Star Wars Rebels Season Three (spoilers)

[Ithekro]

I tend to ignore the railings for the most part. Because sometimes the lightsaber cuts it cleanly and sometimes it doesn't...the same railing. One could take this as Luke and Vader knowingly stopping their swings just at the point of contacting the railing. Or one can just ignore it as a filming thing only.

 

[Reverend]

When it comes to the fight scenes there's bound to be some artistic licence and the first priority is for things to look interesting and exciting. Realism and consistency are secondary considerations.
But if one must account for every last thing then consider that there's a difference between a direct, forceful slash and a glancing blow.

Also as we've seen numerous times, while lightsabers can cut though just about anything, it's not always effortless and particularly thick or dense objects require some physical exertion. Qui-Gon cutting though the Trade Federation blast doors in TPM leaps to mind, as does Barris cutting into the Geonosisian tunnels in TCW.

Apparently, (at least, according to starwars.com) there are varying qualities of beskar’gam (iron skin), the highest of which is made of lightsaber-resistant beskar material. It would make sense if the Mandalorians were, at one time, focusing a war-footing on Jedi, that someone would make a major point of developing armor that could turn that kind of energy blade. The Wookieepedia has scant information on the nature of the armor itself - only a few notable individuals who wore variations of it.

Lucas was always leery of the idea of any kind of saber resistant material (indeed, that's the whole reason the darksaber was initially conceived) so I wouldn't put much stock in the canonicity of that information, particularly given the article you're linking states clearly that it's referencing Legends materials.

Even if such did exist, then by sheer narrative necessity it needs to be *extremely* rare. Not the kind of thing just anyone can get a hold of and even then not in quantities necessary to be of much practical use. To do otherwise invites authors to use it as a crutch (which is exactly what happened in the EU!)

 

[Tuskin38]

Actually they mostly seem to be white armor with yellow marking over a black/dark grey jumpsuit. Nice nod to the original concept. Mama Wren appears to be the clan leader so she have much more prominent markings including a almost entirely yellow helmet. So yeah, it looks like the colours are a clan specific thing.
It seems somewhat flexible and at least partly dependent of allegiance given that all of the soldiers in Deathwatch were uniformly displaying a blue/grey/silver pallet under House Vizla and one assumes most of those were from various different clans. Indeed we know for a fact Bo-Katan was at least born into of Clan Kryze, yet she wore Vizla's colours. Also notable is that Vizla's soldiers that sided with Maul switched to Dathomiri inspired decoration.

But yeah, Boba's armor seemed to have mostly the same green colour scheme so there's probably a clan out there with those markings. Indeed, there's a good chance that the symbol of that clan is that is the one on the chestplate as IIRC TCW established that the right shoulder is the unit symbol while the left is a rank insignia (I may have that backwards.)
That the symbol is so prominent (I don't think any other Mandalorians had chest symbols except Vizla in later appearances) and the green colour is so dominant may indicate this was the armor of a clan leader. Which would make sense if Fett really took it as a trophy.

Sounds like an opportunity to reinterpret the Jaster Mereel and/or Jodo Kast stories to me.

Some people think Sabine's mother is one of Maul's Mandalorians from the comics, she has similar armour.

http://starwars.wikia.com/wiki/Rook_Kast

 

[Reverend]

Some people think Sabine's mother is one of Maul's Mandalorians from the comics, she has similar armour.

http://starwars.wikia.com/wiki/Rook_Kast

There's certainly a resemblance, but it may simply be down the fact that Kast was one of the initial inspirations for Sabine's design. Granted those are not mutually exclusive concepts, but if I have the timeline right then Sabine would have been alive during these events (though an infant) so why would her mother have a different clan name?

 

[Christopher]

When it comes to the fight scenes there's bound to be some artistic licence and the first priority is for things to look interesting and exciting. Realism and consistency are secondary considerations.

Well, obviously. Just because I'm amused by something, that doesn't mean I don't understand why it happens. Put it in the same category with, say, the Incredible Hulk's indestructible pants. The reasons for that are obvious, but it's still something people joke about all the time.

But if one must account for every last thing then consider that there's a difference between a direct, forceful slash and a glancing blow.

Also as we've seen numerous times, while lightsabers can cut though just about anything, it's not always effortless and particularly thick or dense objects require some physical exertion. Qui-Gon cutting though the Trade Federation blast doors in TPM leaps to mind, as does Barris cutting into the Geonosisian tunnels in TCW.

