Sith lightsaber Sith Lightsabers were a specialized type of weapon that catered to the needs and preferences of the Sith Lords . For the most part , the design differences were minimal , due to the typical modern lightsaber being based on original Sith designs . Sith lightsabers almost always utilized synthetic crystals as opposed to the natural crystals favored by the Jedi , a fact they considered to be a mark of superiority . Also , most Sith weapons featured an overall more aggressive design aesthetic . One of the variations on typical Sith lightsabers was the double - bladed lightsaber . Being of Sith design , these staff - weapons were sometimes referred to as Sith lightsabers , though were not to be confused with the genuine article . The design of these weapons changed greatly over the centuries since the founding of the Sith , sometimes featuring a standardized mold , other times being designed by individual wielders . Despite this evolution , they were almost always distinguished by their scarlet bloodshine blades , a result of the red coloration usually taken on by synth - crystals . Ultimately , the Sith wielded these weapons to mock the Jedi , a trait demonstrated by the regularly greater combat effectiveness the aggressive Sith Lords possessed . Specifications . Mechanics and Distinguishing Features . The early Sith lightsabers were simply an improvement on the preexisting Protosaber s favored by the Jedi Order . The protosabers , while leaps and bounds ahead of the original lightsaber prototypes with their unstable blades , suffered from severe issues regarding energy consumption , necessitating a belt - mounted power pack . The Sith design introduced an internal superconductor , which transferred the returning looped energy from the negative - charged flux aperture back into an internal power cell . With this modification , the power cell would only expend power when the energy loop was broken , such as when the lightsaber cut something , solving the power supply problem . The ancient Sith Lords took this miniaturization a step further with the creation of the double - bladed lightsaber . These original saberstaffs featured sophisticated designs , effectively a single mechanism with twin emitters on either end of a standard length hilt . Later designs would be considerably simplified , with the result being a double - length hilt consisting of two separate lightsaber mechanisms . Of lesser note was the design of the Lightfoil by the Sith - aligned Mecrosa Order , which also miniaturized the standard lightsaber design to create extremely well balanced one - handed weapons . However , the defining feature of Sith lightsabers was the use of synthetic crystals , as opposed to the Adegan and Ilum crystals favored by the Jedi . Almost all synthetic crystals used by the Sith featured a red coloration , as a result of the forging process used to create them , though adjustments to this process and manipulations through the Force did result in crystals of different colors . Synth - crystals typically produced stronger blades than the natural Jedi crystals , and had the rare potential to " break " the blades of standard lightsabers by overloading the energy matrix and instantly burning out the opponent ' s weapon . However , this added strength came at the cost of blade instability , and loss of maneuverability . Cultural and symbolic significance . Originally , Sith Lords utilized synthetic crystals due to their lack of access to the traditional sites where crystals were harvested , as these were frequented by the Jedi Order . Eventually , the use of these synth - crystals became a tradition amongst the Sith , who believed the creation of a crystal suited to one ' s own needs was a display of strength over the Jedi , who relied on the " untamed wilds of space " to provide . The red coloration was also a result of the forging process , though it too came to become a tradition . The aggressive crimson hue served to differentiate the Sith from their sworn enemies ; the Jedi , who typically utilized softer colors , commonly blue or green . However , the bloodshine blades were not universal to all Sith , with notables such as Exar Kun and Darth Vader continuing to favor their blue Jedi lightsabers after defecting . However , Kun was likely unaware of the custom , and Vader replaced his Jedi weapon with a red - bladed Sith saber soon afterwards . Darth Sidious also used a pale blue colored lightsaber after his reincarnation . Ultimately , Sith who wielded colors other than red were usually looking to disguise their dark affiliations . In fact , Palpatine was of the opinion that the Sith Lords had outgrown the use of lightsabers , and only continued to use them to humiliate the Jedi . Certain Sith organizations appeared to view lightsabers as status symbols , indicating the completion of their training . During training , Sith apprentices typically utilized Sith training saber s , or were provided with Vibroblades when expected to engage in actual combat . History . Origins . When the Dark Jedi dissidents rebelled against the greater Jedi Order and started the Hundred - Year Darkness , they retained the use of their Jedi Protosaber s , wielding them against their former brethren . At the conclusion of the conflict , the Darksiders were disarmed and exiled from Republic