There are some pretty significant upgrades coming to Savi’s Workshop – Handbuilt Lightsabers at Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge, and they go well beyond a new lightsaber design. Disney has revealed an updated Protection and Defense hilt theme along with new visual and audio effects being added to lightsabers built during the experience.
The newest Protection and Defense pieces feature white finishes with gold detailing and ancient Jedi-inspired symbols. According to Disney, the design draws from the High Republic era, when the Jedi Order represented peace and hope throughout the galaxy. Guests choosing the Protection and Defense theme will be able to select from the updated components as they build their custom lightsaber inside Savi’s Workshop.
But here’s where things get especially interesting for future builders. Disney says every lightsaber chassis and blade, regardless of which hilt theme a guest chooses, has been enhanced with new features. Those include a thermal cutting effect, spinning effect, and deflection effects, along with improved audio and smoother blade activation. That sounds like a fairly substantial update to the finished lightsabers guests take home from the experience.
There’s another surprise tied to certain Kyber crystals. When one of the special “cracked” Kyber crystals is installed, builders can unlock a color-changing effect with a quick flick of the wrist, representing the struggle between the light and dark sides of the Force. Disney hasn’t shared additional details about exactly which cracked crystals will work with the feature or how guests can obtain them.
Savi’s Workshop is located inside Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge in Disney’s Hollywood Studios at Walt Disney World, with another location at Disneyland Park in California. The experience requires a separate purchase, and Disney strongly recommends making an advance reservation.
Between the new High Republic-inspired pieces and the additional lightsaber effects, this is much more than a simple refresh of one hilt theme. If you’ve been putting off building a lightsaber at Savi’s, the upgraded technology might make another trip to the workshop considerably more tempting.
