I'm not really a fan of Star Wars. I've watched the movies and found them entertaining, but there are some questions I've had on my mind that I'm hoping someone who has read the books can answer for me.

1) How do lightsabers work? I don't get why they stop at a certain point, and the light portion of the saber doesn't just continue on infinitely like a laser would.

2) Why does the technology regress as time goes along? In the prequels they have better tech available than the later movies.

3) Are the human looking characters actually human beings? Did they come from Earth at some point, or is the Star Ware universe like an alternate reality or something like that? They would seem to be human beings since they have accents that are common on Earth.

4) How does everyone understand all the different languages? Is there some kind of universal translator like in Start Trek or is it just common to learn all languages when growing up?

I'm in the same boat as you, always wondered these things.

At #4, they don't need to understand all the languages, they just read the subtitles like us xD

Short answer: nobody knows

long answer: n o b o d y k n o w s

It's fantasy, so some elements just have to be accepted for what they are with no further explanation.

A lightsaber works just because it does, why go further than that, crystals and such define colour and attributes, but why go further and destroy the mystique around them.

Half the fun is the not knowing and the speculation.

I'm not really a fan of Star Wars. I've watched the movies and found them entertaining, but there are some questions I've had on my mind that I'm hoping someone who has read the books can answer for me.

 

1) How do lightsabers work? I don't get why they stop at a certain point, and the light portion of the saber doesn't just continue on infinitely like a laser would.

 

http://starwars.wikia.com/wiki/Lightsaber

 

2) Why does the technology regress as time goes along? In the prequels they have better tech available than the later movies.

 

It doesn't regress, in the prequels they had more to work with and are able to make bigger and better things but that doesn't mean the technology is better. In the OT that technology surpasses the Clone Wars era tech.

 

3) Are the human looking characters actually human beings? Did they come from Earth at some point, or is the Star Ware universe like an alternate reality or something like that? They would seem to be human beings since they have accents that are common on Earth.

 

No they didn't come from Earth, they came from Coruscant most likely, theres no such thing as Eath in the SWU.

 

 

 

4) How does everyone understand all the different languages? Is there some kind of universal translator like in Start Trek or is it just common to learn all languages when growing up?

 

Most if not everyone in the galaxy speaks basic, those who don't there are only a few characters who understand/translate. IE: Han can understand Chewie, C3PO can speak to ewoks etc.

 

Answers in bold.

All good questions.

Nobody really knows. George Lucas told us to imagine the rest that isn't discussed. We can just imagine how things are coded together.

Read the books, go to Wookiepedia, then you'll probably find answers.

1) How do lightsabers work? I don't get why they stop at a certain point, and the light portion of the saber doesn't just continue on infinitely like a laser would.

They work like the because they are not made of a laser. If anything the blade is composed of Plasma surrounded by an energy shield.

I guess the length of it depends on the power setting. Given It's all contained in a hilt the power supply is limited, so It can't just go on forever.

2) Why does the technology regress as time goes along? In the prequels they have better tech available than the later movies.

No they don't. To the best of my knowledge, Star Wars Technology peaked several thousands before the movies, or TOR.

3) Are the human looking characters actually human beings? Did they come from Earth at some point, or is the Star Ware universe like an alternate reality or something like that? They would seem to be human beings since they have accents that are common on Earth.

These types of questions actually annoy me. No offense, but every Star Wars movie starts with "A long time ago, In A Galaxy Far Far Away".

4) How does everyone understand all the different languages? Is there some kind of universal translator like in Start Trek or is it just common to learn all languages when growing up?

I'm assuming It's just a common thing since there's a massive variety of species throughout The Galaxy. But no one understands all the different langauges. That's what Protocol Droids like C3PO is for.

What I would like to know is how its possible to absorb force lightning with your lightsaber in the prequels but apparently you can't in the Luke-quels.

I seem to remember Luke throwing down his lightsaber so that he couldn't become angered into striking down the Emperor and falling to the darkside. He accepts his fate, which in his mind is to be blown up with the DS.

At no point does he try and fail to block force lightning.

I seem to remember Luke throwing down his lightsaber so that he couldn't become angered into striking down the Emperor and falling to the darkside. He accepts his fate, which in his mind is to be blown up with the DS.

 

At no point does he try and fail to block force lightning.

Well that and he threw his saber to make a point, that he was a jedi and to show that the Emperor failed. He may have not won against the Emperor physically, but he won on a more personal and moral level.

1) How do lightsabers work? I don''t get why they stop at a certain point, and the light portion of the saber doesn''t just continue on infinitely like a laser would.

There are some fantastic theories out there. The best one I''d ever seen was on a site, the URL of which I''ve sadly lost. It posited that the "light" was actually the gas used in Blasters, held in place by a forcefield - this explained colour differences (different types of gas, or tuned forcefields), why the blades can deflect Blaster bolts (they''re the same material, and opaque to each other) and why the "light" blades cast a shadow. This is, of course, just a fan theory.

2) Why does the technology regress as time goes along? In the prequels they have better tech available than the later movies.

At the start of the prequels, there''s peace, so more money and time can be spent on research and development. Then, during the Clone Wars and the Rebellion, less money could be spent, and things regressed a little. Also, because George Lucas shrugged and said "You know what, I''m richer than Croesus, so...what continuity?"

3) Are the human looking characters actually human beings? Did they come from Earth at some point, or is the Star Ware universe like an alternate reality or something like that? They would seem to be human beings since they have accents that are common on Earth.

There was going to be a novel which basically said that in our future, humans escaping the world portrayed in THX 1138 travelled back in time and started the Star Wars galaxy. This should be taken with an extreme pinch of salt, though, as it was never published and should be considered as the same level of Canon as The Star Wars Christmas Special, and Luke/Han Slash Fiction.

4) How does everyone understand all the different languages? Is there some kind of universal translator like in Start Trek or is it just common to learn all languages when growing up?

Not everyone understands all the different languages. Not everyone speaks Shyriiwook, for example.

I have a question, can Sith Lords freely choose between showing their corruption or not? Because that's what I thought Palpatine was doing ,but some has told me Siths are unable?

Palpatine was not showing corruption he was hurt by mace windu when mace blocked his lightining attack back at him and it burned him. and no they cant chose it simply comes with the person some aren't as corrupt so they don't show it others like Darth Sion for instance totally embrace the dark side and become corrupted

http://starwars.wikia.com/wiki/Sion

Palpatine was not showing corruption he was hurt by mace windu when mace blocked his lightining attack back at him and it burned him. and no they cant chose it simply comes with the person some aren't as corrupt so they don't show it others like Darth Sion for instance totally embrace the dark side and become corrupted

http://starwars.wikia.com/wiki/Sion

Ah okay! Thanks for the answer

Read "I, Jedi" for a wonderful introduction into the world of the Jedi and lightsaber building.