space , founding a new society based around their corrupted Jedi philosophy and the necrotic Force magicks of the conquered Sith peoples . During this early era , notables such as Karness Muur continued to display their protosabers , indicating that some had managed to hold on to their weapons . A militant culture , Sith weaponry developed quickly . The original protosaber design was upgraded , allowing for the removal of the belt - mounted powerpack and resulting in the modern lightsaber . The usage of red synth - crystals appears to have been standard amongst the Sith in this time period , at least amongst those who favored lightsabers . For the most part , many Sith Lords eschewed lightsabers in favor of Sith sword s . When the Sith Empire engaged the Galactic Republic in the Great Hyperspace War , the swords were extremely prevalent , but certain groups , such as the crew of the " Omen " , were equipped with lightsabers . These early Sith lightsabers no doubt made their way into Jedi hands , who then copied the designs to upgrade their own weapons . Use during the Great Sith War . A reasonably notable development was the creation of the Lightfoil s by the Sith - aligned Mecrosa Order . Lightfoils were a masterwork of design and craftmanship ; a perfectly balanced one - handed lightsaber that provided far greater precision . These weapons were designed for use by adherents of the Makashi lightsaber style , as the form ' s focus on precision and balance put the attributes of the lightfoil to good use . However , while the archaic lightfoil design was a sophisticated masterpiece , later imitations fashioned by nobles of the Tapani sector proved to be far less effective . These knockoff lightfoils were used by " Saber rake " duelists in honor duels between nobles . When Exar Kun fell to the dark side of the Force and became the new Dark Lord of the Sith , he and his followers continued to wield their original Jedi lightsabers , likely due to their ignorance regarding the customary Sith bloodshine blades . However , this likely facilitated their infiltration of the Jedi Order , allow Kun to enter the Ossus Great Jedi Library and steal a Sith holocron , and his followers to get close to their former masters and carry out the Jedi pogrom . However , while Kun failed to institute the widespread use of synth - crystals , he did modify his own lightsaber considerably , basing the changes on Sith designs accessed in a holocron . The result was his double - bladed lightsaber . Being based off of classical Sith schematics , Kun ' s saberstaff retained the standard hilt length , allowing him to pass it off as a regular lightsaber , before revealing the extra blade in the heat of combat and catching his opponent off - guard . Kun ' s weapon was infused with the negative energies of its creator , and those who faced him were unsettled by its insidious nature . Inheritors of the weapon who were sensitive to the Force found themselves infected with the lightsaber ' s residual malevolent power , while those with no such affinity remained unaffected . After the war , one of Kun ' s former acolytes , the disfigured Haazen , would be taken in by Krynda Draay . His involvement in the war largely unknown , he became one of the founding members of Draay ' s Jedi Covenant , gradually taking complete control of the organization as Krynda ' s primary lieutenant . During this period , Haazen constructed a Sith lightsaber to replace the weapon he lost during his failed Jedi apprenticeship . However , due to his need to keep the weapon and his continuing affiliation to Sith ideals secret , he fashioned an articulated hilt that folded into a hook - shape to become the handle of his cane . The make of the hilt overall followed the grisly design of his prosthetics , themselves of an archaic Sith design , and he utilized the traditional bloodshine blade . This lightsaber would be kept secret for decades before finally being unveiled during the Vindication incident , the culmination of all of Haazen ' s schemes . Haazen would wield the weapon against several Jedi before bestowing it on Lucien Draay , his would - be Sith apprentice . Draay initially operated as Haazen ' s willing dupe , attacking Zayne Carrick with the lightsaber before reconsidering his position and betraying Haazen . Draay disgarded the lightsaber , and it was destroyed by orbital bombardment during the destruction of the Draay Estate , along with Haazen himself . During the Jedi Civil War started by Darth Revan , synthetic crystals and double - bladed lightsabers saw widespread usage . However , beyond the red blades , there was little to differentiate the design of these Sith lightsabers from the Jedi weapons of the period . During training , many Sith apprentices wielded Vibroblades when expected to engage in actual combat , until they earned their lightsabers . Students of the Korriban academy would perform a final test at the conclusion of their training , with one of the rewards being a unique , proper Sith lightsaber for them to keep . During the First Jedi Purge that followed , little changed in the design of Sith lightsabers , though some groups , such as the Sith assassin s , eschewed lightsabers in favor of more covert weapons , such as Force pikes . Usage and Development during the Great Galactic War . During the