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"Sai tok roughly translates as "to cut body in half.""
In lightsaber combat, a sai tok, frowned upon by the Jedi because of its Sith-like nature, was the act of cutting an opponent in half, usually separating his or her legs from the torso at the waist. Sometimes, sai tok could vertically bisect an opponent too.
It was one of the lightsaber techniques known as The Marks of Contact.[1]
Before even beginning any formal Jedi training, Nomi Sunrider took up her newly-deceased husband's lightsaber, and literally "halved" the space pirateQuanto, as described by his companion Gudb. Sunrider's use of sai tok was unique in that she cleaved Quanto lengthwise rather than through the waist.[2]
A Twi'lek dark-sider destroys a pillar along with her victim using sai tok
During their final duel on board the Death Star, Obi-Wan Kenobi would have received a sai tok from Darth Vader had Kenobi's body not disappeared into the Force upon his death.[7]
Vader also used the technique to kill several members of a hyenax pack on the planet of Vaal, including the pack's leader.
In 10 ABY, Dark Jedi Vill Goir died from a sai tok strike, severed from left shoulder to right torso, delivered by Jedi Kam Solusar during their duel on the planetOssus.[8]
A year later, while confronting Dark Jedi Krdys Mordi on New Alderaan in defense of Master Luke Skywalker, Jem Ysanna killed Mordi through use of sai tok.[9]
In rare instances, it is possible however for the recipient of sai tok to survive, either by use of the Force or some other means.
One such case is that in an impressive display of lightsaber technique, Jedi PadawanObi-Wan Kenobi used sai tok to defeat Darth Maul during the Second Battle of Theed.[1][10] Maul, however, survived, his spirit kept intact by his intense feelings of hatred fueling the dark side of the Force, and escaped to Lotho Minor, replacing his severed lower body with a 6-legged cybernetic apparatus via the Force.[11] This shabby replacement was replaced years later by MotherTalzin on Dathomir with two legs similar to that of GeneralGrievous.[12]
Another example would be the Dark Jedi Maw, who received a sai tok from Jedi Master Qu Rahn. Maw managed to survive this usually fatal attack by drawing on his anger through the dark side of the Force. His new disfigurement consequently made him a prime candidate for a completely unique form of lightsaber combat: Trispzest.
One other classic example would be General Grievous when his cybernetic apparatus got severed off by Kit Fisto. The general managed to survive and escaped the Jedi. Soon after EV-A4-D replaced his legs.