It caught the attention of the fandom a few weeks ago when a prototype lightsaber was revealed, bringing to life a weapon that science, physics and basic logic says shouldn’t exist, so it’s little surprise that the protosaber is incredibly powerful and potentially dangerous.

For those unfamiliar, the protosaber (or “proto-saber”) is an archaic form of lightsaber, with the main difference between the two being the former’s use of an external power pack. As the Wookipedia notes, “the hilt [of a protosaber] was connected via cable to an external power pack due to limitations in power pack technology,” which not only resulted in a relatively short operational timeframe, but also, of course, limited mobility for its user. In the Star Wars universe, the protosaber was first discovered during a mission to Mustafar, when the Rebel Alliance found it in a container. It first appeared in Star Wars: Tales of the Jedi — The Golden Age of the Sith, a comic book sub-series that ran between 1996 and ’97.

The pack that powers the protosaber runs 20kw through a tungsten blade, enough to power half an American home and all from a small pack slung over the users shoulder. early versions burst into flames upon use, but the newer version appears to be more stable – imagine the proton pack from Ghostbusters housed inside what looks like a converted food blender.

Stay tuned, but don’t expect to see one of these come our way from the team at Hasbro any time soon.