Sith lightsaber

Sith lightsaber

Sith lightsabers, also known asSith sabers, werelightsabers wielded by members of theSith. They were constructed through methods similar to those used by otherForce-sensitives, but the underlying philosophy was different. Unlike theJedi who followed thelight side of the Force, the Sith could not establish a mutual bond withkyber crystals. This was due to the hate, fear, and other emotions associated with thedark side that clouded their concentration. Sith lightsabers were often variations of thePower and Control orPassion and Strength hilts.^[8]

Description[]

Construction[]

Main article:Bleeding

In the construction of aSithlightsaber, individuals partook in a process known asbleeding. By ways ofthe Force, they would pour negative emotions, such as rage, hate, fear, and pain intokyber crystals. The process would result in thecrystals gaining a distinctive crimson or red hue. Any kyber crystal could be bled for use in a Sith lightsaber, though some Sith believed that the proper method to gain a crystal involved capturing one from aJedi lightsaber.^[1]

Design[]

The materials, length, and shape in which Sith lightsaber hilts were composed of varied.Darth Sidious' lightsabers had nearly indestructiblephrik with a flataurodium blade emitter and were finished withelectrum ashe had discerning tastes.^[4] The two hilts each had a length of 19centimeters.Darth Vader's lightsaber was made out of alloy metal and carbon composite with a hilt length of 28 centimeters.^[1]

Sith lightsabers could be of various designs. They could be a standard-hilt likeDarth Momin's lightsabers,Darth Shaa's lightsabers, andDarth Sidious' lightsabers,^[10]dual-phased likeDarth Vader's lightsaber,^[4]double-bladed likeDarth Maul's lightsaber^[11] andSavage Opress's lightsaber, have acurved-hilt likeDarth Tyranus' lightsaber^[12] andAsajj Ventress's lightsabers,cross-guarded likeDarth Atrius' lightsabers^[13] orsickle-bladed likeDarth Noctyss's lightsaber.^[14]

Purpose[]

According to Darth Sidious, the Sith's weapon is not the Sith lightsaber, but thedark side of the Force. Instead, the saber serves as a symbol for the nature of the dark side - a blaze that consumes all who stand against it.^[15] However,Obi-Wan Kenobi speculated that the Sith use the lightsaber simply because they believed that anything the Jedi can do, they can do better.^[16]

History[]

Age of the Republic[]

The lightsabers of the Sith became a rare collector's item after the Sith's supposed disappearance fromthe galaxy for amillennium.^[13] TheJedi Order sought to collect the remaining Sith lightsabers, as well as otherSith artifacts that were ultimately stored in theArchive of Forbidden Artifacts, aBogan Collection located in theJedi Grand Temple onCoruscant.^[2]

Darth Sidious possessed a large Sith-imbued kyber crystal inhis personal Sith artifact collection, from which theSith Lord would use shards of it for creating Sith lightsabers.^[17]

Imperial Era[]

Upon Darth Vader's fall to the dark side, Sidious tasked him with recovering a kyber crystal from a Jedi's lightsaber, even lambasting Vader for daring to callthe lightsaber he had used as a Jedi as his blade. While Sidious could have simply given over one of the numerous lightsabers recovered in the wake ofOrder 66, Sidious wanted to see Vader complete the Sith trial^[9] of defeating a Jedi for their blade^[18] and then bleeding that crystal,^[19] all while being aware it would be hard for Vader to find a Jedi in the first place due to the success of Order 66.^[9] Venturing to theriver moon of Al'doleem upon learning about a surviving Jedi Master namedKirak Infil'a,^[20] who had avoided Order 66 due to his separation from Jedi duties under theBarash Vow,^[18] Vader ultimately murdered Infil'a, claimedhis lightsaber and its kyber crystal,^[21] and traveled to theplanetMustafar, where he bled the crystal to his will.^[19]

With his lightsaber in hand, Vader used it to enforce the will of his master and theGalactic Empire^[22] they forged.^[23] At first, Vader continued to use Infil'a's lightsaber hilt. During amission on the planetCabarria, as the youngbounty hunterChanath Cha attempted to pull Vader's saber towards her with atractor rifle, Vader attempted to reclaim it with the Force, with the tension of the two pulls eventually shattering Infil'a's hilt.^[24] Afterward, Vader constructed a hilt of his own design, which impressed Sidious.^[25] Much later in its reign, the Empire hired out thesmugglerSana Starros to recover the lightsabers of the ancient SithLordDarth Atrius, but both of the weapons were destroyed by Vader andLuke Skywalker.^[13] After the fall of the Sith at theBattle of Endor, Vader's lightsaber became an object of worship for theAcolytes of the Beyond. OnTaris, thecult obtained what they believed was the weapon, so they could destroy it and return it to Vader indeath.^[26]

Legacy[]

Kylo Ren'scrossguard lightsaber was a Sith weapon, although Ren himself was not a Sith. He used his lightsaber to kill hisfather,Han Solo, and engaged thescavengerRey in alightsaber duel. He continued to wield it after hisaccession asSupreme Leader of theFirst Order. However, Ren was ultimatelyswayed back to thelight side of the Force by aForce vision of his father. He cast his Sith lightsaber into theocean ofKef Bir, rejecting thedark side and reclaiming his identity as Ben Solo.^[3]

Behind the scenes[]

Sith lightsabers (as explicitly distinct from Jedi blades) were first introduced into the newStar Warscanon through theLightsaber article in theEncyclopedia ofStarWars.com.^[27] Sith lightsabers also existed in theStar Wars Legends continuity.^[28]

Appearances[]

Non-canon appearances[]

Sources[]

Non-canon sources[]

• The Art of Star Wars: Visions

Notes and references[]