# What's with all the hand chopping in star wars?
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-with-all-the-hand-chopping-in-star-wars/526940
**Category:** Cafe Society
**Created:** [January 29, 2010, 8:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-with-all-the-hand-chopping-in-star-wars/526940 "2010-01-29T20:00:59Z")
**Posts on this page:** 20
**Page:** 2
### Author:  [@garygnu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/garygnu)
#### Post date: [January 30, 2010, 4:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-with-all-the-hand-chopping-in-star-wars/526940/21 "2010-01-30T04:33:51Z")
> [@Ogre](#):
>
> Why would that matter? It should still cauterize the wound.
There appears to be very little in the way of flesh filling the inside of the severed arm. I don’t know too much about Aqualish anatomy, but it just doesn’t look like there is much there to cauterize.
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### Author:  [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)
#### Post date: [January 30, 2010, 4:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-with-all-the-hand-chopping-in-star-wars/526940/22 "2010-01-30T04:39:58Z")
> [@The\_Piranha\_Brothers](#):
>
> No 'arm done.
You are a bad person.
😃
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### Author:  [@Ogre](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ogre)
#### Post date: [January 30, 2010, 4:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-with-all-the-hand-chopping-in-star-wars/526940/23 "2010-01-30T04:41:28Z")
Meh. It’s an arm holding a blaster. It was connected at the “shoulder”. Wookiepedia seems to think the connection was standard enough.
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### Author:  [@Guinastasia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guinastasia)
#### Post date: [January 30, 2010, 4:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-with-all-the-hand-chopping-in-star-wars/526940/24 "2010-01-30T04:55:25Z")
Because it’s cool. That’s why.
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### Author:  [@garygnu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/garygnu)
#### Post date: [January 30, 2010, 5:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-with-all-the-hand-chopping-in-star-wars/526940/25 "2010-01-30T05:27:51Z")
> [@Guinastasia](#):
>
> Because it’s cool. That’s why.
[Rule of Cool](http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/RuleOfCool). Say goodbye to your day, everybody. 😃
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### Author:  [@Miller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miller)
#### Post date: [January 30, 2010, 11:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-with-all-the-hand-chopping-in-star-wars/526940/26 "2010-01-30T11:46:49Z")
> [@Ogre](#):
>
> Why would that matter? It should still cauterize the wound.
Maybe Aqualist flesh doesn’t cauterize? I’m not deeply versed in biology (especially imaginary spaceman biology) so I don’t know the actual physical mechanics behind cauterization, but does it necessarily follow that, in all species, in all the universe, heat is going to have exactly the same effect of closing blood vessels?
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### Author:  [@WordMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WordMan)
#### Post date: [January 30, 2010, 12:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-with-all-the-hand-chopping-in-star-wars/526940/27 "2010-01-30T12:17:17Z")
> [@Mike\_Fun](#):
>
> Freudian castration anxiety.
+1 - with all the ties to various myths and legends and father/son relationships, etc., I have always assumed it was a given that the arm was a metaphorical substitute for their genitals…at least within the context of the who Darth/Anakin - Luke relationship…
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### Author:  [@Alessan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alessan)
#### Post date: [January 30, 2010, 12:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-with-all-the-hand-chopping-in-star-wars/526940/28 "2010-01-30T12:37:03Z")
So, what, the trench in Ep. 4 is a vagina? Makes sense: those X-wings are pretty phallic.
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### Author:  [@WordMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WordMan)
#### Post date: [January 30, 2010, 12:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-with-all-the-hand-chopping-in-star-wars/526940/29 "2010-01-30T12:56:49Z")
> [@Alessan](#):
>
> So, what, the trench in Ep. 4 is a vagina? Makes sense: those X-wings are pretty phallic.
::snerk::
I dunno - as Freud would say, sometimes a trench is just a trench.
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### Author:  [@Alessan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alessan)
#### Post date: [January 30, 2010, 1:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-with-all-the-hand-chopping-in-star-wars/526940/30 "2010-01-30T13:26:40Z")
Really? A bunch of males attack a giant breast by flying penises into its vagina in order to ejaculate down a hole and make it explode, thus exerting their dominance? Seems obvious to me.
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### Author:  [@WordMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WordMan)
#### Post date: [January 30, 2010, 1:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-with-all-the-hand-chopping-in-star-wars/526940/31 "2010-01-30T13:44:17Z")
> [@Alessan](#):
>
> Really? A bunch of males attack a giant breast by flying penises into its vagina in order to ejaculate down a hole and make it explode, thus exerting their dominance? Seems obvious to me.
Well, when you put it that way…;)😃
but back to the hand-chopping - given how Lucas studied mythology and Joseph Campbell’s analysis (The Hero With A Thousand Faces, etc.) and the dynamic of the father/son relationship shown, it seems intentionally…Freudian.
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### Author:  [@The\_Piranha\_Brothers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Piranha_Brothers)
#### Post date: [January 30, 2010, 3:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-with-all-the-hand-chopping-in-star-wars/526940/32 "2010-01-30T15:05:45Z")
> [@Miller](#):
>
> Maybe Aqualist flesh doesn’t cauterize? I’m not deeply versed in biology (especially imaginary spaceman biology) so I don’t know the actual physical mechanics behind cauterization, but does it necessarily follow that, in all species, in all the universe, heat is going to have exactly the same effect of closing blood vessels?
