When the publishing company Insight Editions got in touch with me back in July about a new lightsaber book coming out soon, I was highly intrigued. Lightsabers are just one of those fascinating elements that make the Star Wars stories stand out from any other franchise. My very first Star Wars memory is witnessing Obi-Wan give Luke Skywalker his father's lightsaber in A New Hope and, from that moment, I was hooked. So, you might say that I have a special place in my heart for these elegant weapons. I'm fortunate enough to have received an early review copy and wanted to share my overall thoughts with you, some quotes directly from the book, and of course, a peek at a handful of my favorite pages (there are A LOT of them).
In early concept art for 1977's Star Wars: Episode IV A New Hope, lightsabers are wielded by Rebel and Imperial soldiers alike. Lucas's decision to limit their use to the Jedi Knights and their Dark Side counterparts only cemented the iconic status of the weapon."
Star Wars: The Lightsaber Collection is written by Daniel Wallace (New York Times bestselling Star Wars: The New Essential Guide to Characters) with illustrations by Lukasz Liszko and Ryan Valle. It's a super sleek 150 page book with gorgeous cover art that's unique in shape and would make the perfect coffee table decoration or stand out piece on your shelf. Without a doubt, this visual guide is truly a collector's item. Trust me when I tell you that you'll want to add this beauty to your collection! I think fans will especially appreciate that this book covers all of the Star Wars lore including the films, television series, comics, and video games. It will be available this Tuesday, October 20th. You can pre-order it from Amazon here.
Atypical lightsaber designs include half-length shotos and dual-phase sabers that can be extended or shortened at will. The Emperor's Inquisitors carry spinning lightsabers with motorized hubs, and Jedi trainee Ezra Bridger builds a hybrid weapon that combines the functions of a lightsaber and a blaster pistol.
Before digging into the extraordinary gallery of weapons and corresponding character biographies, you'll learn interesting facts about lightsaber history, design, training, combat, and even a little about Jedi tradition. As a massive Star Wars fan, there were a few facts that even I wasn't aware of and I couldn't help but discuss them with my husband who was listening as I excitedly read through the pages. It really is a great precursor to the information about the unique weapons contained within the pages and the individuals who weild them. One of the things that stood out to me the most was the explanation of the red kyber crystal. Did you know that they are formed when a Dark Side Force user bleeds the crystal of its natural color by imposing negative emotions on its crystalline structure? Since choosing a kyber crystal and constructing a hilt is such a personal endeavor, this added so much more depth to characters like Darth Vader, Kylo Ren, and Asajj Ventress, for me.
Lightsabers were very powerful and had a lot of energy in them, so you worked with them as if they were heavy. -George Lucas
George was adament that these things were really heavy. We couldn't take a hand off - we always had to have two hands on it like Excalibur. -Mark Hamill
With there being little to no official merchandise referencing Sequel Trilogy lightsabers belonging to Ben Solo, Rey and even Leia Organa herself, it was such a treat to see each of these characters and their lightsabers get the proper recognition they deserve. I absolutely love that Rey's lightsaber is activated by a rotating gear instead of an ignition switch! Oh, and I can't forget about Dark Rey. She has her own spread in this book as well! Some other noteable pages include unexpected characters and weapons like Lord Corvax from A Star Wars VR Series: Vader Immortal, Jedi Librarian Jocasta Nu and even the Dark Saber (wielded in this book by Sabine Wren), which I'm sure we'll be seeing more of really soon in Season 2 of The Mandalorian. What an exciting time it is to be a Star Wars fan!
The lightsabers carried by the Jedi Temple Younglings aren't fully powered. These training sabers, built smaller to fit little hands, emit low-intensity blades incapable of cutting skin. They do, however, deliver a nasty shock. During some combat exercises, younglings use simple wooden staffs.
Each and every page in this book is absolutely beautiful! It's amazing to see so many of the hilts in such detail (this will be a great rescource for prop-builders and cosplayers) and to gain more knowledge about the characters who we are inspired by and love. I'm anxious to spend even more time poring over these pages. The artful and informative Star Wars books are my favorite kind!
The lightsabers featured in these photos are all legacy lightsabers from Dok Ondar's Den of Antiquities at Galaxy's Edge. My amazing Kylo Ren/Ben Solo t-shirt that reads, "No one's ever really gone." is from Shop Friday Apparel, my Return of the Jedi Socks are from a Smuggler's Bounty box from Funko, and my choker necklace is from Make It Minnie.
Tell me, will you be adding this title to your collection? Let me know in a comment below or get in touch with me on Instagram or Twitter.
Disclaimer: This post was a collaboration with Insight Editions. All opinions are 100% my own. An affiliate link was used in this post meaning if you purchase something from Amazon I will receive a commission.
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