Mashable explores the question of Rylo Ken’s chosen weapon as a jumping off point to discuss the “mechanics, history, and lore” behind lightsabers. The article sees Rylo Ken’s weapon as the obvious next step in a tradition that was started when Darth Maul’s double-bladed lightsaber was introduced. Of course, that argument assumes that things introduced in The Phantom Menace, like Maul’s lightsaber, Midichlorians, Gungans, Shmi’s accent, and Padawan braids, were worthy contributions to the Star Wars universe.
From there, you can click on an interactive diagram of a lightsaber hilt, view famous lightsabers from Star Wars canon, and read about the weapon’s origins within the mythology. The article also finally sheds some light on how these movie props were designed, making full use of special effects and sound design. It’s a well-rounded tribute to elegant weapons made for doing civilized things like gutting tauntauns.
