Dunedin Chapter of the New Zealand Lightsaber Guild coordinator Cameron Lindsay said the group had about eight active members.
They gathered for lightsaber duels most Sunday afternoons at Robin Hood Park.
Sometimes the group dressed up, but mostly their get-togethers were an excuse to get their lightsabers out and duel with each other.
Recent Medical School graduate Dr Jeremy Chua started the local chapter after meeting members of the lightsaber community during a visit to Rotorua in 2017.
All members of the group brought fairly different backgrounds to the hobby.
Some were drawn to the cosplay elements or had backgrounds in Western sword-art.
Others like Mr Lindsay and his friend Gary Wilkins had an interest in samurai-style swordfighting.
Fighting with metal swords was difficult due to the risk of injury, so lightsabers gave them the chance to spar with each other properly.
The blades were polycarbonate which were lit by large LED-like a torches while the handles contained a rechargeable battery, accelerometer and a speaker.
Lightsabers could be brought for about $150, but the hobby could get much more expensive once fancier lightsabers and costumes were factored in.
Mr Wilkins said bruises were a part of the learning curve.
The local group was quite free-form and was less focused on lore than some of the northern groups.
Except for special occasions, the group usually met wearing civilian clothes, Mr Lindsay said.
