darth vader blocking blaster with hand

neal8929 · 01-11-2009, 02:55 PM

So when han solo shot darth vader in cloud city, did vader block the shot with some mechanical device in his hand? Or was he using the force?

adamqd · 01-11-2009, 05:34 PM

It's debatable, but I always assumed his mechanical hand just took the pain so to speak, but later EU and the Prequels established that Sith and Jedi could use the force to repel blaster fire without the use of a Lightsaber

Ctrl Alt Del · 01-11-2009, 05:43 PM

Indeed, as Adamqd said, it's even deceipted and an usable power on Kotor 2:

GeneralPloKoon · 01-11-2009, 10:02 PM

Even if it is possible, I believe in Episode V he used his mechanical hand to block the laser instead of the Force.

neal8929 · 01-11-2009, 10:51 PM

but the blaster bolt was deflected from his hand, not just absorbed. so either he had some kind of blaster reflective material in his hand, or he used the force.

Zwier Zak · 01-12-2009, 05:26 AM

He used the force.

Ztalker · 01-12-2009, 07:59 AM

There are multiple theories. Most have been mentioned here. His artificial hand being made out of Mandalorian Iron etc, or him using the Force.

Just bare in mind that, in 1980, computer techniques weren't as good as they are now. We'll probably never know.
Same goes for the 'who shot first' debate that was caused by a lack of good computer technology as well (Greedo shot first!!)

The_Catto · 01-12-2009, 08:30 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ztalker

(Greedo shot first!!)

Damn straight!!!!

I go with his hand. It didn't reflect and fly somewhere else, did it?
I can't remember and I really can't be bothered in watching the movie just for that....

adamqd · 01-12-2009, 08:57 AM

also to add to Ztalkers post, in 1980 a lot of what we know of the force, force powers and Vader's suit weren't created or at least explained by GL, so at the time it was probably just "Because it looked cool" but now we have all the guides and books to explain other possibilities

TKA-001 · 01-12-2009, 09:39 AM

The concept of using the Force to simply block laser fire is such an idiotically cheap-assed copout that I'm not even going to consider it as a possibility, because (among other things) there's too many instances where a Jedi or Sith could have been saved by it to say that Vader was apparently the only person who could do it. And as mentioned above, the idea of such a power is a copout. Besides, if Vader "absorbed" the bolts, then they wouldn't have exploded against his hand like they do when they hit walls, nor would Vader's hands be smoking as he catches the gun and puts it down. The armor on his suit is what protected him.

K_Kinnison · 01-12-2009, 03:56 PM

Here is a good question: If Force users could block Blaster fire with thier hands or "The force" why would they need to use a lightsaber to block blaster fire?

Yes, Yoda was able to block and absorb Force lightning. But Blaster fire is much differant.

IMHO it was likely a combination of Vaders armor AND force powers. It was one of those "neat tricks" that he learned likely when he went on to Exterminate the surviving Jedi after RotS.

Yes there are some EU and video games that would say different. But even some Jedi Masters still blocked blaster fire with sabers and not their hands

urluckyday · 01-12-2009, 09:04 PM

^Lightsabers probably offer more direction when deflecting the bolts...

K_Kinnison · 01-12-2009, 11:02 PM

yet most of the time when lightsabers are used for deflection they don't care about where the the deflected bolts go. It takes a bit more concentration and skill to direct the deflection

Ctrl Alt Del · 01-13-2009, 02:25 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by K_Kinnison

yet most of the time when lightsabers are used for deflection they don't care about where the the deflected bolts go. It takes a bit more concentration and skill to direct the deflection

Perhaps it takes even more focus to absorb/repel and redirect the blaster fire with bare hands.

Alexrd · 01-13-2009, 03:12 PM

He used the Force. Obi Wan used it too when fighting Jango Fett on Kamino.

Zwier Zak · 01-14-2009, 02:31 PM

The dark side holds many secrets... don't forget that the "blocking blaster with your hand" force power was made up BECOUSE Vader did that in the movie.

TKA-001 · 01-14-2009, 02:55 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by alexrdias

He used the Force. Obi Wan used it too when fighting Jango Fett on Kamino.

When?

adamqd · 01-14-2009, 03:15 PM

He did it off camera? I'm pretty sure he doesn't use force to deflect bolts ever, never mind in AOTC

Zwier Zak · 01-15-2009, 10:58 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by alexrdias

He used the Force. Obi Wan used it too when fighting Jango Fett on Kamino.

Dude it would totaly suck if obi did that.

Ztalker · 01-15-2009, 11:44 AM

Obi-Wan only uses the force visibly one time in that entire film. When he throws the rope you see a small blue light....otherwise he deflects using his lightsaber.

Alexrd · 01-15-2009, 05:34 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TKA-001

When?

My mistake, I was talking when Jango recovers his gun and shoots, but he misses. That scene is so fast that I've always thought that the bolt had hited Obi Wan, and he sort of absorved the bolt.

Q · 01-16-2009, 09:19 PM

I've always assumed that he used the Force since I first saw the movie when I was a kid.

PoiuyWired · 01-18-2009, 12:43 PM

Well, just because "you can" do something without a lightsaber does not mean that its better. I can spread peanutbutter on my toast with my finger rather than a butter knife, but I would much prefer the butterknife than a finger.

