Da Lightsaber Information.

[Jarai Telo]

So you can cut off your arm. The lightsaber information is as followed, taken from Wookieepedia.


Designed as much for elegance in combat as for ceremony, the lightsaber was a distinctive weapon, the very image of which was inextricably bound with the mythos of the Jedi and the Sith.

It was a blade of pure energy emitted from a hilt most often crafted by the wielder to match their own needs, preferences, and style. Because of the unique balance of the saber, with all its weight in the hilt, and a strong gyroscopic effect it was very difficult for the untrained to wield. In the hands of an expert in tune with the Force, such as the Jedi or their fallen brethren, the Sith, the lightsaber was a weapon to be greatly respected, even feared. To wield a lightsaber was to demonstrate incredible skill and confidence, as well as masterful dexterity and attunement to the Force.

Through the millennia of their use, the lightsaber became synonymous with the Jedi and their values to uphold peace and justice throughout the galaxy. This perception endured despite the many early conflicts with Sith and Dark Jedi who also wielded what the general populace often called laser swords.

[Krai H'voc]

Crystal and Hilt Variants

Crystals

Crystal color, type and number contributed to some of the variations often found in lightsabers. The color of the crystal used decided the eventual color of the lightsaber "blade." Adegan crystals, also known as Ilum crystals, were some of the most popular ones used in lightsabers. These crystals could be imbued with the Force, helping Jedi become one with the saber. The crystal's weak Force signature could be felt by Jedi a short distance away.

After discovering the Kaiburr Crystal on Mimban, Luke Skywalker added a small shard of it to the focusing crystal assembly in his lightsaber. The fragment of the crystal made the blade more powerful and efficient. Other people, such as Leia Organa Solo and Lumiya, also utilized shards of the Kaiburr in their respective weapons (Leia's in a lightsaber and Lumiya's in a lightwhip).

Other natural crystals, like Nextor and Damind crystals, could be found throughout the galaxy, and could be used in the shaping of the lightsaber's energy blade.

Used because their engineered qualities created a slightly more powerful blade and were more easily augmented, synthetic lightsaber crystals, or synth-crystals, were a synthetic reconstruction of a crystal, commonly with a red shading rather than those geometric models naturally created, although they could be made in any color. Due to the common red shading, they were often nicknamed 'bloodshine blades'. Not without disadvantages, these crystals were more unstable, short-lived, and less maneuverable than their natural counterparts. Synth-crystals were frequently used by dark-siders, most of all the Sith. Though it rarely happened, a Sith synthetic crystal lightsaber blade was capable of overloading a regular lightsaber in combat, making it short out, thus giving the Sith a small psychological edge over their opponents.

During the Great Sith War epoch, many lightsabers were created using Kunda Stones, a natural geologic formation from the planet Kadril, in place of crystals. These stones boasted numerous practical applications in medicine and communications; however, when added to other focusing crystals, they produced a broader beam.

Some types of pearls or ingots of certain ores could be used instead of crystals, though this was an arcane and ancient craft dating back to before the Battle of Ruusan. Following his adventures on Taris, the Jedi once known as Revan discovered that a krayt dragon pearl could be utilized as part of a lightsaber, greatly enhancing its power.

Corran Horn notably used a Durindfire Gem as his main crystal, giving his blade a silver hue.

Hilts

The most common variety of lightsaber hilt was about 20-35 centimeters, using one or two crystals, and was best wielded with two hands. It was a trademark of the Jedi Knights and their Sith counterparts. During the time of the New Jedi Order, a number of hilt varieties of this lightsaber type existed, but it is unknown if Force-sensitives of other eras also conformed to these standardized hilt options.

Archaic lightsaber

Archaic lightsabers, also known as protosabers—The earliest known form of lightsaber. It consisted of a hilt most often made of solid duranium, a focusing crystal that was set in place inside the hand-carved hilt, a power pack that was strapped to the belt or back of the wielder and a cord that connected to the power pack and to the base of the hilt. Much like later lightsabers, their focusing crystal was set inside a hilt from which a blade of energy was emitted. The main difference between these lightsabers and later lightsabers lay in that the hilt was connected by a cable to an external power supply carried by the wielder on his or her back. The invention of smaller power cells that could be fit within the hilt of the lightsaber and the greater freedom of movement gained by this advance in lightsaber technology made protosabers obsolete. Odan-Urr wielded such a lightsaber, as did many of the Jedi before the Great Sith War.



