The lightsaber is often portrayed as a weapon of a more civilized age, a weapon of elegance and this may be true for the Jedi; for the Sith, on the other hand, it is a brutal instrument of war. It would be easy to assume that Jedi and Sith lightsabers are identical, but the extensive media of books, comics, and shows says otherwise.
Over the years, the gun materiel of the star wars the universe delved deeper into the lore of the Sith. Now with the Obi Wan Kenobi With the series set to air later this month, dedicated fans will have even more ways to learn all sorts of interesting facts about the many lightsabers wielded by dark side users across the various ages of the franchise.
Palpatine’s grip is an insult to the Jedi
Decorated Jedi, such as Mace Windu, have their lightsabers plated in an alloy (called electrum). Typically, he is only rewarded in the form of small, singular pieces of electrum, which gives some idea of Windu’s history since his saber has several.
Sheev Palpatine, on the other hand, has a hilt constructed entirely out of electrum. Since it’s a rare alloy, its hilt is basically designed to be a stab at the Jedi, practically calling itself superior to them.
Darth Vader rarely uses his saber
Despite some of his most famous scenes featuring his lightsaber, Darth Vader doesn’t use his blade much. Vader tends to lead the Empire through his Intimidation Factor and overpowers others with his use of the Force.
It’s actually shown in the comics and other canon material that his lighting up his lightsaber basically means he’s not kidding anymore. Either he is determined to complete his mission, or a Jedi has arrived, or something has made the mistake of angering him.
Dooku’s hilt is designed for his fighting style
Most fans will recognize Count Dooku’s lightsaber for its curved design. It’s a unique look but this choice isn’t just for looks, it’s built to help Dooku master his lightsaber fighting form. Count Dooku is one of the best duelists in the Galaxy for Jedi and Sith and his hilt design is one of them.
Dooku uses Form II, known as Makashi. It’s an older style that was designed to fend off all other forms of lightsaber dueling. It’s a regal form that relies on parry, making it perfect for someone royalty like Dooku.
Sith crystals are corrupted Jedi crystals
Jedi go through a rite of passage in which they bond with their unique Kyber crystal. The Sith go through a darker, twisted ritual in which they kill a Jedi and take their Kyber Crystal. From there, they put all their hate, pain, sadness, and all other dark side fuel into said crystal.
This ritual corrupts the Kyber crystals, turning them into a symbiotic crimson red. The crystal and the Sith feed each other. This ritual is called “bleeding” and it gives a darker perspective on Sith lightsabers, considering how many Jedi have died to have so many Sith with red sabers.
Darth Vader’s Grip Hints Anakin Is Still Inside Him
The lightsaber that Darth Vader wields throughout the original trilogy is a far cry from what Anakin used in the Clone Wars. However, some fans may notice that it looks a lot like Anakin’s first lightsaber, which was used in attack of the clones. They’re nearly identical to each other, except Darth Vader’s is slightly bulkier and has additional black components to the design.
It somehow mirrors the character, with the first saber belonging to the shining hero while the second corresponds to Darth Vader who is a brutal and darker version of himself. It may also be a subtle hint that Anakin never died but simply lay dormant in Vader’s persona.
Maul wields two combination lightsabers in The Clone Wars
The last season of Star Wars: The Clone Wars saw Darth Maul wielding a double-bladed lightsaber again, reminiscent of his debut in The Phantom Menace. This is accomplished by the zealous Sith combining the last half of his classic lightsaber with a stolen saber.
It actually happens to be the same hilt used by Asajj Ventress after renouncing the Sith ways and becoming more of an anti-hero. This two-in-one lightsaber became an instant favorite, even becoming one of many Legacy lightsabers to The edge of the galaxy.
Kylo Ren’s Kyber Crystal is cracked
The lightsaber that Kylo Ren wields is unique in several ways. Not only does it have the cross guard blades, but the main blade is not a solid beam; it’s fiery, crackling and fluctuating. It’s been labeled as an unstable blade and there’s a reason for that.
Ben Solo’s inner turmoil was powerful, too powerful for the crystal he was attempting to perform the bleeding ritual on. All the pain overwhelmed the Kyber Crystal and cracked it, leading to Kylo Ren constructing his new lightsaber hilt to house and use the unstable crystal that forms his blade.
Darth Vader can change the length of his blade
After several people noticed an inconsistency that Darth Vader’s blade would change length between shots, the authors corrected the error by making his blade able to do so. It is known as a dual phase lightsaber, allowing the wielder to implement different combat strategies.
This can confuse an opponent or scare them off, depending on how Vader implements the mechanism. This feature can only be used in a lightsaber if the hilt contains two bleeding Kyber crystals, and so far Darth Vader is the only example of a dual-phase lightsaber.
Sith crystals can be purified
Once a Kyber crystal has been corrupted, the bleeding process is almost impossible to undo (the emphasis is on “almost” because an ex-Jedi figured out how to do it). According to Ahsoka novel, Ahsoka Tano was able to heal the crystals of two Sith Inquisitors and the purification left the crystals silvery white.
This is why in star wars rebels and The Mandalorian, Ahsoka wields silver blades. Although silver was used in Legends, Ahsoka is the first canon character to wield silver. Instantly this became a fan favorite for the wide variety of lightsaber colors in the barrel.
Windu’s lightsaber is a prime Sith material
If anyone’s crystal is ripe for the bleeding ritual, it’s Mace Windu’s. Windu is a rare race of Jedi, using the Vaapad lightsaber form, a form that requires the user to experience the dark side. Although never said directly, many have speculated that Windu’s blade is purple because he stands on the precipice between light and dark.
Where most Jedi are calm, collected, and serene: Windu is cold and often mean-spirited, especially around Anakin Skywalker. Windu is said to channel his darkness and use it for good, meaning he technically partially bleeds his crystal. As a result, not only could Windu have easily turned to the dark side, but his crystal would have been the easiest to bleed out.
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