How Sharp Is A Prequel Lightsaber?

[@Gunnar120]

I like the theory that lightsabers function as essentially a particle chainsaw. There's a tight eliptical magnetic field that constrains the particles to fly in one direction, then back into the blade. When the magnetic field is active, it takes very little energy to just constrain the particles emitted, but when interacting with objects you need to exert more energy and possibly cast out more particles. This magnetic field is also why they repulse one another and can bind like metal swords. Because the electrons (or whatever) are being emitted and spun in a very tight oval, it also means they have "sharp" sides and "dull" sides. This would explain why Qui-Gon twists the blade. The entire lightsaber isn't getting through all at once, so he's twisting it so the "sharp" end of the particle chainsaw can cut away material. Additionally, this would explain why Vader isn't harmed by the lightsaber multiple times in the original trilogy: Luke didn't know it had a blade, so he had poor edge alignment. Even more, this would also explain why the heavy blast door is able to "bend" the blade for a few frames. The heavy electromagnets to secure the blast door are able to deflect the magnetic field for long enough to bend the blade, but then either deactivated or are destroyed.

[@daltooinewestwood6380]

I actually really like this theory as it gains weight in the lore when you consider the darksaber. Which has a very distinct “cutting edge” like you would see on a normal sword, and would do some work to explain why the darksaber is such a uniquely powerful weapon with different balance compared to a traditional lightsaber.

[@thebreadcircus]

This is an interesting concept, adding edge alignment back into a weapon that seemed not to have edges. As soon as you know there's an energy loop, the question becomes what shape that is. Is the loop a 2D plane, like the particle chainsaw you mention? That would explain some of the visuals, where the blade sometimes seems to be a different width: you're just seeing it at a different angle. I've never been able to rule the flat loop out, but nor have I accepted it as the default explanation. The single greatest disagreement I have with it is the idea of the sharp/dull sides being fixed in relation to the hilt. I don't think rotating the handle along the blade's axis would have any real effect. Given that the blade emitters are all circular, a 2D flat loop could shift randomly around the circumference. Any two points on opposite sides of the emitter might be active at a given moment. This would mean normal people can't use a sabre effectively, but a Jedi can sense the edge alignment before it happens. Alternatively, a rotationally symmetrical blade emitter could mean it's a 3D loop. The very core of the blade is one "pole", and the return arc joins the outer edge of the emitter. I think the 3D loop is closer to the original intention, but it isn't nearly as interesting. -DZ

[@daltooinewestwood6380]

@@thebreadcircus if I had to make a guess just using a layman’s understanding, I’d suggest that perhaps the darksaber is configured in the 2D “chainsaw” configuration, as it’s blade is clearly much thinner and it’s gyroscopic effect appears to mostly influence lateral movement perpendicular to the flat of the blade, with traditional lightsabers I’d have even less ability to rationalize, but my best guess would be a “screw” pattern (particles rotating around the core along an inclined plane) which would loop back down in the reverse direction when they reach the tip

[@GeorgeCowsert]

​@thebreadcircus That could be solved by making the standard lightsaber "twist" its energy loop in a spiral. A modified saber might over-twist this, creating a gyroscopic effect in exchange for a superior cut, or ditch the twist for a normal edge.

[@EvelynNdenial]

or the lightsaber has its beam going up through the center then spreading out half an inch and going back down sheathing the beginning outward going part of the beam. its a very stretched toroid.

[@thedangerbag]

The LPL voice line of picking a lock while Qui-Gon twists the lightsaber is **chef's kiss**

[@gregmize01]

let's do that again, so you can see it's NOT a fluke.

[@keizervanenerc5180]

Had just checked you channel yesterday because i was like "huh i feel like i haven't seen anything new from him in a while, i wonder if he is alright". Glad so see you're back!

[@pyropulseIXXI]

The closing blast door does not cause the lightsaber to bend... it was a flash, and the lightsaber position is the same after this.

