Did Luke actually refer to a lightsaber as a laser sword? WTF?! Was it the intent of all involved in this movie to just piss on the franchise? Even Hamill couldn’t get such a simple detail right?
shareI think they are trying to reference the OT, where lightsaber was referred to as "laser sword" at least once, I think.
shareI’m afraid not. The words are never uttered by any character in the OT. It is always referred to as a lightsaber. It’s possible that laser sword appeared in the scripts or something, but no character ever said it.
shareThen I have confused it with Expanded Universe. I think it was in one of SW games.
shareAnakin called it a laser sword in the Phantom Menace.
shareDid he? On Tatooine?
shareYes.
Anakin: You're a Jedi Knight, aren't you?
Qui-Gon Jinn: What makes you think that?
Anakin: I saw your laser sword. Only Jedi carry that kind of weapon.
Qui-Gon Jinn: Perhaps I killed a Jedi and took it from him.
Anakin: I don't think so. No one can kill a Jedi.
Qui-Gon Jinn: I wish that were so.
Right! Thanks. And I think this word also appeared in Star Wars: Jedi Knight II - Jedi Outcast. But I'm not 100% sure
shareYes, he did.
I personally think there is room for sarcasm in dialogue - maybe it reflect's Luke's weariness with the world at that point?
A light sabre doesn't actually function as a sabre might, other than for dueling. Whilst a sabre on the battlefield is a sword with a curved blade for mounted troops, the light sabre is more reminiscent of a Japanses Katana or Samurai sword.
Anakin called it a laser sword in the Phantom Menace.
shareHe did?! I don’t recall that ... did he say it to Qui Gon?
Even so, he’s a child who didn’t know the actual name of the weapon, so merely described it as he saw it.Luke is no child and is very well aware of the correct name, which before now he has used consistently. Now he suddenly calls it a laser sword for no particular reason? Doesnt make sense, like many things in this movie.
It does make sense I’m the context of the conversation of talking about himself as “the legend, Luke skywalker”. By the time of a new hope, the Jedi had been largely forgotten about. So it’s not unreasonable to think that most, if not all of the races who only know the stories of the Jedi from word of mouth would reduce the light saber to a laser sword.
Kinda like William Wallace, who’s seven feet tall and shoots fireballs from eyes, and lighting bolts from his arse.
and when the rebel fleet hed for that planet Vice Admiral Holdo says; "Gods speed".... anyone with a bit of insight to the saga knows such earth-culture-references are intentionally totally void in the saga, and uses "force be with you" or similar as a substitute....The director just does not know what he is doing...
Also, Kylo's scar form TFA was moved to the side of his face, in TFA it was across his face (over his nose). Why move in one may ask? Well the director explained this himself by saying it look better this way... yep, way to take story telling serious.
Isn’t laser sword what the lower ranks call it? Like young anakin in phantom? Wasn’t Luke talking about his “legend”, so that’s how it would have been phrased, no? Remember that he was talking about the legend being bullshit. He wasn’t what they all made him out to be. Kinda like some folks here have done.
shareLucas called them laser swords in early drafts of 'A New Hope', it may be a nod to that.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MIFVlVLrrUs
it's all about context
he was being sarcastic