The Unforgettable Moment Ahsoka Corrected Obi-Wan Kenobi's Lightsaber Blunder

Summary

Ahsoka made significant improvements to the appearance of lightsabers on-screen by avoiding a major mistake made in the Obi-Wan Kenobi series.

The show effectively introduced beloved live-action and animated characters, expanding the vast Star Wars universe. Ahsoka mesmerized the audience with her LED lightsabers, illuminating the potential of diegetic lightsaber lighting when captured with precision.

Ahsoka's on-screen lightsabers have undergone a significant improvement, avoiding a major error observed in the Obi-Wan Kenobi series. The Star Wars franchise has historically been at the forefront of innovative visual effects, making the lightsaber issues in Obi-Wan's series particularly noteworthy. However, Ahsoka's portrayal demonstrates that Lucasfilm may have learned from this mistake.

Not only does Ahsoka reintroduce beloved live-action characters, including Hayden Christensen's Anakin Skywalker, but it also brings popular animated characters, like Ezra Bridger, to life in a live-action format for the first time. While it still explores familiar Star Wars territory, Ahsoka also ventures into uncharted territory, thankfully avoiding the repetition of the major lightsaber mistake that occurred in the Obi-Wan Kenobi series.

Star Wars Lightsabers Effects Aren't Created the Way The Used to Be

In Star Wars: A New Hope, the original on-screen lightsabers were filmed using rotating poles wrapped in reflective tape. However, this method did not achieve the desired look. To rectify this, George Lucas had his VFX team superimpose the light blade onto the footage, creating the iconic lightsaber appearance seen in all subsequent movies. Since the props used on set did not emit light, other colored lights had to be utilized to illuminate the scenes where the lightsaber was used.

The technique used for creating lightsaber blades in the Star Wars prequels followed a similar approach. However, in Star Wars: The Force Awakens, J.J. Abrams introduced a new element. Prop sabers were used that emitted their own light, which was then enhanced with the traditional blade added during post-production. This added a stylish touch to the lightsaber scenes, incorporating colored diegetic lighting. Nevertheless, these props were not suitable for actual combat scenes.

After the sequel trilogy, an advancement in LED lightsaber props resulted in the creation of fully immersive replicas for use in both combat and non-combat scenes. These props provided dynamic colored lighting effects, enhancing the overall visual appeal. While this innovation opened up exciting possibilities for improving lightsaber combat, it posed significant challenges for the Obi-Wan Kenobi series.

How an Obi-Wan Kenobi Mistake Ruined The Show's Lightsaber Scenes

In addition to bringing back Ewan McGregor as Obi-Wan Kenobi and Hayden Christensen as Anakin Skywalker/Darth Vader for an epic rematch, Obi-Wan Kenobi implemented a fresh approach to its lightsaber duels by extensively utilizing the new LED lightsaber props for on-set lighting effects. While the LED props resulted in a few iconic shots, the series also encountered issues such as over-saturation, over-exposed scenes, and various irregular color artifacts. These problems arose due to a technical error involving the use of digital cameras alongside colored LED lights.

As discussed in our previous article on the color issues with Obi-Wan Kenobi's lightsaber and the breakdown provided by a VFX artist, the utilization of a digital camera sensor and intense blue (and red) LED lights caused "chroma clipping." This issue resulted in the disruption of color data in various lightsaber shots throughout the show. Regrettably, due to time constraints and inability to reshoot with ideal lighting conditions, certain scenes either suffered from irreparable overexposure to blue light or were excessively dimmed to conceal the error. Consequently, what should have been a visually stunning duel between Vader and Obi-Wan, adorned with vibrant clashes of red and blue light, ended up compromised.

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Ahsoka, the latest Star Wars show on Disney+, brings back the intense lightsaber action seen last in Obi-Wan Kenobi. Unlike the aforementioned series, Ahsoka had no issues with achieving the perfect lightsaber lighting. One of the standout moments was Sabine's second duel with Shin Hato, where the LED sabers showcased their impressive dynamic lighting capabilities. While green light is less problematic than blue or red light for digital sensors, this fight still provides a captivating glimpse into the visually stunning world of diegetic lightsaber light.

Ahsoka successfully passes the blue light test during her duel with Anakin in the World Between Worlds. Unlike Obi-Wan Kenobi, the blue light does not overpower their skin tones or textures, nor does it create heavily saturated blue areas in the shadows of their costumes or lines on their faces. To avoid repeating the same mistakes, Lucasfilm could have implemented various changes. However, the key factor is to ensure that the blue light is not excessively bright or saturated during the initial capture on set.

One possible improvement is to use a camera sensor with a broader color range. Additionally, it is likely that the brightness of the lightsabers was slightly reduced, and some full-spectrum white lighting was added to achieve a more balanced look. Traditionally, blue lightsabers in Star Wars have had a whitish appearance with a touch of blue, and Anakin's lightsaber stays closer to that hue compared to the deep dark blue of Obi-Wan's lightsaber in Obi-Wan Kenobi.

Ahsoka found another solution to the issue by restricting the use of blue lightsabers. While this decision may not directly address the problem with blue lighting, it does contribute positively. Even Ezra Bridger's new lightsaber has a more cyan hue than Anakin or Obi-Wan's blue lightsaber, making it easier for the camera sensor to handle without complications.

Obi-Wan Kenobi was not the first time Star Wars encountered complications with new technology that affected their shot material. When George Lucas filmed Star Wars: Attack of the Clones, the first feature film entirely shot in digital format, they had to re-record all the movie's dialogue afterwards. Thankfully, the filmmakers learned from both situations and improved their approach in future projects. Ahsoka had the option to revert back to older methods of filming lightsaber action or, even worse, repeat the same mistake. However, instead, they evolved their approach and enhanced the appearance of lightsaber lighting in combat.