[@markcochrane9523]

Something you missed: there is one example of a lightsaber failing to cut through something, and that's in Luke's first duel with Vader. It's actually almost in the video; right before slicing through the 3 pillars, Vader takes a hit to his shoulder. It seems to hurt him and there's smoke/sparks, but not the same sort of limb-lopping we saw at the Mos Eisley cantina. Turns out that lightsaber resistant materials were a thing since the OT.

[@Omniseed]

Vader also has mastery of the (tutemines?) Technique that allows for safe absorption/deflection/neutralization of energy weapon attacks. Typically it's seen as an ability that requires the force user to 'catch' the bolt or saber in their palm, but I don't believe there is any confirmed limitation that they must use their hands. So maybe Vader was able to castrate Luke's glancing strike in multiple ways

[@xaayer]

​@@Omniseedor maybe luke, not having completed his training, but Vader with a glancing blow similar to what dooku hit obi wan with. But unlike obi wan, Bashir is not just wearing robes but is actually wearing armor that is saber resistant? I mean tuteminus is cool, but it's a roundabout explanation that over complicates the interaction. It was a bad hit and Vader is armored.

[@thebreadcircus]

That's true, and we've even known a few names since before the prequel era. Off the top of my head, the oldest two sabre-resistant materials are cortosis, and Mandalorian iron. Both of these are in short supply, and cortosis is particularly difficult to work with. By 2005 we also have phrik, which seems similarly rare and expensive. The mention of lightsabre-resistant materials was not phrased very well: there, I was talking about why doors and walls slow down the Jedi at all. One way to solve this would be to say the Trade Federation makes their ships out of Mandalorian iron. That's the idea I was describing as "lazy", and I much prefer the version from the movie. Thick bulkhead doors aren't made of anything too special, but they still take time to cut through. -DZ

[@fiddlesticks7245]

​@@Omniseed Tutaminis, and that's mostly used with the hands.

[@HappyBeezerStudios]

Oh right, Vader takes direct hits by Han's blaster in Cloud City. In EU lore it is explained that his suit is made of lightsaber resistant material, but no short circuit protection (so that Palpatine can still shock him of the need arises) I see the door holding of the saber as sort of a resistance thing. You can use a plasma torch to cut through warship plating and tank armor, but it takes a while. My guess is the same applies to lightsabers. A think blast door offers more resistance than a flimsy arm. And the blades have no apparent weight (or at least weight so low it doesn't influence the user), but resistance.

[@AgentAAARTS]

Surprisingly, limits were at least established as early as episode 6. While the 'cut through anything' seems to almost hold, the Death star is quite durable. During luke's assault, after Vader finds out about Leia's existence, there's a few moments that could be debated as the saber glancing off the platform above the two. Far more solidly, as Luke finishes off his furious combo on the catwalk, his saber glances off one railing, then the one on the other side as he strikes, and after two more hits that Vader catches with his blade before being forced to dodge to the right, Luke's saber hits the railing to his right again, glancing off a third time. I have no idea what was special about the death star's safety rails, but it is saddening to think about all that investment into proper protective railing only for someone to fall straight into the reactor anyways.

[@SirSpence99]

Worth noting that small rotation motion could as much be trying to maintain the same position of the blade while limbering up his arms. Or it could be rotating the blade to see if he feels anything different. It does however bear a remarkable similarity to motions I've done for things that have gotten stuck. A small amount of rotation like that can free things up nicely.

[@thebreadcircus]

Feeling feedback through the lightsabre blade is a good question (for another time, ho ho). It seems clear we'd expect to feel something, even if there's very little resistance to slicing open the door. Perhaps Qui-Gon is trying to feel around for the lump of slag that falls from the centre. As soon as that happens, the blade's tip would be doing less work. That would be your cue to start moving the blade in wider motions, so the full length stays in contact with the door. -DZ

[@SirSpence99]

​@@thebreadcircus It wouldn't be surprising if he is familiar with how much time it takes to cut through various thicknesses based upon the resistance he feels.

