The “Star Wars” franchise is heavily inspired by Samurai movies, with lightsabers reminiscent of the swords used by the ancient Japanese warriors in movies like “Seven Samurai.” As such, it’s possible that George Lucas wanted to emulate the duel scenes shown in those films. However, the “Star Wars” mastermind has provided other reasons for his original two-handed lightsaber rule.
Lucas discussed the lore behind the mystical weapon in “Star Wars Featurette: The Birth of the Lightsaber.” According to the creator, he wanted the weapon to come across as powerful, thus the need for the two-handed approach. “They had a lot of energy in them, so you worked with them as if they were heavy,” he said.
Lucas added that he got rid of the two-handed rule when Luke Skywalker became a more formidable warrior as time went on. He wanted to illustrate how the Jedi become experts at using the weapon, but the decision was also inspired by a desire to make the battles more fast-paced and intense. Fortunately, Lucas’ rules paid off, as “Star Wars” fans still talk about Luke Skywalker’s skills with a lightsaber today.