Sure, but either of those explanations seems like a stretch when applied to a thin metal railing that only has to support the weight of a human body leaning against it. That's why it's amusing -- because these railings are no thicker than the saber blade itself, so it looks like it should go right through effortlessly.

Lucas was always leery of the idea of any kind of saber resistant material (indeed, that's the whole reason the darksaber was initially conceived) so I wouldn't put much stock in the canonicity of that information, particularly given the article you're linking states clearly that it's referencing Legends materials.

Well, how resistant is "resistant?" I vaguely recall a Clone Wars episode where the characters had to cut through some really thick security doors with their sabers, and while it was possible, it was slow and difficult. And TCW is canonical.

To do otherwise invites authors to use it as a crutch (which is exactly what happened in the EU!)

Although you could argue that a blade that can cut through anything is itself a crutch -- it makes the hero too potentially powerful, and there's no story if the characters don't face obstacles. It's the Superman problem -- once Superman's powers got ramped up to effectively limitless levels, kryptonite ended up being overused as the only way to slow him down. (Well, kryptonite, red sunlight, and magic.) I think it would make sense for there to be some limits on what lightsabers can cut.

 

[Ithekro]

One thing the lightsaber could not cut was the scales on the Zillo beast in The Clone Wars. Palpatine was keen on that.

Other things are lightsaber resistant. Such as Dooku's cape and part of Vader's armor. Or Palpatine's lightsaber hilts. Those things will slow down a ligthsaber. Allow the item or user to suvive a light or glancing blow, but now a full on powerful strike the like a angry Jedi sometimes make (Obi-wan or Luke when very mad at a Sith Lord).

As for lightsaber resistant, such things exist, but what Lucas didn't want was a metal blade that could stop a lightsaber every time. He thought it take away from the lightsaber, so they made what was going to be a vibroblade made of some kind of Mandalorian Iron, we got a black bladed ancient lightsaber that behaves differently than others without explanation other than it is unique and very old.

 

[Reverend]

Well, how resistant is "resistant?" I vaguely recall a Clone Wars episode where the characters had to cut through some really thick security doors with their sabers, and while it was possible, it was slow and difficult. And TCW is canonical.

Precisely as resistant as they need to be for the scene to be appropriately interesting, exciting and/or tense depending on context. Duh!

It kind of like that whole "space ships travel at the speed of plot" thing.

 

[137th Gebirg]

Re: Star Wars canon - Lucas saw it very differently (and much more flexibly) than P/C sees Trek, in that elements of the SW EU can be much more easily canonized so long as it doesn't contradict existing canon on-screen, and so long as it accepts that future on-screen canon may supersede it. Case in point are the Solo twins from Timothy Zahn's books from the 90's, Jaina and Jacen, who had enjoyed an extremely long place in the canon really until recently when Solo progeny was "adjusted" in Force Awakens. Conversely, another Zahn character, Grand Admiral Thrawn, has made his way recently into Rebels (a very good adaptation, IMO - surprised it took them this long) and, ergo, more firmly established "on-screen" canon.

With regard to lightsaber and Mandalorian particulars, there's really nothing in the established canon saying it can't be that way, so therefore it can be that way until something more official comes along and says it can't.

Really wish Trek took that position, but it's not likely, in light of recent legal gyrations going on with the fan film industry.

 

[Christopher]

Other things are lightsaber resistant. Such as Dooku's cape and part of Vader's armor. Or Palpatine's lightsaber hilts. Those things will slow down a ligthsaber.

It kinda stands to reason that a lightsaber hilt is lightsaber-proof, otherwise how could it hold the beam?

As for lightsaber resistant, such things exist, but what Lucas didn't want was a metal blade that could stop a lightsaber every time. He thought it take away from the lightsaber, so they made what was going to be a vibroblade made of some kind of Mandalorian Iron, we got a black bladed ancient lightsaber that behaves differently than others without explanation other than it is unique and very old.

Although Lucas did give us weapons that could block lightsabers in the prequels -- those electric staff things that General Grievous's droid guards used. And post-Lucas, there was that billy-club thingy that the "Traitor!" Stormtrooper fought Finn with in The Force Awakens.

What about forcefields? Have we seen those block sabers? Hmm, Obi-Wan and Anakin were captured by a "ray shield" in the opening sequence of ROTS, which suggests it could block sabers.

 

[Ithekro]

All those weapons were force field. The problem he had with the Mandalorean weapon was that it was basically just metal. So they had to come up with something else, possibly quickly since it seems they had already designed the shots for the bladed weapon. So it evolved into a lightsaber that was black and edged like a sword rather than the usual beam of light.

