Though original Darth Vader actor David Prowse has retired from showing up in conventions, he's still very active on social media. He likes to share some old BTS photos from time to time, and the latest one has him practicing the Vader and Obi-Wan's lightsaber duel from the original Star Wars with actor Alec Guinness.
Check it out:
As you can see, both actors are holding early concepts of the lightsaber which have way wider hilts, making them look like the handguards for traditional samurai swords. Personally, I think the look they came up with ended up being more timeless and realistic, but it's cool to see how concepts evolve.
Here's the original lightsaber design by Ralph McQuarrie:
People who follow the Star Wars BTS stories will remember that Lucas drew a lot of inspiration from Akira Kurosawa's movies, and he wanted the lightsaber duels to resemble that of a traditional kendo battle.
It's fun how the concept of a lightsaber duel has evolved to become more fluid and acrobatic, but J.J. Abrams wanted the duels in the sequel trilogy to feel a lot more raw—just like in the original movies. Hopefully Rian Johnson uses a bit of the new lightsaber forms in The Last Jedi. After all, it's one of the saving graces from the prequels.
Star Wars: The Last Jedi comes out Dec. 15.
See Also: Star Wars: The Last Jedi Press Footage Reportedly Shows (Spoiler)Attacking Luke And Rey
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