Darth Vader Blocked Lightsabers with the Force—Why Couldn’t the Jedi?

In the Star Wars universe, we’ve seen that Force powers can indeed stop a lightsaber, and Darth Vader, the chosen one, is our prime example. 

Although he’s shown this remarkable skill, the specifics of how Darth Vader uses the dark side of the Force to halt a lightsaber remain unexplained.

Which specific Force ability did Vader use to halt a lightsaber attack?

How Darth Vader Used His Force Power to Stop a Lightsaber Attack

In a memorable encounter from the Obi-Wan series, Darth Vader faces off against the Third Sister, Reva, demonstrating his overwhelming dominance through the use of the Force alone. 

The clash begins unexpectedly as Reva launches a surprise attack on Vader from behind with a red lightsaber.

However, Vader, with his Force sensitivity, instantly senses the approaching threat and, with unmatched precision, stops Reva’s lightsaber mid-strike using only the Force.

This impressive feat led many fans to speculate that Vader employed a specialized Force ability known as Negate Energy. 

This particular power enables a Force user to effectively defend against energy-based attacks, including those from lightsabers or blasters, providing a formidable shield in combat.

My Theory

Reflecting on our earlier discussion about Negate Energy and after revisiting that epic fight scene, I’ve got a hunch that Darth Vader wasn’t just showcasing Negate Energy. 

It looks like he also tapped into Force Telekinesis.

Aside from his infamous Force Choke where Vader’d typically strangle victims without laying a finger on them? That’s actually a form of Telekinesis.

And then there’s this slick move where he’d toss his lightsaber into the fray, controlling it mid-air to take out enemies. 

Force Telekinesis grants Force-sensitive individuals the ability to control and move physical objects, a power vividly on display during Vader’s confrontation with Reva.

In one striking moment, Vader uses Telekinesis to halt Reva’s lightsaber just inches away, effectively controlling her movements. 

During the fight, we also see Reva extend her lightsaber into a dual-bladed weapon. This dual-lightsaber of Reva’s features a mechanism that allows her to spin the blade, a tactic she uses in her defence against Darth Vader. 

Despite this, Vader’s mastery of Force Telekinesis allows him to stop the spinning blades dead, disarm Reva effortlessly, and seize control of the duel.

This same mastery is further showcased when we witness the full extent of Darth Vader’s power as he stops a spaceship from taking off right in front of him by using his Force Telekinesis.

Why Couldn’t the Jedi Block Lightsabers With the Force?

Blocking a lightsaber attack using the Force requires a high level of mastery. 

In the Jedi Order, it’s rare to see anyone capable of stopping a lightsaber attack this way, with the notable exception of Yoda.

Yoda is no ordinary Jedi. As a Jedi Master, he is among the most powerful Jedi ever known. 

If we consider midi-chlorians – microscopic life forms that determine an individual’s potential in the Force – Yoda has the highest count among all Jedi, until Anakin Skywalker came along.

A prime example of Yoda’s ability to block a lightsaber attack using the Force can be seen in Season 1 of “The Clone Wars” series. 

In this season, Yoda embarks on a covert mission to negotiate a treaty with the king of the strategically important system of Toydaria.

When the King of Toydaria refuses to cooperate with Count Dooku, Dooku orders his apprentice, Asajj Ventress, to eliminate the king. Just as Ventress’s attack is about to strike the king, Yoda intervenes. 

Using his formidable Force powers, he stops the lightsaber attack in mid-air, showcasing the true extent of his abilities.

Even after intervening in the fight, Yoda didn’t resort to physical force to counterattack. Instead, he managed to make Asajj Ventress retreat using just a few well-chosen words. 

No other Jedi could have accomplished what Yoda did, especially considering the difficulty of stopping a lightsaber attack.

Before Ventress fled to her escape pod, she activated a pre-planted bomb, intending to complete her mission by causing a landslide from the nearby mountain. 

However, Yoda was there, and he used the Force to deflect all the falling boulders, protecting the King of Toydaria. His actions once again demonstrated the extent of his mastery over the Force.

