UPDATE 2! “The Evolution of the Lightsaber Duel” Hosted by Mark Hamill on ESPN to Feature BTS Video with John Boyega Training

Mark HamillSC Featured presents “The Evolution of the Lightsaber Duel” hosted by Mark Hamill next Tuesday, Dec. 15th at 7PM ET on ESPN.  Read on to watch the promotional video.

 

December 8, 2015

 

 

Here’s the Youtube Version:

 

 

This looks like a really great way to spend your Tuesday night before the premiere of The Force Awakens.  I know I’ll be tuning in for sure. Maybe they’ll even give us a little bit on how lightsaber combat has evolved in the current era of the sequel trilogy.  And who can pass on a chance to watch Mark Hamill host a show about lightsaber fighting?

 

 

UPDATE!

 

And now here’s ESPN’s official press release:

Examining the sport and athleticism behind the choreography and training utilized in the making of Star Wars lightsaber duels, Star Wars: Evolution of the Lightsaber Duel, hosted by Mark Hamill, will air Tuesday, Dec. 15, at 7 p.m. ET on ESPN. The documentary will precede the Friday, Dec. 18, launch of Star Wars: The Force Awakens in U.S. theaters.

Kendo

“Lightsaber duels from the Star Wars films are some of cinema’s most recognized battles and an iconic part of the most popular movie franchise of all time,” said Craig Lazarus, ESPN vice president, SportsCenter & News, Storytelling Units.

“We will take viewers on a unique journey that examines the connection of these duels to sports and their evolution, from the original trilogy through the prequels, and now to Star Wars: The Force Awakens,” said Lazarus. “Viewers will see the transition from fencing and samurai swordplay in the original films to an increased focus on martial arts and the sport of kendo.”

For the documentary, ESPN traveled to the 2015 Kendo World Championships in Japan to gather interviews and information to explain the genesis of kendo and how it applies to Star Wars lightsaber duels.

Hamill

Mark Hamill records narrationHamill, who reprises his role of Luke Skywalker in Star Wars: The Force Awakens, lived in Japan for his last two years of high school and is very familiar with kendo.

“I really feel that kendo has informed so much of what we have done in the films it is about time that it gets some long-overdue recognition,” Hamill said.

“What people don’t realize is how much goes into what appears to be just minutes on the screen,” Hamill said. “The elaborate choreography for the actual fight is done on several different sets over a period of weeks and then it is edited down to what you see on the screens, so I am happy people are able to see the amount of work that goes into it.”

The program also will include behind-the-scenes video of actor John Boyega, who plays Finn in the new film, as he trains for a lightsaber battle scene. Boyega is interviewed for the program as is his kendo trainer, Paul Vincent.

 

SC Featured also traveled to England to interview actor Ian McDiarmid, who portrayed Emperor Palpatine in previous Star Wars films and Nick Gillard, kendo expert and former Star Wars stunt man and choreographer.

 

New interviews with film director/producer J.J. Abrams and Jonathan W. Rinzler, Lucasfilm historian, are also part of the documentary along with rare, behind-the-scenes footage from the Lucasfilm archive.

UPDATE 2!

And here it is…The Evolution of the Lightsaber Duel from ESPN:

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Jordan Pate is Co-Lead Editor and Senior Writer for Star Wars News Net, of which he is also a member of the book and comic review team. He loves all things Star Wars, but when he's not spending time in the galaxy far far away, he might be found in our own galaxy hanging out in Gotham City or at 1407 Graymalkin Lane, Salem Center, NY.

Jordan Pate (Hard Case)

Jordan Pate is Co-Lead Editor and Senior Writer for Star Wars News Net, of which he is also a member of the book and comic review team. He loves all things Star Wars, but when he's not spending time in the galaxy far far away, he might be found in our own galaxy hanging out in Gotham City or at 1407 Graymalkin Lane, Salem Center, NY.

