Tràkata: The Lightsaber Form No One Knows About, But Everyone Can't Stop Bringing Up
Image Source: CNN
There has been a longtime debate among fans of the Star Wars saga. Why don’t the Jedi and the Sith deactivate and reactivate their lightsabers during battle? It is something you can do with lightsabers that you cannot with regular swords, and it seems like it could be used as an advantage. The user who times it right could avoid a block or throw their opponent off balance. Well, it turns out that this technique is used, but only very occasionally. It is called Tràkata.
There are several types of Tràkata. The first is called “Pass the Blade.” This is when the person on the offense deactivates the blade during an attack and reignites it into the opponent. The second is called “Unbalancing Block” where the defender stops the opponent’s blade with their own, and then deactivates their lightsaber, knocking the opponent off balance. The third is called “Flash Slash” where the attacker swings the deactivated lightsaber, then ignites it so that it reaches its full length at the time it makes contact with the opponent.
Image Source: Imgur
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The Sith and the Jedi each have their own reasons why the technique is used so rarely. The Jedi are reluctant to use deceit, which is a necessary part of Tràkata. For the Sith, Tràkata goes against that which gives them their power, anger, and aggression. There are also two practical reasons why Tràkata is rarely used. It relies on surprise. If the technique were used frequently, and, therefore, expected, it is relatively easy to defend against. To be effective it has to be used sparingly. It is similar to a fake punt in American football. It only works because it catches the other team off guard. Second, Tràkata leaves its user vulnerable. When the user deactivates their blade, their opponent can “Pass the Blade” too. In other words, the user of Tràkata loses the ability to block while the lightsaber is off.
Image Source: Imgur
Tràkata started as a fan creation and its status in the current canon is widely debated. Did anyone ever use the technique? Would it be effective? It is dangerous, but it has been effective in the few known instances of its use.
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Source(s): Wookieepedia
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