Lightsaber . Not as clumsy or random as a blaster. More skill than simple sight was required for its use. An elegant weapon. It was a symbol as well.

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Anyone can use a blaster or a fusioncutter—but to use a lightsaber well was a mark of someone a cut above the ordinary. The lightsaber also became synonymous with the Jedi Order's values to uphold peace and justice throughout the galaxy.

The most amazing vehicles ever raced in the 24 Hours of LeMons. Designed as much for elegance in combat as for ceremony, the lightsaber, also referred to as the. Mary Sutherland is an author and researcher focusing her work on consciousness studies, ancient history and unusual phenomena. She is a "hands on" researcher and the. HOW TO RUN YOUR FIRST 50-MILER. Running and Weight Loss Marathons (and Ultras) Without Walls Secrets of the Wily Old Ultrarunners. See also: Art of the Low-Mileage Ultra. Originally from Texas, Ashcraft has called Osaka home since 2001. He has authored four books, including most recently, Japanese Tattoos: History * Culture * Design.

This perception endured, despite the many conflicts with lightsaber- wielding Sith and Dark Jedi. The field contained the immense heat of the plasma, protecting the wielder, and allowed the blade to keep its shape. The hilt was almost always self- fabricated by the wielder to match his or her specific needs, preferences and style. The hilt was also built similarly to his or her master's lightsaber as a mark of respect.

Due to the weightlessness of plasma and the strong gyroscopic effect generated by it, lightsabers required a great deal of strength and dexterity to wield, and it was extremely difficult—and dangerous—for the untrained to attempt using. However, in the hands of an expert of the Force, the lightsaber was a weapon to be greatly respected and feared.

To wield a lightsaber was to demonstrate incredible skill and confidence, as well as masterful dexterity and attunement to the Force. Users were able to channel the dark side of the Force through black laboratory- grown crystals which would create the glowing energy blades. For millennia afterwards, the Jedi continued to use bladed weapons like swords, as lightsabers had not yet been refined for regular use. However, these preliminary lightsabers were highly unstable and inefficiently guzzled energy from a belt- mounted power supply; they could only be used for a brief duration before overheating. As a consequence of these flaws, the first lightsabers were little more than ceremonial objects, seldom worn, and much less utilized.

However, while these archaic lightsabers were far more stable than their ungainly predecessors, they still suffered from energy consumption issues, requiring the belt- worn power pack of previous generations. However, despite the shortcomings, the highly stable blades granted them a superior advantage in hand- to- hand combat against heavily- armored foes, and saw a great deal of use during the period of the Hundred- Year Darkness. An internal superconductor was introduced, which transferred the returning looped energy from the negative- charged flux aperture back into an internal power cell.

With this modification, the power cell would only expend power when the energy loop was broken, such as when the lightsaber cut something, solving the power supply problem. According to the Tedryn Holocron, the Sith also created the schematics for the first double- bladed lightsabers. The Sith crew of the Omen were also equipped with modern lightsabers. However, this tradition was disregarded by Exar Kun during his reign, as he and his followers opted instead to continue using their Jedi lightsabers in combat, though at least one follower used a lightsaber with a red crystal. However, this tradition was reestablished by the Sith acolyte Haazen and the Dark Lords Revan and Malak. After Revan and Malak, the tradition continued to be observed by virtually every noteworthy Sith Lord.

A blade unique in the history of warfare. A paradox, not unlike the Jedi who wield it: those peaceful warriors, who kill in the service of life. Have you ever noticed? The blade is round. It has no edge. But it is a lightsaber—which means it is nothing but edge. There is no part of this blade that does not cut.

Curious, yes? Symbolic, one might say. However, the majority of Sith forces held to the use of Sith swords, while the Jedi continued to use the protosabers, as they had not yet had time to adapt and implement these new designs.

With the Sith defeat at the end of the war, modern lightsabers were adopted by the Jedi Order. By 4. 80. 0 BBY, they were almost universally utilized by Jedi. However, other innovations entered their ranks, with Kun modifying his lightsaber into a double- bladed lightsaber, using schematics from a Sith holocron. It's strong enough to stand up against anything, even a lightsaber. During their conflict against the Mandalorians, Revan and Malak were turned to the dark side and invaded the Republic, at the head of their own Sith Empire.

Revan waged war against the Republic for several years, attracting numerous rogue and Dark Jedi to his cause. When he founded his own branch of Sith, Revan observed the tradition of using red- hued blades laid out by the original Sith. Many of his followers followed suit, and red lightsabers became recognized as the mark of a darksider. Double- bladed lightsabers also saw common usage among the Dark Jedi and Sith Lords. As blaster usage experienced partial decline due to the shields, melee weapons such as swords became more common.

In order to make the weapons more durable, almost all weapons of the era were created using cortosis woven into the blade, allowing them to stand up against lightsabers. Your lightsaber is nothing against the power of the dark side. The conflict culminated in the Sacking of Coruscant in 3.