reformation of the Sith Empire , the classical Sith sword s were generally swept by the wayside in favor of lightsabers . Overall , the standard Sith lightsabers of the era featured aggressive , squared - off technical designs , in contrast to the more rounded weapons favored by the Jedi . In addition to the traditional scarlet lightsaber crystals , Sith lightsabers would often have elaborate emitter guard assemblies , with a double axe - head design being prevalent . This style of armament was exemplified by the Sith Warrior class , who favored standard lightsabers but emphasized power and aggression in their use . The more esoteric models were favored by the Sith Inquisitor class , who often wielded saberstaffs . Inquisitor lightsabers , while still demonstrating the aggressive and angular design characteristic of Sith weapons , also featured strange design elements , such as exposed or oversized crystal chambers , or translucent hilts with electrical energy flowing through it . Also , Inquisitors would occasionally eschew the traditional scarlet crystals in favor of violet blades . Despite the widespread standardization , many Sith Lords would favor more unique weapon designs . Darth Baras ' lightsaber hilt was composed of a large fang or claw that lent it a slight curve , and the emitter featured a triple - guard . Darth Chratis , in contrast , wielded a long staff that collapsed to form a long - handled lightsaber . The Sith apprentice , Teneb Kel , wielded a double - bladed lightsaber of the classical Sith design , with a standard length hilt . However , he typically displayed his two - ended weapon immediately , rather than capitalizing on the smaller hilt to fool enemies into believing it a standard lightsaber . Usage during the New Sith Wars . Little is known of the development of Sith lightsabers during the New Sith Wars , as the conflict itself tended to wax and wane with the passage of years , and many records were lost . Many of the Sith , such as Darth Ruin , appeared to favor standard lightsabers with crimson blades , though some diverged and wielded alternative weaponry . When Lord Kaan came to power , Sith lightsaber designs were considerably standardized . Apprentices training at the Sith academies trained with Sith training saber s , and were provided with stock lightsabers upon their graduation . Apprentices appeared to have the option between standard and double - bladed lightsabers , and were armed accordingly . Jedi Master Pernicar was given the opportunity to examine one of these lightsabers , after taking it from his fallen student Wud Mortull . He noted the inferior quality of these lightsabers compared to Jedi weapons , and considered them an insult to their heritage . Notably , the then - Sith Blademaster Kas ' im gifted the lightsaber of his master to his prize pupil , Bane . The lightsaber was of a unique curved design , allowing the hilt to fit better into the hand . This facilitated both greater blade control and power , which complemented Bane ' s chosen fighting form . Bane would replace the ruby gem it contained with a traditional synth - crystal provided by the Academy staff . Kas ' im himself normally wielded a double - bladed lightsaber , but when pressed , he would separate the hilt of his weapon into two halves , wielding dual blades . To take further advantage of this feature , Kas ' im actively discouraged the use of dual - blade combat , defending his decision by citing the deficiencies of such a method . Usage under the Rule of Two . The institution of the Rule of Two drastically limited the number of advanced Sith practitioners , effectively reducing them to a cult rather than a cohesive organization . As such , Sith lightsaber designs were based more on personal needs and preferences , rather than standardized makes designed for specific classes . For example , Darth Bane ' s apprentice Zannah wielded a double - bladed lightsaber with a lengthened hilt and shortened blades to allow for improved speed and mobility , benefits she took advantage of to facilitate her practice of the Soresu lightsaber form . In combat , she would twirl the weapon to build up momentum , allowing her to redirect and parry even the fiercest attacks with relative ease , while the second blade allowed for rapid counters . One of the later Rule of Two Sith Lords , Darth Maul , also favored the double - bladed lightsaber . Maul felt that single - bladed lightsabers were too limiting , and opted for the double ended design because it made sense to him to be able to strike with both ends . Maul took considerable pride in the fashioning of the crystals for his weapon . Creating a set of four synthetic lightsaber crystals in a compression furnace , he went into deep meditation for four days , using the Force to control and monitor the formation of the crystals . One of the most unique lightsabers carried by a Dark Lord of the Rule of Two was the weapon of Darth Sidious . Constructed during his apprenticeship under Darth Plagueis , Palpatine ' s lightsaber was of an elegant and streamlined designed , with a hilt composed of phrik alloy , precious aurodium , and gleaming electrum . During his tenure as Supreme Chancellor of the Galactic Republic , Palpatine ' s lightsaber was concealed in a neuranium statue in his offices , where it would rest for decades before