Star Wars lightsaber combat used to be fairly simple. Everyone remembers Obi-Wan and Darth Vader tapping swords in A New Hope or Luke chopping his dad’s arm off with lumberjack chops in Return of the Jedi. Gradually, George Lucas and a world of other creators formalized lightsaber combat with several forms of martial arts. Hardcore fans might know which Jedi favor which lightsaber form, but there’s one lesser-known technique that the Sith prefers to use. The Acolyte introduced the Stranger, and he brought the Tràkata lightsaber style to live-action Star Wars.
The villains of Star Wars always seem to get a little more creative than their heroic foes. This isn’t uncommon in science fiction in general, but Sith warriors were the first to wield dual-bladed or spinning sabers. While the Jedi tend to stick to the classic single-bladed lightsaber, Sith warriors are a bit more experimental. This level of variety keeps the antagonists interesting, but it doesn’t stop at the construction of their blades. Evil characters find new ways to use lightsabers too.
What is the Tràkata lightsaber style?
Tràkata is a lightsaber fighting style that takes advantage of a unique aspect of the weapon. Lightsabers can be turned on and off at will. A single press of a button allows the glowing blade to disappear into its housing. Almost no other melee weapon can disappear and reappear so easily. In lightsaber combat, both parties frequently cross blades. The average lightsaber fighting style is very defensive, employing a lot of blocks, redirects, or acrobatic maneuvers. This is a logical response to the fact that almost any lightsaber fight will end after a single successful strike. Tràkata combatants turn off their lightsabers, allowing them to launch feints and hidden attacks. They then turn on their lightsabers at opportune moments, catching enemies off-guard, bypassing blocks, and quickly dispatching foes with a lethal strike. Tràkata is a practical style based around deception and trickery, making it somewhat unpopular.
Who uses Tràkata style?
Tràkata techniques actually emerged from fan content. It was an idea that fans imagined as a fun way for unique characters to use lightsabers. It first reached canon in 2007, as part of the Star Wars Roleplaying Game Saga Edition Core Rulebook. It was a lightsaber combat option that allowed player characters to rely more heavily on deception and trickery to fight. Over time, the idea entered comics, audio dramas, video games, and animated series. Here’s a short list of known users of the Tràkata lightsaber fighting style:
- The Stranger/Qimir: The Acolyte introduced the masked Sith character, who still goes by “The Stranger” in most cases. He’s initially a foe standing off in the corner, but he brings an incredible amount of skill to his fight scenes. The Stranger wears a helmet and gauntlet made of metal that can deactivate lightsabers. He also uses Tràkata style, deactivating his red blade to claim victory over young Jedi Jecki Lon.
- Tahiri Veila: This Sith apprentice fought a legendary duel against Luke and Mara Jade’s son, Ben Skywalker. During the battle, she quickly discovered that she was outmatched. She used Tràkata to turn the tide against Ben, quickly deactivating and extending the blade to place it inches from his throat.
- Corran Horn: The hero from I, Jedi and several other 1990s novels used Tràkata to quickly dispatch warlord Shedao Shai.
- Mara Jade: Luke Skywalker’s Jedi wife used Tràkata at least once, but The New Jedi Order Sourcebook doesn’t mention the specific occasion.
- Obi-Wan Kenobi: The first in-canon use of Tràkata style is in The Clone Wars’ fifth season premiere. Obi-Wan Kenobi faces Maul and Savage Opress. He draws a second lightsaber to deal with both of them, employing at least one use of Tràkata during the brawl. While locked in a struggle with both enemies, Obi-Wan deactivates his blades, drops back onto the floor, and uses a kip-up to reposition.
- Marrok: The Inquisitor from Ahsoka arguably used at least one Tràkata technique in his duel with the titular Jedi. He frequently activates and deactivates the two blades of his unique spinning lightsaber. At one point, he deactivates a single blade during a clash to attempt a strike with his second blade. It doesn’t work, but it might be the first live-action example of the technique.
Why don’t more people use Tràkata style?
Both Jedi and Sith consider the Tràkata style off-limits. Since that group encompasses almost all the usual people who would use lightsabers, Tràkata is generally left out of lightsaber duels. Jedi consider deactivating a lightsaber to be unsportsmanlike behavior. Their moral philosophy doesn’t allow for much in the way of deception or trickery. The Sith wouldn’t typically have trouble with the moral weakness of Tràkata, but they do have a problem with physical weakness. Sith warriors are encouraged to defeat their opponents with overwhelming force. Passion is their defining trait. A pragmatic approach based around tricking an opponent stands in opposition to their desire to destroy all who oppose them. Only Jedi and Sith that aren’t particularly connected to their group’s core beliefs would use Tràkata regularly. It’s generally considered a violation of the “rules of combat.”
The Tràkata style is a fun addition to lightsaber conflict. It started as an obvious question from fans and developed into a strong fringe option for pragmatic warriors. While Jedi and Sith don’t like the idea, turning off the lightsaber can be lethal at the right time.
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