108 thoughts on “UPDATE 2! “The Evolution of the Lightsaber Duel” Hosted by Mark Hamill on ESPN to Feature BTS Video with John Boyega Training

  • December 8, 2015 at 10:13 pm
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    ESPN has to pretend this has anything to do with sports because its parent company is Disney who has to have every entity they own push this movie non stop.

    • December 8, 2015 at 10:24 pm
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      Well, fencing is a sport… so it ties in i guess.

      Its not like they were talking about the evolution of the blaster lol.

      • December 8, 2015 at 10:30 pm
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        Even then, hunting.

      • December 8, 2015 at 10:33 pm
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        Shooting is a sport

      • December 9, 2015 at 1:39 am
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        When was the last time you saw fencing on ESPN?

    • December 9, 2015 at 2:13 am
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      if they can show video game tournaments, why not something with actual physical action?

      • December 9, 2015 at 7:14 am
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        and spelling bees!

  • December 8, 2015 at 10:26 pm
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    IMO we get a sneak peak at luke for the first time since original trailer. they pop 2-3 seconds of him from behind or the side, or with his hood on.

    • December 8, 2015 at 10:34 pm
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      Where? I don’t see this.

      • December 8, 2015 at 10:43 pm
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        I’m pretty sure he’s speculating that that’s what we might see in the full show, that’s why he started with IMO.

        • December 8, 2015 at 11:03 pm
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          yes. thats what I meant.

  • December 8, 2015 at 10:39 pm
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    Cool! I hope this kind of thing gets included on the Blu-Ray release too. Seems really interesting. I know that the lightsaber duels were always a big part of the star wars magic for me. Lets hope the sequel trilogy has a good mix of the intense slow realistic battles of the OT, and the grand, fast, powerful battles of the PT.

  • December 8, 2015 at 11:13 pm
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    Hope TFA lightsaber duels resemble the original trilogy rather than those over choreographed routines we saw in the prequels.

    • December 8, 2015 at 11:34 pm
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      You know, in many of the “X things the PT did better than the OT” type of articles, 9 times out of 10 the lightsaber fights are listed on there (and there are many places that explain why, contextually and story-wise, they are like that). Maybe you have a preference but there are good storytelling reasons as to why the Jedi fights in the PT look good based on story framing alone (they’re essentially in their prime during the times of the Republic); if you’re not a fan of the style, then you’re not going to like the fighting displays in TCW at all.

      That said, it’ll be great to see lightsaber fights and their look should be whatever canonically makes sense (and I believe JJ stated that it’ll be more of a mix from the previous two trilogies which sounds about right from a canonical standpoint).

      • December 8, 2015 at 11:54 pm
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        I’m looking for a movie with characters I can empathise with, and action scenes that are both dramatic and emotionally engaging. It’s my opinion the OT lightsaber duels delivered on the action scenes, where as the PT was lacking. That is my subjective opinion.

        • December 9, 2015 at 1:06 am
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          You’re entitled to that.

          However, in my previous post, I’m mostly talking in reference to aesthetics and skills, not dramatic and emotional weight (which I can see as well). Yes, it’s great to have those things as well but as far as physical looks go, the PT’s lightsaber battles wins (along with TCW).

          Like I said, you’re entitled to your opinion, just like I’m entitled to mine.

          • December 9, 2015 at 1:35 am
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            That’s cool.

      • December 9, 2015 at 12:04 am
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        Moving away from the balletic athleticism of the PT styles and opting
        instead for the quiet-bodied staccato of kendo shown in this trailer
        would be an interesting approach. New, yet still respectful of the past.

      • December 9, 2015 at 12:26 am
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        I think the reason we like the OT more is because slow, methodical fights convey more emotion and story than fast, hypnotic ones. One is storytelling the other is spectacle.

        • December 9, 2015 at 1:21 am
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          Every single lightsaber duel in the OT carries emotional weight. In the PT, other than Anakin vs. Dooku in RotS and Obi-Wan vs. Anakin, all other lightsaber duels are impersonal clashes between natural foes that have no emotional attachment to each other. So IMO, both styles work perfectly well based on each duel’s context.