Just as your gf would prefer your somethingelse rather than your finger... (hopefully)

K_Kinnison · 01-18-2009, 04:50 PM

That is why I think it something that can only be done with a Force/armor combination. There WERE sparks.

gallandro · 02-05-2009, 10:23 PM

Outside of the continuity, I'm sure it was added because it was visually cool and to establish that Han (while awesome) was in a completely different league than Vader. It was just another way to show how bad Vader was.

Within the context of the story, I think it was probably the force. If it had been armor, the blast would have burned through the outer glove, which I don't think it did. I think it was the force, and likely something that only came from the Chosen One.

Again, though, the real reason it was added is because it was just some cool **** to see.

tturcic · 02-13-2009, 07:39 AM

Lightsaber is for deflecting. Vader used Force to absorb blaster. Just like many Jedi use force to absorb lightning.

starwind40 · 02-20-2009, 08:27 PM

I think that Vader used the force because he only has one hand that had the Mandalorian Gauntlet. but he deflects the shots with his right hand, then on with his left, then force pulls Han's blaster with his right. So if it is his armour, then I would think he only would use his right hand, the one with the Special Gauntlet, then force pull the gun with his left. So I think from the get-go he is just using the force and toying with Han.

Really just shows how bad ass Vader is and that Han really has zero chance of doing anything.

ps- let me know if I have that mandalorian Gauntlet thing wrong, maybe both his hands had gauntlets. I forget.

*Kurgan* · 04-12-2009, 10:55 PM

Even in the OT (not considering the prequels at all), Vader's right arm is robotic, we know for a fact. If we take the ROTJ visual "skeleton" glow as some kind of guide, apparently both his hands are robotic (even if his right arm is mostly real). But if you watch the scene frame by frame, he blocks it with both hands, and some of the shots hit his glove and disappear in a puff of smoke/sparks, while others bounce off and hit the walls. Maybe some combination of force and physical blocking?

I don't know about this "Mandalorian gauntlet" thing of course, having washed my hands of the EU stuff long ago (other than the PC games). It appears he's just wearing leather gloves over his robot hands.

I sort of assumed for the longest time it was just that Vader's armor protects him. But then when you consider that the suit appears to be mostly leather (not even the kind of full coverage offered by the "useless" Stormtrooper armor; please note that Vader's shoulder armor deflects a lightsaber blow from Luke in ESB!), I guess you might say it was some kind of Force ability he used (going just by the movies here, since the EU will tell you whatever).

Maybe it's some kind of "energy dampening cloth"? Sci Fi tech does have that sort of thing too... and maybe it's just really expensive, explaining why everyone doesn't cover themselves with it.

I think stylistically it was just meant to show that Vader was more dangerous than the average bad guy, and show why the good guys couldn't just gun him down.

I suppose having it be a "force powered block" would further emphasize that Solo is in over his head (remember, this is the guy who poo-pooed the Jedi and the Force in the previous movie), where his simple, naturalistic, technology-based methods of fighting aren't adequate for this situation. He's dealing with the Dark Lord of the Sith, now.

Q · 04-15-2009, 12:01 PM

I agree. I've pretty much learned to ignore the EU retcons that conveniently explain everything away, usually in the stupidest fashion imaginable, and are therefore essentially BS, IMO.

I came to the conclusion that he was using the Force a long time ago for the very reason that you just stated. In the first film, we see how Han gets out of a compromising position by shooting first, but this is Han's first encounter with an enemy Force-user in the films and he and the audience get a demonstration of just how useless his methods really are against one when he tries the same thing against Vader.

This is just one example of how the idiotic revisionism on the part of Lucasfilm and the EU is compromising and even destroying the integrity of the OT.

Goldblum · 05-21-2009, 01:38 AM

He used the Force. Vader spent years dominating remnants, dodging blaster fire. At some point, he had to have figured out a method of Force Deflection.

~~darthwarren~~ · 08-20-2009, 01:02 PM

its called negate energy its a force power that can do what vader did

Te Je'karta Mand'alor · 08-21-2009, 02:34 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mr_BFA

Damn straight!!!!

I go with his hand. It didn't reflect and fly somewhere else, did it?
I can't remember and I really can't be bothered in watching the movie just for that....

i don't remenber that happening either...? i think it was a mechanichle device. i mean, if he used the force it would have hit somewhere else.
plus, negate energy wasn't even thought up untill after the movie was made

MrsBinks · 01-02-2010, 11:07 AM

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dWXi5LKHIz8

stormcrash · 06-16-2010, 01:35 PM

he's an old man i dont think he could have physically blocked the blaster fire without using the force in someway.

HockeyGoalie35 · 08-03-2010, 11:39 AM

well isnt that his mechanical hand?

Justus · 08-21-2010, 02:20 PM

I always thought he was using the force, but who knows until Lucas says one way or the other. And even then, that would open up a whole can of worms and people still wouldn't agree. At any rate, it's one of my favorite moments in the OT.

Then again Vader's suit was heavily armored, he was able to take that hit on the shoulder from Luke's lightsaber, so maybe his armor was able to deflect blaster shots.