Materials & Things that Can Stop Lightsaber

It would have been too boring if Jedi were able to win all the fights that they stepped into. It would deprive us of all the drama and action that makes Star Wars what it is.

It is mandatory to have some suspense and action in the franchise. Let us look at all the other weapons or other miscellaneous items that can stop a lightsaber:

Mandalorian Iron

The first one is Mandalorian iron, also known as Beskar. It is one of the toughest competitors in line to answer whether anything can stop a lightsaber. The mineral was found and harvested exclusively on the war-torn planet of Mandalore.

Beskar can resist an attack by lightsabers and can even deflect indirect strikes. The Mandalorians used it for making their weapons, knives, or armors. They fittingly wear lightsaber-blocking armor since they have been at war with the Jedi for much of their history.

The Mandalorian iron can withstand large impacts of stress; hence it is damage tolerant. Moreover, it has high durability which allows it to withstand heavy strikes from a lightsaber. It is easily the biggest competitor against a lightsaber.

Phrik

Phrik is also a metallic substance that can resist the lightsaber. It was used for making armor and in designing melee weapons. And while its lightsaber-resistant qualities stayed in the Legends canon, we still count it on our list.

It was extremely durable and lightweight. Although it was not used much in battles due to it being expensive, this metallic substance was nearly impossible to destroy.

Phrik has had many uses over time, from the staff of the MagnaGuards used by General Grievous as backup, and as highly durable containers. A container made of Phrik holding a Jedi Holocron survived the destruction of Alderaan in A New Hope.

Songsteel

Songsteel is a substance that is considered lightsaber resistant. The fact that it is used only for weapons that are exquisite does expose a fact or two about its power.

It is a luminescent silver metal, used in masterwork swords and fights. If this lightweight metal were more attainable, anyone could craft anti-lightsaber objects with great effect.

It was famously wielded in a practice duel by Jedi Master Darrus Jhet to showcase its anti-lightsaber combat capabilities in the form of a Songsteel sword.

Cortosis

One of the more popular lightsaber-blocking materials in Star Wars is cortosis. It is rare and difficult to mine for viable use.

However, it was one of the weakest weapons to be used against lightsabers. In a battle between these two, the cortosis would never win because it only made a few sharp knockouts on the lightsaber that would temporarily stun it.

This impact made cortosis a valuable fabric for anti-lightsaber skirmish weapons, although with a few mean strikes, a lightsaber may still overpower the cortosis.

Cortosis was famously used as a Cortosis-weave in Vibroblades, which we talked about before. Go check that article out!

The Hide of The Zillo Beast

The Zillo Beast was one of the initial natives of the planet Malastare, the home of the Dugs. The Dugs had exterminated most of the Zillo Beast population when they harvested fuel from the planet’s core.

Famously featured in Season 2 of Star Wars: The Clone Wars, during their initial attempt to take the beast down, Anakin Skywalker and Mace Windu found out that its hide was impervious to lightsaber strikes.

Does the Force Power Lightsabers?

Okay wait, we know we said that the Force powers lightsabers, but that is not entirely true. What we meant was that lightsabers have certain components that utilize that Force to power the blade. Make sense? Don’t worry, let us explain even if it doesn’t.

So, lightsabers are powered by Kyber Crystals, but those Kyber Crystals act as nexus points for the living Force to power the lightsaber itself.

Hence, while a lightsaber is just a frozen laser beam using some really high-end technology, one of its major components is a nexus for the Force. This means that no matter where the energy is coming from, the Force is sustaining it.

The Final Word

So, now that we’ve looked at so many different aspects of the topic, it is time to finally decide whether a lightsaber can be stopped using the Force.

Despite what the movies say, or show, it should be impossible for a Jedi or Sith to be able to stop a lightsaber that is being swung at them using the Force. This is due to lightsabers being manifested using the Force.

Despite this, in The Rise of Skywalker, both Kylo Ren and Rey end up stopping each other’s lightsaber strikes using the Force, so perhaps there is more about lightsabers and the Force that we do not know.