Star Wars: The Force Awakens, otherwise known as Star Wars: Episode VII, is an epic space opera film born from the collaboration between Walt Disney Pictures, Bad Robot Productions and Lucasfilm. It is the seventh installment in the Star Wars saga.
While the film won't hit theaters until Dec. 18, 2015, fans who have seen the sneak peek have instantly taken to social media sites with a flood of comments on the design of the Sith lightsaber. People have questioned the logic of the mini-blades that shoot out of the hilt of the lightsaber to create a sort of crossguard.
"The idea behind a crossguard on any blade is to protect the swordsman's hand from another person's blade," said Kevin Cashen, a certified master bladesmith who specializes in swords. "That hilt would just take you apart if you started to do a lot of complex spinning."
There is at least one function of crossguards that could prove the usefulness of the mini-blades. Crossguards can also be used for the close range bashing of opponents, Cashen said.
Lightsabers have been dubbed the most popular weapon in film history. This remains true despite the notion that lightsabers have had little variation since they were introduced in the first Star Wars movie in 1977.
Perhaps one of the most notable lightsaber designs was the dual-ended lightsaber used by Darth Maul in Star Wars I: The Phantom Menace.
Every Star Wars movie has featured at least one duel involving lightsabers. In The Force Awakens, diehard fans of the movie have expressed disappointment over the latest lightsaber design. Here are a few:
If anyone needs, me, I'll be down in my workshop perfecting my Star-of-David lightsaber.
— John Schwartz — NYT (@jswatz) November 28, 2014
I asked a certified master bladesmith about that new lightsaber design. It's a terrible idea. https://t.co/KUxbT03qES pic.twitter.com/cMNv6ScvTV — Andrea Peterson (@kansasalps) November 28, 2014
The three pronged lightsaber is tearing our nation apart. Well, that and the racism.
— Danielle Radford (@danielleradford) November 29, 2014
The new #StarWars trailer is neat. But there isn't anything to really comment on yet. Except that new light saber. That's pretty silly. — Catie Wayne (@catiewayne) November 29, 2014
Star Wars: The Force Awakens stars John Boyega, Adam Driver, Andy Serkis, Max von Sydow, Gwendoline Christie, Daisy Ridley, Oscar Isaac, Domhnall Gleeson, and Lupita Nyong'o. Kenny Baker, Peter Mayhew, Anthony Daniels, Mark Hamill Carrie Fisher and Harrison Ford are reprising their roles in the past films.
