Bane ' s Heart ( lightsaber ) Bane ' s Heart was the name given to the lightsaber of the Sith Lord Darth Zannah , a name shared with one of the two synthetic crystals used to focus its blade . The double - bladed weapon was created to suit both her petite figure and particular choice in lightsaber combat style , Form III : Soresu . Darth Zannah ' s lightsaber served her during the early decades of the reformed Galactic Republic and was instrumental in the defeat of many an opponent , including her own Sith Master , Darth Bane . The ancient Sith lightsaber was rediscovered during the Clone Wars by the infamous Jedi killer General Grievous and was later counted among the weapons of the prototype combat droid N - K Necrosis . Description . Specifications . The Sith apprentice Darth Zannah created a double - bladed lightsaber that was specifically designed to accommodate her slight physique . An elongated hilt supported the Force - resonating , twin , synthetic lightsaber crystal s that powered the weapon , one of which was red , starburst - shaped , and called Bane ' s Heart . When in the possession of anyone other than its proper owner , Zannah ' s lightsaber , which was also called Bane ' s Heart , released an electrical discharge courtesy of its specialized crystal . The weapon produced twin red blades , each 0 . 75 meters long . The lightsaber emitted a buzzing hum upon ignition and thrummed mildly when deactivated ; it also emitted a peculiarly high - pitched sound when either blade absorbed or redirected Force lightning . When not in use , Bane ' s Heart was worn at Darth Zannah ' s hip , tucked inside her belt , or kept concealed within the folds of her robes , always on the left side for optimal accessibility to her preferential hand . Special handling . The unique construction of the Bane ' s Heart lightsaber made a subtle yet critical difference from other lightsabers in the way it was wielded . The half - standard blade length resulted in reduced reach and leverage but granted a considerable increase in quickness and dexterity , a balance well - suited to the defensive nature of Zannah ' s chosen style of lightsaber combat , Form III : Soresu . Although its creator was naturally left - handed , Bane ' s Heart could be wielded in either extremity . Zannah ' s defensive salute consisted of the lightsaber extended with the blades held horizontal to the ground . The weapon required precise wrist control and a light , but nonetheless firm , grasp to effect the twirling maneuver that constituted Zannah ' s wall of near - impenetrable defense . The hypnotic patterns woven by her ignited lightsaber served to unsettle unsuspecting opponents , who became increasingly frustrated as their attacks were repeatedly parried — instead of blocked — with minimal effort . When the enemy finally faltered , Bane ' s Heart allowed its wielder to retaliate with lethal speed , although the specialized length of the blades usually required close - quarter engagement to dispatch foes . Those of superior physical strength were only slightly hindered by the defensive style for which Bane ' s Heart was designed and were eventually able to disrupt the spinning lightsaber ' s momentum . History . Zannah ' s weapon . In the year 996 BBY on the desert world of Ambria , a young Human girl named Zannah constructed a double - bladed lightsaber as a test of her apprenticeship under the ruling Dark Lord of the Sith , Darth Bane . Zannah was given two Force - sensitive synth - crystals with which to power her weapon , one of which was called Bane ' s Heart , a name that was then shared with the apprentice ' s completed lightsaber . Initially reluctant to accept the defensive purpose of her saberstaff ' s unique creation , Zannah eventually mastered the creation of a nearly impenetrable defensive wall with her twin blades . Six years after its creation , Darth Zannah ' s lightsaber sparked the curiosity of Paak , a mercenary who had arrested her on the planet Serenno for treachery against the terrorist Anti - Republic Liberation Front ( ARLF ) organization . Confiscated from its owner , Bane ' s Heart was given to the ARLF ' s leader , Hetton , whose interest piqued upon sight of the unique weapon . Zannah soon retrieved the saberstaff and briefly dueled a vibroblade - armed Paak , whom she eventually slew with a deflected blaster bolt . The Sith apprentice was later forced to briefly wield her lightsaber against Darth Bane himself , who mistakenly believed that she had betrayed him before he was convinced otherwise . That same year , Zannah and her Master were pursued by a strike team of Jedi to the Deep Core world of Tython . The Sith were positioned in the abandoned fortress of the ancient Dark Lord Belia Darzu when the Jedi arrived to do battle , and Zannah ignited her double - bladed lightsaber against Jedi Knights Sarro