[@airistal]

When melting through the blast door the interior is showing greater heat than the sabers entry point. This may suggest that Qui-gon should be angling the lightsaber to spread the area of heat buildup. This was not shown in the film, likely because the motion required was counteractive to the contemplative look they were trying to capture with his face to show that even with the lightsaber the task is intellectually difficult. I don't think the door was bending the blade. From the look of things the new door layer touching the blade produced bright sparks, much like the blade did when initially inserted into the door. These sparks have a different color and are large enough to conceal the blade.

[@Secondary_Identifier]

1:10 Gotta hand it to ya, even though I knew it'd be in there son-er or vader, I still fell for that one.

[@Gingerbreadley]

Plasma doesn’t have to emit heat if it’s contained in something that also contains heat. This would prevent heat from leaking until outside objects forcibly pass through that barrier.

[@Arcadia_warlic]

Considering water vaporizes on contact, I see no real issue with the contained plasma hypothesis, wherein the energy is looped back into the blade until or unless the blade is actually interacted with (the "shell" being stable enough to exist in air without "breaking), explaining its typical lack of heat and energy usage. Incidentally before the development of the looping energy the blade was essentially constantly "on", causing protosabers to require a battery-pack to use.

[@soremuss]

Very nice vid as always.

[@DerUberStern]

"Time to go watch that three hour video fixing Mouse Wars again. Oh hey, new upload!"

[@rockco-iv8es]

"Lightsabers being hot would genuinely shatter my immersion." Holy shit.

[@DrDoompenguin]

The way I interpret lightsabers is that they are a hot plasma but their magnetic containment is so strong that they don't release very much heat under normal atmospheric conditions. They seem to release more heat based on the relative density of the object they go through. Perhaps the higher the density of the object they are trying to slice through, the more interference there is for the shielding, causing it to release more heat. The air on most planets isn't very dense so they normally release very little heat. Blast doors or people however are much denser and do they release substantial amounts of heat against these objects.

[@TenebraeXVII]

metal also tends to be HIGHLY conductive so it will heat up much more easily than something like air, which is a natural insulator

[@Alexander_Kale]

The problem I have with the plasma saber is two fold. One, it is called a "light" saber, not a plasma blade, two, where would the plasma go when you switch off the saber? If a light saber really is a tube filled with super heated molecules, then switching off said tube would result in an explosion akin to a hand grenade going off. RIght next to your face.

[@HappyBeezerStudios]

@@TenebraeXVII I noticed that when cutting aluminium. While I can hold iron or steel objects just fine with my bare hands, alu practically requires tongs. And aluminium is a much better heat conductor than iron. The door on the other hand seems to be pretty much unchanged even a few cm from the blade, so the material can't be too heat conductive. Which makes sense for a spaceship. You don't want all your inside heat to radiate out into space. If there is a fire and you close the doors, you want the door to keep the fire on the other side.

[@HappyBeezerStudios]

@@Alexander_Kale They also use "laser" canons. (and turbo "lasers" and super "lasers" etc) Which would work great for a realistic setting where your goal is to overwhelm the thermal management systems of the enemy ship, but they lose a lot of range in atmosphere. And Star Wars is soft enough that we never see them discussing their overwhelmed radiators in a battle or something like that. Plus we can see the shots from the side. Which doesn't happen with a laser. If you can see the laser, it is pointing at you. Yes, they show up when hitting particles in the air, like smoke or dust, but not the air itself. For that to happen the beam has to be strong enough to practically ignite the air. So those "laser" weapons can't be using lasers, but more likely some sort of particle beam, like plasma. Now where the plasma of a lightsaber would go is easy to answer: Into a compartment in the hilt. When a lightsaber is activated, the blade starts extending from the hilt, and when it's turned off, the blade contracts back into the blade. No need to do that with a laser. Just turn it off and it's off. Across the entire length at once. But if it's a loop of particles, it would be smart to store the particles for the next use. So when you turn it off, the field that keeps the particles in the blade shape, retracts, and the particle loop gets shorter, until it is completely inside the hilt. Then just close the door and turn off the field. Wouldn't that mean lightsabers need to be refilled? Not necessarily, the particles could be sourced from the surrounding air.