Electrum hilts

Electrum—A lightsaber with a hilt forged from gold-like electrum was often called an "Electrum lightsaber." The electrum finish gave the lightsaber a majestic, regal appearance. In the last days of the Old Jedi Order, golden and electrum lightsabers were reserved for senior members of the Jedi Council. Mace Windu's and Darth Sidious's lightsabers were examples of such kind.



Curved-hilt lightsaber

Curved-hilt lightsaber—A standard design during the prime of Form II lightsaber combat, curved hilts allowed more precise movements as well as reasonable flexibility in lightsaber-to-lightsaber combat. The curved hilt also provided a challenge when defending against it, because the wielder would strike a slightly different angle than with a normal hilt. It was also more complex and gave the maker more of a challenge in aligning its crystals. This lightsaber was known to be used by Count Dooku, his apprentice Komari Vosa,[6] and later his Dark Side Adept Asajj Ventress.[7] Ventress's lightsabers could combine to make a curved double blade. This was also known as paired lightsabers. The Wookiee Jedi Master Tyvokka used a curved blade, suggesting that he may have been a practitioner of Makashi. Prior to the Battle of Ruusan, the Sith Master Na'daz possessed a lightsaber with a curved hilt. Na'daz's apprentice, Kas'im, acquired that weapon after killing him, and he later presented it to Darth Bane.

An example

[Krai H'voc]

Blade Variants

Training lightsaber

Training lightsabers—The training lightsaber was used by Jedi younglings, to practice lightsaber combat. While non-lethal, contact with the blade could cause bruising and even minor burns. This type of lightsaber was often used in conjunction with the basic Shii-Cho style of lightsaber combat. It was also used by Padawans and training droids in the Jedi Praxeum during the New Jedi Order.[5]
Dual-phase

"Dual-phase blades seem to be something of a fad among Jedi at certain points"
―Luke Skywalker[src]

Dual-phase Lightsaber—This rare type of lightsaber used a combination of focusing crystals to create a blade that could extend up to double the original length with a simple activation. Unlike typical lightsabers, which often possessed a manual adjuster for reducing the blade emission, the dual-phased blade could be triggered in an instant, adding an element of surprise to catch an opponent off guard. Additionally, dual-phase lightsabers also had a blade-width adjust. Gantoris wielded such a lightsaber,[9] as did Corran Horn[10] and Darth Vader.[11]

Records from circa 400 BBY indicate that Keiran Halcyon constructed a special dual phase lightsaber that could go from the standard 1.3 meters to a length of three meters with flick of a switch. Most dual phase lightsabers date from an earlier period of Republic history when lightsaber duels were common and the Sith were at the height of their power. As more beings became aware of the Jedi fighting skills and the Jedi themselves strove to end disputes without drawing their weapons, duels grew less frequent and dual phase lightsabers went out of style.
Shoto

Short Lightsaber or Shoto—A lightsaber employing a shorter blade than the more common lightsaber. The smaller blade allowed for easier use in combat by those Jedi who were of a smaller stature, such as Jedi Masters Yoda, Even Piell, Yaddle, and Tsui Choi. Moreover, a shoto was sometimes utilized in the Niman (Jar'Kai) combat style by individuals of normal stature, for example the ancient Jedi Master Kavar and a number of Darth Malak's dark side minions.[5] The shoto could also be used as an assault knife. Luke Skywalker constructed his own shoto after the Battle of Endor. Master Sora Bulq during the Clone Wars era was known to carry a shoto which he used in combat with Senior Jedi Master Mace Windu. Those not sensitive to the Force could use this type of lightsaber due to its shorter blade. Luke Skywalker also made one to combat Dark Lady of the Sith Lumiya and her lightwhip to aid him in combat. Guard shotos were rare, perpendicular-gripped type of lightsaber. Maris Brood, a Zabrak Jedi and Sinya, a Twi'lek Black Sun bodyguard, used such weapons.
Underwater

Underwater Lightsaber—While most lightsabers short out when the blade touches water, this blade was made to operate underwater due to two crystals employing a bifurcating cyclical-ignition pulse. It was carried by Kit Fisto during the Clone Wars battle on Mon Calamari.[12] Other Jedi whose lightsabers were functional underwater were:

