Blade emitter / Legends The blade emitter was the part of a lightsaber that projected the blade from the lightsaber hilt . It consisted of the emitter matrix , which further focused the blade projecting from the crystal with a tightly wrapped magnetic field , and the emitter itself , where the blade actually protruded . The emitter possessed the magnetic ring that created the field that contained the plasma of the blade and arced it back to the lightsaber for reconversion back to electricity . Overview . Positioned at the end of the hilt , the emitter contained the energy modulation circuits and the magnetic stabilizing ring , among other things . The modulation circuits controlled the amount and the intensity of the plasma that made up the blade , while the magnetic stabilizing ring controlled the length of the blade , which could be adjusted by a simple dial or a more radical dual - phase control . The exterior component of the emitter was the emitter plate , a superconducting metal from which the blade emerged . The plate was usually recessed into the casing , but sometimes it was flush with the end . In other cases , as with Obi - Wan Kenobi ' s lightsaber , the emitter was completely separate from the casing . Specializations and modifications . Mechanics . Many emitters featured modifications that changed the blade , some of which changed the thickness of the blade , others adjusting the properties of the blade plasma itself . Those that adjusted thickness allowed for greater precision , or increased the surface area to make deflection easier . The modifications that changed the properties of the plasma could adjust the cutting power , or cause the blade to emit certain kinds of energies that damaged specific enemies , such as droids . Damping emitter Damping emitters harnessed power from carefully modified power cells to create a stun setting for the lightsaber . Drawing on power from the crystal at a reduced intensity , damped lightsabers could still seriously injure a target depending on the strength of the crystal . Deflection emitter This emitter was optimized for use against blaster fire , aiding in blast - deflection . Disrupting emitter Disrupting emitters produced an unsteady beam that could wreak havoc on a victim ' s nervous system , causing effects such as temporary paralysis . Phobium emitter Another type of disrupting emitter , phobium emitters were heavier and less wieldy , but indisputably more effective . They were made for more aggressive duelists . The greater the quality of the phobium metal , the more effective was the blade . Refined phobium emitters were the pinnacle of this , but were also more easily used . Fencing emitter This emitter was most suitable for parrying blade attacks . Exterior fittings . Though not used by all lightsabers , emitter shrouds could help to prevent the wielder of a weapon so equipped from inadvertently touching the blade while in combat , thus injuring themselves . In the case of weapons specialized in Form V lightsaber combat , the shroud was designed to separate facets of the blade for either offensive or defensive purposes . Shrouds were usually quite simple , either a rounded or beveled extension of the casing or emitter housing . Some lightsabers , such as Ahsoka Tano ' s , possess a double - shroud , one on either side of the blade . Some lightsabers even featured " triple " shrouds , such as Darth Malak ' s hilt , the third shroud being an exterior plate perpendicular to the double set . Though not classified as such , an emitter recessed into the casing would constitute a " full shroud " . Emitter guards were an early innovation in lightsabers , seeing use as early as 4000 BBY . Like the emitter shroud , they were intended to protect the wielder ' s hand during combat , preventing him from inadvertently touching his own blade . Guards came in numerous variations , the most common being a simple tine extending one to two inches along the blade . Other lightsabers featured more elaborate double or triple guards , with multiple tines extending from the hilt . Exar Kun ' s lightsaber , for example , featured a quadruple guard . Some lightsabers featured " wraparound " guards , with rings circling the blade attached to the tines . Some were quite simple , such as the angled wraparounds on Starkiller ' s dual - lightsabers . Others were far more ornamental , featuring multiple rings all interlinking with one another . This ornamental guard design was exceedingly popular among Jedi just after the Great Sith War . Some lightsabers featured an unusual configuration that included both an emitter shroud and a blade guard . It remains unknown what the standard for such a combination emitter was , but the lightsaber of the Sith Lord Baras featured an emitter shroud and a triple - guard assembly .