The Original 6 TPM Sabers
Introduction: The Vigilant is inspired by one of the six original lightsabers designed for The Phantom Menace and was frequently utilized in large Jedi crowd scenes and long shots throughout the prequels. A number of prominent Jedi including Aayla Secure and Ki-Adi-Mundi were filmed using this model of saber so there’s a fair amount of leeway for cosplayers and collectors to whom they cite the ownership of the saber too. My intentions in commissioning this saber was to base it off of a Ki-Adi-Mundi build so any other references to provenance will reference him.
The Inspiration for the Custom
Lore: In the new canon relatively little has been revealed about the Jedi Master, Ki-Adi-Mundi, other than that he served the Jedi Counsel as a sitting member from a time prior to The Phantom Menace through the Clone Wars up to his death at the hands of his clone troopers on the planet Mygeeto during the execution of Order 66. The old EU crafted an intriguing backstory for the Cerean Jedi that included him being a husband to five wives and having seven children due to an exception in the Jedi Code due to his species’ low birth rate. He was a fairly prominent character in the Dark Horse comic book series and experienced a series of retcons (creators doubling back on facts because new contradictory information is revealed) as “higher priority” canon material (aka the prequels) were released. An example of one of these “retcons” is that prior to the release of Attack of the Clones Jedi lightsaber blades were depicted as having a rainbow of hues in various forms of media and products. In the build up to the release of The Phantom Menace an action figure of Ki-Adi was released that depicted him as having a purple lightsaber. This action figure served as an inspiration for this saber build.
Dimensions:
L: 27 cm
D: 12 cm
Overall Impressions: In my opinion the Vigilant is a saber model that will probably be most popular among cosplayers and collectors. After some specific customizations were made to the stock Vigilant it is a very faithful iteration (mostly) of Ki-Adi’s lightsaber. That said… It’s a fairly uncomfortable saber to duel with. The hilt has about 10cm (4”) of comfortable gripping space due to the large number of greeblies (aka design accents) that cover the bottom half of the saber. Once the kill key, covertech, and various buttons are removed more hand space becomes available but the centrally placed low profile “control box” is still an impediment to comfortable dueling. However, if you’re into “greeblie porn” without a doubt this is the saber for you.
Aesthetics & Customizations: This saber is one of those models which embodies what I call “sabery-saberness.” There’s a certain familiarity to its design because it possesses a number of lightsaber design hallmarks including circular grips, greeblies galore, and a distinct emitter. The stock Saber Forge Vigilant features an anodized coating which I requested to be stripped off and the panel line/grip recesses were filled in with black paint. The emitter retains its highly polished stock finish but I opted to omit its o-rings because I don’t like o-rings. Two of the greeblies (there are 6 greeblies total) were painted bronze. I opted for a 12w+ indigo LED as the inspiration for the saber was the purple Ki-Adi action figure lightsaber. This is my first indigo LED and it must admit it’s a very lovely color. An additional departure from the stock design is that there is a pinkish LED fisheye nub located on the hilt adjacent to a bronze greeblie. When I first pulled this custom Vigilant out I was amazed by all the care and detail that Justin Polachek, the saber craftsmen who made the customizations, squeezed onto the hilt.
Mechanics: This custom Vigilant differs from the stock model in number of ways. First, Justin worked in a low profile momentary switch on the hilt which differs significantly from the typical SF activation button in terms of shape and a reduction in accidental deactivations (you have to hold the button down for several seconds to turn it off/on). Secondly he installed a converter which means that the saber (despite being warrior tier) has a pleasant flicker. Finally he installed a tiny pinkish fisheye lens nub on the body of the hilt. Other than these customizations the Vigilant feature the same mechanics as the rest of the SF sabers: two retention screws for the blade and the LED, and a covertech knob near the base.
12w+ is so bright it jacks w/the camera's filter
Final Thoughts: My first impression upon hearing about the release of the Vigilant was excitement (I like the Ki-Adi connection) that was quickly tempered by seeing the saber was covered in anodized silver. I understand that anodization protects the metal and in some cases looks good but for this model I knew I wanted some specific customizations done to satisfy my collector’s itch. Because that’s what I am before a dueling enthusiast, a collector. Mr. Polachek worked his artistry and turned out an iteration of the Vigilant that surpassed my expectations. As I mentioned before this is a great SF saber build for those wanting a saber that was heavily featured in the prequels to accompany a cosplay or for filling out a saber collection. I’m very fond of my customization because through it I got to flesh out of one of my childhood desires: having the same purple (indigo) lightsaber as my first Phantom Menace action figure.