* Anakin Skywalker (both his first and second "Jedi lightsabers")
* Luke Skywalker (both his father's and his own lightsaber[14])
* Mara Jade (at least two of her lightsabers, as her second was Anakin Skywalker's)
* Jacen Solo
* Qu Rahn
* Yun

Blade colors

The color of a lightsaber blade was defined by the focusing crystal used in its construction. The Jedi collected crystals of varying types and hues from natural deposits, whereas the Sith made use of fabricated synth-crystals usually designed to emanate shades of red. After the purges of the Old Republic's Jedi order, synth-crystals were also shaped and used by Jedi on occasion. Luke Skywalker's green blade and Jaina Solo's violet blade both sprang from synth-crystals.

Prior to the final battle of Ruusan, ancient Jedi wielded blades of every color and hue. Some of the more common colors were orange, yellow, cyan, blue, green, viridian, violet, silver, and gold. Some ancient Jedi, such as Sylvar, even wielded blades of red hues, although the order typically avoided any colors that might associate them with the Sith. Red was also avoided since it was the most common representation of blood and violence. After the terrifying end of the Ruusan conflict, however, Jedi turned to more common Adegan crystals of blue or green coloration. Other colors, like bronze and brown, did still exist, but were extremely rare. Mace Windu, for example, braved the terrors of Hurikane to find his violet crystal.
Saesee Tiin, Agen Kolar, Mace Windu, and Kit Fisto illustrate the various colors used in Jedi lightsaber construction.
Saesee Tiin, Agen Kolar, Mace Windu, and Kit Fisto illustrate the various colors used in Jedi lightsaber construction.

In the era of the Jedi Civil War, the color of a Jedi's blade was a traditional symbol for the path the Jedi chose in his duties within the order, although a Jedi was not required to use a color that corresponded with his or her Jedi class. A green blade was the sign of the Jedi Consulars, scholarly diplomats and negotiators. Blue was the color associated with Jedi Guardians, the physically vigorous defenders of the galaxy. The third color, yellow, was held for those among the Jedi Sentinels, Jedi who found their skills balanced between physical prowess and scholarly awareness of the Force. For the purposes of the lightsaber's strength, these crystals functioned identically; color was the only variation.

After the Great Jedi Purge, Emperor Palpatine razed many of the known crystal sites, making it more difficult to find crystals of any hue. After the rise of the New Jedi Order, however, the discovery of long-forgotten resources and the use of synth-crystals brought a variety of colors back to the order's lightsabers.

[Krai H'voc]

Cutting power

Other than emitting a colored light, a lightsaber blade was a massless form that neither radiated heat nor expended energy until it came into contact with something (except for air, apparently). The power of the energy blade was so great that it could cut through almost anything, though the speed through which it cut was dependent greatly on the density of the subject. Cleaving flesh, for instance, was a smooth and unobstructed action, while rending a hole in a blast door could take a while. One important note about lightsaber wounds is that they rarely bleed profusely, even when a limb had been severed. The energy blade cauterized the wound as it passed, and thus even a severe wound did not tend to bleed heavily. A notable exception was Ponda Baba, whose arm was cut off by Obi-Wan Kenobi in Chalmun's Cantina. It may have bled because of Baba's alien physiology. When cutting through dense material, the immense electromagnetic field generated by the arc causes resistance rather than letting solid matter enter and interrupt the arc. This gives the blade a feeling of being solid when immersed in dense material. Rarely, some solid materials can actually pass through the electromagnetic field and short out the arc. Other Electromagnetic energy fields and coherent energy are also repelled by lightsabers' arcs. These include most force fields, blaster bolts, and other lightsaber blades.

