Building a real working Star Wars lightsaber has been a dream for many ever since Luke Skywalker turned on that blue beam of light given to him by Obi-Wan Kenobi in A New Hope. Luckily, Disney set out to make this dream a reality and the company has now unveiled its previously top-secret Star Wars lightsaber project to celebrate May the Fourth.
Before taking a good look at the lightsaber, it bears saying that Star Wars weapons don’t necessarily translate too well to our real world, which is so deeply constrained by the laws that govern physics and thermodynamics. So while many crafty engineers and YouTubers have attempted making their own lightsabers in the past, the results are usually quite impractical, especially if one has to cut through anything like the legendary Jedi service weapon, let alone mass produce it.
In a Twitter post shared by the Disney Parks official account, the functioning lightsaber was finally shown to the public, signaling it will be a part of Walt Disney World Resort’s Star Wars Intergalactic Starcruiser complex once it’s open for business in 2022. Knowledge of the elaborate, fully retractable lightsaber had made news after theme park insiders were treated to an initial showcase of the product last month, but they were forbidden from sharing images ahead of Disney’s own reveal, which is simply worth watching.
Of course, the chosen lightsaber color for the reveal was Skywalker blue, with a Rey lookalike on hand for some of the best 8 seconds any Star Wars fan could hope for. The functioning lightsaber could probably be used as part of an attraction inside Disney’s Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge areas, where visitors might be able to take part or at least watch a real lightsaber duel with their friends.
The reveal serves as a stark reminder of how far Star Wars products have come since the plastic light-up toys many grew up with and does open up the possibility that this lightsaber might eventually make its way for mass production that consumers can purchase. As for how it actually works, that’s probably a big company secret that Disney’s engineers will want to keep to themselves, although there are several patents out there that may have led up to this final build.
With ongoing rumors of a possible Knights of the Old Republic remake and so much Star Wars content being put out on May the Fourth by Disney Plus, the future of the force looks as good as a real blue lightsaber. So, it might just be the perfect time to catch up with all the Star Wars canon that's already out there.
The Star Wars saga is now available on Disney Plus.
Source: @DisneyParks|Twitter