13 years before the crossguard lightsaber made its live-action Star Wars debut in Star Wars: The Force Awakens, the unique lightsaber variant first appeared in the Legends continuity. Lightsabers are easily the most famous weapons to come out of the Star Wars galaxy, and over the years, the franchise has revealed many different types of lightsabers – as well as many different lightsaber colors. Despite this, the reveal of Kylo Ren’s crossguard lightsaber in The Force Awakens was still an epic thrill, though it wasn’t the first time Star Wars saw such a design.

Kylo Ren’s lightsaber is the same weapon he used as a Jedi, but upon falling to the dark side and becoming a Knight of Ren, Kylo corrupted his blue kyber crystal, turning it red and cracking it in the process. To vent the damaged crystal’s excess energy and stabilize the blade, Kylo Ren installed crossguards on the lightsaber, which gave it additional offensive and defensive capabilities. While Kylo Ren’s weapon is by far the most famous example of a crossguard lightsaber in the Star Wars franchise, the weapon, like many elements of Star Wars canon, is borrowed from Legends.

The Crossguard Lightsaber Was Actually A Part Of Legends Continuity

The first appearance of a crossguard lightsaber is in the third issue of the 2002 four-issue comic series Jango Fett: Open Seasons, by Haden Blackman and Ramón F. Bachs. While Count Dooku observes a display of lightsabers from Jedi who died in the Battle of Galidraan, one of the weapons has a physical crossguard. The lightsaber is seen again on the ground among the dead Jedi during a flashback of the battle itself. The crossguard appears to be made of metal and might have been made of a lightsaber-resistant material, such as phrik or cortosis.

Another type of crossguard lightsaber, known as a “forked lightsaber,” would appear in the Clone Wars-era Republic comics, with one such blue-bladed weapon being the lightsaber of Jedi Master Roblio Darté. Crossguard lightsabers that more closely resemble Kylo Ren’s weapon would appear as potential weapons for player characters in the 2011 video game Star Wars: The Old Republic. Fascinatingly, The Old Republic is one of the few sources of new content in the Legends continuity following its 2014 rebranding, and the inclusion of the lightsabers is one of the few instances of the modern canon inspiring a Legends property.

Crossguard Lightsabers Were Common In The High Republic Era

Crossguard lightsabers are seen as an ancient lightsaber design in the modern Star Wars canon, with the weapons being infamous for their use during the Great Scourge of Malachor. The weapons also saw widespread use by Jedi during the High Republic era, with the Jedi Master Stellan Gios using a blue-bladed lightsaber with a retractable crossguard. With the upcoming TV series The Acolyte set in the High Republic era, Star Wars viewers may soon see more live-action appearances of these distinctive weapons.

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