25 ways Star Wars is better than Game of Thrones
24. The weapons
Listen, swords are cool. Like, really cool.
And the swords in Game of Thrones are some of the coolest — from Ice and Longclaw to Oathkeeper and Needle.
Swords are the main form of weaponry in Game of Thrones. There are a few other things designed to injure and kill in Westeros, including bows and arrows, massive crossbows called Scorpions, weapons made of dragon glass and the explosive, napalm-esque wildfire.
There are some truly epic sword fights in Game of Thrones, and wildfire wipes out a lot of people in several scenes. But neither compares to the most iconic weapon of all time: the lightsaber.
Lightsabers first appeared in Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope. Also called laser swords, lightsabers were the primary weapon used by the Jedi and the Sith. Powered by a Kyber Crystal, lightsabers came in many different colors, depending on the preference of the user.
The Jedi’s lightsaber colors were mostly blue or green, but other Force users like Mace Windu and Rey had purple and yellow lightsabers, respectively. The Sith and other dark side Force users manipulated their lightsaber crystals to glow red.
Lightsabers are powerful, almost indestructible weapons that are deeply connected to the Force user who wields them. They can cut through almost anything, and only a few weapons were effective at blocking a lightsaber’s plasma blade.
These weapons also required specialized combat training in both offensive and defensive techniques. Jedi apprentices spent years honing their skills with the lightsaber while also connecting their skills with the weapon to the Force.
Lightsaber hilts were also custom to each wielder, as it was customary for Jedi padawans to build their own lightsaber after being connected to a particular Kyber Crystal. Some lightsabers don’t have just one blade, either. There are double-ended lightsabers, crossguard lightsabers like that of Kylo Ren, lightsabers with curved or hinged hilts and the Darksaber of Mandalore.
While lightsabers are mostly fictional weapons, fans can still get their hands on toy versions and collectible lightsabers of their favorite characters. And, you can experience the spiritual awe of connecting to a lightsaber by building your own at Savi’s Workshop at Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge in Disneyland and Disney World.