Of all the amazing ships, droids, and weapons in the Star Wars franchise, the lightsaber is the most iconic. Along with the Death Star. And the Millennium Falcon. And R2-D2 and Threepio. And... well, picking the best Star Wars doodad is like picking a favorite child. In any event, we now have the full history of the lightsaber, from George Lucas himself.

"The whole premise of Star Wars was that it was a romantic fantasy," the director says in the featurette Birth of the Lightsaber. "So in developing a group of peacekeepers who were above everything and honorable and could make decisions and bring peace to the galaxy, I needed a weapon that was appropriate for those kinds of Jedi."

Or, as Obi-Wan so eloquently said in Episode IV, "an elegant weapon for a more civilized age."

Lucas goes on to explain the inspiration behind the great laser sword, the creation of its sound, the VFX needed to make it, and its significance in the Star Wars narrative. Check out the full story in the video.