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On watching The Force Awakens, I noticed that Kylo Ren's lightsaber was always activated off-screen and then swung into view. In contrast, the other lightsaber used in the movie was activated on-screen in both instances.

Is there a reason for this choice, or is it coincidence?

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  • Apropos nothing, when Lor San Tekka is sliced at, IIRC there's a lens flare :(
    – DVK-on-Ahch-To
    Commented Jan 2, 2016 at 7:08
  • OK, I was wong in 1 detail but right in another. The trashing of the furniture scene - the whole saber is visible, hilt and all, start to finish.
    – DVK-on-Ahch-To
    Commented Jan 2, 2016 at 7:13
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    i can guess that, out-of-universe it's harder to animate his lightsaber than the others so they tried to minimize those times?
    – KutuluMike
    Commented Jan 2, 2016 at 7:22
  • @MikeEdenfield - what's hard about creating a lens flare? :) I'm not sure but i think there's one EVERY time. Helps with animation, tremendously
    – DVK-on-Ahch-To
    Commented Jan 2, 2016 at 7:24
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    It is seen activating onscreen in the forest fight between Kylo and Finn.
    – Longshanks
    Commented Jan 2, 2016 at 8:46

2 Answers 2

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In the scene where Kylo Ren receives the bad news about Poe and Finn escaping, we see him activate his saber

enter image description here

and of course, we've seen it in the film's trailer

enter image description here

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    Ah it seems I was mistaken.
    – Azor Ahai -him-
    Commented Jan 2, 2016 at 20:12
  • @Azor-Ahai - I'll update with higher quality vids when Disney make some HD clips available.
    – Valorum
    Commented Jan 2, 2016 at 20:20
  • @Azor-Ahai: I find your lack of faith... understandable.
    – Codes with Hammer
    Commented Jan 14, 2016 at 15:43
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I think you may be wrong - it DOES get activated on-screen when he is about to kill furniture on Star Destroyer. He holds it so we see the hilt on the right side of the screen, and the blade extends all the way across the screen.

Here's the WGA script for the scene:

KYLO REN
The droid... stole a freighter?
LIEUTENANT MITAKA
Not exactly, sir. It had help.
Ren says nothing. Which says everything. Mitaka sweats.
LIEUTENANT MITAKA (CONT'D)
We have no confirmation, but we believe FN-2187 may have been helped in the escape--
Ren IGNITES HIS LIGHTSABER, TURNS AND SLASHES AT THE CONSOLE BEHIND HIM!
HOLD ON Mitaka, who reacts, looks away -- winces.

enter image description here

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  • When possible, I'll post the whole frame by frame, but for now I found you the final activation moment image.
    – DVK-on-Ahch-To
    Commented Jan 2, 2016 at 7:19
  • I look forward to the frame by frame when it's available
    – Azor Ahai -him-
    Commented Jan 2, 2016 at 8:36
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    It is indeed shown on-screen: i.giphy.com/3oxRmwelrMwZsu7bXy.gif
    – Alfredo Hernández
    Commented Jan 2, 2016 at 10:52
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    @CortAmmon - I don't think Kylo being an unstable Emo is much of an important spoiler, sorry. The site rules as I recall them are that spoilers are for major plot twists only.
    – DVK-on-Ahch-To
    Commented Jan 2, 2016 at 17:49
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    @CortAmmon - that'd include 100% of it, no? :)
    – DVK-on-Ahch-To
    Commented Jan 2, 2016 at 18:06

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