My Crazy Activator Box Theory

[Loquinho]

Ok, so I saw a thread on some forum where they raised a huge stink that Fin grabs Luke's saber in a high grip and turns it on by the upper "button" instead of the lower activator box, which is how Luke turned it on when he first picked it up. Here's my theory as to why this happened.

First, we know that lightsabers must have the means to use both a momentary switch and a latching switch. Evidence of this is that most light sabers turn off when dropped, but they can also be thrown with the blade locked on. Both are seen in the OT.

Second, the only lightsabers we see with this style of activation box (that I can recall) are Anakin's, Luke's, and Obi Wan's second lightsaber.

So here's my theory. I think that the OT style activation box must be a common piece of electronics that is either produced on Tatooine, or in common use there. For fun, I'll say it's a common latching switch off an older model moisture farm vaporator.

Why does Anakin incorporate one on his lightsaber? It reminds him of home. Maybe he likes the style, or it offers some technical advantage. Maybe they use less power, or are more stable, or something else. Who knows, I'm not a Jedi. Anakin would know, he was raised working in a Tatooine junk shop. That could logically carry over into his later saber design as Darth Vader. Perhaps at that point he includes it to remind him of the life he'll never return to, as a memento of his mother, etc. Who knows his thinking, but he kept it.

Obi Wan didn't have an actviation box on his lightsaber until after he'd become familiar with Tatooine, and had met and bonded with Anakin. Seems plausible that child-Anakin, with his technical know how, could have convinced a young Jedi it was worth including on his saber build.

Why do I like this theory?

Because Luke, knowing nothing about lightsabers or Jedi, when handed a lightsaber, picks it up and turns it on using the most familiar switch to him, which is the Tatooine latching activator switch. Fin, when picking up the same lightsaber, turns it on using the most obvious button, which is the standard momentary switch used in all other lightsabers.

I know very little fan-theory or EU material, so I'm working solely off the films, and I don't know them religiously either. Thoughts?

[djblingbling1]

I dig it, the latching vs momentary makes perfect sense as well. Might be cool to incorporate a similar idea into a build.

[Forgetful Jedi Knight]

I wouldn't torment yourself over things like this. The story writers and actors don't think that much about the "hows" of how "x" works. I remember in the first versions of the Star Wars book, the activation knob was a jewel covered button. And I'm willing to wager that if you look at varios books these days, you'll still find conflicting information.