10 Star Wars Lightsaber Designs That Are So Much Cooler Than Anything In The Movies

Summary Lightsaber designs in Star Wars novels and games are more creative and unique than those seen in the movies.

Some standout lightsaber designs include extendable, crossguard, and double-bladed pike variations.

Colors like purple (Mace Windu) and yellow (Asajj Ventress, Rey) have expanded the lightsaber lore beyond the films.

Star Wars has included a number of incredible lightsabers in the nearly five decades of Star Wars movies and TV shows since the franchise began, but some lightsaber designs from various Star Wars shows, books, and video games are even better than the movies. There are many types of lightsabers in Star Wars canon, and the designs have become more innovative over time. Lightsaber colors and their meanings have also expanded, beginning with Jedi Master Mace Windu's purple saber in Star Wars: Episode II - Attack of the Clones but becoming even more diverse in more recent Star Wars projects.

However, some of the very best lightsaber designs aren't depicted in Star Wars movies at all. Instead, Star Wars media such as novels and games, particularly outside the canon with some exceptions, have seemed freer to embrace a creative approach to lightsabers, resulting in more unique, impressive designs. These 10 lightsaber designs specifically are the absolute best outside of Star Wars movies.

Related The 10 Most Unique Lightsabers In Star Wars History Throughout Star Wars history, many different lightsabers have been introduced with designs that prove more unique than their simpler counterparts.

10 The Guard Shoto

Star Wars: The Force Unleashed

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In the Star Wars: The Force Unleashed video game, Maris Brood, a Jedi Padawan turned dark side Force-user, uses guard shotos. The shoto lightsabers, also called lightsaber tonfas, are shorter than the average lightsaber length, as is true of all shoto lightsabers, including those wielded by Ahsoka Tano and Master Yoda. However, Maris' guard shotos are distinct in that they have another handle at a 90-degree angle from the standard hilt.

This design makes it easier for the user to attack with a backhanded grip. This ability is highly reminiscent of one of Ahsoka's favorite stances with her own shoto blade, which she often held at an angle behind her while holding her standard-length lightsaber in front of her. Although Ahsoka's lightsabers did not come with the guards' additional hilt, this would have been an amazing design for her to use given how much she favored this stance.

9 Corran Horn's Extendable Lightsaber

I, Jedi

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Corran Horn appears in multiple Legends stories, including the novels Star Wars: X-Wings: Rogue Squadron and I, Jedi, both written by Michael A. Stackpole. In Legends, Corran had an amazing lightsaber design. In addition to the blade being silver, the lightsaber also had the capability to extend. As a dual-phase lightsaber, the blade could grow to be three meters long when properly aligned, at which point it would also transition from silver to purple.

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Interestingly, the Obi-Wan Kenobi show secretly made Corran Horn canon, which means this incredible lightsaber may end up on the big (or small) screen after all. This would be a thrilling update, as this type of lightsaber—or really anything like it—has never been seen in Star Wars movies or TV shows before. However, Corran is also not the only Star Wars character in the larger universe, including Legends, to have an extendable lightsaber; Senya Tirall from the Star Wars: The Old Republic video game also had one.

8 Stellan Gios Crossguard Lightsaber

Star Wars: The High Republic

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Stellan Gios is a canon Jedi from the High Republic Era, the period of the Jedi Order and the Republic's history largely considered the golden era. Stellan's lightsaber has an iconic hilt design, with a crossguard not dissimilar from Kylo Ren's throughout the Star Wars sequel trilogy. However, with Stellan's ornate gold and silver design, his lightsaber comes across as almost regal, whereas Kylo Ren's seems chaotic and even somewhat poorly constructed.

Fascinatingly, Stellan's lightsaber, like Corran's, may be brought to the small screen after all. Stellan Gios' Padawan, Vernestra Rwoh, is confirmed to be appearing in the upcoming Star Wars: The Acolyte TV show. While Stellan isn't yet confirmed for the show, it would make sense for him to appear alongside his Padawan. It would be truly exciting for this to be the case, as Stellan Gios was an incredibly powerful Jedi Master alongside having an amazing lightsaber.

7 The Temple Guard's Lightsaber Pike

Star Wars Rebels

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Depicted in Star Wars Rebels, the Jedi Temple Guards each wielded a double-bladed yellow pike lightsaber. As their titles suggest, the Guards were charged with protecting the Jedi Order, although each began as a Jedi Knight before becoming a faceless sentinel providing security to the Temple and its Jedi. Their lightsabers are particularly exciting, as they represent a major shift currently taking place in the larger Star Wars franchise.

