This video will go over all the different Lightsaber hilt designs and types.
First are the standard lightsabers, also known as vanilla lightsabers.
They consist of a straight hilt approximately 20 to 30 centimeters long, and were the preferred
lightsaber type for many force users.
Various users have modified these lightsabers to be able to function underwater, have an
adjustable blade length, be concealed as a cane, and to be split into two separate pieces
for concealment.
They have also been modified to be used as training lightsabers, which were engineered
with a low-power setting; so low that users could pick them up by the blade and only suffer
minor injuries.
Lightsabers were usually made out of metal, but have been made out of other materials,
like wood.
Second are the lightsaber Shotos, also known as short lightsabers or lightdaggers.
They were essentially a smaller version of the standard lightsabers, consisting of a
smaller hilt and blade.
They were typically used by smaller beings.
Regular sized beings also used these lightsabers as an off hand weapon when performing the
twin-bladed technique of Jar'Kai.
Third are the lightclubs, also known as great lightsabers or greatsabers.
It was basically a larger version of the standard lightsaber, and could have a blade as long
as three meters.
They were used by immensely large beings.
Fourth are the Curved-hilt lightsabers, also known as dueling lightsabers.
These curved lightsabers were used because the curved hilt fit better into the palm,
granting better blade control and allowing for greater precision and strength.
They were usually used by users who specialized in Form 2.
Asajj Ventress modified her curved-hilt lightsabers to be able to join together and form a saberstaff.
Fifth are the Guard Shotos, also known as lightsaber tonfas.
They were a rare perpendicular-gripped type of short lightsaber with a second handle extending
from the main hilt at 90 degrees.
This design allowed the user to easily block lightsaber attacks and to perform quick slashing
attacks.
Sixth are the Double-bladed lightsabers, also known as Doublesabers or Duelsabers.
These were lightsaber staffs that emitted blades at both ends.
Double-bladed lightsabers allowed for a faster rate of attack, unleashing a rapid assault
with only a minimum of movement, and were also excellent defensive weapons, as the doubled
length of the weapon provided more surface area for deflecting and blocking.
Various users modified these lightsabers to have them be able to fold in order to be used
as single blades too, as well as modified to have an automatic spinning function with
a curved hand guard that can extend to incircle the entire hilt.
Seventh are the Long-handle lightsabers.
As the name implies, these lightsabers’ hilts were several times longer than that
of a standard lightsaber.
Although it was easy to swing around the body, its long handle was an easy target for opponents
trying to destroy the weapon during combat.
Eighth are the Lightsaber pikes, also known as lightsaber lances.
These lightsabers were usually longer and thinner than the long-handle lightsabers,
and they tended to have shorter but thicker blades.
Lightsaber pikes were typically made out of lightsaber resistant material, which removed
the vulnerability seen in Long-handle lightsabers.
Lightsaber pikes gave its user the advantage of a longer reach, but wasn’t practical
for blocking.
Jedi Temple Guards wielded modified double-bladed lightsaber pikes.
Ninth are the Lightwhips, also known as energy whips or laser whips.
Lightwhips featured long, flexible blades that were often several meters long.
They were wielded like regular whips, and gave users great range over their opponents.
Up close though, lightwhips were practically useless for defense.
Lumiya modified her lightwhip to include multiple tassels, which gave her the ability to overwhelm
multiple opponents with ease.
Tenth are the crossguard lightsabers, also known as forked lightsabers.
The crossguard lightsabers typically emitted three blades, a primary blade and two dagger
sized blades.
The blades on the sides provided protection and gave users an ability to dig into their
opponents in a lightsaber lock.
There was a variation of the crossguard lightsaber, which featured a primary blade and only one
dagger sized blade at a 45-degree angle to the axis of the hilt.
Its hilt was also slightly curved.
Eleventh are the protosabers, also known as Archaic lightsabers.
They were the earliest true lightsaber designs.
The hilt was connected via cable to an external power pack due to limitations in power pack
technology.
After lightsabers were advanced enough to not require an external power pack, some users
started to use retrosabers.
Retrosabers continued the use of external power packs.
These modern power packs allowed for a brief "power surge", creating a more powerful blade
for a short time and therefore a temporary advantage in combat.
Though an obvious disadvantage was that the external power pack made these lightsabers
extremely vulnerable.
Twelfth are the Forcesabers.
Though they were technically the first lightsabers, they required the use of the dark side to
be activated rather than a traditional battery.
This made it risky for light-side users to use them, as it could have them fall to the
dark side of the force.
Forcesabers paved the way to the creation of protosabers, which didn’t rely on the
dark side to be used.
Thirteenth is Ezra Bridger’s lightsaber.
His lightsaber was a lightsaber-blaster hybrid.
When in lightsaber mode, the weapon had an adjustable blade and could be used in combat.
The blaster in the lightsaber was set on stun, and could only be used when the lightsaber
was turned off.
Fourteenth is Exar Kun’s lightsaber.
It was a modified standard lightsaber that emitted blades at both ends.
Although the hilt was long enough to be gripped by both hands, it was best used by a single
hand.
This allowed Exar Kun to control the double bladed lightsaber with his wrists, rather
than his entire arm, which resulted in him being able to quickly block an attack, and
then quickly land a killing blow.
Fifteenth is the War Dragon rider’s lightsaber.
He wielded a modified lightsaber with two hilts and three separate blades, one on each
end and one connecting the weapon's two handles together.
Nothing else is known about this lightsaber.
Sixteenth is the Darksaber.
It was an ancient, black-bladed lightsaber, that featured a unique blade that was nearly
flat, thin, and curved to a point more typical of a metallic sword.
The hilt of the Darksaber was thin and rectangular, and featured an angled crossguard.
Seventeenth are Irek Ismaren’s 8 surgically implemented lightsabers in his body and sub-dermal
armor pads.
When fighting, he literally would run towards enemies and just wildly slash at them.
Last are the lightfoils.
Though they technically weren’t lightsabers, they were elegant energy swords based upon
the lightsaber design.
They were light compared to lightsabers, and were wielded with one hand.
They were usually used by wealthy, non-force sensitive noblemen.