          • December 9, 2015 at 1:55 am
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            This!

          • December 9, 2015 at 5:14 am
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            you forget obi-wan & qui gon vs maul, sidious vs windu, kenobi vs grievous was over the top (apart for the last part of duel), yoda vs sidious could be way better i agree (but it’s not too bad). kenobi vs fett was the more brutal and cool IMO. lot of people here point out the lack.of emotions in PT. idk in your english version, but in French version dialogues didn’t look like too much like wooden-acting or blank.

          • December 9, 2015 at 5:17 am
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            Many people who watched the PT in other languages say the same. Maybe I will watch them in Spanish!

          • December 9, 2015 at 5:18 am
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            I’m speaking for myself here. i liked your joke though 😉

            edit : what i want to say it’s PT is not as emotionless as lot of people pretends…

          • December 9, 2015 at 7:10 am
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            Thats what I mean. The voice actors do a better job than the actors in the movies lol

          • December 9, 2015 at 5:44 am
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            If you do, make sure that it’s Spanish from Spain. Latin American Spanish voice acting is TERRIBLE. And don’t even get me started on the translation of terms unique to SW…ugh!

          • December 9, 2015 at 5:45 am
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            Well, I was just trying to make a point about the PT duels where characters had a previous history with each other as a point of comparison. As Palpatine noted, Anakin wanted revenge from Dooku for cutting off his arm, and obviously we all know the past that Anakin & Obi-Wan shared.

            But I agreee with your comment. You must have some great French translators and voice actors, though. Because doesn’t hold true for the Latin American Spanish version, believe me.

          • December 9, 2015 at 5:54 am
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            i agree with your history-based argument. But in first place Anakin attacked Dooku and gets his arm cut off because his arrogance. Jedis and dark side-users have a long past of wars. Looks how mace windu wants to obliterate Palpatine the second he beats him. in the PT the background is the war and i think it’s this global vision of this galaxy who has distract people from prequels

          • December 9, 2015 at 5:15 am
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            Obi-wan vs maul was pretty emotionally charged. But otherwise I agree

    • December 9, 2015 at 12:33 am
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      PT lightsaber duels are much better than these from OT.

      • December 9, 2015 at 12:54 am
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        That is the opinion you are entitled to.

      • December 9, 2015 at 1:37 am
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        Better choreographed. But what really makes a fight good is what’s going on between the characters and the dialogue that they exchange during them. Not the impressive saber flinging.

        • December 9, 2015 at 5:13 am
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          What’s going on between the characters is very important. That’s what makes the OT fights interesting despite their lack of flare. I thought the PT fights just added the flare that I’d expect from trained jedi/sith anyway.

      • December 9, 2015 at 1:39 am
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        NO they aren’t LOL! Prequel Lightsaber duels look MORE OVER-CHOREOGRAPHED that Disney on Ice

      • December 9, 2015 at 1:43 am
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        HAHahahah. Man, you must be a comedian.

      • December 9, 2015 at 3:39 am
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        I enjoy the OT more than the PT overall, but do agree that the duels are better in the PT, particularly Anakins defeat of Dooku. That was a short but just really well done duel. Also love sidius vs maul and his bro in clone wars, particularly the way sidius toys with them. Youtube it if you never saw it. Clone wars in the last few seasons was the best from Lucas since ESB. Obviously all just my opinions as beauty is in the eye of the beholder.

      • December 9, 2015 at 5:11 am
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        I completely agree. I found the lightsaber duels in the OT lacking. I expect a sword fight between professional super-powered swordsmen (jedi/sith) to be flarish and entertaining and the prequels did not disappoint at all in that regard.

  • December 9, 2015 at 1:11 am
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    It’s too bad that the form system they had in place with the old EU is probably no longer valid. I don’t think this film will be all that big on duels considering it’s taking large liberal doses from ANH.

