Exar Kun's lightsaber

{{Lightsaber_infobox
 * imageBG=
 * image=Kun's Lightsaber.jpg
 * name=Exar Kun's lightsaber
 * hidep=
 * model=Originally a standard lightsaber, later converted into a double-bladed lightsaber
 * type=Double-bladed lightsaber
 * culture=Jedi, Sith
 * creator=Exar Kun
 * created=*3,996 BBY {{C|Single blade}}
 * 3,997 BBY {{C|Double blade}}
 * destroyed=
 * discovered=*Double-blade revealed in 3,996 BBY{{Ref| }}
 * Rediscovered by Celeste Morne in 3,963 BBY{{Ref| }}
 * owners=*Exar Kun{{Ref| }}
 * Jedi Covenant{{Ref| }}
 * Antos Wyrick{{Ref| }}
 * Jarael{{Ref| }}
 * Jedi Order{{Ref| }}
 * crystal=
 * color=Blue{{Ref| }}
 * hidet=
 * hilts=Straight{{Ref| }}
 * hiltl=approx. 18 centimeters
 * hiltm=
 * bladet=Duel-phase{{Ref| }}
 * bladel=.5-1.5 meters{{Ref| }}
 * weight=
 * protection=
 * capacity=
 * range=
 * design=
 * markings=
 * hideu=
 * purpose=Melee weapon{{Ref| }}
 * era=Old Republic era{{Ref| }}
 * affiliation=*Jedi Order{{Ref| }}
 * Sith, Brotherhood of the Sith{{Ref| }}

Exar Kun created a unique lightsaber that underwent several modifications as he himself transformed from a Jedi Knight into Dark Lord of the Sith Brotherhood. Originally built during his years of training under Krevaaki Jedi Master Vodo-Siosk Baas, Kun later subjected the weapon to extensive changes as he converted it from a single bladed lightsaber into one that was able to produce two coherent beams of energy.

Exar Kun wielded his double-bladed lightsaber during the Great Sith War, a concerted effort on behalf of the Sith Brotherhood to conquer the galaxy and reinstate the dynasty of splendor enjoyed by the old Sith Empire during the reign of the ancient Dark Lord Marka Ragnos. It was during the trial of his apprentice Ulic Qel-Droma that the weapon's full potential was realized; in the midst of a duel with his former Master, Vodo-Siosk Baas, Kun ignited his second blade and used the weapon to slay the Krevaaki Jedi.

It was later retrieved by Covenant Shadow Celeste Morne and placed in the Sanctum of the Exalted for preservation. After Zayne Carrick and his accomplices broke into the Sanctum, the lightsaber fell into the possession of Antos Wyrick who then gave it to his former student, Jarael.

Weapon specifications
The weapon's initial make possessed only a single blade, but it was still an absolutely lethal tool. The lightsaber featured a fully adjustable blade; the power and length being fully controllable and capable of being fine tuned in the blink of an eye. On full power, the blade was able to cut through Mandalorian iron, albeit only with the aid of the Force. The low setting turned the blade into little more than a beam of light. Kun would often switch between the high and low settings in combat, creating an unpredictable web of lethal and illusory attacks. With the length setting, Kun would alternate between .5 and 1.5 meters, forcing opponents to overextend themselves to cope.

The weapon's conversion into a saberstaff was based on schematics Kun procured from a Sith holocron. Unlike such weapons of later years, Kun's lightsaber used only a single lightsaber mechanism rigged with two emitters and a single set of crystals. It was not two lightsabers with connected pommels but a single saber more akin to a Crossguard lightsaber. The resulting weapon possessed only a standard hilt length, allowing it to convincingly masquerade as a standard lightsaber, as the blades could be triggered individually despite the single mechanism.

Jedi's lightsaber
"Are you sure you want to do this, Master?''" "''I put the same question to you, boy."

- Exar Kun and Vodo-Siosk Baas

Kun built this weapon during his years of training under Vodo-Siosk Baas, a Jedi weapon master who excelled at lightsaber fabrication, teaching classes on the subject on Ossus. If Baas' skill and teaching ability is any indication, then Kun's lightsaber was likely a very fine piece of equipment. Kun used the weapon to become a highly skilled duelist, specializing in Niman. Kun's apprenticeship under Baas came to an end when Kun began chafing under his master's teachings. Fascinated by the Dark Side, Kun opened Baas's holocron and learned about the Sith and their influence. Baas attempted to deflect Kun's interest with a sparring match between him and his fellow learners, Crado and Sylvar.

