Double-bladed lightsaber

Master Qui-Gon, more to say, have you? It is requested that this article, or a section of this article, be expanded. See the request on the listing or on this article's talk page. Once the improvements have been completed, you may remove this notice and the page's listing.

The double-bladed lightsaber, also called a saberstaff or lightstaff was a lightsaber variant that featured a blade emitted from both ends.

HistoryEdit

The existence of double-bladed lightsabers dated back to the mythical Sith Lord Exar Kun of the Qel-Droma Epics.^[3]

The Dathomirian Zabrak Sith Lord Darth Maul wielded a red double-bladed lightsaber he created himself, Savage Opress, Maul's brother, also wielded a red double-bladed lightsaber.^[5]

Count Dooku's personal assassin and apprentice Asajj Ventress had a pair of curved-hilt lightsabers that could be joined together at the hilt into a single weapon by a locking mechanism becoming a double-bladed lightsaber.^[4] This was a configuration known as a split saber, one that was also fielded by Jedi such as Cal Kestis.^[7]

During the Clone Wars, Besalisk Jedi Master Pong Krell wielded dual hinged double-bladed lightsabers, one blue and one green-bladed, which could fold at the middle.^[6] Jedi Master Jaro Tapal also utilized a saberstaff in battle.^[7] The Jedi Temple Guard wielded a similar weapon, the yellow double-bladed lightsaber pike.^[14]

The Imperial Inquisitors, dark side adepts tasked at identifying and hunting down Jedi following Order 66, fought using their unique version of the weapon. Their red double-bladed spinning lightsaber could also be used as a regular single-bladed lightsaber.^[12]

In 3 BBY,^[source?] Maul wielded another double-bladed lightsaber.^[15] Decades later, while searching for the wayfinder on Kef Bir in 35 ABY, Rey fought a vision of herself as a Sith. In the vision, her dark side counterpart wielded a hinged double-bladed lightsaber with red blades.^[16]

Behind the scenesEdit

The double-bladed lightsaber first appeared in the Star Wars canon in the 1999 film Star Wars: Episode I The Phantom Menace.^[1] It was originally conceived by writer Tom Veitch and artist Christian Gossett for the Star Wars Legends comic book series Star Wars: Tales of the Jedi.^[17] Gossett has said he thought of lightsabers as the personal "honor weapons" of the Jedi, and would be more customized to suit personal preference rather than standardized for all.^[18]

During the development of Star Wars: Episode VII The Force Awakens, screenwriter Michael Arndt became really interested in the motif of "fire and ice" and wanted to have one character wielding a double-bladed lightsaber, with one side red and the other blue.^[19]

AppearancesEdit

Non-canon appearancesEdit

• Disney Infinity 3.0
• Angry Birds Star Wars II
• William Shakespeare's The Phantom of Menace: Star Wars Part the First
• LEGO Star Wars: Droid Tales – "Exit from Exit" (Appears in flashback(s))
• LEGO Star Wars: The Force Awakens
• LEGO Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga

SourcesEdit

Notes and referencesEdit