Palpatine ' s lightsabers Palpatine ' s lightsabers were two Sith lightsaber s created by Palpatine , also known as the Dark Lord of the Sith , Darth Sidious . Specifications . Being a patron of the arts , Darth Sidious designed his original weapon with a high level of craftsmanship , clearly influenced by the Sith Lord ' s love of antiquity . The body of the lightsaber was fashioned from nigh - indestructible phrik alloy while the flat emitter was composed of aurodium . The whole of the weapon possessed a refined and elegant electrum finish . The weapon utilized a synth - crystal as the focusing crystal . Ever the pragmatist , Sidious already had prepared a backup lightsaber . This weapon was initially identical to his first lightsaber with the electrum and phrik finish of his original weapon , but it was later retrofitted with an unknown black alloy . In truth , the Sith normally wielded enough powers to fight without a lightsaber , but every apprentice still learned to use one as part of his or her training . Sidious himself felt that he and his peers had outgrown the use of lightsabers , and only continued carrying them to mock the Jedi . He ultimately viewed his own lightsabers as little more than an affectation , and rarely wielded them in combat . History . Creation and early usage . Darth Sidious created his lightsaber during his apprenticeship , and used this weapon throughout his Sith training under Darth Plagueis . When he began his political career , he concealed his lightsaber within a neuranium statue of Sistros , having the piece fabricated around his lightsaber . The weapon remained hidden within the statue for at least two decades , waiting until Palpatine needed it . During this period , the Sith Lord was forced to use back - up weapons when he needed to wield a lightsaber . On one occasion , he even needed to wield his Master ' s lightsaber in lieu of his own weapon . Clone Wars . In 20 BBY , Darth Sidious used his lightsabers during two separate occasions during the Clone Wars . Mandalore . When Darth Sidious learned that his former apprentice Darth Maul was alive following a twelve year exile and was on Mandalore with his brother Savage Opress having conquered the planet , Sidious took his two lightsabers with him and traveled to the Sundari Royal Palace in his personal shuttle and confronted the two Zabrak brothers . After exchanging brief words with Maul , he pulled out and used two lightsabers to combat the two . He used erratic , however fluent , movements during the duel , even going out of his way to cut up the floor of the palace . Sidious proved to be too strong for them and altough he was unable to defeat the brothers quickly , he was ultimately able to seperate them from each other . When Opress recovered from a kick he received from Sidious , Sidious at first sidestepped Opress ' s movements with little effort without his lightsaber activ before he activated his lightsabers and engaged Maul ' s brother . He proceeded to completely outmatch Opress and soon impaled the Nightbrother with his lightsabers , killing him . Sidious - again exchanging brief words - leapt down with both lightsabers and continued to duel Maul with fearsome ferocity . Altough Maul put up a far more ferocious fight , Sidious ultimately disarmed the Zabrak Sith Lord and then he put his lightsabers away in the folds of his robes having won the duel and incapacitating Maul . Korriban . On Coruscant , Darth Sidious planned to attack Jedi Master Yoda who was then on Korriban with Sith sorcery ; he used his second apprentice Darth Tyranus ' s relationship to the elderly Jedi Master to his advantage in order to do so . With Tyranus ' s blood , Sidious created an illusion that is fed by Force lightning of both Sith Lords . After failing to fool Yoda with an illusion of Sifo - Dyas , Sidious formed an illusion where Yoda was aboard a gunship landing in The Works district of Coruscant . After Anakin Skywalker engaged Tyranus in a lightsaber duel and the elderly Sith apprentice fell ( foreshadowing his actual demise at Skywalker ' s hands ) , Yoda and Sidious dueled on an outdoor walkway , each brandishing a lightsaber . Although Sidious fought Yoda evenly , he used Force lightning to incapacitate Anakin . Sidious continued to fight Yoda as things took a turn for the worse when Anakin ' s unconscious body began to fall off the walkway destroyed by Sidious . Despite Sidious ' s taunting use of Dun Moch , Yoda used the Force to prevent the young Jedi Knight from falling ( despite being an eventual threat ) , willing to sacrifice everything , including himself , in order to save his friend . Yoda and Sidious fall to the ground below and the former found himself holding nothing but the Sith Lord ' s empty robes , his final trial complete , he awoke from his nightmarish vision . The Galactic Empire ' s rise . Showdown on Coruscant . In 19 BBY , Palpatine revealed to Jedi Knight Anakin Skywalker that he was a Sith Lord . As Mace Windu and his Jedi entourage rushed to the Senate Office Building to confront him , Palpatine retrieved his lightsaber in advance , so as not to be unarmed when they arrived . He retrieved it telekinetically by igniting it within the statue and seizing it once it burned its way out . Hiding the weapon within his sleeve , Palpatine awaited the Jedi . After a quick dialogue for the benefit of an audio recording device hidden in his office , the Supreme Chancellor brandished the weapon . With a cry the Sith Lord leapt at the Jedi , cutting down Agen Kolar and Saesee Tiin . After killing Nautolan Kit Fisto it was a duel only between Palpatine and Windu . Gaining the early advantage , Palpatine gained ground on Windu . However , Windu ' s Vaapad technique allowed him to counter the Sith Lord ' s rage - fueled frenzy . The Jedi guided the battle towards the bay window of Palpatine ' s office and out onto the wind - blown ledge outside . The precarious position of the battle prompted Palpatine to channel some of his power into a Force - grip on the permacrete , marginally decreasing his speed . Windu briskly disarmed the Sith Lord with a surgically precise kick to the face , throwing Palpatine off - balance and causing the Sith Lord to drop his lightsaber as he flailed for purchase . The lightsaber fell out the window into the bottomless streets and alleyways of Coruscant below just before Skywalker showed up . Consequentially , it also forced him to only rely on one lightsaber . Showdown within the Senate . Like his first weapon , Palpatine concealed this lightsaber up his sleeve . When the Jedi Grand Master Yoda confronted him in the aftermath of Order 66 , Palpatine brandished the weapon . During their lightsaber duel , they were seemingly matched in combat , until Yoda dislodged Sidious ' s lightsaber out of his grip . Outmatched , the Galactic Emperor assaulted Yoda telekinetically . Leaping onto one of the delegation pods in the Senate arena , Palpatine attempted to inundate the Jedi Master by hurling several pods with the Force . Ultimately , the ferocious duel ended when Yoda was able to counter Sidious ' s telekenetic assault and force him to close range , causing the Sith Lord to use Force Lightning to disarm Yoda of his lightsaber only for Yoda to ultimately redirect it back after a tremondous struggle . The resulting blast seperated Sidious from Yoda and the diminutive master chose to retreat . Later uses . When his third apprentice Darth Vader went about constructing his own lightsaber , Palpatine provided his elegant weapon as a model , as well as the synth - crystal that powered Vader ' s weapon . Vader regarded Palpatine ' s lightsaber as little more than an antique , and while respectful of its high level of craftsmanship , he preferred a weapon with more ballast . Vader ' s resulting weapon was little more than an enlarged version of his first Jedi lightsaber , machined out of a black alloy . Palpatine carried the lightsaber for a great deal of his life afterward , though he only rarely wielded it in combat , as his position as Emperor made battles with other Force - users few and far between , and he preferred to rely on his raw ability with the Force in any case . Notably , he did brandish his lightsaber during the rebellion of the Sa Cuis clones , though he never actually used it , as Vader dealt with the uprising himself . Stolen . When Galen Marek confronted him and Darth Vader in 2 BBY with the intention of rescuing the recently captured Rebel leaders , Palpatine sat back and allowed Vader to confront the Force - adept . When Marek bested the cyborg , Palpatine began appealing to him to slay Vader and replace him as his apprentice . As Marek mulled over the idea , captured Jedi and Rebel leader Rahm Kota sprang into action . Telekinetically seizing Palpatine ' s lightsaber , Kota killed the guards holding him and leapt at Palpatine . Palpatine brought Kota down with a blast of Force lightning . However , Kota ' s actions prompted Marek to attack the Emperor rather than Vader , during which Palpatine fought unarmed . By 10 ABY , Palpatine was using a different , blue - bladed lightsaber , which he carried with him on Byss .