Lightsaber Style Weapons In The Star Wars Universe
Unfortunately, in the films, we haven’t seen the breath of what the Star Wars universe really holds in the way of light weapons. We have seen dozens of blasters, ships, and heavy guns, but not the weapon that most Star Wars fans are obsessed with; the lightsaber. However, the traditional lightsaber isn’t the only light weapon in the universe. Let’s take a look at a few.
Lightwhip
We are going to start with what was probably the most useless of the light weapons. The lightwhip was ignited just like a standard lightsaber. Instead of a sword, the blade was a flexible string that could be used just like a traditional whip. The energy emitted came from several small crystals instead of one large one like standard lightsabers. The plasma in light whips lacked cell barriers, which allowed the blade to flex within reason. Whips could come in one single strand or several in a cat o’ nine style. These weapons were rarely used and dangerous to the aggressor and user. The weapon gave the user reach and flexibility. The weapon was designed to be tricky to defend against, as it could curl around a traditional sword. If several strands were emitted, the strands could become overwhelming. One of the most notable users was the Sith Lumiya, one of Vader’s assassins, who used the cat o’ nine style.
Dual-Phase Lightsaber
This particular lightsaber could go from one length to another by hitting a button or flicking a switch. More common in the Old Republic, the dual-phase was created in approximately 400 B.B.Y. The blade was designed to be at the shorter length and then could be extended during a fight to surprise an opponent. The blade fell out of use during the New Republic but some Jedi appreciated the blade's flexibility in emergency situations as a cutting instrument.
Shoto
The shoto saber was simply a lightsaber with a shorter hilt and blade. For smaller Jedi, like Yoda, it was the lightsaber of choice. For more standard sized Jedi, the shoto was a secondary, single-handed weapon.
Guard Shoto
This is one of the more interesting designs. Maris Brood was one of the few wielders of the guard shoto we are aware of. The guard shoto was excellent for blocking and defensive fighting. The hilt could be held with the blade across the body for attacking or along the back of the forearm for blocking. Without proper training, the weapon could be deadly to the user as it could swing toward the body when hit with force from an opponent. The shape allowed the user to get in close to an opponents body but didn’t allow for strong blows. While traditional blades used the upper body and biceps for striking, the guard used the triceps and shoulders. Not to mention it was more difficult to put the blade behind the head to swing down for a strong strike. The arc of the blade would bring it dangerously close to the users head. Overall, really cool to look at, nightmare to use.
Double Lightsaber
I knew someone would be mad at me if I didn't hit this one. Maul made this style iconic in his appearance in The Phantom Menace. Although intense and intimidating, the double is simply two connected lightsabers. The blades could be different colors since they each had their own kyber crystal. The blades can be used independently as well as dual lit. A double could be especially effective if an opponent didn't know the hilt was a double as they maneuvered to accidentally face the yet unlit blade. Talk about a surprise.
Light Staff
As of yet, light staffs have not been seen in our Star Wars films or tv. We all thought we might get a glimpse of one as soon as pictures of Rey and her staff started appearing. But, no such luck. Light staffs are literally just fighting staff with small blades on the end. A Jedi can try to diffuse a fight with the staff before a blade needs to be ignited.
Star Wars is filled with iconic weapons. Some, like the lightsaber, are permanently embedded into our cinema culture. Others, not so much. Have a weapon you'd like to know more about? Let me know @forceknowledge on twitter!
