See how the Lightsaber evolved in new Star Wars featurette

Think Star Wars and Jedis and you automatically think of the Lightsaber. Favoured by Jedi Knights and Sith Lords alike, the iconic weapon has cemented its place in pop culture so much so, that no-one could fail to recognise the sound of it being unsheathed.

On December 15, Luke Skywalker himself (aka Mark Hamill) will host Star Wars: Evolution of the Lightsaber on ESPN, which will chart the history of the weapon all the way back to its Kendo origins. But if you can't wait, there's a featurette for the upcoming special, which gives you a sneak peek at the history of the Lightsaber. Watch it below...

The fighting style has evolved from film to film, becoming more intense and complex, and we've not even seen The Force Awakens yet! It will be interesting to see JJ Abrams' version of a Lightsaber duel - particularly when you consider that the superb martial artists from The Raid franchise are in the movie - and there may even be a chance they'll show some new Star Wars 7 footage in the TV special. Fingers crossed!

Directed by Abrams and starring Mark Hamill, Harrison Ford, Carrie Fisher, John Boyega, Daisy Ridley, Adam Driver, Andy Serkis, Oscar Isaac and Gwendoline Christie, Star Wars: The Force Awakens is released in UK cinemas on December 17, 2015 before opening in US theatres a day later.

Images: Disney

Amon Warmann

Amon is a contributing editor and columnist for Empire magazine, but is also a Film and TV writer for GamesRadar+, Total Film, and others. He has also written for NME, Composer Mag, and more, along with being a film critic for TalkSport. He is also the co-host of the Fade to Black Podcast, and a video mashup creator. Can also do a pretty good Bane impersonation.