Xaj and Johun Othone ; the latter ' s awkward Form VI : Niman technique offset his partner ' s more refined assaults . With Bane ' s Heart , Zannah was able to effortlessly deflect and redirect both men ' s incoming attacks , while the defensive shield she erected against them remained intact . Her saberstaff was minuscule in comparison to Xaj ' s blue - bladed version , and his superior strength with his own weapon was more than a match for hers when the two finally faced each other in single combat . Unable to rely solely on Bane ' s Heart for an ensured victory , Zannah conjured a Force distraction before she fatally slashed Xaj across his chest with her blades . The double - bladed lightsaber was then used to eliminate Jedi Raskta Lsu and Othone , both of whom were fatally run through with its blades . When the Sith later returned to Ambria , Zannah murdered the planet ' s resident healer , Caleb , with Bane ' s Heart , after she forced the reluctant man to heal her mortally wounded Master . Ten years later , although Zannah had since become her Master ' s equal in strength and stature , she never gave him audience without being equipped with her lightsaber . While on a mission to the planet Doan on behalf of the Dark Lord , Zannah was compelled to kill two beings with Bane ' s Heart , a Rodian and a Human , after it was determined that they had discovered the Sith sorceress ' s planet of residence . Her venture led her to Nal Hutta and into direct confrontation with the Dark Jedi Set Harth , whose specialized Form IV : Ataru variant was no match for the instinctive defensive rhythm and impenetrable barrier created by Zannah ' s lightsaber . Zannah next employed her lightsaber against an unarmed Darth Bane , whom she had tracked to the Stone Prison of Doan and challenged for the mantle of Dark Lord of the Sith . Unfamiliar with the role of aggressor in lightsaber combat , Zannah uncertainly thrust her blades repeatedly at Bane and was forced to constantly block hurled bolts of Force lightning with either end . She was unable to defeat him even with the advantage of her saberstaff but was soon afterward granted another opportunity when Master and apprentice confronted each other for a final time on Ambria . Despite the ferocity with which he attacked her , Zannah was able to remain grounded and safe behind her lightsaber ' s defensive shield for much of the duel . However , a misstep on her part resulted in the momentary loss of her weapon , and Zannah had to again rely on the Force to ultimately prevail against her opponent . Recovery and later usage . Centuries after Zannah created and owned Bane ' s Heart , the lightsaber came into the possession of a Dark Jedi who , by the time of the Clone Wars , lost it in a fatal encounter with General Grievous , the Supreme Commander of the Droid Armies within the Confederacy of Independent Systems . The saberstaff was one of the cyborg General ' s earliest lightsaber trophies , tokens that he kept from each additional Jedi death for which he was responsible . In the wake of Grievous ' s own demise at the war ' s end , Bane ' s Heart was numbered among the collection of confiscated lightsabers he kept within his personal starfighter . It was soon afterward recovered by scientists of the newly formed Galactic Empire and given to N - K Necrosis , a prototype combat droid created from the reanimated corpse of the late General Grievous . Around the time of the Battle of Yavin of 0 BBY , a group of spacers discovered and defeated N - K Necrosis in the Myyydril Caverns of the planet Kashyyyk . The spacers looted the body of the destroyed droid , taking as part of their spoils the Bane ' s Heart lightsaber crystal that once powered the eponymous lightsaber but had since been extracted from it . Behind the scenes . Darth Zannah ' s lightsaber first appeared in the second novel of author Drew Karpyshyn ' s " Darth Bane " trilogy , titled " " , and in its sequel , " " , both of which give several pertinent details regarding the lightsaber ' s specifications . " " , an online article released through as a supplement to the " " article , reveals N - K Necrosis ' s ownership of Bane ' s Heart , as well as Grievous ' s initial acquisition of the lightsaber from the unnamed Dark Jedi on either Necropolis or Dica . While " Unknown Soldier " never conclusively establishes the identity of the individual , " Dark Jedi " , a comic that falls within the non - canon elements of " Infinities , " presents two possibilities in either of the twin sisters Kaa and Lii , characters who fight Grievous on the worlds in question . " The Story of General Grievous : Lord of War " also reveals that the lightsaber was powered by a special crystal called Bane ' s Heart , a name that was later given to the lightsaber itself through its entry in " The Complete Star Wars Encyclopedia " .