The Anti-Jedi Blaster: Lightsaber Can Only Block 2 Projectiles

The Multi-Bolt Blaster

Blaster bolts are the energy shots fired from blasters, the most common weapons in the Star Wars universe. 

In most battles, Jedi are seen skillfully deflecting these bolts, often sending them back towards their attackers.

But what if there are multiple bolts coming at the same time? Imagine a blaster that can fire more than two bolts at once. Would this leave our Jedi terrified?

Some fans wonder if there’s a limit to how many bolts a lightsaber can block at once. 

The idea that it can only handle two bolts at a time comes from the difficulty of reacting to multiple shots arriving simultaneously, especially from different angles.

The Jedi’s Training Left Them Vulnerable to Blaster Fire

We all know how younglings were taught to use lightsabers to fight droids during the Clone Wars. 

In the scene from Attack of the Clones, when Obi-Wan reports back to Yoda about a lost planet, Yoda teaches the younglings how to deflect blaster shots from a Marksman-H training remote. From this scene, we can observe that the remote fires only one laser at a time.

A similar thing happens in A New Hope when Luke Skywalker has his first Jedi lightsaber training lesson aboard the Millennium Falcon during the journey to Alderaan. C-3PO, R2-D2, Obi-Wan Kenobi, Han Solo, and Chewbacca are all watching.

With all this, we can say that Jedi can use their lightsabers to deflect only one or two blaster shots at a time.

If there are more than three, they are in serious trouble. Anakin spotted this issue while training Ahsoka in Tales of the Jedi. 

He didn’t like the original training methods used by the Jedi for Ahsoka, so he had the 501st Legion set their blasters to stun mode. He instructed Ahsoka to make sure she didn’t get hit even once, and every time she did, she had to restart the exercise from the beginning.

However, another point worth mentioning is that Ahsoka initially struggled to deflect with just one lightsaber. 

Things improved when Anakin instructed Rex to give Ahsoka a second lightsaber. With a lightsaber in each hand, Ahsoka finally managed to handle the issue with ease.

Why Not Use More Lightsabers if One Can Only Block a Few Projectiles

From Ahsoka’s training with the 501st Legion, we can see that she improved significantly by adopting a second lightsaber. This second lightsaber allowed her to block more than two blaster shots from the clone troopers. 

If you watch the scene again, you’ll notice that as Ahsoka uses her second lightsaber, the clones increase the number of blaster shots fired at her. Her training paid off well; because of it, she became one of the few Jedi to survive Order 66, unlike many others.

For example, Ki-Adi-Mundi’s death during Order 66 illustrates this. When the clones turned against him, he was shocked. Initially, he managed to block the first few blaster shots, but as the clones continued to fire non-stop, he couldn’t keep up. 

Similarly, Depa Billaba, Kanan’s Jedi Master, also fell victim to the same issue. Ki-Adi-Mundi and Depa Billaba might have survived if they had used more lightsabers, like the way Ahsoka did.

More Lightsabers Mean Better Defense Against Blaster Fire

Ahsoka’s training is one of the best examples so far. But if you’re still not convinced that more lightsabers can help the Jedi block more blaster shots, this examples will surely convince you.

The moment Kelleran Beq saved Grogu during Order 66 perfectly illustrates the advantage of wielding multiple lightsabers against blasters.

Or in Season 4, Episode 10 of The Clone Wars series, titled Carnage of Krell, we are shown a situation similar to Order 66. 

During the Battle of Umbara, Jedi Master Pong Krell foresaw the end of both the Jedi Order and the Galactic Republic. Seeking to join the new order, he secretly turned to the dark side of the Force and allied himself with the Sith.

During the campaign on Umbara, Krell temporarily replaced Jedi General Anakin Skywalker as the commanding officer of the 501st Legion. He aimed to sabotage the Republic’s efforts to occupy the Separatist planet, hoping his actions would lead to an apprenticeship under Count Dooku.

When the 501st Legion and the 212th Attack Battalion surrounded and prepared to capture Krell, he ignited his two double-bladed lightsabers. The clones tried to shoot at him, but Krell effortlessly spun his double-bladed lightsabers, blocking all the blaster bolts from the clones.