Yeah, I said it.

In my latest Because Science, we are doing something a bit different. Look, everyone on the planet who can see The Force Awakens today and tomorrow will be doing so; I thought it prudent to hit upon something actually in the movie. Don’t worry, there are no spoilers here, but I will be discussing why Kylo Ren’s infamous lightsaber looks the way it does. It is part science, part history, all nerdy.

The specific lightsaber design that we’ve seen in countless teasers and trailers traces back to a sword modification that has protected hands and wrists for the last thousand years. Crossguards, as those crackling mini-sabers of Ren’s are called, are critical, especially in the Star Wars universe where the main occupational hazard is limb loss. I’ll just come out and say it: not only does the trisaber make sense, every lightsaber should look like that. And Ren proves that in The Force Awakens, but you’ll have to see the movie to find out how.

That does it for Star Wars month on Because Science, so get out there and see The Force Awakens right now. It’s really good. And remember that I’ll still be bringing you some supremely nerdy content over the holidays. In the next three weeks, we’ll be diving into Alien, Men in Black, and even The Princess Bride!

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Check out my last video on how we already have TIE fighters, subscribe to this playlist to stay current with the show, buy a Because Science shirt, and follow me on Twitter to give me a suggestion for the next episode!