Few objects in Star Wars are as iconic as the lightsaber. The vast majority of these laser swords are relatively the same, coming in blue, green and red variants. However, across two separate canons with generations of unique wielders, there have been some particularly bizarre lightsabers to emerge in the lore.
Below are the most unusual and unique lightsabers, due either to the design of their hilt, blade, or some other extraneous detail that makes one stop and double-take.
The Proto-Saber
Designed before lightsabers formally existed, the proto-saber was a blade developed on Mustafar long before the Jedi Order. The hilt fed into two physical prongs which the blade would spring from. To date, it has only appeared once in the Walt Disney World experience Star Wars: Secrets of the Empire. It remains a unique artifact in Star Wars lore as one of the first lightsabers ever constructed.
The Ancient Crossguard Lightsaber
The Ancient Crossguard Lightsaber is one of the oldest in existence. While there are other crossguard lightsabers, all of which varied in nature and style, this ancient green lightsaber came with three vents -- one on the top and two on the side. This lightsaber was found by Ezra Bridger during the events of Star Wars Rebels on Malachor. It presumably belonged to an ancient Jedi and broke in Ezra's hands after activation.
Dorwin Corvax's Lightsword
Lord Dorwin Corvax appears in flashbacks during Vader Immortal: A Star Wars VR Series. Corvax is an ancient figure whose wife, Lady Corvax, turned the planet Mustafar into a hellish wasteland in an attempt to bring her husband to life. However, while Corvax's tragedy is compelling and leads Vader on his own adventure, his lightsaber -- referred to as a Lightsword -- is particularly unique.
It comes with a crossguard, as well as a spiral cage around the base of the blue blade, which emitted smoke after it was extinguished. Its kyber crystal is actually exposed in the hilt. Mustafarian technology responded to it, with the blade functioning in some ways like a key to various doors and utilities. When the sword was ultimately destroyed, the Corvax family lost access to its Marching Horde, an army of droids.
Jedi Temple Guard Lightsaber Pikes
The Jedi Temple Guards used a very unusual variety of lightsabers. These pikes were given to Jedi Knights tasked with guarding the Temple. While double-bladed lightsabers are not inherently unusual, these pikes emitted a pale yellow blade from either end. The function was to put targets at a distance to better protect both the Guards and the Temple. These lightsaber pikes would later serve as inspiration for Rey Skywalker's yellow lightsaber.
Knights of Zakuul Lightsaber Lances
Legends canon has further variants on the Lightsaber Pikes. These variants were wielded by the Knights of Zakuul and were more hilt than blade, featuring short blades at the end of long staffs. They would often be paired with a blaster shield to protect oncoming attacks while thrusting forward with the lances. The Knights of Zakuul swore loyalty to the Emperor of the Eternal Throne, the Sith Emperor Tenebrae, aka Darth Vitiate. This lance would later reappear in Star Wars: The Force Unleashed novelization.
The Darksaber
Of all the ancient lightsabers, few have played as major a role in modern Star Wars canon as the Darksaber. The blade was crafted by the first Mandalorian Jedi, Tarre Vizsla, in 1032 BBY. It is unique for its black, narrow blade, which responds to the emotional state of those who wield it. It was perfect for parrying since it actually drew rival lightsabers to its blade. Originally kept in the Jedi Temple, the Mandalorians stole it back from them, taking it on and passing it to following generations.
To wield the Darksaber, earned through combat, is to rule Mandalore. The Darksaber has passed through many hands, according to modern lore. Darth Maul took it from Pre Vizsla, the leader of the Mandalorian Death Watch and House Vizsla, after slaying him in combat. From there, the blade passed from Maul to Sabine Wren in Star Wars Rebels, who surrendered it to Bo-Katan. At some point during the Purge of Mandalore, Moff Gideon stole it from Bo-Katan. During Star Wars: The Mandalorian, Din Djarin took it from Gideon, which rendered him ruler of Mandalore until it was destroyed in the Season 3 finale.
Darth Atrius' Dual Crossguard Lightsabers
Sith Lord Darth Atrius was from millennia prior to the events of the Star Wars saga. Atrius wielded two crossguard lightsabers in combat. The Sith Lord channeled all his hate and rage into his sabers, making them incredibly enriched in darkness.
The blades fell into obscurity until being discovered in 0 ABY when smuggler Sana Starros sold one to a crime lord and the other to the Galactic Empire. However, while Darth Vader went to retrieve the missing saber, the crime lord went insane upon igniting the lightsaber, killing everyone. Both Luke Skywalker and Darth Vader separately realized the blades, being soaked in Atrius's cruelty, were too dangerous for anyone to wield. They both separately destroyed the weapons.
Stellan Gios' Broadsword Lightsaber
Stellan Gios's broadsword lightsaber from the High Republic era looks more like Excalibur than a lightsaber. Set to appear in the upcoming novel The High Republic: The Rising Storm, the lightsaber possesses two physical crossguards that collapse when the lightsaber isn't in use, folding upward. When in use, the crossguards slide down to allow space for the twin crossguard beams.
This is a highly unusual lightsaber, as it combines both the ancient crossguard style with Lord Corvax's Lightsword's physical crossguard and hilt.
