps nothing is more coveted. The idea of having a real lightsaber has always seemed impossible. Yet, a fan has finally made one that truly does work. Though, it’s just as dangerous as it is awesome and it may not be exactly what lovers of the franchise have had in mind all these years.
Thelightsaberwas made by YouTuber James Hobson, known as the Hacksmith. Recently, Hobson uploaded a video of his latest undertaking, which sees him making a real-life lightsaber. In theStar Warscanon, what he crafts is known as a protosaber. In the early days of the weapons, they were powered by large packs containing a power source. In this case, a battery. While this isn’t something that’s been explored in the movies, the expanded universe has introduced the idea. For practical reasons, mostly stemming from the need for a large power source, Hobson went with a protosaber design.
In the video, we see the complex process ofbringing this bit of sci-fi awesomeness to life. The main issue is the battery pack, which is incredibly powerful, but that also makes it quite dangerous. The end result is not a blade that extends and retracts. Instead, it’s a large rod extending from the hilt that heats up to the point that it becomes a downright irresponsible fire hazard. And it’s not instant. The heating process takes sometime before it gets that true, lightsaber look. Plus, the battery pack that needs to be carried around weights nearly 50 pounds, which is a bit prohibitive for daily use. But, admittedly, seeing it in action is pretty impressive. Most impressive.
The lightsaber produced in the video is modeled afterCal Kestis' lightsaberfromJedi Fallen Order, the recently releasedStar Warsvideo game that takes place after the events ofRevenge of the Sithand focuses on the Empire’s quest to finish hunting down the Jedi. Of note; it’s also explained in the video that they intend to make Kylo Ren’s lightsaber as well in the future, which should present a unique challenge, given the crossguard.
This is something that simply isn’t practical, nor is it attainable for fans. Though, it does demonstrate that something like areal Star Wars laser swordis, perhaps, more plausible than we ever thought. That having been said, people are probably better off shelling out for an expensive lightsaber toy or replica, as opposed to chasing down the real thing. Still, seeing this thing light up and look like the real thing is pretty close to making a sci-fi dream come true. Be sure to check out the full video for yourself from the the Hacksmith YouTube channel. And don’t try this at home, young padawan.