It cauterizes leaving the stump glowing whenever a body part gets lost in II and III. But it doesn’t cauterize in IV and doesn’t glow in V (at least, not in the current edition, but no doubt this will be ‘corrected’ in the next special remastered directors cut of the ultimate collectors special edition of star wars).
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### Author:  [@Annie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Annie)
#### Post date: [January 30, 2010, 5:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-with-all-the-hand-chopping-in-star-wars/526940/33 "2010-01-30T17:14:57Z")
> [@Alessan](#):
>
> So, what, the trench in Ep. 4 is a vagina? Makes sense: those X-wings are pretty phallic.
That’s just a warm up: for all your castration anxiety needs, I give to you the vagina dentata of the SW universe- [The Sarlacc Pit!](http://www.cswu.cz/basic/images/sarlacc.jpg) (Bonus tentacles!:D)
Buuuuurp!
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### Author:  [@The\_Piranha\_Brothers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Piranha_Brothers)
#### Post date: [January 31, 2010, 8:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-with-all-the-hand-chopping-in-star-wars/526940/34 "2010-01-31T20:08:04Z")
> [@Annie](#):
>
> That’s just a warm up: for all your castration anxiety needs, I give to you the vagina dentata of the SW universe- [The Sarlacc Pit!](http://www.cswu.cz/basic/images/sarlacc.jpg) (Bonus tentacles!:D)
>
> Buuuuurp!
Sometimes a sarlacc pit is just a sarlacc pit? And sometimes not quite hitting the death star exhaust pipe really isn’t about premature ejaculation at all…
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### Author:  [@Lantern](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lantern)
#### Post date: [January 31, 2010, 8:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-with-all-the-hand-chopping-in-star-wars/526940/35 "2010-01-31T20:31:57Z")
I am guessing this is yet another influence of Kurosawa, especially Yojimbo.
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### Author:  [@The\_Piranha\_Brothers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Piranha_Brothers)
#### Post date: [January 31, 2010, 8:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-with-all-the-hand-chopping-in-star-wars/526940/36 "2010-01-31T20:59:09Z")
> [@Colibri](#):
>
> You are a bad person.
>
> 😃
Be glad I did not mention Hemningway’s “A farewell to arms”…
Also, I’m not sure what you call a series of six movies, but it’s either sextology or sextet.
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### Author:  [@si\_blakely](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/si_blakely)
#### Post date: [February 1, 2010, 10:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-with-all-the-hand-chopping-in-star-wars/526940/37 "2010-02-01T10:15:51Z")
> [@The\_Piranha\_Brothers](#):
>
> Also, I’m not sure what you call a series of six movies, but it’s either sextology or sextet.
Some might consider it to be a _hex_.
Si
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### Author:  [@cactus\_waltz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cactus_waltz)
#### Post date: [February 1, 2010, 12:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-with-all-the-hand-chopping-in-star-wars/526940/38 "2010-02-01T12:22:37Z")
> [@Malacandra](#):
>
> I’d guess it also had a fair bit to do with the kendo influence on light-sabre duelling - the wrist (_kote_) is one of the target zones in kendo.
I think this is closer to the truth than some might realize.
First, kendo fights involve very few actual _hits_ on the body while there is a lot of noise over sword hitting sword. Like with the light sabre duels. Having the arm chopped off then, is roughly comparable to a kendo match be over.
Also, if we want to keep the characters alive and not have them die everytime they go into a duel, there aren’t too many options available:
1. Cut an arm or a hand. Perfectly viable and is in alignment with kendo. Not too complicated and can be used for dramatic effect.
2. Cut a leg or a foot. Complicated since it’s not in alignment with kendo at all, lower body does not contain valid hit points and kendo fighters don’t really sweep or crouch, it’s all about the head and torso. Also, leaving a character crippled would be pretty awkward, even if it would be cool to see a futuristic leg prostetic.
3. Thrust into the stomach. Pretty gory, might be bad for ratings. Also not in alignment with kendo.
4. Hit the head. Is in alignment with kendo, but for obvious reasons this is a not good idea in a Star Wars movie.
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### Author:  [@Tom\_Tildrum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tom_Tildrum)
#### Post date: [February 1, 2010, 4:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-with-all-the-hand-chopping-in-star-wars/526940/39 "2010-02-01T16:06:22Z")
> [@The\_Piranha\_Brothers](#):
>
> No doubt the hands are cut off because hands are used for masturbation. And fathers don’t approve of that, wether it’s biological fathers or moral elders like Obi-Wan.
My assumption has been that George Lucas’ parents caught him a few times and punished him harshly.
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### Author:  [@The\_Piranha\_Brothers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Piranha_Brothers)
#### Post date: [February 1, 2010, 4:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-with-all-the-hand-chopping-in-star-wars/526940/40 "2010-02-01T16:12:03Z")
> [@Tom\_Tildrum](#):
>
> My assumption has been that George Lucas’ parents caught him a few times and punished him harshly.
Now it all makes sense. THAT is why he keeps making special editions erasing the original movies. He wants to change the past! Subconsciously he is longing to erase what he thinks is the sin of his childhood masturbation.
George Lucas, lie down on the couch!
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