While the The Star Wars Manga run ignores the typical physics of lightsaber wounds and does fight scenes right, with just the right amount of gore. In addition to looking epic, the blood helps immerse the reader in a visceral combat experience. With a dash of red, the relationship between Luke and Vader takes on a whole new attitude.
Depictions of blood are rare throughout the Star Wars films. Most fans assume that the searing blade of a lightsaber cauterizes wounds on . While a real lightsaber may be hot enough to leave a bloodless, charred wound, this isn't always the case. In Star Wars: A New Hope, Obi-Wan severs the arm of a bar thug, leaving the bloody limb on the floor. This is the first and last time a lightsaber draws blood on the big screen. While the PG combat makes the films much more family-friendly, it also detracts from the experience. Injuries are meaningless in a universe where nobody bleeds, and limbs are easily replaceable. However, MediaWorks received the rights to create a manga adaptation of Star Wars in 1997. The manga's storyline and dialogue are identical to the films. However, the artists take a different artistic direction, including Hisao Tamaki, Toshiki Kudo, and Shin'ichi Hiromoto.
Fans of the manga agree that the bloody battles between Luke and Vader improve the storyline. Epic images of gruesome lightsaber strikes drive home the emotion behind their actions. The gore is most apparent in Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back by Toshiki Kudo. In Luke's Force vision on Dagobah, he fells the Dark Lord's head in a vicious, bloody stroke. The image explains Luke's hesitation to kill Vader throughout the rest of the story. When the two face off and Luke loses a hand, the scene makes Vader's intentions clear. The provides a brutal visual representation of the Sith's cruelty.
Not only does blood improve the story, but this manga adaptation may also be more scientifically accurate. Intense heat can indeed cauterize a laceration. However, doctors haven't utilized cauterization for severed limbs in centuries. The arterial pressure behind a severed head or hand is more than enough to burst through the charred flesh. Albeit lightsabers aren't real, making it impossible to know for sure just how much damage they do.
Despite being wicked storytelling, the bloody version of Star Wars is probably more fit for manga than the big screen. George Lucas himself said, “The films were designed for 12-year-olds. I said that right from the very, very beginning." He reminds fans that despite its success amongst all age groups, Star Wars movies are made for children. With that intention in mind, the choice to conveniently leave blood out of the films makes sense. However, adult fans can be grateful for the manga to get their fix of gruesome Star Wars storytelling in this pivotal battle between Luke Skywalker and Darth Vader.
