Energy Sword vs. Lightsaber: Which would Wins?

One of the most known movie franchises is Star Wars. Deep within the fictional universe of the franchise are Jedi Knights, who are mostly the protagonists.

The Jedi Knight’s primary antagonists are the Sith. Both factions are famously known to wield lightsabers.

Lightsabers are weapons comparable to real-life swords. The difference with real swords is that lightsabers are made out of plasma.

Both Jedi, Sith, or any skilled wielder of a lightsaber can deflect blaster shots and can slice through any hard surface. Some of them can even create maneuvers and dazzling strokes that can dispatch any enemy.

Due to its popularity, the Star Wars franchise has made it unto the video game scene. The video game industry also has a lot of space-themed video games that have a huge cult following. Perhaps one of the best-known franchises in the scene is the Halo series.

In Halo, you control a grunt named Master Sergeant. As the protagonist of the game, you have access to a wide variety of weaponry.

The game also enables you to visit lush planets and face off with an alien species named “The Covenant”. These allied alien species are highly advanced and also have their fair share of firepower.

One of the most dazzling weapons in the Halo series is the Halo Energy Sword. Players love this weapon because of its damaging effects. A lot of people also praise its design, as it is unique and elegant.

Again, the popularity of these universes has led to communities that often compare almost everything. This comparison would often lead to arguments on who would come out on top.

The fact mentioned above is the reason why a lot of people, whether hardcore follower or casual viewer, always asks: Which weapon, between the lightsaber and the halo energy sword, would come out on top?

To answer this query, let’s make a full comparison of each weapon. Let’s start with the Halo Energy Sword.

Halo Energy Sword

The energy sword is the melee weapon of the covenant alliance, which is exclusively used by the Sangheili in the Halo series.

The Sangheili are highly intelligent, bipedal saurian aliens who consider the energy sword as a holy.

Similar to Jedi Knights, Sangheili also shows pride in their skills and swordsmanship with the weapon.

In the game, players as Master Sergeant can also wield the energy sword.

The Design

The favored weapon of the Sangheili consists of a curved hilt. This hilt houses an energy source which projects plasma. The plasma is contained within a small magnetic field which is located within the handle.

What makes the weapon look good is that it forces the plasma into an oval shape, covering the fist of the wielder.

At each end of the handle, a blade forms outward. The design causes the entire weapon to look like a long “U” shape.

The color of the blade doesn’t do anything aside from changing the looks of the weapon. Energy swords can be blue, purple, green, orange, and yellow.

Advantages

A fully charged energy sword was enough to frighten the strongest adversaries. In its full form, the energy sword glows menacingly, with small electric currents visibly appearing on the blade. Crackling can also be heard due to the electric current.

Due to its incredible power and intimidating look, the energy sword was a feared weapon by many. It could cut through the toughest metals with ease.

The effects of the energy sword on biological targets are devastating. Stab wounds are almost always fatal, and a slash from this weapon ensures a perfectly cauterized amputation. The energy sword is surprisingly light, close to being almost weightless.

Flaws

Although the energy sword is ridiculously overpowered, it has its limitations. The most notable is that the standard sword only lasts for ten hits. Each hit depletes the energy source by 10%.

Elite versions increase the limit to 20 hits. If it drops to zero, the weapon automatically disables itself. Charging it back to a functioning capacity is possible, but is not a mechanic that is included in the game.

Another drawback is the design. The Sangheili only have four fingers. Their hand has a thumb, two long middle fingers, and another digit equal to length with their thumbs.

The two middle fingers have a notable gap in them. Due to their anatomy, the energy sword is ergonomically designed for their fingers.

Human users can still use the energy sword, although prolonged usage would be very uncomfortable.

The design is also dangerous to the wielder. Having a weapon that uses pure plasma that wraps around your fist isn’t the most assuring design out there.

Star Wars Lightsaber

Contrary to the energy sword, the lightsaber isn’t an exclusive weapon for any race or faction. Any sentient species, even a droid or an untrained individual, can wield a lightsaber.

In both games and movies, the lightsaber is one of the deadliest weapons.

The Design

The lightsaber is a weapon consisting of a plasma blade. The power of the lightsaber comes from the kyber crystal, which is found within the hilt of the weapon. The handle of the lightsaber has a switch, which means users can turn a lightsaber on or off.

There are lots of lightsaber designs such as Kylo Ren’s lightsaber and the exotic double-bladed lightsaber.

Advantages

Due to its practical design, anyone could hold a lightsaber. Most of the time, Jedi Knights and Sith often hang their lightsaber handles to their belts.

Specific mechanisms on the handle allow users to turn on their lightsabers effortlessly. Some force-sensitive individuals can even turn on their weapons without having to touch it physically.

Perhaps one of the strongest features that the lightsaber has, is the kyber crystal. Although the crystal is small, it’s one of the most potent substances in Star Wars lore. Lightsabers don’t need charging and aren’t limited, as long as the kyber crystal is in place.

Due to comparable designs with real-world swords such as rapiers, katanas, and broadswords, lightsabers also have forms and styles.

These styles highly complement its user depending on philosophy, situation, and purpose. Lightsaber combat has a total of 7 forms, each with its advantages and disadvantages.

Flaws

Compared to an energy sword, lightsabers don’t share that menacing look. It lacks the intimidation factor that the energy sword uses to perfection. The simple design of the lightsaber also means that it’s easy to steal.

There are tons of scenes in the movies, wherein a Jedi Knight becomes vulnerable because of a lost lightsaber.

Although the lightsaber can deflect blasts, a wielder should have extensive knowledge of how to do that.

The design of the energy sword makes it much easier to deflect and parry blows compared to the lightsaber.

Summary

Lightsaber

Pros:

• Simple design
• Anyone can hold it properly
• Does not run out of energy
• Easier to swing
• Easy to store
• Easy to turn on or off

Cons:

• Simple design makes it easier to steal/disarm wielder
• Very user dependent
• Requires mastery of a style be used efficiently
• Heavier handle
• Isn’t as powerful in terms of damage done

Halo Energy Sword

Pros:

• Greater Intimidation factor
• Much effective at parrying blows
• Isn’t skill dependent
• Much lighter
• Has two blades
• Very devastating compared to a lightsaber

Cons:

• The design was made for exclusively for Sangheili
• Limited to delivering ten strikes
• The design makes it dangerous for human use

Verdict

Even though the lightsaber has more cons than the halo energy sword, the lightsaber would come out on top in real-world applications.

Don’t mistake the energy sword to be weak, though. The energy sword is considerably stronger in delivering damage compared to the lightsaber. It’s also more terrifying to look at.

Ultimately, the hazards of wielding the weapon, design, and the limited ten strikes is what puts the energy sword behind the lightsaber.

Without the use of the Force or any external factor favoring a franchise, the energy sword would fall victim to its ten strike limitation as the lightsaber is faster.

In head-on combat, the lightsaber wins by a small, justifiable margin.