Their lightsabers are particularly exciting, as they represent a major shift currently taking place in the larger Star Wars franchise.

Related What Yellow Lightsabers Mean: Star Wars Canon, Legends History, Asajj Ventress & Rey's New Jedi Order Yellow lightsabers are becoming all the rage in Star Wars canon; what does this color mean, and what does it tell us about Rey and Asajj Ventress?

The first yellow lightsaber to be depicted on-screen was Rey Skywalker's in Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker. At the end of the movie, Rey can be seen holding the yellow saber up, signaling that she has now created her own lightsaber, finally (literally) putting the Skywalker sabers to rest. At the time, this color seemed revolutionary. However, since then, The Bad Batch season 3 has revealed that Asajj Ventress is also currently using a yellow lightsaber. Moreover, The Acolyte trailer showcases multiple yellow lightsabers, suggesting this color is becoming quite significant.

Asajj Ventress Created By George Lucas , Genndy Tartakovsky Cast Nika Futterman , grey delisle First Appearance Star Wars: Clone Wars (2003) Alliance Sith, Bounty Hunters

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6 Ezra Bridger's Lightsaber-Blaster Hybrid

Star Wars Rebels

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Ezra Bridger Created By Dave Filoni Cast Taylor Gray , Eman Esfandi First Appearance Star Wars Rebels Alliance Rebel Alliance, Jedi

Also in Rebels, Jedi Padawan Ezra Bridger showcases a very unique, although subtle, lightsaber design. In the show, Ezra's first lightsaber is a lightsaber-blaster hybrid. This is particularly interesting, as Jedi generally avoid using such a weapon, favoring their more dignified lightsabers. Famously, Obi-Wan Kenobi highlighted this in Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith when he picked up General Grievous' blaster and tossed it aside, saying, "So uncivilized."

However, it seems Ezra ultimately uses a more traditional lightsaber as, later on in Rebels and in the Ahsoka show, his blaster is long gone. Instead, in Rebels, he adopts a more traditional green lightsaber and, in Ahsoka, he opts for a blue blade. Perhaps this in part suggests his growth as a Jedi; Ezra had lived for some time as someone capable with the Force but not a Jedi. Over time, he discarded the blaster he'd used before his training and replaced it with a true Jedi weapon.

Perhaps this in part suggests his growth as a Jedi.

5 Plo Koon's Lightsaber Gauntlet

Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge Of The Sith Concept Art

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Although Jedi Master Plo Koon was ultimately depicted as having a fairly standard blue-bladed lightsaber in the Star Wars prequel trilogy, he almost had a much cooler design. Concept art for Revenge of the Sith shows Plo Koon with a green lightsaber gauntlet, a design that combines two lightsaber blades and connects them via a hilt that acts as a handle. This incredible design was sadly scrapped, but it is truly one of Star Wars' coolest.

Particularly because the idea was tossed around in concept art but wasn't used in the end, it seems Star Wars has considered making some of these more unique designs canon on the big screen. While many haven't made it there yet, hopefully this will change over time. While many lightsabers in the Star Wars movies are plenty iconic already, these more creative designs would be excellent additions.

4 Jocasta Nu's Lightsaber Rifle

Star Wars: Darth Vader (2017) 9

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Another Star Wars prequel trilogy Jedi, the Jedi Temple archivist Jocasta Nu also wielded an incredibly unique lightsaber. In the comic book Star Wars: Darth Vader (2017) 9, written by Charles Soule, Jocasta Nu is revealed to be one of the few Jedi who survived Order 66. In a confrontation with Darth Vader in the comic book, Jocasta wields an amazing lightsaber rifle, the likes of which have certainly never been seen in a Star Wars movie.

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Fascinatingly, this story is Star Wars canon, meaning that, although it hasn't yet made its way on screen, the lightsaber rifle is a canon weapon. This lightsaber is linked in some sense to Ezra Bridger's first lightsaber in Rebels, as it is also a lightsaber-blaster hybrid. However, Jocasta Nu's lightsaber rifle is a considerably more blaster-focused weapon, making it extremely unique in Star Wars.

Jocasta Nu's lightsaber rifle is a considerably more blaster-focused weapon, making it extremely unique in Star Wars.

3 Master Baird Kantoo's Kyber Saber

Lego Star Wars: The Freemaker Adventures

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Surprisingly, one of the coolest lightsaber designs in the greater Star Wars universe comes from one of the Lego Star Wars projects. Lego Star Wars: The Freemaker Adventures is a non-canon Star Wars Lego story set even before the Old Republic. The animated series introduces Jedi Master Baird Kantoo's Kyber Saber, which, at least in The Freemaker Adventures, is considered the first lightsaber.

