Is a Lightsaber a Practical Weapon?

[chaostheory]

no

nothing is practical when you have a deathstar on your side...

...well at least one that doesn't have that darn achilles heel exhaust port thing...

If you think about it the deathstar is an impractical weapon as well. It's almost completely useless in space combat. All the enemy realistically has to do to engage it is bring in a few large war ships and keep blasting away at it at with their main guns. Due to the relatively small size of the actual shot from the main cannon because of how obvious it is where its pointing it would not be hard to keep in a relatively safe place. Its only major benefit is the fear having one on your side generates its essentially a far more limited nuke with an extremely high maintenance cost.

The best sci-fi doomsday weapon is probably Dr. Device from Ender's Game.

 

[Kajin]

A lightsaber in real life would not have a stopping point.

It would just continue on in whichever direction it's pointed at.

Therefore, it would be completely useless, unless you had to take out an entire army.

Not really. A lightsabre is really nothing more than a laser that is so extremely focused that it's been given physical form. The energy source driving it more than likely only has enough power to push the blade out so far.

OT: I can see it being an extremely useful tool. Maybe use it to cut through a bulkhead to gain access to a particular area, but as a weapon? Only if you had the force would it be an effective weapon because the only thing keeping a jedi from being shot in the back is the sense of premonition that it gives them.

 

[Romaru]

Practical, not at all. Anyone with a grenade launcher or a rocket launcher with a remote detonator could overpower a run of the mill jedi. However, that doesn't keep it from being a lovely weapon for dueling or spec ops use.

I'd love to see a marine trying to use it in spec ops without the damn thing giving them away with the light and the sound effects you get when you 'draw' it.

Rather go with a standard knife.

 

[Spiner909]

Only if you train a lot with it.

 

[AlchemistMayCry]

Practical? No, unless you had Jedi training. Cool? Yes. To quote a certain scruffy-looking nerf herder: "Hokey religions and ancient weapons are no match for a good blaster at your side, kid." I mean, what good did lightsabers do when Order 66 was initiated? The clones may have had the element of surprise, but if they didn't do you think a Jedi could stand up to them unless they were Obi-Wan or Yoda (considering Obi-Wan's fighting style is designed to deflect blasters, and Yoda's a midget)? I'd stick with Han's advice and keep a pair of high-powered blasters (Captain Fordo style) and a good sized rifle for extra precaution.

 

[siffty]

no how ever as a bread knife yes there is some good tost

 

[Z of the Na'vi]

You tell me.

 

[ffxfriek]

It is not until you learn the path of the jedi (or dark side) and then can control it and utilize it as a great weapon as is intended

 

[13lackfriday]

If it doesn't exist it isn't a practical weapon

but I'll humor you. Another reason it isn't practical is displayed beautifully here

aaaaaand I cant find the video on youtube...

Basically if you drop it the damn thing will just keep falling...

Actually this might seem pointlessly inane to you but there's a lot of disagreement over what would happen when a lightsaber is stuck in something. (lemme guess, Robot Chicken)

There's the argument that since it is, in fact, a mass-less blade of pure energy it would just follow the weighty handle and fall with gravity, slicing its target as it fell.
Then again, in Clone Wars (animated series, not CGI puppetry), Obi-Wan managed to impale his enemy with it and it stayed embedded in his chest until he pulled it back with the Force.

So clearly, physics or any real-world applications of this tool fly straight out the window when we get to the Star Wars galaxy far, far away.

 

[solidstatemind]

Since the question did not include the words "In the star wars universe", I'm going to to guess that you meant in our world, today.

No, it would be pretty bad-ass today, even if it wouldn't be a fit weapon for the military necessarily, I certainly would buy one for home-defense. And every home invader would be met with the words: "When I left you, I was but a learner... Now I am the master!"

Oh, and in re:

Go take a few years of kendo, master the art,

While I appreciate that you probably weren't really trying to denigrate Kendo, I can tell you, as a student, that 'a few years' is not adequate to 'master the art' of kendo, any more than you could get a black belt in any of the more common martial arts in a few years.

 

[Soushi]

I will just get a rocket launcher that launches big light sabers at things.

ON that note, i think it would be cool to have a light saber fight scene where the guy has a long handle, it gets lashed in half, but rather than being mad, he reveals that it is actually two double light sabers put together.

