Lightsabers, a fictitious weapon from the Star Wars films, became highly collectible when the series became a major hit. Lightsabers are featured prominently in the all of Star Wars movies and TV shows.
For more than four decades, lightsaber toys have been a source of inspiration for Star Wars enthusiasts. Different companies have developed lightsabers with a variety of styles, colours, and patterns. Seven lightsabers have been depicted in the Star Wars films.
There’s a wide variety of them to choose from. In addition, there are force FX, super, and electronic sabres.
But in this article, we will primarily focus on green lightsabers. It’s not just a random colour Luke changed to but is a classic lightsaber colour used by the Jedi for a long time. Let us know more.
| Color | Green |
| Used by | Master Yoda, Qui-Gon Jinn, and |
| Speciality | Represents growth and wisdom, often used by powerful Jedi Knights |
| First Appearance | 1983 film Star Wars: Episode VI Return of the Jedi |
Factors to consider before purchasing a Green Lightsaber
Design
Lightsabers come in varying designs depending upon the use case. This is one of the most important factors to assess before buying a lightsaber. The primary component you should be looking at is the hilt. Most offerings in the markets have either metallic or plastic hilts.
Metallic hilts often cost more and also add to the heft of the lightsaber. They look more appealing in general. Plastic hilts on the other hand are not that sturdy but are ideal for use in intense cosplay battles. If you want the look and feel of a real weapon then go with a metallic hilt. Also make sure that it is mixed with an alloy so that it does not corrode with time.
Sound effects
This is a must have feature in all lightsabers. What good is a toy that can’t bring out the child inside you. These sound effects are often controlled by buttons. If you get a high end lightsaber, then you may also see motion sensors which are embedded within the blade. As soon as they detect movement, sparkling and buzzing sounds start coming out of the lightsaber.
Blade Lights
We understand that you might be a fan of the green lightsaber, but it doesn’t really hurt to have a few extra colours if you get bored later, that too without spending any additional money.
Look for a blade that has multiple blade lights which can be switched on command. These LEDs are always strategically placed inside the blade so as to give a shake effect when they illuminate. This gives an illusion that the blade is shaking.
These blades often complement the illumination with certain sound effects. A decent blade also supports clean colour transitions, for instance green to red as you swing it. A blade which has a colour changing feature will light up in a different colour everytime you turn it on.
Power options
The vast majority, if not all, of lightsabers are powered by batteries. It should go without saying that these swords are unable to produce the movie sounds and lights that they advertise if they are not connected to a power source.
All current versions available are powered by AA batteries, which may either be included in the box or purchased separately according to the model that you are purchasing from the market. When evaluating the power output of a lightsaber, it is also important to take into account the power-saving capabilities offered by various lightsabers.
As for battery life, a good quality lightsaber should last anywhere between half an hour to 2 hours depending upon the battery capacity.
Brand Value
In order to get a duel worthy and a realistic lightsaber, you must choose the best brand your budget allows. Each brand offers a unique selling proposition. Some of the popular brands are :
- ACLightsabers
- LGT and YDD Saber Resellers
- Bendu Armory
- Vader’s Vault
- The Pach store
- Electrum
Features and specifications
When purchasing a lightsaber, it is critical to look for distinguishing characteristics. You will be able to discover a large number of green lightsabers that will be quite inexpensive, but they will lack any characteristics that would make them worthwhile purchases.
Price
Typically, costs vary significantly as the quality and features get added up. A healthy range would be between 10 bucks and 300 dollars. However, if someone wants a real-looking thing that is close to fiction, then spending that much will definitely be worth it.
Material
The hilt should be made up of either hardened plastic or aluminum alloy whereas the grip is generally a wooden block encased within a rubberized shell for good grip.
The official Star Wars lightsaber that was released by them is made out of plastic and weighs just 8.3 ounces.