Aside from the blade of another lightsaber, there were rare materials or creatures found throughout the galaxy that could withstand a lightsaber blade, but with varying degrees of success:

Cortosis, though a rare and expensive metal, became a common defense against lightsabers in the eras of the Sith Wars. One of the reasons that it was so expensive was the need to refine it. Pure, unrefined, freshly mined Cortosis ore was for unexplained reasons ionized, and anyone who touched it would be killed instantly. Near the end of the Clone Wars, the Separatist Droid Army employed cortosis battle droids in an attack on the Jedi Temple. Shortly after Order 66 was given, the Jedi Shadday Potkin attacked Darth Vader with a Cortosis blade during a failed ambush attempt on Kessel. There were three known methods of forging cortosis armor and weapons, each with varying effects:

The first method was to make the armor or weapon with a cortosis weave, which utilized the ore's primary elements. When contacted by a lightsaber's blade, the cortosis fibers that were worked into the metal caused a surge that shorted out the energy blade. The lightsaber could be reactivated immediately, but it gave the opponent the momentary upper hand. It can be assumed that the natural ionic properties of the material allow the cortosis fibers to penetrate the electromagnetic field created by the lightsaber arc before being sublimed into plasma. The presence of this solid within the blade arc creates the short. The drawback to the weave was that its alloy construction was still susceptible to damage from the lightsaber attack.

The most common (and inexpensive) method employed during the Jedi Civil War era was the use of a variant cortosis alloy that resisted the lightsaber blade itself, though it did not cause the lightsaber to deactivate as its more pure form did. This enabled troops to fight enemy Jedi or Sith blade to blade.

The rarest type of cortosis came in the form of a refined metal with all the impure elements removed. Thus purified, there were no "weaker" metals for the lightsaber to damage, and unique conducting elements remained to short out the energy blade. This refined alloy, nicknamed a cortosis shield was most often employed as armor.

Lightfoil were small and elegant energy swords based upon lightsaber design. They were popular among certain nobles of the Tapani sector, especially those that called themselves "saber rakes". Lightfoils were weaker than authentic lightsabers due to the poor quality focusing crystals used in their manufacture and the relatively low level of craftsmanship compared to Jedi artisans. On the plus side, though, they apparently did not require any connection to the Force to create, and were fully usable by non-Force sensitives.

Phrik, like cortosis, was a rare metal that could withstand the potency of a lightsaber blade, although unlike the aforementioned metal, Phrik did not possess the ability to cause the blade to short out. Phrik was most notably used in the construction of the electrostaffs wielded by General Grievous's MagnaGuards. Other notable uses of Phrik included elements of Palpatine's lightsaber and Dark Trooper armor.

Darkswords were an ancient type of sword which could be used to parry lightsaber blows, being made from a special material. Unlike cortosis, this material did not possess the ability to temporarily deactivate a lightsaber blade it made contact with.

Armorweave was a cloth said to give some resistance to lightsabers, though the protection the reinforced material afforded was limited.

Sith Alchemy was employed during the eras of the first Sith Empire to augment the properties of the applied metals so as to counter the seemingly unstoppable lightsaber. The Sith also made use of such elements as cortosis in the forging of their swords. After the original Sith Empire, the most notorious use of Sith alchemy was in the construction and reinforcement of Darth Vader's armor.

Mandalorian iron: A metal used by the Mandalorian warriors.

Yuuzhan Vong bio-engineered weaponry and armor, such as the amphistaff and Vonduun crab armor held a natural, limited resistance to the lightsaber; however, weaknesses were soon found in the armor and staff. Luke Skywalker's first engagement with this bio-technology ended favorably only after striking the Yuuzhan Vong spy's amphistaff repeatedly in the same spot, weakening and ultimately killing it.

Force Weapon: Similarly, weapons that had been imbued with the Force could be used to parry a lightsaber's blade without harm.

Water: All lightsabers, unless specially made, would short out when they were (to some extent and period of time) submerged in water, due to rapid chain reactions and the instant overpowering of water on the blade. In rain, a lightsaber would steam up, but not short out.

Orbalisks: These parasitic and sometimes symbiotic creatures from Dxun had shells so strong even lightsaber blades could not penetrate it. When a Force user wore these creatures as a protective coat, it rendered the wearer virtually immune to most forms of attack. Darth Bane covered his entire body in orbalisks, excluding only his face, feet and hands thanks to special armor he crafted to stunt their growth.

Other counteracting materials existed in the galaxy, such as an unidentified super-conducting metal that was used for ship armor centuries before the Galactic Empire, as well as various energy shields, like Durge's. Some creatures, such as lava dragons, were possessed of natural armor that reflected the blade much as the blade reflected a blaster bolt. It is also probable that quantum-crystalline armor could not be cut by a lightsaber, as it was believed the only way to destroy the material was to send it into a black hole.