The Luke lightsaber from SabersPro’s Character Sabers assortment is impressed by the youthful Skywalker’s second lightsaber, featured in Return of the Jedi. Want we remind you that his unique hand-me-down from Anakin ended up plummeting into Cloud Metropolis’s reactor shaft, together with the Jedi-in-training’s hand…
We obtained probably the most reasonably priced baselit mannequin, however the saber’s Core may be upgraded to SN Pixel V4 and Proffie 2.2. These upgrades characteristic NeoPixel LED strips inside the blade, permitting for way more sensible lighting results. You’ll be able to see how a NeoPixel variant fares by testing our SabersPro Obi Wan EP3 assessment.
Whereas price range constraints are an apparent cause to go for baselit over NeoPixel, that is to not say baselit variants cannot be thought-about a few of the finest lightsabers obtainable. SabersPro recommends the previous for intense duels, score NeoPixel sabers just for gentle swashbuckling or extra particularly: “a extra light interplay”. That is presumably to stop the LED strips from dislodging after fixed, heavy clashing.
However the hilt is what most wannabe Jedi might be trying ahead to probably the most. And whereas a cool-looking hilt is vital it doesn’t matter what lightsaber you decide up, a character-specific lightsaber hinges on a movie-accurate hilt. The eagle-eyed can have already clocked that there’s one thing off with the SabersPro Luke, but it surely’s completely by design. Learn on to search out out why…
SabersPro Luke lightsaber: Design & meeting
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- Glossy hilt feels nice within the hand
- Consists of hex key for straightforward blade meeting
- Hilt may be displayed with out blade
This can be a handsome lightsaber, however for those who’re a Luke Skywalker fanatic you may have little doubt seen that the hilt is lacking a key part from the unique prop. The activation plate and small field that it sits upon have been eliminated and changed with a easy, round button. However slightly than a clumsy oversight, that is completely intentional. You see, SabersPro additionally provides the way more movie-accurate Luke EP6 lightsaber, which incorporates these lacking parts. So what provides?
Anybody searching for a premium lightsaber will need it for certainly one of two causes. A extremely cool-looking prop with an ultra-realistic blade or a purposeful hilt with a sturdy baselit blade for duelling. With that in thoughts, SabersPro has created this hilt for severe duellists who’re additionally diehard Luke Skywalker followers.
This makes quite a lot of sense. Having reviewed the SabersPro Vader lightsaber, I can attest that whereas extraordinarily cool trying, the hilts from the Authentic Trilogy aren’t precisely constructed for windmilling… It definitely cannot be a coincidence that the prequels – which centered on a lot sooner duels – usually featured extra ergonomic hilts for the actors to spar with.
In case you’re trying to decide up the NeoPixel model and will not be utilizing the lightsaber to study any flashy strikes, it is positively price contemplating the Luke EP6. Each Core variant is costlier than the Luke’s, but it surely’s the extra movie-accurate lightsaber and subsequently maybe higher suited to the NeoPixel tech’s sensible lighting results.
The blade itself has been superbly machined with no tough edges. Even some very correct and costly reproduction hilts generally tend to really feel just a little chunky, however the SabersPro Luke’s slender construct feels excellent within the hand. It even has the triangular-shaped D-ring featured on the true film prop. It is managed by way of a single button, versus the two-button configuration on the Vader. What we like in regards to the Luke’s management system is that the button lights up when the lightsaber is on and flashes as soon as per second when held down. This makes it a lot simpler to cycle by the varied options, slightly than having to rely the seconds in your head.
One other duel-centric design alternative is the presence of 4 grub screws used to safe the blade, versus the Vader’s two customary screws. The grub screws are simply put in by way of the included hex key and we had been actually impressed by simply how firmly they saved the blade in place.
SabersPro Luke lightsaber: Options
- 16 Soundfonts with completely different dialogue and blade sounds
- Gesture controls together with lightsaber ignition
- Star Wars background music
Though baselit, this lightsaber continues to be rammed with a roster of spectacular lighting and sound results. You maintain its single button all the way down to energy on the hilt, illuminating the button LED and activating a mechanical clunking sound.
The blade is ignited by tapping the button and sheathing it by holding it down for roughly 4 seconds. You may also twist the blade in a flicking movement to ignite/sheath it, which by no means appears to get previous. Maintain the button down for round 5 – 6 seconds to modify the lightsaber off. Cycle by the mute, high and low quantity ranges by holding the button down for one second earlier than releasing, whereas the blade is not ignited.
Once more, whereas the blade is not ignited, maintain the button down for roughly one second after which flick the hilt to cycle by the 16 Soundfonts or alternatively, merely maintain the button down for 2 seconds. A line of dialogue signifies the character Soundfont chosen, together with Basic Grievous, Luke and even Mando. The chosen Soundfont then alters the lightsaber sounds to mirror the character in query. This can be a neat characteristic, with just a few actually fascinating sounds corresponding to Kylo Ren’s unstable hum and the Darksaber’s metallic, slicing swooshes.
Maintain the lightsaber hilt downwards and maintain the button whereas twisting the hilt to cycle by three items of Star Wars music: The Drive Theme, Star Wars Important Theme and The Imperial March. These proceed to play except you cycle by to modify them off, that means you’ll be able to prance round your front room, merrily swinging your lightsaber round to the Drive Theme.
