The origin of the lightsaber explained

By Ryan Fleming April 1, 2014

origin lightsaber explained haughton star wars robotics 050813 — Image used with permission by copyright holder

Ever wondered where the idea for the lightsaber came from? Well wonder no more, as the official Star Wars page on YouTube recently posted a featurette with George Lucas, Mark Hamill, and sound designer Ben Burtt explaining the origin of the iconic weapon. The clip discusses the original idea, and how the lightsaber evolved from a heavy, lumbering weapon to what was seen in the fast-paced battles of of the later Episodes (later in terms of when they were filmed, that is). It also shows how the fights were originally filmed.

The video combines recent interviews with several behind-the-scenes looks. We could go on and on about why this clip is worth watching, but it’s the origin of the lightsaber. If you are a Star Wars fan, you probably stopped reading after the headline and are deep into the featurette already. So enjoy!

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Ryan Fleming is the Gaming and Cinema Editor for Digital Trends. He joined the DT staff in 2009 after spending time covering…

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