A lightsaber is an amazingly elegant and complicated weapon. To those that haven't had the pleasure of wielding one, they may seem like an archaic weapon of an old age. However, they are today just as important as they were millennia ago. With all that said, it must be remembered that, for all of their power, they are still mechanical objects. The object of this course is to educate the reader on exactly how it is that they are made, at least in the general sense.

Traditionally, a lightsaber was the mark of a Jedi - either Light or Dark. This is due, in part, for two reasons: one, normally only a Force sensitive could construct a working lightsaber; and two, only Force users can successfully wield a lightsaber, as the balance of the weapon - all of the weight being in the handle and the blade having no weight at all - make it extremely difficult to use without Force training. For Light Jedi, the lightsaber is not a weapon, but a tool: an old Jedi axiom was that a Jedi with a lightsaber at his or her belt was the most effective negotiator for peace that could be utilized. Dark Jedi, however, see their lightsabers as the ultimate weapons for destruction and the attainment of power. Regardless of philosophy, the construction of these intricate devices is similar for most all persons.