What Technique Is This?

When I first saw that in The Old Republic trailer, it felt like it broke the rules. We’ve seen Jedi block blaster bolts and even absorb Force lightning, but grabbing a lightsaber with your bare hand feels like a different level. And it’s not just her—on Mortis, the Father does almost the same thing with Anakin’s blade.

So what are we actually looking at here—some forgotten Jedi technique, or just an extreme version of a power we’ve already seen before?

Tutaminis in Legends – Absorbing the Blade

If we go to the source, the clearest example is Satele Shan in The Old Republic “Hope” cinematic. In the middle of the battle on Alderaan, she rushes Darth Malgus, they lock blades, and he drives his saber straight toward her face.

Instead of meeting it with her own blade, Satele lets go with one hand and catches his saber in her palm.

In Legends, that kind of move sits under an ability called tutaminis. It’s a Force power that lets a user absorb or dissipate energy instead of only trying to block it. Descriptions talk about soaking up blaster bolts, heat, and Force lightning, then letting that energy bleed off or even redirecting it.

The Jedi Path describes tutaminis as “the ability to channel or diffuse potentially harmful radiation by using the benevolent energy of the Force.” From there, the text goes on to mention advanced uses like deflecting a blaster bolt with an outstretched hand. It’s framed as something even most Jedi Masters never fully master.

Satele’s scene is basically that idea pushed to the limit. Instead of catching a bolt or a stream of lightning, she’s applying the same principle to a lightsaber blade, dumping the energy into the Force faster than it can cut through her hand. It’s still tutaminis—it’s just the extreme version most Jedi are never strong enough to risk.

Energy Absorption in Canon

Tutaminis is a Legends label, but the basic idea shows up in canon as well. We just don’t hear anyone give it a name on screen.

On Mortis in The Clone Wars, the Father and the Son both treat lightsabers like they aren’t a big deal. Anakin swings at them and they just reach out and stop the blade with their hands, or take the hilt and hold the active saber without any sign of being burned. It’s the same visual language as Satele: bare flesh, active blade, and the Force doing all the work in between.

We see a more grounded version of that when Yoda catches Force lightning. In Attack of the Clones and Revenge of the Sith, he raises his hands, takes Dooku’s and Sidious’ lightning into his palms, and either absorbs it or sends it back. Canon material usually folds that into “Force deflection” or energy absorption, but in practice it’s the same family of power as tutaminis. The Jedi isn’t tougher than lightning or a lightsaber — they’re dumping that energy into the Force before it can tear them apart.