Lightsabers Have Never Looked Better Than Star Wars’ New TV Show

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The lightsaber is arguably the most iconic image from Star Wars, even more so than spaceships or robots. Initially, George Lucas referred to them as “laser swords,” but he worried audiences wouldn’t understand the blades had a fixed length. The name “lightsaber” was actually coined by Alan Dean Foster, who wrote the novelization of the first Star Wars film and the 1978 book, Splinter of the Mind’s Eye.

When George Lucas first started developing Star Wars, he actually imagined it as a retelling of the Arthurian legend! That’s why the idea of a special sword – like Excalibur, which sometimes glows when pulled from its sheath – felt so natural. You can still see echoes of that in the Star Wars universe with the kyber crystals, which are essentially what power and color each lightsaber. In fact, the name ‘kyber’ comes from an alternate name for Excalibur, ‘Caiburr’! But honestly, after nearly 50 years, those lightsabers just look incredible – they’ve really stood the test of time.

Star Wars Keeps Working on the Lightsaber Effects

Lucasfilm has dedicated significant effort to perfecting lightsabers. Recently, Industrial Light & Magic (ILM) dramatically improved how lightsabers appear on screen by switching to bright LED blades. This is a departure from George Lucas’ original method, as the glow now happens automatically during filming instead of being added later. This should create a more realistic look, as if the lightsabers are truly glowing. However, there are a couple of drawbacks. The most noticeable is that the blue light can sometimes make darker scenes appear washed out, as seen in the final episode of Obi-Wan Kenobi.

One challenge was always making the lightsabers work, especially powering them. The battery packs in Ahsoka were a bit limiting, but Lucasfilm has gotten so much better at making everything smaller since then. That’s why the fights in The Acolyte were amazing – honestly, the best since The Phantom Menace! It really let the actors move freely and create incredible duels. They’re clearly trying to top themselves with each new lightsaber fight, and I’m already so hyped for Ahsoka Season 2 – I have a feeling it’ll build on all the cool tech they used in The Acolyte.

If you’re a fan of lightsaber battles, animated Star Wars shows often deliver the most exciting duels and compelling stories. While some choices, like the thinner lightsabers in Star Wars Rebels (inspired by early concept art), have been debated, the recent animated series Maul – Shadow Lord is widely considered the best yet.

Maul – Shadow Lord’s Art Style Shows Lightsabers At Their Best

Many fans and critics agree that Maul – Shadow Lord is one of the best Star Wars TV shows released so far. Our review praised it as the Star Wars story we’ve been waiting for, and that sentiment is reflected in its perfect 100% score from critics on Rotten Tomatoes (with a fantastic 95% audience score as well). The show offers a unique story within the Star Wars universe, beautifully portraying the conflict between good and evil, and focusing on Darth Maul and his possible student.

The animation is truly beautiful. It uses watercolor-like effects that strongly recall the style of Arcane, which is high praise considering how visually stunning that show is. This is especially noticeable in the lightsaber effects – the duels are breathtaking. Animation is ideal for lightsaber battles because the artists can carefully craft each moment, controlling the light and shadows. These watercolor effects also give Darth Maul’s unique double-bladed lightsaber a particularly fierce and wild quality.

The beginning of Shadow Lord is a great example of this. It introduces Darth Maul – accompanied by the iconic music from “Duel of the Fates” – as he attacks police officers on the dangerous planet Janix. The officers are unsurprisingly outmatched, but the scene is visually stunning. It even uses inverted colors, flooding the battle with red and creating a truly intense and frightening atmosphere.

Most Star Wars animated shows cater to dedicated fans, which explains the inclusion of Darth Maul – someone casual viewers might not realize is still alive (even with his brief appearance in the movie Solo: A Star Wars Story). It’s a bit of a missed opportunity, though, because the animation in Darth Maul: Shadow Lord is stunning, and the story is explained so clearly that you don’t need to be a longtime fan to understand it. Hopefully, the show’s positive buzz will attract a wider audience.

Maul – Shadow Lord Season 1 is streaming now on Disney+.

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2026-04-10 17:11