Summary
- Lightsabers come in various shapes and forms, including the newly introduced live-action lightsaber whip in The Acolyte.
- These whips are an evolution of the traditional lightsaber, boasting malleability but a slightly weaker energy stream.
- Vernestra Rwoh wields the lightsaber whip, drawing parallels to Mace Windu, adding a unique element to Star Wars lore.
types of lightsabers - and some are visually far more impressive than the normal weapon used by Jedi and Sith. Who can forget the first trailer for Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace, which featured Darth Maul igniting his double-bladed lightsaber for the first time?
The Acolyte will push the boundaries even further, though, featuring the debut of the first ever live-action lightsaber whip. This is already proving divisive on social media, with some thrilled and others criticizing the idea. Here's all you need to know about the lightsaber whip, including both how it works and its 39-year history in Star Wars lore.
How A Lightsaber Whip Works
Most viewers assume a lightsaber is simply a laser sword - a term George Lucas tried to avoid - but they're actually quite sophisticated. To understand a lightsaber whip, it's first necessary to understand how a lightsaber works in the first place, because a lightsaber whip is basically a modification of the standard design. The so-called "blade" of a lightsaber is actually a stream of superheated plasma, its blade shape controlled by a magnetic field generator. This is explained in Star Wars: Lightsabers - A Guide To Weapons Of The Force:
"Once the energy is focused, it leaves the handle from a positively charged energy lens inside the blade emitter. The beam is trapped inside an energy field created by a kyber crystal, which bends the beam back towards a negatively charged high-energy flux aperture in the emitter.
The lightsaber whip is simply a development of this idea - a longer, weaker and more malleable magnetic field, meaning the plasma stream can be manipulated like a whip. The Acolyte's lightsaber whip is wielded by Jedi Master Vernestra Rwoh (played by Rebecca Henderson), and she's installed a switch on her lightsaber that allows her to transform her traditional blade into a whip whenever she wishes. This gives her a uniquely malleable weapon, although the energy stream is more diffuse - meaning it's a little weaker than a standard lightsaber blade.
- Created By
- Justina Ireland
- Cast
- Rebecca Henderson
- First Appearance
- Star Wars The High Republic: A Test of Courage
- RELATIONSHIPS
- Stellan Gios (Master), Imri Cantaros (Padawan)
- Race
- Mirialan
- TV Shows
- The Acolyte
A prodigy among the Jedi of the High Republic, Vernestra "Vern" Rwoh was one of the youngest Jedi ever to achieve the rank of Knight. She served at a time of crisis for the Republic, battling on the front lines against the Nihil, the Nameless, and the Drengir, and proving herself wise beyond her years. Vern will appear in live-action in The Acolyte, set over a hundred years after she became a Master, at the tail end of the High Republic Era.
The Legends Origin Of Lightwhips & Lightsaber Whips
A slightly different incarnation of the lightsaber whip can be seen in Legends, dating all the way back to 1985. This was the year Star Wars introduced Lumiya, the Dark Lady of the Sith who would eventually become a worthy successor for Palpatine himself. She was known for wielding the lightwhip, a weapon that allowed her to best Luke Skywalker himself in combat. To counter the lightwhip, Luke developed a new fighting technique incorporating his standard blade and a shorter shoto weapon - the same design later used in canon by Ahsoka Tano.
The lightwhip wasn't exclusively associated with Lumiya, with many other dark side characters using it over the years. It vanished into obscurity when Disney branded the old Expanded Universe "Legends" (or non-canon), but returned in Justina Ireland's A Test of Courage in 2020. That book introduced Vernestra Rwoh, who was revealed to have been guided in creating the lightsaber whip by the promptings of the Force.
The Dark Side History Of Lightsaber Whips In Star Wars Canon
In Legends, the lightwhip was traditionally associated with the Sith. There have been strong hints this is true in canon as well; in A Test of Courage, Vernestra acknowledged its poor reputation. More recent novels set during the High Republic Era have seen Vernestra meet with the Jedi Council of that time, showing them the lightsaber whip she developed, and they have reluctantly accepted that she did so according to the will of the Force.
The lightsaber whip is a dangerous weapon, extremely difficult to counter. It is also one that requires a great deal of skill to master, and there is some evidence Vernestra has created a new combat form allowing her to use it effectively. According to Justina Ireland and Tessa Gratton's Defy the Storm:
"Vernestra had spent her time on Ibbe perfecting the use of her lightwhip. She'd always been enamored of a more defensive style of flow and dynamics, but she'd learned to channel her fierce desire to protect those she cared about into a more aggressive form. As she spun the whip around her body, deftly controlling the flexible plasma blade with the Force, Vernestra realized that she was better than she'd ever been."
There are striking parallels between Vernestra Rwoh and Mace Windu, both of whom wield purple lightsabers; Mace's own unique lightsaber form (Vaapad) was created to channel his inner darkness, and the same is likely true of Vernestra's. Given The Acolyte is set a century before the prequels, Vernestra's form may even evolve into Mace's. It will be thrilling to see Vernestra's form in live-action.
Star Wars: All Lightsaber Combat Forms Explained (& Who Used Which)
The Jedi and the Sith use seven different forms of lightsaber combat in Star Wars - here's all you need to know about them, and who uses which.
Vernestra Rwoh’s Lightsaber Whip Makes Star Wars History
The lightwhip and lightsaber whip have been part of Star Wars lore since 1985, but they've never before been seen in live-action - likely because the technology did not exist to make them look good. Disney has continued to work on lightsaber technology since acquiring Lucasfilm from George Lucas in 2012, though, and these designs are continually improving. It is clearly now possible to make a lightsaber whip a reality.
At first glance, Vernestra's lightsaber whip looks absolutely stunning. It begins as a standard blade before morphing into something never seen before on live-action, a coruscating stream of energy that sweeps around her - to no doubt lethal effect. It's unclear how prominently the lightsaber whip will be featured in The Acolyte, but viewers won't have long to wait and see.
The Acolyte premieres on June 4 on Disney+.
