A lightsaber is a fictional energy sword featured in the Star Wars franchise. A typical lightsaber is depicted as a luminescent blade of magnetically contained plasma about 3 feet (0.91 m) in length emitted from a metal hilt around 10.5 inches (27 cm) in length.[1]

The lightsaber is the signature weapon of the Jedi Order and their Sith counterparts, both of whom can use them for melee combat, or to deflect blaster bolts. Its distinct appearance was created using rotoscoping for the original films, and with digital effects for the prequel and sequel trilogies. The lightsaber first appeared in the original 1977 film A New Hope and has since appeared in every Star Wars movie, with at least one lightsaber duel occurring in each main film installment. In 2008, a survey of approximately 2,000 film fans found it to be the most popular weapon in film history.[2][3]

As presented in the films, a lightsaber's energy blade can cut, burn, and melt through most substances with little resistance. It leaves cauterized wounds in flesh, but can be deflected by another lightsaber blade, or by energy shields. The blade has even been used as a tool to weld metal. Other times, the lightsaber has been shown to cause bleeding wounds in the flesh, sometimes accompanied by burns. Some exotic saber-proof materials have been introduced in the Expanded Universe. An active lightsaber gives off a distinctive hum, which rises in pitch and volume as the blade is moved rapidly through the air. Bringing the blade into contact with another lightsaber's blade produces a loud crackle.

There are several literary precedents in science fiction for a "sword" of pure energy that can cut through anything, notably: