Star Wars Reveals How To Sabotage A Lightsaber | Screen Rant
Star Wars has revealed how to sabotage a lightsaber. When Obi-Wan Kenobi gave Luke Skywalker his father's lightsaber, he described it as "an elegant weapon for a more civilized time." The latest Star Wars novels are exploring that distant time, long before the rise of the Sith; the High Republic Era, an age when the Jedi and the Republic were at their height, pressing on into the Outer Rim with hearts bursting with hope. However, it is as a result of this new material that audiences are now aware of exactly how a Jedi's opponents could sabotage such an "elegant weapon".
Unfortunately, it's becoming clear that even the High Republic Era was a time of conflict and tragedy. The Jedi of the High Republic Era faced a fearsome enemy in the Nihil, a group of space pirates who sought to plunge the galaxy into chaos; and the Nihil have proved very adept indeed at dealing with Jedi. They've turned the Force itself into a weapon against the Jedi, discovering monstrous Force predators who have taught even the Jedi to fear. They've come close to learning the secret of radiation that deactivates even a Jedi's lightsaber, but thankfully failed to weaponize that. In Justina Ireland's novel Mission to Disaster, however, they come close to discovering yet another way to deal with a Jedi.
Mission to Disaster sees the young scientist Avon Starros, daughter of a Republic senator, kidnapped by the Nihil and forced to work for them. Avon has come into possession of a kyber crystal after a previous encounter with Jedi, and in Mission to Disaster she attempts to create synthetic kyber crystals. She's initially frustrated, only able to develop flawed copies of true kyber, and Avon swiftly realizes the danger; a Jedi with a replica kyber crystal might find their lightsaber suddenly exploding, unable to channel the energies within it. Inadvertently, she's just discovered the perfect way to sabotage a lightsaber.
In theory, it isn't easy to separate a Jedi from their lightsaber; a Jedi bonds with their blade, explaining why Anakin and Luke's lightsaber became so special. But should an opponent successfully separate a Jedi from their lightsaber for long enough, they could switch the true kyber at the lightsaber's core with a fake. The Jedi would likely sense something was wrong, but they probably wouldn't figure out the source of the disturbance in time - meaning they could well switch on the lightsaber and get a nasty surprise.
A lightsaber is more than just a weapon, of course; it's also a meditative tool, helping the Jedi focus on the Force. That means tampering with a lightsaber may have other unexpected effects, with the Jedi's connection to the Force disrupted if it isn't operating properly. Even if the Jedi doesn't trigger the lightsaber, then, they could well find themselves seriously inconvenienced - turning the most iconic Star Wars weapon against its wielders.