Warning: contains spoilers for Star Wars: Doctor Aphra #25!While lightsabers are the preferred weapons of most force users, Emperor Palpatine disdained the weapons, and believed the Sith should only use them to undermine the Jedi. Now, thanks to a reintroduction of an old element from the Legends’ canon, Star Wars is proving that he was right to see them as a false promise of superiority.
Sheev Palpatine, also known as Darth Sidious, often counseled his apprentices against relying on lightsabers, believing that they should consider the Force itself as their primary weapon. Despite that, Palpatine did have at least two lightsabers in his possession that he constructed under the tutelage of his own master, Darth Plagueis, and he was adept enough at using them to challenge opponents like Mace Windu, Yoda, and Darth Maul. However, the man known as Sidious was always more comfortable dealing out harm without any physical risk to himself. He believed that unlike the Jedi, he was powerful enough to not need a 'saber, and that relying on such a weapon was not only foolish, but led the Sith to forget that everything around them was a weapon they should remain aware of.
In Star Wars: Doctor Aphra #25, by Alyssa Wong and Minkyu Jung, it is revealed that an ancient cult known as the Ascendant used a rare ore called Cortosis to construct a blade capable of deactivating a lightsaber. The fibrous material is able to absorb the energy of a lightsaber and fry the weapon for a short period of time. This is a truly huge weakness for the storied saber, and proves that Palpatine was right to not put too much stock in the usefulness of the energy blade.
Cortosis Ore Is Lightsaber Kryptonite
Though new to current canon, Cortosis ore has existed before in the Star Wars' Legends Canon, which is the Extended Universe canon that existed throughout books, comics, and video games up until the acquisition of Lucasfilm by Disney. In that previous canon, Cortosis was often employed in making armor and even buildings that could stop a Jedi’s lightsaber. The substance was still rare, but was more accessible than is suggested in the Doctor Aphra comic. Along with its suggested brittleness, it seems as if the new Star Wars canon is attempting to introduce Cortosis in a very limited capacity, so as not to risk the substance becoming too commonplace and accidentally creating problems for established and future stories.
Lightsabers Aren't the Ultimate Weapon
In the comic, the Cortosis blade is shown to be amazingly effective in neutralizing a lightsaber, and in any canon that sort of weakness is a huge detriment to a Jedi or Sith relying too heavily on a lightsaber. Palpatine may have flouted some Sith rules, but he believed sincerely that any Sith should always be the deadliest person in the room, considering themselves the weapon over any object. While he approved of using lightsabers to embarrass the Jedi and strike fear into the galaxy, Palpatine wanted the Sith constantly exploring every angle of attack - something that's far less likely when you secretly suspect you're already holding the perfect weapon. Palpatine's mastery of the Force means that of all the Jedi and Sith depicted in the Star Wars movies, only he would be totally unfazed by Cortosis ore, showing that as evil as he was, his opinion on lightsabers came from a deep understanding of the grand possibilities of such an expansive galaxy.
Star Wars: Doctor Aphra #25 is available now from Marvel Comics!