Major Lightsaber Weakness Revealed

“An elegant weapon for a more civilized age.” Ever since old Ben Kenobi uttered those words, the lightsaber had been cemented in pop culture as one of the ultimate weapons. It was the weapon of choice for many a backyard and playground battlefield. It almost goes without saying that the lightsaber has not only become synonymous with Star Wars but also a part of the sci-fi legacy that follows. For years, lightsabers were known as the near-unstoppable weapons of the noble Jedi and the wicked Sith. However, a new flaw may have just been revealed which could render the saber's power useless.

The High Republic is a transmedia campaign that will explore what fans have referred to as “The Old Republic” for years. It is the franchise's way of finally exploring the era of Jedi and Sith before the main series of movies in the official canon. One of the stories in this series of sorts is Cavan Scott’s novel The Rising Storm, which took place roughly 200 years before The Phantom Menace. The story chronicled the time before the Jedi retreated to the Jedi temple and were still actively traveling through the galaxy at large. It was the time before the Galactic Republic as we know it was fully formed. There were constant threats to the growing Republic such as the pirate group called the Nihil, and a race called Drengir, which were ancient allies to the Sith. The events of Scott's novel happened in the middle of this tumultuous time.

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One of the subplots of the book revolved around a Kuranu inventor named Manteesa Chekkat. Manteesa created a device that acted as a literal nullifier to lightsabers. The device, which she called the "nullifier," worked by creating a 10-meter radius of radiation centering around the device upon activation. It could disrupt any energy weapon in the area of effect including blaster bolts and the energy blade of a lightsaber. It was worth noting that the device explained in the book used a recainium core, making it rather bulky. Manteesa thought about making a much smaller version in the future that could be hidden in floors, ceilings, or doors. Nothing has been reveled as of yet if anything ever came of these plans.

Obviously, this nullifier was never shown in any of the prequel movies, Clone Wars animated series, Rebels, or the original trilogy (or it has yet to be revealed to have existed during the main canonical series). It is safe to assume that the device may not have caught on as Manteesa had hoped. One of the reasons for this could be the scarcity of the recainium core, which was illegal in the Republic. Furthermore, the Jedi were presumed to be all but extinct during the original trilogy, so the Emperor would not need to invest the time and money, and risk fatal radiation exposure in developing such a device. He would rather focus his financial and material resources on other projects, like a certain superweapon called the Death Star. He also had one of the most powerful Force users to deal with any lightsaber-wielding Jedi.

The story of The High Republic is still very much in its infancy, so there is a near-infinite possibility for stories in this era. That means there is a good chance the nullifier could make return, and it may even provide answers as to why it was never used during the Clone Wars or later. Either way, it is interesting to know that lightsabers are not without their own flaws. Without the knowledge and power of a Jedi wielding it, lightsabers are just like any other weapon or tool. Its mythical powers come from the wielder rather than the weapon itself.

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Written By Alex Lenzini

Source(s): Screen Rant

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