Could a lightsaber deflect a phaser?

[narf0708]

This came up in one of my frequent Star Wars vs. Star Trek debates with a friend. Can a lightsaber deflect a phaser?

 

[phinds]

This came up in one of my frequent Star Wars vs. Star Trek debates with a friend. Can a lightsaber deflect a phaser?

Since neither is real, you get to make up your own answer.

 

[narf0708]

Since neither is real, you get to make up your own answer.

True, but that's no fun!

 

[Curious3141]

As phinds says, there's no "right" answer here. We just have to decide which answer is more fun.

A fun fight (in fiction) is a fairer one. Lightsabers are melee weapons, while phasers are ranged. If a lightsaber couldn't deflect a phaser, it would be a really short fight, wouldn't it?

On that basis, I would say, lightsabers "have" to deflect phaser blasts. Whether on stun or kill.

As to the fictitious mechanism (physics) behind it, you can basically pull it out of your rear end. But to be faithful to canon, you need to read more about what the creators of the respective series have published about how their weapons "work".