finally seeing use . Palpatine retrieved the lightsaber just prior to a confrontation with the Jedi , killing three of his attackers with the weapon and dueling Mace Windu to a standstill . Windu managed to disarm and corner the Sith Lord , though he was killed by another almost immediately afterwards , and Palpatine already had an identical backup weapon prepared , which he wielded against Jedi Grand Master Yoda . It was not uncommon for Jedi defectors to continue wielding their original Jedi lightsabers , and this was true for Palpatine ' s second apprentice , Dooku . Dooku was a master of the precise Makashi style , and wielded a custom lightsaber designed to facilitate his chosen fighting form . His refined weapon , featuring an elegant curved hilt , was taken with him when he left the Jedi Order and turned to the Sith . As a Sith lightsaber , the weapon had its original blue Adegan crystal replaced with a scarlet Sith synth - crystal , which improved the weapon ' s cutting power at the expense of maneuverability . The lightsaber would see extensive use against Jedi in numerous lightsaber duels , but would ultimately be used against its owner by his ultimate successor . During the Clone Wars , Dooku would found the Dark Acolyte s , a personal cadre of fallen Jedi - turned - Sith Acolyte s . Many of the Acolytes would display a reverence for Sith ideals , and would display many trappings of the Order . Most notably , all would wield Sith - style lightsabers ; though most were simply their original lightsabers with their Ilum crystal s replaced with synth - crystals . Quinlan Vos was notably provided with the scarlet crystal originally used by Darth Andeddu . Asajj Ventress was notably provided with the twin curved lightsabers of Komari Vosa . Vosa was a failed Jedi who was captured and recruited into the Bando Gora cult , and constructed the lightsabers during her membership . The lightsabers were based off of the design of Dooku ' s lightsaber , as he was Vosa ' s former master . While the lightsabers were not created as such , they did form a reasonable approximation of Sith lightsabers . Another of the Acolytes , Savage Opress , took a different route , constructing his own lightsaber upon his recruitment . This weapon was a double - bladed lightsaber of a more classic Sith design , with a long hilt , a ridged grip on the middle portion , and aggressive blade - guards on either emitter . Usage under the Galactic Empire . One of the first Sith lightsabers to be created during the reign of the Sith - controlled Galactic Empire was Darth Vader ' s weapon . A former Jedi , Vader attempted to create a novel design to both impress Palpatine and distance himself from his former comrades . However , despite having Palpatine ' s lightsaber provided as a model , Vader ' s resulting weapon was little more than an enlarged version of his first Jedi lightsaber , machined out of black alloy . While the initial crystal Vader utilized was a synth - crystal provided by Palpatine , Vader would later use a red - hued Adegan crystal . Vader ' s apprentice , Galen Marek , would also wield a unique lightsaber . Marek ' s design appeared to be based on the design utilized by Darth Vader , featuring an emitter shroud and a mostly solid casing . However , rather than follow the over - sized , bulky design of his master ’ s weapon , Marek opted for a considerably more skeletal make . His weapon featured an exposed crystal chamber , and rather than include a handgrip , the whole of the weapon was sheathed in somewhat tarnished looking bare - metal . The blade utilized a set of red crystals supplied by Vader . While Palpatine continued to adhere to the Rule of Two , he did establish a number of organizations composed of Sith Acolytes who served at the whim of he and Vader . Many of these groups favored the use of lightsabers , and often wielded red blades as a sign of their reverence for Sith ideals . Most of Palpatine ' s servants and disciples , such as his Hands or his Dark Side Elite , favored the simple standard lightsabers . Notably , Palpatine did not enforce the use of bloodshine blades amongst the Elites , and while most did later take to wielding such blades after a time , many favored blue lightsabers . However , other affiliates , such as the Emperor ' s Shadow Guard or certain members of the Royal Guard , favored more specialized weapons , such as Lightsaber pikes , and all favored the Sith bloodshine blades . One of his Hands , Lumiya , defied convention and wielded a lightwhip . Her whip was heavily inspired by Sith designs , with a hilt composed of nigh - indestructible Mandalorian iron , and producing numerous tendrils of energy , further backed up by the inclusion of several additional whip tails composed of studded leather and flexible metal . Imperial engineers also found a way to mass produce lightsabers , though these weapons still had to be assembled by hand . These lightsabers were created on Kamino for the Imperial saber guard and the Galen Marek clones , and called for the mass importing of special crystals for them . The crystals in question were likely synthetics , due to the red coloration common to most , though the weapons supplied to most of the clones featured silver blades . Modified versions of the mass produced lightsabers utilized by the Marek clones