BBY. This forced the Republic to sign the Treaty of Coruscant that led to the Cold War. Another typical design feature on Sith weapons was the usage of dual- blade guards. During this period, lightsaber usage and technology remained largely unchanged, although it should be noted that the usage of naturally formed crystals from Ilum became almost universal among Jedi, causing the variety of lightsaber colors to drop, as the vast majority of crystals that formed on Ilum took on either a blue or green hue. Maul considered the creation of the crystals he used as a mark of Sith superiority over Jedi. Rather than being created as a meditative exercise, heavy- duty lightsabers built to stand up to the rigors of war became the norm. Stolen from the Jedi Temple by the Mandalorians several millennia prior, the weapon had been passed down the line among the warriors, eventually coming into the possession of Pre Vizsla. Vizsla wielded the weapon against Obi- Wan Kenobi in a brief duel.

There are rumors that some lightsabers remain in the private collections of the extremely wealthy. But the only one that I am certain truly exists belongs to Darth Vader, and I doubt he'd part with it willingly. I'll build my own. It'll be more in tune with my—. It will take some time, however, to assemble the necessary equipment and materials.

To further hinder surviving Jedi, Palpatine had many of the sites where Jedi traditionally collected lightsaber crystals razed or quarantined, and placed strict sanctions on any crystals available on the market that could be used on such, such as Corusca gems. These lightsabers were created on Kamino for the Imperial saber guard and the Starkiller clones, and called for the mass importing of special crystals for them. The crystals in question were likely synthetics, due to the red coloration common to most, though the weapons supplied to most of the clones featured silver blades. Notably, he was forced to use a synth- crystal for his weapon, as he lacked any knowledge of the sites where Jedi traditionally gathered crystals, most of which having been razed during the Purge. The resulting crystal possessed a green coloration, due to Skywalker's meditations upon it during its formation. Notably, Palpatine did not force his other disciples to wield red lightsabers, but as they were mere Dark Jedi rather than true Sith, he may have felt that the tradition did not apply.

He himself wielded a trophy lightsaber with a blue coloration at this time. A notable group were the Reborn.

Due to the large number of Dark Jedi within the Reborn, supplied by a special cloning method that granted Force- sensitivity, Desann was forced to manufacture lightsabers for the group.

Darth Maul . Originally a Dathomiri. Nightbrother born on Iridonia and known only as Maul, the infant Maul was given by his Nightsistermother to the Sith Lord. Darth Sidious, who trained him in the ways of the dark side of the Force as his secret apprentice on a secret Mustafar training facility, along with the help of a split personality droid. Maul became a master of Juyo, Ataru, Jar'Kai, and Ter. Blair Witch Project Torrent Iso Hunt. Though well trained in the ways of the Sith and a Sith assassin rather than a full apprentice, Maul was technically a violation of the Rule of Two because his own Master was at the time apprenticed to another, the Muun Sith Lord Darth Plagueis.

Plagueis however, was fully aware of Maul's existence, and supported Sidious's decision to train him. The primary reason for Plagueis's support, despite the violation of the Rule of Two, was that Maul was trained to be expendable.

As an assassin, he could perform high priority, boots- on- the- ground missions for the Sith without running the risk of exposing either Plagueis or Sidious should he fail. Maul carried out this task perfectly, dealing the group a grievous blow. Maul played an instrumental role in the invasion of the planet.

Naboo in 3. 2 BBY. The crisis was engineered by Darth Sidious, who lived a double life as Senator Palpatine of Naboo, to have Supreme Chancellor. Finis Valorum removed from office, allowing Sidious to take his place and set the stages for a government ruled by the Sith. He found her on Tatooine, where he had a short but intense duel with Jedi Master. Qui- Gon Jinn, revealing the existence of the Order of the Sith Lords to the Jedi, who had thought the Sith extinct. Later, Maul was sent to Naboo, where he fought Jinn and his apprentice, Obi- Wan Kenobi.

Though he killed the Jedi Master, Maul underestimated Kenobi’s skill and was severed in half at the waist by the Padawan. Sidious would quickly replace Maul with another powerful apprentice: the late Jinn's former Master, Dooku, who had fallen to the dark side, and whom Sidious dubbed Darth Tyranus.

Maul kept himself mobile by manifesting a spider- like lower half, feeding off of rodents while his mental equilibrium slowly became undone. Although Darth Sidious and the Jedi Order were unaware of Maul's continued existence, the Nightsister Mother Talzin continued to keep an eye on Maul. In 2. 0 BBY, three years into the Clone Wars, Talzin sent Maul's brother, Savage Opress, the ousted apprentice of Maul's Sith successor, on a quest to find the fractured man who dwelled in the depths of Lotho Minor.