I also always wondered, why did kit fisto never cut off one of his head tentacle things. I mean, i know he was an awesome jedi and all, but seriously.

 

[Sifer2]

It's practical in the Star Wars universe and only if your a Jedi really. In the Star Wars universe its likely that advancements in armor an personal shielding made conventional physical bullet type weapons ineffective. That's probably why everyone uses energy weapons even though they seem impractical. For a Jedi I imagine its not difficult to counter physical based weapons with the force either. Much like how Neo can stop bullets just force push. Works on Rockets too. But Jedi can't do that to energy blasts so its likely that is why they prefer a Lightsaber since it can make up for that by letting them deflect or absorb energy. It also cuts through nearly anything so even if the enemy is heavily armored or shielded they can still take them out. Unless its specific types of armors like Cortosis which overloads the saber.

All that being said there is really no reason a Jedi shouldn't carry a gun too. Kind of silly that they don't.

 

[Chaos-Spider]

I dunno guys, the lightsaber didn't really seem that effective in the force unleashed, so maybe it really isnt the all powerful weapon we think it is. Gimmie the chance to shoot lightning over a giant glowing willy extension any day.

Shooting lightning and force choking would be much cooler and slightly more practical than a lightsabre, and are why the sith are cool. I would probably be a jedi though if I got the abilities to use the force to heal, teleport and/or fly. then I wouldn't have to use a weapon of questionable practicality.

if pushed though,having a lightsaber would be cool. I would be a god of death for the whole 2.33 seconds I wielded one before I cut myself to peices.

 

[Weaver]

Everything is made of particles so everything is a particle weapon.

 

[13lackfriday]

PHYSICS IS NOBODY'S *****! SHE IS A FINE UPSTANDING YOUNG LADY! HOW DARE YOU SA...

... Anyway the lightsaber is horribly impractical. Sure it can cut through every conceivable surface (more or less) but the fact that it requires lots of training to use it without beheading yourself makes it worthless to a society at large. It isn't practical if nobody can understand it.

I quite agree with you, sci-fi, no matter how outlandish or removed from reality, should take respect for this esteemed lady of knowledge upon whose shoulders the very fabric of reality lies...

I think the point of lightsaber being so difficult to use is that in SW canon, they are the most dangerous and efficient weapons around (def. true in KOTOR at least), so if just about anybody could pick it up and use it, the entire galaxy would be in a dire state.
And you forget that Jedi deliberately remove themselves from society for their training and service, so it is supposed to be in use for only a select, highly-trained and -disciplined few.

Edit:

My lightsaber chainsaw attachment brings your lightsaber into the field of practicality.

Marcus Fenix just jizzed in his two-ton suit of armor and fell to your feet salivating uncontrollably.

 

[Firia]

Practicality of the Lightsaber depends entirely. When utilized as it was in the Star Wars universe, it is sickingly practical. But they're Jedi's, yaknow. They use the force. So, maybe. If you're a skilled force user, then totally. If you're average couch potato, then, probably not, as you lack the hops an skill to utilize the lightsaber well.

Answer? "Maybe."

 

[Ultra_Caboose]

I don't think it would be practical, too many bad physics involved. For example say you try to cut through something, the molten parts are gonna fly all over, most likely landing on your hand which is holding the saber. Also it is questionable as to the actual physical forces on the blade. Say you try to cut through a moving vehicle, is there and equal and opposite force of blade vs car? If so you probably would break your arm.

1. Well, obviously if you swing fast enough, you miss all the hot moten-ey stuff...
2. No, there is no equal force on the blade. The blade is full of concentrated energy and awesome. It uses kinetic whatsits to tear the object it's slashing to all those tiny bits!

I have no idea. I honestly never thought about the F-ing laws of physics with these blades. Though I would imagine that if the blade is hot enough to melt or completely incinerate the material it hits, the force of impact on the user would be a lot less since the object being hit is disintegrating instead of being forcibly torn apart like with a physical blade. I see it like using a cutting torch on metal.

But no, like everyone else has been saying, without the force, a lightsaber is pretty much useless. Unless you just needed to chop the heads off of zombies, then it'd be perfect!

 

[katsabas]

Of course it is. No counter-weight and light as a feather. Beats any melee weapon.