While Obi-Wan Kenobi’s forbidden mou kei technique is seldom seen elsewhere across Star Wars canon, he’s far from the only character who has used lightsabers to engage in a bit of multi-limb removal. For his part, Anakin Skywalker is no stranger to the act either. He uses a move very similar to the mou kei to cut off both of Count Dooku’s hands earlier on in “Revenge of the Sith.” What goes around comes around, it seems.
Interestingly enough, not all forms of lightsaber limb severance are necessarily considered prohibited. The art of Jedi lightsaber combat includes numerous marks of contact beyond the mou kei. The cho mai involves the singular amputation of the opponent’s weapon-wielding hand, the cho sun centers on the severance of the foe’s entire weapon-wielding arm, and the cho mok refers to the cutting of an enemy’s leg.
These marks of contact are far more commonplace than the mou kei in traditional lightsaber combat and can be glimpsed at various points across the entire Star Wars story. One of the most iconic scenes in the entire franchise is Darth Vader performing the cho mai to cut off Luke Skywalker’s hand in “Star Wars: Episode V — The Empire Strikes Back.” Whether it’s the cho mai or the mou kei, it’s clear lightsabers and limbs generally don’t mix well.
