Summary
Star Warshas finally introduced the first live-action lightsaber whip inThe Acolyte, but why don’t Jedi use them more often? The original lightwhip was introduced inStar Wars#95, by Jo Duffy and Cynthia Martin, where it was used by theDark Lady of the Sith named Lumiya. The modern version, the lightsaber whip, is subtly different.
Introduced in Justina Ireland’sA Test of Courage, the lightsaber whip is an adjustment made to an ordinary blade that allows it to be transformed into a whip. It’s used by Jedi Master Vernestra Rwoh, played by Rebecca Henderson inThe Acolyte, and it made its live-action debut inThe Acolyteepisode 6. There, Vernestra used the lightsaber’s whip function to kill an umbramoth, immediately demonstrating that it’s a ferocious weapon. So why don’t the Jedi use it more often?
Star Wars Introduces The First Live-Action Lightsaber Whip 39 Years After Its Legends Debut
The lightwhip is a deadly lightsaber variant that debuted in a 1985 Star Wars Legends-era comic. Now the weapon has made its live-action debut.
Lightsaber Whips Are Associated With The Sith, Not The Jedi
As explained by Lumiya in Marvel’s comics, the lightwhip is fundamentally similar to a standard lightsaber, producing an energy blade and being powered by a Force-imbued crystal. The difference is that lightwhips do not stabilize their blade and some use multiple crystals, making their blade longer and flexible. In combat,a lightwhip is far deadlier as an offensive weapon than a standard lightsaber,though Luke Skywalker found that using both a lightsaber and a short-bladed shoto lightsaber effectively countered a lightwhip. Defensively, a lightwhip is far more limited than a lightsaber.
The more offensive lightwhips are better suited to Sith than Jedi.Throughout the Legends continuity, most wielders of lightwhips are Sith, though some of the Nightsisters of Dathomirare known to use the weapons. Lightwhips can be constructed by Jedi and lightwhip combat training is taught at the Jedi Temple, but the weapon’s poor defensive capabilities make its rarity among Jedi unsurprising. For Sith (and the occasional Nightsister), the lightwhip also has the added advantage of being such a rare weapon. Few Jedi are familiar with lightwhips and how to counter them, making them even deadlier.
Lumiya was a master of lightwhip combat, allowing her to duel on mostly-equal footing with Luke Skywalker, even when he became the Jedi Grandmaster. Another Sith named Githany, on the other hand, was far less skilled with lightwhips, relying on their rarity more than genuine skill.
Lightsaber Whips Were Useful Against The “Forbidden Forms”
One of the first appearances of the lightwhip in the modernStar Warscanon is in the novelA Test of Courage, by Justina Ireland. The Jedi Knight Vernestra Rwoh modifies her standard lightsaber to have a secondary lightwhip mode, making the weapon extremely versatile. Rwoh notably explains that ancient Jedi would use lightwhips as countermeasures to Sith who use “Forbidden Forms.” This creates a fascinating new history for lightwhips in the newer timeline, as the origin of lightwhips was never revealed in the original Legends continuity, yet the weapons were more common among Sith than Jedi.
In the modernStar Warscanon,there has not been any mention of Sith using lightwhips thus far;A Test of Couragedoes note that some Nightsisters use the weapons though, just like their original Legends incarnations. The new backstory for lightwhips fascinatingly contrasts with their initial iteration. While the Legends continuity’s lightwhips were favored more by Sith due to their offensive capabilities, the modern canon reimagines them as anti-Sith weapons used by the Jedi. It’s not entirely clear what the"Forbidden Forms" ofStar Warsloreare yet, but they proved dangerous enough to lead Jedi to construct primarily offensive lightsaber variants.
The Jedi Frowned On Lightsaber Whips, Even During The High Republic Era
With the seeming destruction of the Sith and the subsequent millennium of peace, however, came obsolescence for the Jedi lightwhip. Vernestra Rwoh was notably worried about how her fellow Jedi would react to her modified lightsaber’s lightwhip mode, so she kept this feature secret after she felt prompted to redesign her lightsaber by the Force. She did eventually tell the Jedi Council about it, though, and they reluctantly approved it.
Vernestra was only able to create her lightsaber whip after deep meditation in the Force, and - always studious - she recognized what she was doing from the histories. It’s unlikely many texts describing lightwhips survived the time of the Empire, meaning this knowledge has probably now been lost. This probably means there won’t be another lightsaber whip in the future ofStar Wars.
The Acolyte
Cast
The Acolyte is a television series set in the Star Wars universe at the end of the High Republic Era, where both the Jedi and the Galactic Empire were at the height of their influence. This sci-fi thriller sees a former Padawan reunite with her former Jedi Master as they investigate several crimes - all leading to darkness erupting from beneath the surface and preparing to bring about the end of the High Republic.
