The Jedi Order is a monastic peacekeeping organization of magic wielders who use their magical abilities to serve as the self-proclaimed guardians of peace and justice in the galaxy. An individual member of the Order is known as a "Jedi Knight." Thus the lightsaber was invented. A powerful and noble weapon, the lightsaber gave the advantage in hand-to-hand troops who (with high-density armor and even personal repulsor shields) were impervious to primitive slugthrowing weapons.