Summary
- Rebel Moon draws heavy inspiration from Star Wars, including similarities in the weapons used, such as droids, laser guns, and lightsaber-like swords.
- However, Rebel Moon’s weapons are not traditional lightsabers but rather swords that can be turned into laser swords during combat, functioning as practical weapons even when the lasers are turned off.
- The connection between Rebel Moon’s lightsabers and Star Wars is intentional, as Zack Snyder originally developed the movie as a Star Wars project, reworking various aspects to create a new franchise starter.
Zack Snyder’s sci-fi movie takes heavy inspiration from Star Wars, so are those weapons lightsabers in Rebel Moon? The director is launching a new potential franchise at Netflix that has drawn similarities to the iconic sci-fi universe created by George Lucas in the 1970s. Zack Snyder’s Rebel Moon plans begin with two movies shot back-to-back, Rebel Moon: A Child of Fire and Rebel Moon: The Scargiver, with room for more sequels and spinoffs if they are successful. The main plot is about a revolution rising against an oppressive galactic force, which is reminiscent of the story Star Wars tells in various ways.
One of the biggest similarities between Rebel Moon and Star Wars comes with the weapons that are included. Both franchises have droids/robots and guns that shoot lasers, but the Star Wars comparisons became impossible to discount upon the unveiling of weapons that look exactly like lightsabers. Rebel Moon trailers and images shared the first look at these powerful weapons, as a cyborg swordmaster wields two red-bladed swords that look awfully similar to the weapon of choice for Sith in Star Wars. But the appearance of Rebel Moon‘s “lightsabers” is a bit more complicated.
Rebel Moon’s Weapons Are Swords, Not Lightsabers
There is not an official name for Rebel Moon‘s weapons as of the time of this writing, but they are swords of some kind, not lightsabers in the traditional Star Wars sense. Lightsabers in the galaxy far, far away are weapons composed of pure energy created by Kyber crystals that are ignited with the push of a button on a handle. This means that lightsabers essentially retract into the hilt when they are not in use. However, Rebel Moon‘s lightsaber-like weapons appear to be regular swords that can be turned into laser swords during combat. This would mean they are still practical weapons even when the lasers are turned off.
One of the noticeable differences between Rebel Moon‘s laser swords and Star Wars‘ lightsabers are with the look of the blades themselves. Lightsabers can come in various colors and are more rounded in their appearance. Rebel Moon is heavily inspired by Seven Samurai and has brought the Japanese inspiration to the weapon design it seems. Zack Snyder’s version of lightsabers have actual blades beneath the colored firey glow they emit. Just as Star Wars‘ lightsabers can come in various colors, Rebel Moon‘s trailer confirms at least two different colored weapons, red and blue, will be featured.
Rebel Moon’s Lightsabers Connect To Zack Snyder’s Star Wars Plan
The similarities between Rebel Moon‘s weapons and lightsabers are not an accident, as Zack Snyder originally developed the movie as a Star Wars project. He pitched a Star Wars movie inspired by Seven Samurai to Lucasfilm years ago, but the studio ultimately decided not to make the movie. Instead of completely forgetting about the idea, Zack Snyder reworked various parts of the story – such as locations and wider mythology – so Rebel Moon could exist as a new franchise starter. The lightsaber-like weapons are understandable then, as they were surely baked into the director’s original plan for what became Rebel Moon.