Kun's first opponent was Crado, whom he easily defeated, knocking him down with a precise kick during combat. Sylvar proved to be more of a challenge, their clashing blows echoing across the Dantooine plains. However, Kun foolishly made a speciesist comment against the Cathar, and the enraged Sylvar clawed Kun across the face. Kun responded violently, disarming Sylvar and physically assaulting her. Fortunately for her, Baas intervened, disarming Kun with his staff as Kun raised his lightsaber to finish her. When Baas attempted to talk Kun down, Kun suddenly summoned Crado's dropped lightsaber and challenged Baas to a match. Baas' use of his Force-imbued staff enabled him to seize an early advantage, fending off Kun's opening attack before knocking him off his feet. However, Kun was hardly finished, summoning his own lightsaber and attacking Baas with the two weapons. Unable to effectively counter Kun's dual-blades, Baas was driven back and his staff was shattered by a dual overhand. Baas acknowledged Kun's power and skill, but sensed an emptiness within Kun's spirit that could be overcome by the Dark Side. Kun stated that only he knew his own spirit, and declared himself a Jedi Knight, without any formal basis, and left Baas' apprenticeship.

Wayward Jedi's weapon
"By the Force! I thought a lightsaber could cut through anything. The walls are barely scratched. The only thing that can resist a lightsaber is&hellip;Mandalorian iron!"

- Exar Kun, regarding Freedon Nadd's tomb

Soon after leaving his master, Kun traveled to Onderon, the site of the recent Naddist uprising, seeking to indulge his fascination with the Dark Side. Claiming to be a member of the Jedi archaeologists, Kun approached Master Arca Jeth. Jeth sensed Kun's lie and turned him away. As his fellow Jedi refused to assist him, Kun traveled to the Onderonian capital of Iziz. Encountering a pair of Naddist cultists being harassed by a mob, Kun saved the two and had them guide him to the tomb of Freedon Nadd on the moon of Dxun. After killing an attacking jungle creature with his lightsaber, Kun attempted to cut his way into the tomb. However, his lightsaber was repelled by the Mandalorian iron the tomb was fabricated from. As he tuned his lightsaber to maximum strength, Kun sensed a power within the tomb that sought to aid him. Using this power to reinforce the strength of his lightsaber, Kun cut through the iron and entered the tomb. Encountering the spirit of Freedon Nadd and procuring a set of Sith scrolls, Kun was suddenly accosted by the Naddists who guided him there. Kun quickly finished them.

Following the coordinates specified in the scrolls, Kun made his way to the Sith tombworld, Korriban. Encountering Freedon Nadd's spirit again, Kun was guided through the various tombs and monuments in the Valley of the Dark Lords. However, as a test, Nadd took Kun's lightsaber and summoned several of Korriban's more vicious creatures to attack Kun. Cut off from the Light Side of the Force by Nadd's sorcery, Exar Kun was forced to call on the Dark Side to retrieve his lightsaber from the spirit and fend off the creatures. Shortly afterward, Nadd performed another test, causing one of the tombs to cave-in, trapping and seriously injuring Kun. Still cut off from the light, Kun was forced to embrace the Dark Side to heal himself. Guided by Nadd, Kun journeyed to Yavin 4 and encountered the Massassi. Still partially denying the Dark Side and unable to call on the Light, Kun was incapable of fending off the primitive warriors, and was captured, his lightsaber taken from him. However, when the Massassi attempted to sacrifice Kun to the Sith wyrm living beneath the Temple of Fire, Kun embraced the Dark Side fully, procuring a Sith amulet and killing the beast with blasts of Dark Side energy.

Dark Jedi's tool
"You are skilled with a lightsaber&hellip;yet even my Master could not defeat me! I am the greatest swordsman in the galaxy!''" "''Come. Let us see!"

- Exar Kun and Ulic Qel-Droma, as they duel

Having defeated the wyrm, Kun was hailed as a savior by the Massassi and crowned their new Dark Lord. However, to destroy any threats to his power, Kun turned his amulets power on Freedon Nadd, obliterating his spirit. As Nadd faded away into nothingness, he called out to his other students of the Dark Side, warning them of Kun and his limitless ambition. His lightsaber returned to him by the Massassi, Exar Kun set about consolidating his rule, building numerous temples and monuments in his honor to focus the Dark Side. Uncovering Naga Sadow's warship buried beneath the Temple of Fire, Kun resolved to hunt down the other Dark Side servants Nadd informed him of. Traveling to the Empress Teta system, he arrived during the Jedi assault on the Krath fortress. Boldly striding across the battlefield, Kun entered the citadel and confronted his rivals; Aleema Keto and Ulic Qel-Droma. Quickly bringing down Keto with a blast of Dark Side energy, he drew his lightsaber and engaged Qel-Droma.

Due to his own skill as a duelist, Kun expected the contest to end swiftly, but was surprised by Qel-Droma's skill with his weapon. The two battled back and forth, evenly matched, neither gaining an advantage. However, as they battled, the Sith amulets they wore awoke. The two amulets were the mates of one another, tied to each other with the express purpose of summoning Sith spirits to deliver a message. A procession of ancient Sith Lords, led by Marka Ragnos appeared. Ragnos commanded them to cease fighting, then gave them recognition for their actions, which would ensure continued Sith resurgence and eventual dominance. Kun was dubbed Dark Lord of the Sith and Qel-Droma was declared his apprentice.