    • December 9, 2015 at 5:09 am
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      That really is too bad, I miss the form system and I hope it isn’t discarded.

      • December 9, 2015 at 5:28 am
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        Me too. Even though it’s all make believe it added some degree of realisim to the duels.

        • December 11, 2015 at 12:05 am
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          Exactly. I’d be very interested in seeing which form kylo ren prefers to use

          • December 11, 2015 at 4:41 am
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            My guess is V like Vader who he worships as it’s closest to the dark side next to VII.

    • December 9, 2015 at 5:25 am
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      i think forms lightsaber system is related to the Ancient Republic and since no Jedis remain to teach them, i am afraid it will only last on memories of few people like us

      • December 9, 2015 at 5:32 am
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        I never did find out what Luke’s form was but I imagine either VI or freestyle which seems like what is the dominant style in this one with Finn.

        From what I remember

        I – Beginning Padawans

        II – Classical swordplay ala Dooku

        III – Defense like old Obi-Wan

        IV – Acrobatics such as Yoda

        V – Pure muscle that Vader used

        VI – Freestyle like Luke

        VII – Dark Side leaning that only Mace, Sidious, and Maul mastered or at least in the films.

        • December 9, 2015 at 5:41 am
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          Indeed, you pretty much right. I am not an expert but Kenobi mastered Ataro style who is more acrobatic, and Windu used the Vapaad who is the 7th or 8th form. don’t remember others.

          • December 10, 2015 at 6:46 pm
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            No obi wan used ataru in episode 1 but after that he uses soresu the forms are:
            1: shii sho (classic style indeed used for padawans°
            2: makashi the classic style only dooku uses it it is made for lightsaber duelling so it is not effective against blasters this is why almost no one uses it anymore
            3: soresu: a defensive patient style that waits for an opening in the attacker, obi wan was a master of this form
            4: ataru, a very agressive style which was popular during prequel era but which had a lot of openings and exhausted the user really fast (qui gon used ataru and its flaws made him lose in the novel)
            5: Djem so/shien: anakins form it focuses on physcal strenght and is also very offensive it djem so is the duel variant and shien the blaster version
            6: Niman: this is a style that incorporates elements from all other styles it is used by jedi diplomats who dont really take an interest in lightsaberskills
            7: vaapad basically only mastered by Mace Windu. It taps into the dark side so dangerous to use. It’s strenght is that it channels the dark side and the use can use that in his advantage. this is why mace windu was able to send back palpatines lightning AND also being able to face him in a duel. palpatines rage actually made windu stronger because of this form.

            I’m also afraid they’re gonna abandon these styles altogteher in future movies. Some forms are made canon trhough rebels though so i’m glad theyre not just making it legends.

          • December 10, 2015 at 9:08 pm
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            Lol that was an explication now 🙂 i would add Dooku customized his incurved saber hilt to be more efficient in his form.

          • December 11, 2015 at 2:21 am
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            haha 😀 I was always a big fzn of lightsaber combat so I devoured all information I could find about it 😀 mostly in the novel of revenge of the sith and in the kotor games!

  • December 9, 2015 at 1:43 am
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    I bet they’ll also be showing a new TV spot before the show. Like I’d literally bet money.

    • December 9, 2015 at 2:03 am
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      in case the five people in the world that haven’t heard about this movie yet are watching? 😉

      • December 9, 2015 at 2:45 am
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        Exactly. You have to market to those homeless people!

  • December 9, 2015 at 1:50 am
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    but will mark get involved in some fighting himself? that’s what i’d want to see… especially since we won’t see any from him in the film. 😉

    • December 9, 2015 at 1:54 am
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      Who says? I’ve heard he will show up and scare away Kylo Ren by dual wielding lightsabers. One blue, and one green.