Type of lightsaber
Lightsabers are categorized into five categories. Given below are the characteristics of each kind so that you can make an informed buying decision :
- Empty
As the name suggests, these lightsabers are devoid of any electric parts and are ideal for collectors who need to just put them on display. Given the fact that they are empty, they are usually a lot cheaper than functional lightsabers.
- Standard FX
The FX stands for functional. These lightsabers have both light and sound and feature a basic soundboard. They are best for spinning, dulling, flow arts and novices.
They have standard in-hilt LEDs installed. Depending on the price and make, some may also have color-changing capabilities. There are single Cree sabers which light up from the hilt made up of hollow polycarbonate tube with some diffusion foam in it. We also have Tri-Cree and Quad-Cree setups which are much brighter than a single Cree LED.
- String Blade FX
These lightsabers have the same feature set as standard FX lightsabers. The only difference is that it uses multiple strings instead of 64 LEDs in segments. They come with a basic soundboard which can be removed.
A string blade FX is also brighter than the Standard FX sabers but isn’t exactly duel-worthy. Some String blades also have a scrolling effect.
- Stunt Neopixel
Also known as Pixel sabers, they use the best soundboards which are highly customizable. They use LED strips in a 144 LED/meter configuration and offer the largest color spectrum.
Owing to the extensive array of features, they are also the most expensive. Needless to say, they have both light and sound.
Lightsaber Sounds
This is mainly dependent on the soundboard. Depending on the board and the lighting setup, these boards also control the lighting and blade effects. Here are the two most common soundboards used in lightsabers:
- Crystal Focus 10
This is the most easy to use soundboard on the market. It is developed by Plecter Labs and is updated on a regular basis, so make sure you get the latest version. It has more than 20 blade and sound effects and is commonly used in Neopixel sabers. They are usually priced at $80-$110.
- Proffie
This is hands down the best lightsaber in the market. It has all the features of a Crystal Focus 10 and then some more on top. This is because it’s open source so anyone can program it. We would not recommend it for beginners though or for people who do not understand Arduino.
Targeted mainly at enthusiasts, they are priced $20-$35 cheaper than the Crystal Focus 10.
Soundfonts
This refers to the range of sounds your lightsaber can make, such as hums, lockups, blasters, tipdrags, power offs etc. High-end lightsabers come with an inbuilt folder containing multiple sound forms. You can also download them from websites such as Saberfont.com or Kyberphonicfonts.com.
Pro tip : If you are an enthusiast with some extra cash to spend, you can look into smooth-swing soundboards. They use accelerometers to play swing sounds which are highly motion-accurate and can accurately track the motion of the saber. Soundboards such as Proffie, CFX and Verso already have this feature.
Grade of Blades
This parameter is used to describe the type of material your blade is made up of. It is divided into two main categories :
- Medium-grade blades
These are blades which have thinner walls and are typically not meant for duelling. Due to the thin walls, they are slightly brighter than other blades.
They are not nearly as durable as heavy-grade blades but are also cheaper. Ideal for spinning and flow arts.
- Heavy-grade blades
These blades are very durable and are meant for dueling. Their thick walls give them an off-pastel shade and also add to their heft. They are not usually recommended for spinning/flow arts. However, if you are out looking for a Neopixel blade, then we would recommend you go with a heavy-grade blade.
Custom Sabers Done By Sabersmiths
These are typically much more expensive than conventional sabers as the installer has to purchase all the parts separately. But since they are handcrafted, you can also expect greater attention to detail and superior quality. Nerfherder Customs, Pitt Force Five and Conversion Services are some of the most reputable saber houses in the industry.
With that, we end this article. When buying your first lightsaber, the most important rule out of all the ones listed above is going easy. Getting caught up in complicated specifications will only make the buying experience less enjoyable for you.
Hoping this guide helped. Thanks for reading!
Force FX Lightsaber, Cosplay
Force FX Lightsaber with LEDs and Sound Effects, Collectible Roleplay Item with Removable Blade
Brad Burnie is the founder of Starships.com. He loves all video game genres. In his spare time, he loves reading, watching movies, and gaming