would be provided to two of the more successful clones ; Starkiller and the Dark Apprentice . Similar mass produced lightsabers were provided to the Sa Cuis clones . Post - Imperial Sith Lightsabers . Most of the Sith Acolytes and apprentices active following the fall of the Galactic Empire favored standard lightsabers , though there were exceptions to this . Lumiya continued to wield her unique lightwhip , and her student , former Imperial Sovereign Protector Carnor Jax , wielded the double - bladed sword favored by his former comrades . During his training as a Sith Lord , Darth Caedus originally continued to use his Jedi lightsaber , though only until he completed construction of his new red - bladed Sith lightsaber . The Lost Tribe of Sith , the surviving descendents of the shipwrecked " Omen " crew on Kesh , continued to make use of the archaic Sith lightsabers their ship had been stocked with . During this period , assembly - line Sith lightsaber knockoffs continued to be produced by Remnant factions such as the Empire Reborn for various mass Dark Jedi training programs like the Reborn and the Shadowtrooper s . The particular lightsabers used by those two organizations were identical , black - hilted , red - bladed designs based on the Sith lightsaber . Sith lightsaber designs would be adopted by the Imperial Knight s . Using knowledge gleaned from a surviving copy of Palpatine ' s Book of Anger , the Knights would utilize synthetic crystals of their own manufacture , but of a white coloration and devoid of the ceremony and meditation that the Sith Lords favored . The One Sith would continue to use synth - crystals as well , but would also introduce hilts fabricated from a material that resembled Yuuzhan Vong Yorik coral . Double - bladed lightsabers saw common use among these Sith , while notables such as Darth Nihl wielded more obscure lightsaber variants . Nihl himself favored a long - handled lightsaber , also composed of the coral - like material . The reigning Dark Lord of the Sith , Darth Krayt , originally wielded twin Sith lightsabers of the then standard design . However , after his death and subsequent resurrection , he took up his old Jedi lightsaber to replace one of the pair , converting it into a Sith lightsaber with the addition of a synth - crystal . Behind the scenes . Technically , the first Sith lightsaber designed was Darth Vader ' s . However , there were no early plans to make Vader ' s weapon distinct from the other lightsabers depicted , beyond the black styling on the hilt itself . The concept art of Vader ' s lightsaber hilt was based off of George Lucas ' s descriptions of the weapons as jewel - studded cylinders . Ultimately , the hilt carried by David Prowse was machined from the flash attachment of a British 3 - cell MPP Microflash , which was used on forties - era press cameras . The ridged grip was made by gluing portions of windshield - wiper blades onto the bare cylinder , and the switch plate had been fashioned from the LED display of a 1974 calculator . The original lightsaber effect was provided by the reflective , spinning dowel that made up the blade , which appeared to glow to the camera . However , Lucas was unsatisfied with these early effects , and had the glows further augmented by rotoscoped animation . During this phase , it was decided to make the lightsabers have different color blades to further differentiate them , and Vader was given a red blade . While the methods used to create the lightsabers would change over the course of the next two movies , the presentation of Vader ' s lightsaber itself would remain consistent . The red coloration unique to Darth Vader ' s lightsaber throughout the original trilogy would give rise to the idea that the blade color of lightsabers was dictated by the moral alignment of the wielders , rather than internal mechanics , a viewpoint supported by the Marvel adaptation of " " , which depicted Luke Skywalker ' s lightsaber emitting a red blade when Vader ignited it . It would not be until the release of Shadows of the Empire that lightsaber colors would be established as being determined by the internal crystals . However , not all Sith presented in subsequent years would wield red blades . The " " story arcs " " and " " , both depicted Sith Lord Exar Kun and his followers continuing to wield their original Jedi lightsabers , while the arcs " " and " " depicted the Sith Lords extensively favoring Sith swords rather than lightsabers , suggesting that they didn ' t have access to them . The and the Lost Tribe of the Sith E - books both retconned this , and took it a step further by suggesting that the Sith in fact pioneered the modern lightsaber design . The double - bladed lightsaber made its first appearance in The Sith War story arc , wielded by Exar Kun . The design was conceived by artist Chris Gossett , who invisioned lightsabers as the oft - customized honor weapons of the Jedi . The double - bladed lightsaber would make its first mainstream appearance in the hands of Darth Maul in . On the StarWars . com databank would be an article devoted to the weapon , which referred to it as a " Sith lightsaber " , the first usage of the term . Originally , this name applied exclusively to double - bladed lightsabers , but eventually came to encompass all lightsabers of Sith design .