      • December 9, 2015 at 2:00 am
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        why stop at two, why not have him wielding two double bladed sabers? i’m sure that will get kylo to soil his pantaloons. 😉

      • December 9, 2015 at 1:28 pm
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        Luke is so far advanced after 30 years that lightsabers are for kids…

  • December 9, 2015 at 2:43 am
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    Anyone else notice the similarity of the kendo masks to the Knights of Ren masks?

  • December 9, 2015 at 4:00 am
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    I think intricate professional lightsaber training ended with order 66 for the jedi (luke’s saber training pales in comparison with the jedi from the old republic.) I wonder if lukes raw abilities in theforce allowed him to develop a new intricate saber fighting style after rotj in the new canon? And perhaps shared with new apprentices? Face it, part of luke vs vadar was young vs fading.

  • December 9, 2015 at 5:35 am
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    Someone just pointed out that the new Rey figure has two lightsbers. Someone should zoom in to see if she’s pulling an Ashoka or it’s the same Anakin lightsaber. It looks like his but I can’t confirm.

    My bet is that Finn loses a limb and she uses it to honor him till he recovers in VIII, At which point he builds his new lightsaber.

    Hopefully a new blade color now that the stupid Lucas ban on having just blue, green, purple, and red is over.

    • December 9, 2015 at 5:37 am
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      Please i didn’t read that news to not get spoiled, and you just did it !!! 🙁

      • December 9, 2015 at 9:04 am
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        It’s a toy, You look at the PT figures and they come with all sorts of ridiculous looking weapons not in any of te films.. I was just speculating. Nobody’s made a confirmation of anything.

        • December 9, 2015 at 1:07 pm
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          FFS this whole site is rumours and innuendo, with a little splash of “truth” hidden somewhere…if we’re going to start crying over what may “spoil” the experience then I suggest not going to see TFA at all – there is no way this movie is going to live up to this amount of hype and sensitivity… Rogue One on the other hand…

          • December 9, 2015 at 3:05 pm
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            Bingo! I’ll probably take Thursday off of here till I get back. Not just to avoid any last second ones but line is going to be huge enough here as is.

        • December 9, 2015 at 4:51 pm
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          sry i maybe overreacted a little. but i careful avoid each news speaking too far into theories. i didn’t watch any teaser after the full trailer. i ve the feelings everyone here knows the whole movie.

          • December 10, 2015 at 10:56 am
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            Toys are known for exagerrating the films, If we saw it in a commercial or still pic then that would be another story. I have an Episide I Mace Windu figure with a blue lightsaber that he’s still never used yet in the films,

    • December 9, 2015 at 6:18 am
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      If I hadn’t already been spoiled, I have been now. It’s fine, i’ll get over . I just would’ve liked to learn about Rey’s lightsabers in the movie.

      • December 9, 2015 at 9:02 am
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        I’m pretty sure the Stormtroopers don’t wield goofy ass looking Hasbro Build A Weapons, So toy accessories are not exactly confirmation by any means.

        • December 9, 2015 at 12:14 pm
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          You gotta admit this one is really hard to dismiss.

          • December 9, 2015 at 12:17 pm
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            The original Mace came with a blue lightsaber, Plo had a yellow, Ki-Adi had purple, Adi Gallia had red. None of which were used in the films or any of the sequels.

    • December 9, 2015 at 6:31 pm
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      I believe it’s the blaster Han gives her.

      • December 10, 2015 at 10:58 am
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        Not unless she can change it into a lightsber like Ezra’s can.

    • December 10, 2015 at 6:25 pm
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      I think the figure comes with theSkywalker legacy lightsaber , Pistol and her staff

      • December 11, 2015 at 4:37 am
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        Did you save the image? I’d like to zoom in on it again since I just kind of quickly glanced at it and haven’t seen it since,

    • December 9, 2015 at 3:06 pm
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      Number 18?!

      • December 9, 2015 at 10:32 pm
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        Yep.

        • December 10, 2015 at 11:00 am
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          It’s fun to see the new scenes but 95 percent of them at this point are just the same scenes recycled in new ways. I’d rather they have cut them in half and only done one for each of the major characters.