[@Alexander_Kale]

@@HappyBeezerStudios "But if it's a loop of particles" But that's the point. Why would you assume that it IS a loop of particles, rather than a forcefield / Photon combination? THe extending blade appearance could just as easily be caused by the forcefield containing the photons extending. "particles could be sourced from the surrounding air." Light sabers work in a vacuum....

[@RemnantCult]

The coolest parts of the prequels often seem to create very small, but pesky contradictions in the series, it seems.

[@Wackaz]

George Lucas can do what he wants.

[@histguy101]

Is it a contradiction? Cutting through doors and walls is like a staple of the franchise. It's just something the Jedi seem to love doing

[@timothynoll4886]

Another fantastic video, really interesting topic too!

[@Arthur_Putey]

The door glow so hot, it would be almost unbearable for Qui Gon to stand immediately next to it.

[@jm329]

Eh, he has the force.

[@HappyBeezerStudios]

@@jm329 exactly, he uses force cooling. Which is like forced cooling, but with less evaporation and more space magic. But on a more serious note, I would totally believe that he uses the force to shield himself from the heat, either by reflecting it back, or by passing it around him.

[@invidatauro8922]

Perhaps heat is only generated once contact as been made and the electro shielding that keeps the blades shape is disrupted enough for the energy and extreme heat to be made noticeable?

[@GiantBoarMonster]

Door melting scene is one of the best scenes especially the way its capped off with them Force-sprinting away from the droidekas. Now contrast what Qui-Gon does to those blast doors to idiots getting speared through their torsos over and over and over and over in the Disney garbage and survivng it with no issue. It would totally annihilate all of their inner organs, melt the spine, etc. It would be incredibly nasty and would love to see that one day, being a fan of horror and worthwhile gore. I assume such a finishing move is more of a Sith thing, right up Darth Maul's brutal alley. That sounds weird. anyway.

[@TheDemigans]

I have my own idea on how Lightsabers work. Its a weapon wielded by a force sensitive guy and operated by a force sensitive crystal in a world where tractor beams exist. So what if Lightsabers are a complex force-powered tractor beam? The extremely thin outer layer pushes things outwards at the atmospheric pressure the hilt detects. This keeps air from entering the blade and could also explain the whumming sound when you move it. The layer beneath that vibrates quickly while pulling down into the blade. Heat is nothing more than molecules vibrating, so anything that is inside this region is heated up until the molecules can be ripped off. This also explains resistances, as some materials have higher heat capacity and some like Bescar could be like diamonds: one giant molecule. The center of the blade cools the matter that fell into the blade and compresses it, launching it out of the blade as sparks if the blade is too “full”. This also prevents the problem with flash-vaporization, where cutting off a wrist flash-vaporizes enough water content to maim or kill not just the victim but the saber wielder as well.

[@richardkirkland6805]

Fun Fact: Protosabers, the predecessors to Lightsabers, actually do have a backpack sized external power supply, because those sabers actually did use plasma.

[@JokingpenguinAbridged]

Seeing a new Bread Circus video sharpens my lighsaber and brings balance to my force.

[@Jvegi2]

Yea! You're back. Hope that subscriber count finally wakes up.

[@callmev3531]

2:25, This seems more of an effects issue causing the blade to appear to "glitch" upwards, but the fact remains that there are various instances where lightsaber blades interact with solid surfaces as if they were weighted objects, such as Yoda spearing a Clone Trooper with his lightsaber from a distance and it staying lodged in his body like a regular blade, being held there not by Yoda's powers (as Yoda could've just re-summoned it instead of holding it in the clone's torso and running up to pluck it from his dead body) but because it is stuck inside the clone's torso. And that doesn't even cover how even in weaker depictions of lightsaber blades like in the Original Trilogy, they bounce off strong enough surfaces as if solid themselves. 4:41, The main point of inconsistency is how hot the blades are, 3:04, as they can melt through thick metal barriers yet don't always just melt through weaker material like that Clone Trooper's torso, but that can be explained with the idea that it only produces heat when in contact with greater resistance, along with the idea that they aren't laser or plasma-based, but some kind of particles condensed into a form that resembles solid objects, which would extend to blaster bolts and energy barriers in this universe as well.

