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Originally posted by: starkiller
Summary: I do not see the Force as a prerequisite for using a lightsaber. But having the Force (or cybornetically enhanced speed and timing) would allow one to excel with it.
I do see it as a prerequisite. Hence, Obi Wan's explanation to Luke in ANH that the lightsaber is a weapon of the Jedi, "an elegant weapon from a more civilized era." To me, the Force is a prerequisite to use it. Yes, Han did use it in ESB, but I always imagined him having some semblance of the Force within him. Just in very small amounts and his obstinance toward accepting the Force as a legitimate thing is the reason it never developed further within him.
Maul has the Force, but he is a henchman of the Sith. Not a legitimate Jedi Knight (fallen knight, etc.) and he never was. I also always saw lightsabers as being something that can only be used by organic beings. For example, I don't think C-3PO would be able to use it. Not just use it effectively, but use it at all.