          • December 10, 2015 at 10:31 pm
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            Yeah, I partially agree. While I love seeing more footage, it’s becoming more and more obvious that a lot of it is just different/longer views of stuff we’ve already seen.

          • December 11, 2015 at 4:39 am
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            I’d rather see a music video all the PT films had but that’s not very likley with the score coming out so late.

    • December 9, 2015 at 4:58 pm
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      What your purpose then ? You can do that with every fucking movie. I m telling you a scoop, lightsabers and Jedis don’t exist. It’s just enterteinement. Don’t expect to have break my dreams, i spotted this phantom hits way earlier. i only respond to your pathetic troll post. Maybe you’ll hit next time.

      • December 9, 2015 at 10:32 pm
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        Be careful not hurt any snails with all that salt, lol.

    • December 10, 2015 at 6:13 pm
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      People spend too much time focused on hating things they didn’t like than liking things they do. There are things I didn’t like about all the movies. I don’t cry about them. I just accept them because there is nothing we can do to change it.

    • December 10, 2015 at 10:20 pm
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      Which is sad considering there was tons of digital manipulation going on here that they could have used to fixed this.

  • December 9, 2015 at 3:20 pm
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    The Darth Plagueis theory is the new Palaptine is not Sidious.

  • December 9, 2015 at 4:02 pm
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    On the nose, My friend.

    • December 9, 2015 at 4:43 pm
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      Eopie anyone?

      • December 10, 2015 at 10:52 am
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        The lovely creature that introduced farting into the Star Wars universe,

    • December 9, 2015 at 4:44 pm
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      Or maybe Tauntaun..?

      • December 9, 2015 at 8:25 pm
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        Snoke is the Wampa back for revenge!

      • December 10, 2015 at 10:53 am
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        They smell worse on the inside than the outside and are warmer too. Bet there is entire slash fic pages dedicated to them on the Holonet,

  • December 9, 2015 at 5:25 pm
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    Looks like a great show, like if they’re going behind the scenes and discussing the developement of it, count me in.

  • December 9, 2015 at 6:11 pm
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    PT lightsaber duels are better choreographed, but that’s it. There is no substance to the fight other than flare and show. OT lightsaber duels were more realistic cause it wasn’t predictable and had substance to the characters.

    • December 10, 2015 at 8:57 pm
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      i disagree.. i think the OT battles are much more predictable than the prequel battles. i also don’t think that legitimately trained jedi knights have less substance than a half-cyborg man and a rookie farmboy aspiring to be a jedi.. who had a a few days of training on dagobah. don’t get me wrong, i think they each have pros and cons, but don’t just bash on the prequel fights for the sake of it.

      • December 11, 2015 at 7:56 pm
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        I’m not bashing the prequel fights “for the sake of it.” I explained my reasons why the prequel fights were just pretty and having nothing toward it. Don’t get me wrong, they’re to me great films (I actually appreciate the prequels), but look at it this way. Both trilogies are from different time periods and have different methods of telling a story. The prequel duels to me show the highest display of fighting from the jedi and sith. It’s almost an art. It also display the jedi being emotionless leaders (hence the reason why they show no emotion in battle).

        The original trilogy on the other hand, it was basically survival of the fittest. I wouldn’t go as far as you and say they were predictable, it was quite the opposite. There was a conflict of emotion within the characters and their dialogue cause Luke was basically the last of the jedi and had hardly any training, which shows the struggle and lack of training. Luke was basically using instincts. Darth Vader was all machine, he had to use his power of the force and was less mobile cause the suit was a limitation. Compare to Anakin in the prequel, who had the athleticism and agility and force.

        Story wise of the duels, original trilogy beats the prequels by a long shot. Style wise of the duels, the prequels trilogy has the originals beat by a long shot.