The Kyber Saber is unique in that it emits an incredibly powerful, bright blade made of pure Kyber energy. No doubt in part because Master Baird used multiple Kyber crystals for the design, the lightsaber looks distinct in size and scale from the lightsabers in the Star Wars movies. While this story will likely never enter the canon, Jedi Master Baird's Kyber Saber is nevertheless a fascinating lightsaber design and origin story for the Jedi.

2 Kouru's Lightsaber Parasol

Star Wars: Visions

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One of the most incredible designs to come out of the non-canon Star Wars: Visions animated TV show is the lightsaber parasol wielded by Kouru. The multi-bladed lightsaber was an astounding, completely innovative design that allowed the user to create a shield by spinning the various sabers. However, Kouru was also able to transition to a more traditional single-blade lightsaber for battle, which would no doubt make more sense than attempting to engage in combat with a number of lightsabers forming an umbrella shape.

The multi-bladed lightsaber was an astounding, completely innovative design that allowed the user to create a shield by spinning the various sabers.

The closest Star Wars has come to such a design on the big screen is in Revenge of the Sith when General Grievous, in his battle with Obi-Wan Kenobi, wields four lightsabers and approaches Obi-Wan while spinning all of them at once. However, this is quite different from the parasol lightsaber. Unlike Kouru's, General Grievous' use of multiple lightsabers doesn't come from one design; instead, General Grievous collects the lightsabers of Jedi he's killed, and his multiple arms enable him to use them in this manner.

1 Vernestra Rwoh's Lightwhip

Star Wars: The Acolyte

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Excitingly, the most incredible lightsaber design is confirmed to be appearing on the small screen in Star Wars canon. Vernestra Rwoh, Stellan Gios' Padawan, is officially a character in The Acolyte, which means that her amazing purple lightwhip will be in the show. The Star Wars Databank confirmed that Vernestra, or "Vern," will be appearing with her iconic, unique lightwhip saber, which is a thrilling update to Star Wars. While Vern is certainly not the only character in the larger universe to use a lightwhip, seeing the saber in live-action will no doubt be stunning.

Although Star Wars' many movies have included amazing lightsabers from the beginning and have even become more inventive and experimental over time, these 10 lightsaber designs are unlike anything seen in the movies. From Visions' unbelievable parasol lightsaber to Vernestra's lightwhip, the larger Star Wars universe contains some of the most incredible weapons in all of Star Wars. Although the lightsaber has been an iconic Jedi weapon since the earliest Star Wars movie, these 10 more creative designs are the most impressive of all.

The Acolyte The Acolyte is a television series set in the Star Wars universe at the end of the High Republic Era, where both the Jedi and the Galactic Empire were at the height of their influence. This sci-fi thriller sees a former Padawan reunite with her former Jedi Master as they investigate several crimes - all leading to darkness erupting from beneath the surface and preparing to bring about the end of the High Republic. Cast Dafne Keen , Lee Jung-jae , Amandla Stenberg , Jodie Turner-Smith , Joonas Suotamo , Carrie-Anne Moss , Margarita Levieva , Charlie Barnett , Dean-Charles Chapman Seasons 1 Streaming Service(s) Disney+ Franchise(s) Star Wars

Star Wars: Visions Star Wars and the world of Japanese animation collide in Star Wars: Visions, a sci-fi anthology series that sees several prolific animation studios tackle various unique tales set in the Star Wars universe. Each episode tells a new tale from a new studio in incredibly different animation styles that all aim to capture the lives outside the core cast of Star Wars regulars, including how the events of the war affect those caught inside of it. Release Date September 22, 2021 Seasons 2 Franchise(s) Star Wars

Star Wars Rebels Set between Episodes III and IV of the Star Wars film franchise, Star Wars Rebels is a canon animated series that follows a group of ragtag heroes who band together to face the Empire. In an age where the Galactic Empire is hunting down the last of the Jedi, a teenage outcast named Ezra Bridger is discovered to be force sensitive by a surviving Jedi known as Kanan Jarrus. Agreeing to join them and accept Jedi training, Ezra becomes a part of a small but growing crew of rebels determined to destroy the empire covertly. Cast David Oyelowo , Steve Blum , Freddie Prinze Jr. , Tiya Sircar , Vanessa Marshall , Jason Isaacs , Taylor Gray Seasons 4 Streaming Service(s) Disney+ Franchise(s) Star Wars Writers Dave Filoni , Greg Weisman

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