Savage successfully brought his brother back to Dathomir to undergo physical and mental reconstitution by Talzin's dark magic. Rehabilitated mentally and physically through prostheticlegs, Maul swore to reestablish his place in galactic history, starting with taking vengeance on Kenobi. Maul and Opress caught the attention of the Jedi Order by slaughtering innocents on the planet Raydonia in a successful attempt to lure Kenobi out. Maul tortured Kenobi, though the arrival of an unexpected ally, the Nightsister Asajj Ventress, gave Kenobi the time he needed to escape. On one occasion, Maul rallied the Moorjhoni clans against the Rim Mining Company. Maul and his brother then unsuccessfully tried to recruit a group of Weequaypirates from the Ohnaka Gang to their cause, a plan which was thwarted and nearly ended in the Nightbrothers' deaths following the arrival of Kenobi.

Maul and his brother were found by the Mandalorian. Death Watch leader Pre Vizsla and his lieutenant Bo- Katan.

The two conspired to conquer Mandalore and establish a criminal empire, enlisting the aid of the Hutt Cartel, Black Sun and the Pyke Syndicate. When the New Mandalorian state on Mandalore was conquered by the new Shadow Collective, Vizsla imprisoned Maul and Opress, no longer having any use for them. Maul retaliated by dueling and finally decapitated Vizsla, declaring himself ruler of the Death Watch.

Maul finished his revenge on Kenobi by killing his former lover, ousted Mandalorian Duchess. Satine Kryze. However, his actions drew the attention of his former master, Darth Sidious, who killed Opress and kidnapped Maul for his own purposes.

Less than a year after Maul's birth, his mother encountered Darth Sidious, the young Sith apprentice of Darth Plagueis, and implored him to save Maul from the life of a Nightbrother. Though somewhat reluctant, Sidious was persuaded to take Maul, especially given the infant's strong connection to the Force. A year after Maul was given over to the Sith, Sidious was granted permission from his own Master to train him as an apprentice. Plagueis, however, instructed Sidious not to give away their most treasured secrets to the Dathomirian; Maul was to be trained as a Sith assassin, not a Sith Lord like Plagueis and Sidious. Any show of hesitation or a mistake was severely punished, and any hint of mercy rewarded with cruelty. One day, after some agility exercises and a torturous session with a computer console on a number of questions, Maul had gone over to the ring, where TD- D9 wielded a wooden staff and instructed him to dodge his blows in another exercise. Maul was hit in the first two strikes, but managed to evade the next two; then, Deenine spun and threw the staff at Maul, hitting him in the face.

Before Deenine could retrieve the staff, an enraged Maul unconsciously Force Pulled the weapon into his hands. Surprised, Deenine reported this discovery to Sidious. When asked by how he felt during the exercise, Maul responded that he was angry.

Sidious grinned with satisfaction and ordered Deenine to prepare his cruiser for liftoff. Impressed, Sidious explained the nature of the Force to Maul and advised to hide his talents from others who were . The Sith Master explained to his Zabrak pupil everything there was on the history between the Jedi Order, guardians of the Galactic Republic, and the Sith, the latter of which involved mentions of Naga Sadow and the Great Hyperspace War; Freedon Nadd and his haunting of Onderon; Exar Kun and Ulic Qel- Droma; Darths Revan and Malak; the theories on the title of Darth; Skere Kaan and the Brotherhood of Darkness, which was destroyed by their leader's own thought bomb on Ruusan; and Darth Bane, who reformed the Sith with the Rule of Two: one master, one apprentice. At the last moment, Maul had freed himself and leaped to his mentor's side. He asked if the Sith still existed.

Sidious only said that it was possible. Moreover, he said that if it hadn't been for the Sith's efforts, Maul would have been found by the Jedi on Dathomir and turned into a . Sidious advised the boy not to underestimate the Jedi: compassion may be their greatest weakness, but they were still strong. He instructed Maul to do the exercise again; this time, with the chain lowering at a quicker pace.

With ease, Maul cut down a couple of trees. Having cloaked himself and his pupil, Sidious pointed out the faces of individual Jedi as the day went on. Maul was filled with delight to be in the presence of his enemies, and listened to his mentor whispering of the Jedi being oblivious to their eventual destruction.

Just how many is . Obviously, I never actually saw any of his fights. Tell me, did he win this one?? I told you he was a bit wild. However, Sidious ordered him to forgo any use of the Force, save for his heightened senses. The young Zabrak, upon being introduced to the students, challenged the tall Abyssin.

Dalok to prove himself, and defeated him with such ferocity that he bit him on the nose. Maul struggled to get out, while his Master watched on and refused to answer any call for help.

The boy feared for his life, but he learned that he must turn his fear into anger, therefore using it to swim hard to shore. Still, Sidious did not congratulate him. They just continued to walk as they had before. Once accomplished, he lied to Trezza about how he killed those chargrecks with his own hands, when in fact he used an electroshock net at Kilindi's suggestion.