How heavy is a lightsaber

[Darth Cognus]

Mostly just a ramble about lightsabers but bear with me. I'll start with my early impressions and follow with some links discussing details.

So the blade's weight I think can be agreed is negligible. The actual weight is in the hilt. By modern standards this is probably heavier than an ordinary sword hilt but then again, future world and future tech, which means the weight could be almost anything. I have not found any canon numbers or proper comparisons so if you were looking for that... sorry! Do please share if you find some so I can bake them in.

The handling is where this is interesting. These are laser swords held by force users with the ability to literally project strength. So the impact of two blades might not be much but I've always imagined there is a certain degree of force involved in lightsaber combat, a weight beyond the blade itself amplified by will - besides the dexterity and precision required to use them with any nuance. This is my most plausible headcanon for why the feel in shown duels is almost like whacking large glowy sticks against each other.

Here is an article from CBR which quotes George Lucas's thoughts on the matter. A key quote:

To convey the skill, power and discipline it took to effectively wield a lightsaber, Lucas had a very clear idea of how he wanted the weapons to be handled. He instructed actors to always keep both hands on the hilt during combat, wielding the lightsaber as if it were incredibly heavy.

However, Lucas' thinking was not that lightsaber blades actually weighed a great deal, but that they had to be treated as such because they were so overwhelmingly powerful. "They had a lot of energy in them, so you worked with them as if they were heavy," Lucas said while discussing the weapon in the above featurette. By having actors wield their lightsabers with both hands at all times -- something that was phased out as Lucas wanted lightsaber fights to become more dynamic, particularly in the prequels -- it gave the impression that it took a great deal of skill to duel with a lightsaber while controlling the constant energy flowing into the blade.

This might help if anyone has a nagging thought about them seeming so heavy in the OT and then seeing them be waved around far more casually later. I don't think it's great continuity but there need to be points for the generation gap in technology.

In the same article there is a quote from the show Rebels to affirm: "Energy constantly flows through the crystal. You're not fighting with a simple blade so much as you are directing a current of power." Not heavy per se, just needs to be handled properly. Though this was discussing the darksaber so the details might be a bit different. I think the principle applies.

Of note was this post on stackexchange. It's not heavy on quotes but I found the breakdown in the top voted answer compelling. No specifics on what the weight is but excellent insight in how the dynamics of wielding it are deceptively tricky and you need among other things dedicated exercise and practice to use them effectively., even to wave them around and expect good results not getting into the extra effort of learning a full style of combat. A must-read as a curiosity and to deepen your view of how a lightsaber operates.

If we answer this question literally/from real life then from what I've looked up and from my personal collection the average range is 1-2.5 pounds. That's as good as anything for lack of a straight answer otherwise.

Thoughts on this, anyone? Or suggestions for another curiosity to look up and summarize.

 

[Al]

Sword hilts are typically made from solid wood or from the same steel as the blade. There is also the issue of balancing. You don't want a really heavy blade and a light hilt. Most swords have a point of balance just a few inches up the blade from the hilt suggesting that the hilt is heavier than the blade itself. Source: https://www.martialartswords.com/en...words-point-of-balance-and-why-does-it-matter

I always considered that the internals of a lightsabre hilt were electronic and technical gubbins, not solid. You have an activation switch, some kind of power source (one assumes) and the kyber crystal powering it. That, in entirety, should be fairly light. Here's an interesting article on lightsabre batteries. In essence, the battery is only required to activate not to power the blade.

The [internal battery] is only needed to provide marginal energy to activate a lightsaber, conceptually similar to how a battery and spark plug initiates the engine of a car.

Source: https://arbin.com/lightsaber-battery-analysis/

 

[Bizdustry]

I would say the heaviest part of the lightsaber wouldn’t be the material. Considering that Lightsabers that could produce an electrical discharge similar to a Taser, would require quite a heavy lithium ion battery to maintain ampage and capacity, without having to recharge it minutes after use. I’d probably say 5-8kg would be reasonable, similar weight to a sword.