Essentially a blade of pure energy, the lightsaber is capable of cutting through almost anything-except another lightsaber blade. These elegant and very effective weapons have been masterfully wielded by Jedi Knights for thousands of years

Part of Jedi Knight training includes the task of building a personal lightsaber. Although each lightsaber is unique, the weapon’s basic design remains the same. The handle, twenty-four to thirty centimeters long, holds a power cell as well as one or more crystals - seldom more than three. The crystals focus the energy released by the power cell into a tight, bladelike beam. The blade’s colour depends on the nature of the jewel it springs from.

When a single jewel is placed in the lightsaber’s handle, the blade length is fixed. But if more than one crystal is placed in the handle, the blade’s length can be changed. By rotating a knob, the Jedi can adjust the focusing crystal activator, which changes the refraction pattern between the gems, resulting in a shorter or longer blade.