The lightsaber blade itself could be energy in a field of some sort, which passed though the kyber crystal, thus not actually touching the hilt really. The crystals appear to be very resilient. Not indestructible but it takes a lot to destroy one. We know that is one builds a lightsaber incorrectly, it can explode, leaving only the crystal behind.

 

[Christopher]

All those weapons were force field. The problem he had with the Mandalorean weapon was that it was basically just metal.

I wasn't questioning what you said about the Mandalorian weapon. I'm already aware of that story thanks to the behind-the-scenes video released this week. I was addressing the larger question of what sorts of things in the SW universe are resistant to lightsabers -- specifically the subcategory of other weapons.

The lightsaber blade itself could be energy in a field of some sort, which passed though the kyber crystal, thus not actually touching the hilt really.

Is the crystal right at the emitter end of the saber? Or is it somewhere inside?

 

[137th Gebirg]

All the cutaways I've seen of them show the Crystal pretty much in the middle.

 

[Tosk]

Stick fighting...I guess the darksaber doesn't have a training mode like Kana's saber does.

The railings in Empire do get cut when hit by a lightsaber. The walls not quite so much.

 

[Reverend]

It kinda stands to reason that a lightsaber hilt is lightsaber-proof, otherwise how could it hold the beam?

Are you kidding? That's like saying guns are bullet-proof.
Aside from being barefacedly asinine it also happens to be demonstrably false. Just ask Ezra's first lightsaber and this green sabre Anakin uses in AotC.
Note however that the kyber itself (the only part to make physical contact with the blade) is intact. According to 'Catalyst' those things are all but indestructible. Indeed, we've seen on both 'Rebels', the Utapau Story Reel episodes of TCW and I suppose by implication in ANH & RotJ that it takes a massive overload of energy to destroy one.

All the cutaways I've seen of them show the Crystal pretty much in the middle.

Kylo's is shown to be right up in the tip, which is where the cross guard jets are being emitted from. But yeah, from what we've seen of lightsaber construction, the crystal being housed in the middle seems to be the more standard configuration. At least in the modern sabers. Kylo's is meant to be based of a more ancient design.

Stick fighting...I guess the darksaber doesn't have a training mode like Kana's saber does.

Sounds like a Mandalorian made weapon to me, Jedi or no.

 

[Captain of the USS Averof]

It kinda stands to reason that a lightsaber hilt is lightsaber-proof, otherwise how could it hold the beam?

Of course not. Remember Darth Maul's double-bladed lightsaber that was cut in half?

To view this content we will need your consent to set third party cookies.
For more detailed information, see our cookies page.

Accept third party cookies

 

[Christopher]

Are you kidding? That's like saying guns are bullet-proof.
Aside from being barefacedly asinine

Yes, for your information, I was somewhat kidding. So there's no call for being insulting.

 

[Reverend]

Yes, for your information, I was somewhat kidding. So there's no call for being insulting.

This is what emotes were invented for mate.
Also for the record, I called the suggestion asinine, not you. There's a difference between attacking an idea and attacking the person.

 

[JD]

Plese tell me there isn't a Rebels-canon book I have to read to keep up with the show.

None of the books and comics are required to understand the shows or movies. The books and comics just expand on backstory or tell sides stories that happened offscreen.

 

[Ithekro]

Usually one only needs to have watched the shows and films to keep up with Rebels. Though sometimes that means seeing stuff from the Clone Wars or say Rogue One to get a reference.

There is probably a few canon Rebels novels or comics, though most seem to be backstory or continuation of plots of secondary characters that might tie into other things later. However most of these are not required because the episodes or films will tend to give one the cliff notes version if it is that important. Though sometimes it is worth it just to watch Rebels Recon each time to fill in some blanks or get what they were going for, or in some cases confirm thoughts about things you might have notice. I notice things from the old roleplaying games quite a bit, and find I'm correct most of the time.

 

[Reverend]

The Kanan comic mini-series mostly focuses on his life immediately before Order 66 as Depa Billaba's padawan and immediately after, trying to survive on his own. There is a framing story set sometime very early in the first season, but it's just that: a framing mechanism meant to tie the various flashbacks together and give them some context. There's also a book that tells the story of how Kanan and Hera first met.

Neither of which are required to follow the show, but both are well worth checking out if one is a fan as it adds a lot of depth to his character.