Sith Lord's instrument
The Great Sith War had begun. While Ulic Qel-Droma led the Krath forces into battle, recruiting the Mandalorians, Exar Kun set about quietly infiltrating the Jedi Order to cherry pick artifacts and gather followers. Gaining twenty disciples and procuring the Sith holocron held by Odan-Urr, Kun used the artifact to turn his followers to the Dark Side and proceeded to set them loose against their former Jedi Masters. While his acolytes set off to assassinate the Jedi Masters, weakening the Order, the Mandalorian leader, Mandalore the Indomitable, arrived and informed Kun of Qel-Droma's capture by Republic forces. Traveling to Coruscant, Kun stormed in on Qel-Droma's trial, paralyzing the Senate with a Sith spell and killing the Chancellor. It was then that Exar Kun's former master, Vodo-Siosk Baas, entered. The two attempted to sway the other to their cause, but unable to come to agreement, Kun drew his lightsaber. The two battled across the Senate floor, matching one another blow for blow. Unable to seize the offense, and irritated by Baas' tireless begging for surrender, Kun revealed the modifications he performed on his lightsaber.

Pressing a button on the hilt, Exar Kun activated the lightsabers second blade. Now armed with a double-bladed lightsaber, Kun took full advantage of the weapon, pummeling Baas with a series of rapid and powerful attacks. Unable to effectively counter against this unfamiliar and unique weapon, Baas knew he was beaten. The Jedi Master's parting warning only infuriated Kun, and he shattered Baas' staff with a powerful overhand blow. Vodo-Siosk Baas was dead. Kun used the lightsaber in combat again during the Battle of Ossus. Due to an oncoming supernova shock-wave triggered by Kun, the Jedi were forced to evacuate Ossus, scrambling to collect all their artifacts and records. Into this chaos Exar Kun arrived, with Ulic Qel-Droma and his Massassi forces in tow. While Qel-Droma engaged Jedi forces in the sky, Kun took to the ground, confronting Ood Bnar. Demanding that Bnar turn over the lightsabers he was trying to save, Kun engaged the Neti. Their duel was brief, as Bnar was not an expert combatant, and he was knocked down by the intervening Massassi. However, in order to protect the cache of lightsabers, he positioned himself above the vault he was placing them in and transformed. As Neti were essentially sentient plants, they were capable of transforming back and forth between bipedal beings and rooted flora, living for thousands of years, Bnar became a massive tree.

Unable to get at the lightsabers below Bnar, Kun left the master to his fate. Despite his failure to obtain the weapons cache, Kun's mission was still a success, and he obtained many Jedi artifacts besides. However, while the mission itself was a success, Kun lost his apprentice. Ulic Qel-Droma was shot down and engaged on the ground by his brother, Cay. While Ulic proved victorious, killing Cay, his actions horrified Nomi Sunrider, who used her powers to imprison Ulic in a wall of light, permanently cutting him off from the Force. Left helpless and regretful of his actions, Ulic Qel-Droma betrayed Kun, giving the Jedi the location of Kun's stronghold on Yavin IV. The Jedi arrived above the world in force, and Kun, knowing that he couldn't defeat all of them, instead used a last resort Sith spell to escape them. Draining the life force from all his Massassi, Kun transcended his physical form, becoming a Sith spirit.

Recovery and later usage
"Exar Kun&mdash;he lived to corrupt others! Anything he touched could be tainted!"

- Zayne Carrick about Kun's weapon

The weapon remained on Yavin IV after Kun's supposed death before being recovered by the Jedi Covenant shadow Celeste Morne. Morne took the weapon to the Sith artifact storehouse the Jedi Covenant maintained on Odryn. The weapon remained there for years until Zayne Carrick arrived planet-side searching for evidence against the Covenant to clear his own name. It was stolen by Carrick's allies, the Moomo brothers, along with numerous other artifacts just prior to the storehouses destruction.

It changed hands several times before falling into the hands of Antos Wyrick, who later donated it to Jarael. Luckily for her, she had no strong Force connection that would cause the weapon to corrupt her. She was about to use it to kill her rival Chantique until Carrick stopped her. Unfortunately, the lightsaber fell into Chantqiue's hand and it amplified her Force power. Eventually, it impaled both Wyrick and his daughter. Carrick then returned the lightsaber back to the Jedi Council for safekeeping.

Legacy
This weapon ultimately left quite an impact. Double-bladed lightsabers were introduced to the Jedi, becoming very popular among them around the time of the Jedi Civil War. Such weapons were also very popular with the Sith, due to its offensive capabilities, and the fact that many of the Sith and Dark Jedi serving Darth Revan were fallen Jedi. While these weapons remained popular with the Sith, their usage among Jedi gradually dwindled, as the offensive purpose of these weapons ran counter to Jedi philosophy.

Appearances

 * Tales of the Jedi: Dark Lords of the Sith
 * Tales of the Jedi: The Sith War
 * Star Wars Knights of the Old Republic 47: Demon, Part 1
 * Star Wars Knights of the Old Republic 48: Demon, Part 2
 * Star Wars Knights of the Old Republic 49: Demon, Part 3
 * Star Wars Knights of the Old Republic 50: Demon, Part 4