Lightsaber duels are a beloved staple of Star Wars, and thanks to innovation on the set of Ahsoka, they can be exactly what George Lucas has always wanted. The Disney era of Star Wars has seen the impact of technology on the appearance of lightsabers in projects such as the sequel Star Wars trilogy and the live-action shows, allowing actors the chance to see the glow of the blades as compared to the sticks used in the original and prequel trilogies. This not only helps the actors to immerse themselves more in the scene, but also assists in making the lighting as realistic as possible.
One of the few downsides of this technology has been its complexity that has made filming lightsaber duels more difficult. While the sticks used by actors in the past didn’t require any heavy moving parts, the sabers used in the Disney era have typically had elements such as heavy battery packs that weigh them down. This was often reflected in the choreography of the sequel Star Wars trilogy lightsaber fights, where the weight of the blades showed itself in the hard-hitting strikes and heavy emotion of the duels, opposite to the quick and elaborate fights of the prequel trilogy. For Ahsoka, the choreography has blended these elements together, which has been made possible by a crucial lightsaber change.
Disney Has Improved Its Lightsaber Designs For The Ahsoka Disney+ TV Show
It was revealed by props master Josh Roth at Destination D23 that the lightsabers for Ahsoka were redesigned to fit the batteries directly inside the hilts. This change has kept the battery packs from having to be tucked up Ahsoka actress Rosario Dawson’s sleeves, as was the case for her appearance in The Mandalorian season 2. This makes it much easier for performers like Dawson to duel swiftly while also maintaining the smooth look of her practical lightsaber blades before they have even been touched up in post-production.
Ahsoka’s New Lightsaber Designs Make Fight Choreography Even Better
The duels of Ahsoka so far have reflected this change in their speed. So far, all the lightsaber fights have been impressive, and the quick speed of them has been a major part of the reason why. This practical change by Star Wars for Ahsoka then paves the way for all the future lightsaber fights of the franchise to look just as smooth and swift as they do in this series. Lucas was able to achieve the speed in the prequel trilogy, but now the new technology can maintain that while increasing the quality of the blade’s appearance.
This happy medium has finally created the lightsaber fights of Lucas’ original dream. They’re fast, but also powerful, dwelling upon the two major aspects of duels from all three of the Star Wars trilogies. Actors can better sense the true weight and appearances of their lightsabers to sell their performances in the fights even more. Ahsoka has already proven the benefits of this new technology that will surely pay off in the lightsaber-heavy Star Wars projects to follow. The movie detailing Rey’s New Jedi Order and perhaps even the upcoming series The Acolyte will adopt this same technology to continue providing viewers with Lucas’ perfect lightsaber vision.
