The next entry in the Star Wars franchise, The Acolyte, is set to introduce fans to a lightsaber whip, a kind of weapon never seen before in live-action. In the latest promotional bit for the upcoming series, Vernestra Rwoh was spotted wielding a purple lightwhip. This has caused curiosity among fans, who seem eager to know more about the weapon.
Here is all that you need to know about the lightwhip’s origins as well as its mechanism.
What is the purple lightsaber whip in The Acolyte?
A lightsaber whip is a modified version of the lightsabers that already exist in the Star Wars universe, as per Screenrant. In reality, the traditional Jedi and Sith weaponry is more than just glorified swords. This weapon’s blade is actually a stream of superheated plasma, with its structure being maintained via a magnetic field generator. Consequently, the whip-like shape is an extension of the form of lightsabers.
The purple lightwhip sports a pliable magnetic field, which allows its wielder to bend the blade’s shape to their will. However, the versatile nature of the weapon also comes at a cost, as a weaker magnetic field considerably turns the effectiveness of the lightsaber down a notch. In The Acolyte, Vernestra Rwoh has a switch on her lightsaber that gives her the option of shifting to a whip at any given time.
Is Vernestra Rwoh’s lightwhip a new Star Wars weapon?
The first appearance of a lightsaber that deviated from its widely known rigid form occurred in the 1985 Star Wars comic, Legends. This year also marked the debut of Lumiya, the Dark Lady of the Sith who ultimately went on to succeed Emperor Palpatine. The Sith lord used this unique weapon to defeat Luke Skywalker in a duel, announcing the lightwhip’s immense power. Aside from Lumiya, several other dark side characters have carried lightsaber whips in the recorded Star Wars lore since then.
While the one-of-a-kind equipment was usually associated with Siths, Vernestra’s efforts in recent novels have gone a long way to redeem its reputation.