  • December 9, 2015 at 9:28 pm
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    The only problem with using Kendo as a basis for lightsaber techniques is that the enitre sport (and Kendo is a sport) is geared around hitting only certain targets on the body for points: right wrist (left is rare), top of the head, abdominal sides and throat. The rest of the body is off limits. Most Kendo experts learn to use the flexability of the shinai (sword made from bamboo or carbon fiber) to “snap” their weapon forward to strike so that it bends toward the target. The modern shinai are designed to be flexible for safety reasons. Kenjutsu on the other hand, uses either solid wooden bokens (katana made out of solid oak or other hardwoods) to fight or metal blades (either sharpened “live” blades or un-sharpened).
    Kenjutsu is much more realistic fighting style for lightsaber techniques since it’s based on lethality rather than points , but it’s also more advanced considering it’s a pure martial art rather than the sport of Kendo.
    Kenjutsu is what the real bushi and Sengoku Era samurai used on the battlefield whereas Kendo is the Tokugawa Era peacetime sport that had no place on the battlefield.

    • December 10, 2015 at 9:20 pm
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      Interesting. But you gotta admit Kendo looks pretty cool. Also, if we get all technical it seems like lightsaber fighting practically speaking would resemble something more like fencing given the fact that lightsabers would be so light weight. You wouldn’t really need to swing it like a heavy broad sword. I would imagine more poking and less slashing. But again, it probably wouldn’t look as cool nor could I imagine Darth Vader saying “touche!”

    • December 10, 2015 at 9:57 pm
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      Hopefully Kylo Ren will use more combat movements than we’re used to seeing. Kendo and Wushu are all beautiful in their own ways but are not believable techniques for portraying real soldiers.

  • December 10, 2015 at 5:45 pm
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    I`m more interested in how Adam Driver trained for it. He obviously did as we see him charging at Finn in the new Chinese trailer.

  • December 10, 2015 at 5:45 pm
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    I think with John Boyega having been specifically trained for the role in lightsaber combat, he will definitely have some proficiency with the weapon on screen. In other words, I don’t think he’s just gonna swing once at Ren and then be beaten. I expect we’ll see him put up a little bit of a fight. But make no mistake, Kylo Ren will dominate him in the end.

    • December 10, 2015 at 6:56 pm
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      Seeing this climatic scene is only second to watching Plagueis run over Maz Kanata on his segway.

  • December 10, 2015 at 6:24 pm
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    I want to see Adam Driver and Daisy Ridley doing their lightsaber training !

  • December 10, 2015 at 7:00 pm
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    The duels between Luke and Vader are and will always be the best. Father versus son, so epic! The duel on Bespin was amazing and the ending of course with Vader telling Luke the truth made my mouth drop open as a kid. No other moment in film history had me that shocked. I loved the final duel, especially when Luke goes rampage mode on Vader for threatening to seduce Leia. Any real big brother (like myself) would have done the exact same! You don’t mess with my sister!

    The prequel battles were okay. The battle between Jango/Boba vs Obi had more suspense to me then any of the light saber duels. Yeah that’s right, I said it. It was more amazing seeing Obi battle it out than Anakin. In my opinion, of course.

    Looking forward to the battles in this trilogy!

  • December 10, 2015 at 10:19 pm
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    I hope we see more dialogue in between duels like in the OT, Not campy one liners but meaningful plot driven stuff. I think not having it in the PT ones hurt the films a bit, Like it was just two robots going at it. Even the fabled Anakin vs Obi-Wan one was relatively free of speaking. Same with Yoda and Sidious.

  • December 11, 2015 at 1:23 am
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    hopefully they won’t just break down the duels in the movies but also discuss the various forms of light sabre combat as a whole. a detailed breakdown/demonstration of those would be awesome.

  • December 11, 2015 at 1:42 am
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    Lucas actually says “Faster.. more intense” LOL

    • December 17, 2015 at 12:45 pm
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      the sad thing is, if you watch all the documentaries of ep1-6, you’ll hear him say it over and over. 🙁

  • December 11, 2015 at 3:33 am
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    Judging by his current appearance, he will be in prime-time shape in the next film.

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