The Lightsaber

Cutting Power

"By the Force! I thought a lightsaber could cut through anything. The walls are barely scratched. The only thing that can resist a lightsaber is… Mandalorian iron!"

- Exar Kun, regarding Freedon Nadd's tomb

A lightsaber blade is a mass-less form that neither radiates heat nor expends energy until it comes into contact with something solid. The power of the energy blade is so great that it can cut through almost anything, although the speed through which it cut depended on the density of the subject. One important note about lightsaber wounds is that they rarely bleed profusely, even when a limb had been severed. This is because the energy blade cauterizes the wound as it passes, and thus even a severe wound does not tend to bleed heavily.

When cutting through dense material, the immense electromagnetic field generated by the arc causes resistance rather than letting solid matter enter and interrupt the arc. This gives the blade a feeling of being solid when immersed in dense material. Rarely, some solid materials can actually pass through the electromagnetic field and short out the arc. Other electromagnetic energy fields and coherent energy are also repelled by lightsabers' arcs. These include most force fields, blaster bolts, and other lightsaber blades.

Resisting the Lightsaber

Aside from the blade of another lightsaber, there are rare materials that can withstand a lightsaber blade, but with varying degrees of success:

Cortosis: Although a rare and expensive metal, is a popular defense against lightsabers. Purified cortosis ore had the ability to momentarily "short out" a lightsaber blade, rendering it inoperable for a brief period of time before the wielder could reactivate it. Cortosis alloy was sturdier than purified cortosis ore, but was only capable of deflecting a lightsaber blade and not deactivating it. One reason why cortosis was so expensive was the need to refine it. Pure, unrefined Cortosis ore was—for unknown reasons—dangerously ionized and anyone who touched it would be killed instantly. There were multiple methods of forging cortosis armor and weapons, each with varying effects.

Phrik: A rare metallic compound that can withstand a lightsaber blade, although unlike cortosis, Phrik does not possess the ability to cause the blade to short out. Phrik was most notably used in the construction of the electrostaffs wielded by General Grievous's MagnaGuards. Other notable uses of Phrik included elements of Palpatine's lightsaber and Dark Trooper armor.

Darkswords: An ancient type of sword made from a special material that can parry lightsabers. Unlike cortosis, this material did not possess the ability to temporarily deactivate a lightsaber blade it made contact with.

Armorweave: Cloth that gives some resistance to lightsabers, although the protection the reinforced material afforded was limited.

Sith Alchemy: Employed during the eras of the first Sith Empire to augment the properties of metals so as to counter the seemingly unstoppable lightsaber. The Sith also made use of such elements as cortosis in the forging of their Sith swords. After the original Sith Empire, the most notorious use of Sith alchemy was in the construction and reinforcement of Darth Vader's armor.

Mandalorian Iron: A metal found on the planet Mandalore—known as beskar in the Mandalorian language—Mandalorian iron can be forged into several configurations to take advantage of its exceptional lightsaber-resistant qualities. Commonly used in the creation of Mandalorian armor or weapons, the metal was also used to construct the door sealing Freedon Nadd's tomb.

Force Weapon: Weapons imbued with the power of the Force can be used to parry a lightsaber's blade without harm.

Water: All lightsabers, unless specially made, will short out when they are submerged in water, due to rapid chain reactions and the instant overpowering of water on the blade. In rain, a lightsaber will steam up, but not short out.

Other counteracting materials exist in the galaxy, such as various energy shields. Some animals, such as lava dragons, are possessed of natural armor that reflect the blade. Superconductive materials (e.g. ultrachrome, Quantum-crystalline armor) deflect lightsaber strikes. The skin of the Tikulini worms of Jazbina is also able to withstand lightsaber strikes. The Zillo Beasts native to Malastare are also resistant to a lightsaber blow.