can people that are not jedi use a lightsaber?

[darth sideus]

I have heard by many other forums I have visited that they can barely. A jedi can use it because of the massive amounts of medichlorians interacting with the force that the lightsaber is pulling in from around it. so when someone who has not been trained to harness the force inside and around you. the jedi probably did that because if someone found a lightsaber they could run through the streets chopping people in half.

[Boba,Obi Wan,Jango]

Well all I can say is what you've heard on these other forums is B.S I dont ever think Ive read anything like that. Remember in ESB when Han uses a lightsaber to cut open a taun taun? He didnt have any trouble there. Luke , while he was strong in the force, was not trained in the jedi arts ,yet he was able to turn on and wave around his lightsaber.
You should see the star wars databank, It should give you more than enough information.

Matt hades::paw::coffee:

[knappp@blueyonder.co]

I have heard by many other forums I have visited that they can barely. A jedi can use it because of the massive amounts of medichlorians interacting with the force that the lightsaber is pulling in from around it. so when someone who has not been trained to harness the force inside and around you. the jedi probably did that because if someone found a lightsaber they could run through the streets chopping people in half.

Light sabers have no mass except for the handle. The blade itself is just light. So yes any one can weld it but only some one with years of practise can use one correctly. I mean I can pick up a sword and wave it around but that doesnt mean I can use it properly. If some one just picked up a light saber and started to swing it around the odds are they will do more damage to themselves than an opponent. Remember that a Jedi starts the learning process at a very early age.
The force will give the Jedi a better understanding of where and what the blade is doing in relation to were he/she is and were the opponant is.

[RobRoy]

Luke wasn't skilled in the Jedi arts when he first was handed a lightsaber and he used it rather well.

Han successfully used Luke's lightsaber on a Tonton with little apparent effort. Sure, he wasn't skilled in the lightsaber, but I doubt that Han was skilled in any bladecraft. He handled it just fine.

I don't see why anyone couldn't just pick up a lightsaber and go to town. Sure, if they did it wrong, they would lop off an arm, leg or their head. But so long as they didn't try anything fancy, there's no real reason to believe they couldn't "run through the streets" with a lightsaber.

[Lord Vader's Wife]

I agree.... it takes almost no effort to use a lightsaber... but to use it in a proper manner... that could be tuff!

[SpringfieldST]

Darth Maul used his double lightsaber, so did Dooku and other siths.

Also, the younglings were seen using the lightsabers while being trained by Yoda in episode 2.

[Lan]

Of course anyone can use a lightsaber. If this were not the case then all of our dreams would be crushed. No, but the points above are good ones, and I think that most people think of them as A) too difficult to handle [most people in the Original Triology] or B) a pointless weapong when you can use a blaster [like Han in ANH].

[Gwaihir the Windlord]

well lightsabers arent exactly mass produced commondities, so it would take some time/money to get their hands on them. jedis individually craft their own lightsabers using the force to properly align the crystals that actually focus the energy. so one would have to acquire one most likely with difficult.

[elidia24]

I'm not a jedi, but I can use a lightsaber. LOL!

[Alvin Eriol]

It was my understanding that the real art of using a lightsaber had to do with using the Force for anticipating events in time to react to them, when ordinary human reflexes would be far too slow, e.g. parrying or deflecting blaster bolts. Remember Like's training in ANH, where Obi-Wan fitted him with a helmet that blinded him, in order to teach him to rely on the Force instead of eyesight.

An ordinary non-Force-adept person could certainly cut and destroy things with a lightsaber (incl. his/herself!), but anybody who's a reasonably good shot with a blaster could take him/her out from out of reach, no problem. (I'm picturing Indiana Jones in that scimitar-v-revolver-in-Cairo scene now). They could certainly be useful for other purposes such as destruction of equipment or weapons, or even light demolition.

Then there's that issue of obtaining one, as Gwaihir pointed out. One would not expect lightsabers to simply be for sale. One probably must slay or overcome a force-user and take his/her lightsaber in order for that weapon to be available for "just anybody" to purchase or obtain.

CTTOI, I seem to vaguely recall reading that lightsabers eveolved from a type of cutting tool, similar in intended function to our reciprocating power saws or chain saws (or acetylene torches, or the new breed of heavy-duty saw-a-truck-in-half circular saws.) It seems likely that such tools are still available in the Republic/Empire.

[Pechark]

Due to the unique gyroscopic effect released by the lightsaber, it is very difficult to handle, Han picked it up and slashed it quickly, if he'd kept hold of it he would have found his hands going everywhere, he just wouldn't have the strength in the Force to control it.

One exception I suppose is General Grievous, a totally non force sensitive. I suppose his mechanical strength allows him to wield them, though not well, given his wild fighting style.



Darth Pechark

[Ncoded]

In my understanding, Force ability is only required to build a lightsaber, not to simply handle one. Using a Lightsaber, while much more difficult than using a sword of metal, is not impossible to a non-force-sensitive being. The odds of a non-force-sensitive being fighting a Force sensitive, if both are trained, with a lightsaber are slim to none. Grievous was trained by Dooku and had the benefit of having calibrated Droid arms to prevent himself from screwing up and hacking off his own limbs before he could think "whoops". The problem with using a lightsaber is the blade is
1) Hard to keep track of without a correlating weight.
and
2) Totally unforgiving when it comes to hacking a limb or other body parts clean off, a mistake can be fatal far easier than a normal sword and you must survive the training to get any good with one.

As for Han vs. Taun Taun? I'm pretty good with a French knife in the kitchen but I won't be fighting with one anytime soon.

[RobRoy]

Due to the unique gyroscopic effect released by the lightsaber, it is very difficult to handle, Han picked it up and slashed it quickly, if he'd kept hold of it he would have found his hands going everywhere, he just wouldn't have the strength in the Force to control it.

This is untrue. Luke was completely untrained in the Jedi arts when Obi-wan first handed him his father's lightsaber. He did not appear to have the problems that you noted above, even in his early training.

This either means that Han was Force sensitive (which still means you don't have to be trained to use a lightsaber), or "the unique gyroscopic effect" is bunk. Dealer's choice.

[Pechark]

This is untrue. Luke was completely untrained in the Jedi arts when Obi-wan first handed him his father's lightsaber. He did not appear to have the problems that you noted above, even in his early training.

This either means that Han was Force sensitive (which still means you don't have to be trained to use a lightsaber), or "the unique gyroscopic effect" is bunk. Dealer's choice.

I was using the information off the Star Wars Visual dictionary for the 'gyroscopic effect', that's my source, believe it if you want. Also, remember, Luke may have been untrained, but he had force sensitive blood.

Darth Pechark