Lightwhips
Lightwhips are a rare variant of the lightsaber that has a flexible whip rather than a blade. While they date back to the ancient years of the Old Republic, they're most commonly associated with the Nightsisters of Dathomir -- magical witches who disbanded shortly before the end of the Old Republic.
However, Jedi did use lightwhips, too. Most notably, in the High Republic Era, Vernestra Rwoh figures out how to modify her lightsaber to create a whip mode, following a force vision in Star Wars: The High Republic - A Test of Courage.
Tera Sinube's Cane Lightsaber
The aging Jedi Master Tera Sinube converted his walking stick into a lightsaber. This lightsaber cane is a concealed weapon designed to serve both as mobile assistance and a weapon. With a twist, the lightsaber hilt could be removed from the rest of the cane. The blade itself is otherwise ordinary, but the concealed nature allowed him to attack targets in an instance without ever needing to draw his blade.
Pong Krell's Twin Double-Bladed Lightsaber
Jedi Master Pong Krell wielded two double-bladed lightsabers. Each made a lot of noise when in use, indicating their potentially unstable nature. The two blades actually could fold so they could better fit into his utility belt. One was blue, and the other was green. However, Krell only used them on rare occasions, though he made sure to cut down dozens of Clone Troopers when it was revealed he was a traitor to the Republic and Jedi Order.
Darth Maul's Double-Bladed Lightsaber
One of the first major lightsaber variations to gain mainstream attention was Darth Maul's double-bladed lightsaber, which functioned more like a bo-staff than a sword. In Legends lore, Maul designed the lightsaber by combining two other lightsabers to catch his opponents off-guard. In the modern canon, he based the lightsaber on Sidious's designs, which itself came from a Sith hologram.
Because the lightsaber used multiple kyber crystals, it functioned as a single-bladed lightsaber even after it was split during his fight with Obi-Wan Kenobi and Qui-Gon Jin.
Mace Windu's Purple Lightsaber
In most regards, Mace Windu's lightsaber is like the rest of his peers. Its hilt is relatively normal, and it has a kyber crystal. But it is the blade that sets it apart. Mace Windu's lightsaber comes not in blue, green or red but rather purple. This unique color was requested by actor Samuel L. Jackson so that Mace would always stand out in a crowd when fighting.
Another interesting detail? Engraved on the hilt itself is the phrase "Bad Mother-Fucker," based on an additional request from Samuel L. Jackson.
Ventress' Split Saber
Asajj Ventress, one of the key figures during the Clone Wars, wielded a device known only as the Split Saber -- a double-sided lightsaber with an S-Shaped hilt that could be taken apart. While this weapon could be used like a double-bladed lightsaber, Ventress preferred disassembling the blades, wielding them with their curved hilts in a ferocious style of combat that channeled the dark side.
Maris Brood's Lightsaber Tonfa
Also known as guard shotos, lightsaber tonfas were unusual variants on the lightsaber that functioned much like the tonfa weapon. Users held a perpendicular hilt attached to the blade as a defensive measure against lightsabers. While the lightsaber tonfa was more popular in ancient times with the Sith, the most noteworthy wielder of one is Maris Brood, who no longer exists in canon.
The Inquisitor's Lightsabers
The Inquisitors, assembled by Darth Vader to hunt the Jedi who survived Order 66, wielded some pretty bizarre lightsabers. Often referred to as double-bladed spinning lightsabers, they contained a circular basket in which the Inquisitor held the blade as the wheel spun around the hilt to generate two red blades.
While these look intimidating, they're arguably some of the most structurally unsound lightsabers in Star Wars history. The wielding Inquisitor had terrific range around the wheel, but should a Jedi target the hilt inside, the weapon would be critically damaged. Many Inquisitors were left defenseless just because their target hit inside the basket, destroyed their lightsaber, and then went for the kill.
Ezra Bridger's Lightsaber-Blaster Hybrid
Ezra Bridger was one of the first new Jedi to be trained following Order 66. When it came time for Bridger to design his lightsaber, he made a most unusual creation: a lightsaber-blaster hybrid. The weapon could be properly concealed as a variant blaster, with Bridger being able to generate a concentrated blade or a blaster bolt at a target.
However, while this weapon had increased range, it came with some serious weaknesses. Due to the way the blaster fire was generated, the blasts would decrease in potency the farther it was shot. Often, the bolts were far weaker than an ordinary blaster's fire. However, the weapon did vastly increase Ezra's range in fighting. He remains one of the few Jedi to incorporate a blaster into regular combat.
Kylo Ren's Lightsaber
Kylo Ren's crossguard lightsaber is one of the crudest, least refined lightsabers ever made. During Ben Solo's transformation into Kylo Ren, he created this saber, designed after the ancient crossguard lightsabers of old. However, Ben made a mistake when designing it: he used a cracked kyber crystal. As a result, when he fired it up, the blade was incredibly jagged and unstable-looking. Kylo Ren later abandoned this lightsaber after rejecting his identity as Kylo Ren in one last act of redemption.
Rey's Lightsaber
Currently, Rey's lightsaber is the newest in Star Wars canon. It is designed using fragments of Rey's quarterstaff and other pieces of scrap. It uses a turn-switch to unfurl its pale-yellow blade, making it unique to Rey's character and history as a scrapper. It remains to be seen if, in this post-Palpatine era, Rey's lightsaber will influence the creation of future lightsabers or remain one of the unique lightsabers in the Star Wars universe.