Do that with the blade ignited and you may cycle by the 12 vibrant colours or alternatively, maintain the button down with the blade ignited for 2 seconds, earlier than tapping the button to cycle by the colours.
With the blade ignited, maintain the button down for a second to allow a visually arresting saber-clashing sound and lighting impact. Faucet it as soon as to allow reflecting blaster hearth sounds and lighting. Once more, with the blade illuminated, maintain the lightsaber horizontally, maintain the button and flick the hilt to cycle by 4 blade stability results corresponding to flickering and pulsating illumination.
It’s price mentioning that the gesture controls aren’t good and greater than as soon as we discovered ourselves making an attempt to vary the blade stability solely to maintain biking by blade colours, however with a one-button system you’re barely restricted when it comes to management.
One thing we did have hassle discovering was the conflict detection. The SabersPro web site states that the Luke options it and we discovered it simply sufficient on the Vader, however attempt as we’d it eluded us right here. That is one space the place SabersPro may positively enhance. The lightsaber comes with a small booklet that does define the product’s operation and controls, to a degree. It is definitely not a definitive information although and may very well be extra detailed.
With just a few exceptions so far as character dialogue, the entire sounds are surprisingly good high quality and when you think about the scale of the speaker contained in the hilt, the excessive quantity stage and high quality of sound could be very spectacular.
SabersPro Luke lightsaber: Battery life
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- Inner, rechargeable 2000mAh battery
- USB-A to micro-USB cable included
To cost the lightsaber you merely unscrew the pommel to disclose a micro-USB port. Not solely is that this a less complicated charging course of than the Vader’s detachable, rechargeable battery, however you do not require an exterior charger, an enormous boon for those who’re often out all day at cosplay conventions. A USB-A to micro-USB cable is included within the field too, so that you solely must supply a suitable mains charger, which most individuals can have mendacity round the home.
SabersPro states it takes roughly two hours to cost the inner 2000mAh battery – which appeared pretty correct once we charged it from the field – together with roughly 4 hours of operation. Precisely what the check circumstances entailed is anybody’s guess and we’re certain repeatedly utilizing a few of the blade’s flashier lighting results and sounds will drain the battery faster. Nonetheless, our lightsaber did not want charging once more through the assessment course of and we used it repeatedly over the course of some days.
SabersPro Luke lightsaber: Value
The SabersPro Luke is lightyears forward of comparable lightsabers on the subject of value. It is MSRP of £208 – even much less on sale – comfortably beats Hasbro’s Drive FX Elite Lightsabers that retail for round $278.99 / £289.99 and obliterates the SabersPro Vader’s £484 asking value.
Granted, the Drive FX Elite vary boasts a few of the most feature-rich lightsabers available on the market, however line up SabersPro’s Luke and Vader alongside one another and it is onerous to pinpoint the place that further £275 has been spent on the Darkish Lord. In actual fact, you possibly can improve the Luke to its most costly NeoPixel variant – the customizable Proffie 2.2 – and nonetheless save your self a tidy £59 over the Vader’s baselit MSRP.
Must you purchase the SabersPro Luke lightsaber?
The SabersPro Luke is a implausible lightsaber. It will get our seal of approval over the Vader – even with out the mammoth value distinction. That is because of the snug-fitting blade, micro-USB-port charging and customarily rock-solid construct. In case you ever held a torch in your hand as a child and pretended it was a lightsaber, this is what your youthful creativeness was conjuring. Maintain the slender, metallic hilt in your hand and you may’t fail to really feel like a Jedi and begin swooshing and spinning the blade round whereas making “vrum, vrum,” noises.
Swap the blade on and you will be handled to a surprisingly loud, surprisingly good high quality sound, filled with SabersPro’s roster of Soundfonts, lighting results and snippets of music. The one-button management system can really feel just a little intimidating at first – particularly because of the sparse instruction handbook – and typically the lightsaber tends to go off-piste once you’re making an attempt to activate a particular characteristic, however total, that is a sublime piece of merch, for a extra civilized collector.
If this is not the lightsaber you are searching for?
If Obi-Wan’s your favorite Jedi then the Black Sequence’ Obi-Wan Kenobi Drive FX Elite Lightsaber is an effective shout. It’s primarily based on the Obi-Wan Kenobi tv collection and has a weathered hilt, top-notch lighting results and a show stand. It’s at present obtainable at Amazon
In case you’re a Luke Skywalker fan, however cannot justify reproduction lightsaber costs, then the Lego Star Wars Luke Skywalker (Purple 5) Helmet is focused in direction of grownup brick builders and would make a wonderful addition to an workplace desk.
In case you’ve at all times felt dissatisfied that Luke did not workforce up along with his daddy on the finish of Return of the Jedi and would bounce on the probability to rule the galaxy your self, then the Darth Vader Drive FX Elite Lightsaber might be extra your model. It is also our gold-standard reproduction lightsaber and may be discovered at Amazon.
And at last, for those who’re hankering in your personal lightsaber, however are working with a decent price range then Encalife lightsabers are an incredible entry level. Fashions can be found by way of Amazon for a really affordable value.