[@MrShrog]

You're back !!!

[@patrickallen13]

It's a good feeling, opening yt and seeing one of your favorites has uploaded.

[@TenebraeXVII]

I'm pretty sure prequel era EU lore actually DID mention spare power cells and making sure the main power cell was fully charged during pre-mission equipment checks. I know multiple eras of EU lore had stories that involved dire consequences as a result of poor maintenance and construction costing Tenel Ka an arm during the post OT era and shoddy field maintenance on a damaged flux aperture (which was also kept secret from the masters on the mission) resulting in one of Anakin's fellow apprentices being killed in action on a mission to Korriban. If a magnetic field can sufficiently hold the heat in as long as the saber isn't actually touching anything, then it's only losing energy from the loop in the form of light, which does not rule out plasma.

[@hexazalea]

See I think lightsabers are esentially smart weapons and particularly magnetic weapons most of what they do is cutting by unzipping molecules but it knows when to apply more power temporarily generating plasma when melting a blast door it can realize it needs to emit a lot where as usually it emits very little or just enough to cause scorching or cauterizing. Essentially it’s an electromagnetic weapon that can generate electricity , plasma and heat when needed based on what it’s in contact with.

[@AchanCham_]

I absolutely adore the prequels. Thank you for your great videos.

[@MrShrog]

Hows the Kakapo doing?

[@brentarmstrong9660]

I thought it was a hologram or something and only someone using the Force could use it as a weapon. That's why it was known as a Jedi weapon. It's like a conduit for the Force, it can act like a mirror for blasters or a cutting device they're using different Force powers through the device. The reason the crystal is important is it's connection to the Force making it a good conduit.

[@thebreadcircus]

That's certainly a novel idea, I've never heard anyone suggest it. However, it doesn't line up with Yoda's description. "A Jedi uses the Force for knowledge and defence. Never for attack." -DZ

[@brentarmstrong9660]

@@thebreadcircus It seems like they must have loop holes for that. A Jedi told Luke to use the Force so he could blow up the Death Star, and I'm pretty sure the Force is used to aim blaster bolts back at the shooter. I guess as long as it's morally considered to be a counter attack it's okay.

[@tibby7709]

AYEEE NEW BREAD CIRCUS VIDEO

[@A-W80]

Me when I saw this in my notifications: kzbin.info/www/bejne/nnPTnJxvpcZ6bNE

[@keizervanenerc5180]

Same. Me when i saw this in my notifications: kzbin.info/www/bejne/moLaZapvjMyLmbMsi=1FTeLDOGc6xRB2XS

[@EWLR89]

I'm glad to have you back. I was tired of drinking blue milk.

[@lba_e_ross2152]

Looking good

[@therebelempire0289]

nice vid, its very informative!

[@tyshekka]

I never heard a lightsaber blade wasn't hot.

[@katathoombs]

Oh yeah time for some bread and circus!

[@711desmond]

I don’t think this is the case but maybe for the lightsaber heat thing it’s a kind water is not wet scenario

[@Takegat]

I‘m exited to watch the new video

[@RobertPortee]

quarter decimeter? so an inch?;D

[@alexandermccabe429]

Good video!

[@bigcazza5260]

probs 20 years sharper than an ot lightsaber? the fuck statement was the title

[@darthbane5357]

But lightsabers do run out of battery. There's a charging point somewhere on the hilt

[@Napper323]

hot

[@thebreadcircus]

But is it as hot as Mr. Pain? -ED-1TA

[@Markm8]

wait 3.3 k veiws but 45k likes?

[@justicevanpool9025]

You talk like Daglas from Garth Merenghi.

[@jordanbridges]

So... is Watto supposed to be Jewish? Or, are the Nemoidians Japanese? Im confused.

[@711desmond]

Parrot?