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- "Much like master and apprentice, two blades are. One can sharpen and improve the other."
- ―Yoda
Jar'Kai was a method of utilizing two lightsabers in combat. Those with exceptional combative application could wield a normal lightsaber in conjunction with a longer melee weapon, be it a bladed staff or a double-bladed lightsaber.
History[]
Asajj Ventress[4] and Ahsoka Tano[5] were two notable practitioners of Jar'Kai, preferring to use two lightsabers as opposed to one. The cyborg General Grievous had been outfitted with arms that could split in half, enabling him to choose between holding two lightsabers or four lightsabers.[6] The Besalisk fallen Jedi Pong Krell took advantage of his four arms to use his own variant of Jar'Kai, to great effect, simultaneously wielding two double-bladed lightsabers in combat against his own clone troopers on Umbara.[7] The renegade Sith Lord Maul took to using Jar'Kai after claiming the Darksaber from Pre Vizsla. Darth Sidious was proficient in this style, using both his primary and backup weapons against Maul and Savage Opress on Mandalore. Maul once again wielded part of his bisected lightsaber alongside the Darksaber against his former master, but was defeated.[2]
Padawan Anakin Skywalker employing Jar'Kai against Count Dooku.
Although not necessarily masters or regular users of the technique, it was not uncommon for Jedi to use the lightsaber of a downed or fallen comrade in conjunction with their own. Obi-Wan Kenobi, who after defeating one MagnaGuard and claiming its electrostaff, temporarily used it with his lightsaber to duel Grievous until it was destroyed, leaving him only with his main weapon. Kenobi also utilized both his own weapon and Quinlan Vos' lightsaber against Cad Bane[8] and later used the lightsaber of Adi Gallia to duel Maul and Opress on Florrum.[9] Anakin Skywalker used a spare green lightsaber as well as Kenobi's spare blue lightsaber during his first duel with Count Dooku on Geonosis.[10] He later used the lightsaber of his apprentice, Ahsoka Tano, with his own against two super battle droids on a Munificent-class star frigate in the Devaron system in order to save her.[11] Skywalker used Luminara Unduli's lightsaber with his own against undead Geonosian warriors on a rescue in the Progate Temple, Barriss Offee's lightsaber with his own in a duel at the Jedi Temple against a fallen Barriss Offee, who wielded both of Asajj Ventress' lightsabers,[12] and used Dooku's lightsaber with his own lightsaber to execute Dooku after a final duel with him on the Invisible Hand.[6] Ahsoka Tano, who during the mission on Tatooine while in a fight with three MagnaGuards, after charging one of the two remaining droids and taking its electrostaff, rammed the weapon through the other droid's power core before quickly bisecting its head and torso with her main weapon.[4] Kit Fisto used his former Padawan Nahdar Vebb's lightsaber alongside his own against General Grievous.[1] Kanan Jarrus used his apprentice, Ezra Bridger's first lightsaber along his own against the Grand Inquisitor on the Sovereign.[13] He also demonstrated proficiency in Jar'Kai while dueling the Temple Guards on Lothal.[14]
After Ezra Bridger's first lightsaber was destroyed by Darth Vader during the Mission on Malachor,[15] he wielded the Darksaber alongside his second lightsaber to destroy the altar of the Nightsister spirits during the skirmish on Dathomir.[16]
Ahsoka wielded two lightsabers during her time with the Jedi and continued after she left the order.
After Anakin Skywalker became Darth Vader, he continued to use Jar'Kai on various occasions to deadly perfection. On Mustafar, he used a smuggler's lightsaber, which was Force pulled from the smuggler whom Vader used with his own to finish off the last remaining droid in Lady Corvax's sanctum.[17] Another time, Vader used his weapon with one of Darth Atrius' lightsabers against a group of thugs who Sana Starros had hired to keep the Imperials off her back, he utilized both lightsabers to kill all of the thugs.[18]
During his mission to Rodia, Luke Skywalker attempted to use Jar'Kai when he battled a Ghest using Jedi Knight Huulik's lightsaber and his own. Luke was successful in slaying the beast but admitted it was from "panicked reflexes and really good weapons" instead of good technique.[19]
The Grand Inquisitor displayed knowledge of Jar'Kai to an extent, using his own double bladed lightsaber along with the lightsaber of Kanan Jarrus, which he had claimed temporarily, to fight a large fyrnock at Fort Anaxes.[20] Maul disguised his last double-bladed weapon as a walking stick before detaching the wooden element and wielding them separately to fight three Inquisitors on Malachor.[15] Kylo Ren snatched a vibro-voulge from a slain Elite Praetorian Guard, briefly using it along with his crossguard lightsaber as he and Rey waged a long, grueling battle against overwhelming numbers.[21] Cal Kestis employed the use of Jar'Kai during his quest intermittently with his other two preferred forms of combat as a method to keep his enemies confused and at bay.[22]
To finally defeat a resurrected Darth Sidious once and for all, Rey briefly used Jar'Kai, via Skywalker's lightsaber and Leia's lightsaber, to deflect his Force lightning back at him.[23]
Appearances[]
Sources[]
- Knights of Fate
- Rise of the Separatists
- Star Wars: The Lightsaber Collection
- Star Wars: The Secrets of the Sith
Star Wars: The Vintage Collection (Pack: Reva (Third Sister)) (backup link)- Star Wars: The Black Series (Pack: Reva (Third Sister)) (backup link)
Notes and references[]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1
Star Wars: The Clone Wars – "Lair of Grievous"
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Star Wars: The Clone Wars – "The Lawless"
- ↑ Star Wars: Forces of Destiny – "Teach You, I Will"
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 Star Wars: The Clone Wars film
- ↑ Star Wars: The Clone Wars – "Altar of Mortis"
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 Star Wars: Episode III Revenge of the Sith
- ↑ Star Wars: The Clone Wars – "Carnage of Krell"
- ↑ Star Wars: The Clone Wars – "Hunt for Ziro"
- ↑ Star Wars: The Clone Wars – "Revival"
- ↑ Star Wars: Episode II Attack of the Clones
- ↑ Star Wars: The Clone Wars – "Cargo of Doom"
- ↑ Star Wars: The Clone Wars – "The Wrong Jedi"
- ↑ Star Wars Rebels – "Fire Across the Galaxy"
- ↑ Star Wars Rebels – "Shroud of Darkness"
- ↑ 15.0 15.1 Star Wars Rebels – "Twilight of the Apprentice"
- ↑ Star Wars Rebels – "Visions and Voices"
- ↑ Vader Immortal: A Star Wars VR Series – Episode I
- ↑ Star Wars Annual (2015) 4
- ↑ Heir to the Jedi
- ↑ Star Wars Rebels – "Gathering Forces"
- ↑ Star Wars: Episode VIII The Last Jedi
- ↑ Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order
- ↑ Star Wars: Episode IX The Rise of Skywalker
