How Star Wars Uses A Lightsaber To Explain Its Heroes And Villains

The lightsaber is frequently portrayed as a weapon of a more civilised age, a weapon of grace, and although this may be true for the

By Akshay Sharma
May 17,2022
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The lightsaber is frequently portrayed as a weapon of a more civilised age, a weapon of grace, and although this may be true for the Jedi, it is a cruel weapon of war for the Sith. It’s simple to think that Jedi and Sith lightsabers are the same, yet the extended media of books, comics, and television series contradict this.

Over the years, the Star Wars universe’s official material has gone deeper into the Sith’s lore. With the Obi Wan Kenobi series slated to premiere at the end of the month, dedicated fans will have even more opportunities to learn about the various lightsabers wielded by Dark Side users throughout the franchise’s history.

The Hilt of Palpatine Is An Insult To Jedi

Yoda and Palpatine Fighting
Yoda and Palpatine Fighting

The lightsabers of decorated Jedi, like as Mace Windu, are coated in an alloy. It is usually only rewarded as small single bits of electrum, which gives some insight into Windu’s past because his blade has several of these. Sheev Palpatine, on the other hand, wields an electrum-based hilt. His hilt is essentially supposed to be a dig at the Jedi, with him practically declaring himself superior to them because this is a rare alloy.

Despite the fact that his lightsaber appears in some of his most iconic sequences, Darth Vader rarely uses it. Vader uses his intimidation factor to command the Empire and his use of the Force to overpower others. It’s explicitly stated in the comics and other official material that his sparking his lightsaber signifies he’s no longer playing around. He’s either dead set on completing his goal, a Jedi has arrived, or something has gotten under his skin.

The Hilt of Dooku Is Designed For His Fighting Style

Count Dooku
Count Dooku

The curving design of Count Dooku’s lightsaber will be familiar to most aficionados. It’s a unique aesthetic, but it’s not just for show; it’s designed to assist Dooku learn his style of lightsaber battle. Count Dooku’s hilt design is part of what makes him one of the top duelists in the galaxy for both the Jedi and the Sith. Form II, also known as Makashi, is used by Dooku. It’s an older style designed to combat all other forms of lightsaber duelling. It’s a regal form based on parrying, making it ideal for someone of Dooku’s stature.

Jedi Crystals Have Been Corrupted Sith Crystals

Rogue One: Darth Vader's hallway stroll

In Marvel’s Darth Vader comics, Darth Vader is bleeding a Kyber crystal.
A rite of passage occurs when a Jedi bonds with their particular Kyber crystal. The Sith perform a more sinister rite in which they murder a Jedi and steal their Kyber crystal. They then poured all of their hatred, pain, sadness, and other Dark Side fuels into the stated crystal.

Darth Vader’s Hilt Indicates Anakin’s Remainder

Darth Vader Vs Obi-Wan Kenobi
Darth Vader Vs Obi-Wan Kenobi

Darth Vader’s lightsaber in the original trilogy is a vast cry from Anakin’s during the Clone Wars. However, some fans may observe that it looks a lot like Anakin’s first lightsaber from Attack Of The Clones. They are essentially identical, with the exception that Darth Vader’s is significantly bigger and features additional black components. In some ways, it reflects the character, with the first sabre representing the dazzling hero and the second sabre representing Darth Vader, who is a ruthless and darker version of himself. It could also be a subliminal message that Anakin never died, but was simply dormant within the Vader persona.

In the Clone Wars, Maul uses two lightsabers at once

Darth Maul
Darth Maul

Darth Maul wielded a double-bladed lightsaber in the final season of Star Wars: The Clone Wars, harkening back to his debut in The Phantom Menace. The fanatical Sith accomplishes this by fusing the last part of his classic lightsaber with a stolen one. It’s the same hilt Asajj Ventress used after renounceing the Sith ways and becoming a more anti-heroic figure. This two-in-one lightsaber quickly became a fan favourite, even becoming one of Galaxy’s Edge’s many Legacy Lightsabers.

The Kyber Crystal of Kylo Ren has been cracked

Kylo Ren
Kylo Ren

Kylo Ren’s lightsaber is one-of-a-kind in several respects. Not only does it have the crossguard blades, but it also has a blazing, crackling, and fluctuating primary blade. There is a reason why this blade has been branded as unstable. Ben Solo’s inner agony was intense, far more so than the crystal on which he performed the bleeding ceremony. Kylo Ren built his new lightsaber hilt to contain and use the unstable crystal that forms his blade after the pain overcame the Kyber crystal and cracked it.

Darth Vader can change the length of his blade

Obi-Wan Kenobi and Darth Vader fight on Mustafar in new concept art

The writers addressed the issue by making it canon that Darth Vader’s blade could change lengths between shots after multiple individuals pointed out the contradiction. It’s called a dual-phase lightsaber because it allows the wielder to use alternative battle methods. Depending on how Vader uses the concept, it can either mislead or intimidate an opponent. Sole a lightsaber with two bleeding Kyber crystals may use this function, and Darth Vader is the only example of a dual-phase lightsaber thus far.

Purification of Sith Crystals

Ahsoka

The bleeding process is almost impossible to reverse once a Kyber crystal has been corrupted. According to the Ahsoka novel, Ahsoka Tano was able to purify the crystals of two Sith Inquisitors, resulting in their becoming silvery-white. This is why Ahsoka uses silver swords in Star Wars Rebels and The Mandalorian. Despite the fact that silver was utilised in Legends, Ahsoka is the first canon character to employ it. This quickly became a fan favourite among the several lightsaber colours available in the canon.

The Lightsaber of Windu Is Sith Material

Mace Windu
Mace Windu

It’s Mace Windu’s crystal that’s ready for the bleeding ritual. Windu is a rare kind of Jedi who wields the lightsaber of Vaapad, which necessitates knowledge of the Dark Side. Many people believe Windu’s blade is purple because he stands on the edge of light and dark, however this is never stated explicitly. Windu is icy and often mean-spirited, especially with Anakin Skywalker, where other Jedi are calm, composed, and quiet. Windu is supposed to channel his darkness and use it for good, implying that he bleeds his crystal slightly. Windu might have easily gone to the Dark Side as a result, and his crystal would have been the easiest to bleed.