Star Wars is one of the most iconic franchises ever, filled with legendary characters, memorable scenes, and iconic props. Perhaps above all, the lightsaber is synonymous with the success that Star Wars has seen since the release of A New Hope in 1977.
There are so many things that make a lightsaber really awesome. There's the color of the lightsaber, which helps define the very legendary characters that wield them. There are the hilt designs, which are all unique in their own ways and change the fighting style of the wielder. Then of course there's the history behind each lightsaber. Star Wars is a franchise filled with rich lore, and the history behind each lightsaber makes it special. No matter what makes them great, some lightsabers just truly shine.
10 Count Dooku's Curved Lightsaber Hilt Is Stylish And Useful
When most people hear the word lightsaber, they paint a picture in their head of what that looks like. In most cases, Count Dooku's lightsaber is not what they think of. Dooku, the former Jedi turned Sith, rocks a red lightsaber with a curved hilt.
While most lightsabers had a straight hilt on the end, Dooku's is curved, which allows for better up-close combat and dueling. The leader of the Separatists, Dooku is one of the most iconic characters from the prequel trilogy, and his lightsaber plays a role in that iconography.
9 Rey's Yellow Lightsaber Is One Of A Kind
Every Force-wielding character in Star Wars is defined by the lightsaber they forge on their own, and Rey did just that during the sequel trilogy. Rey's lightsaber is made out of parts from her quarterstaff, but is most notable for emitting a yellow blade instead of the usual blue or green ones that Jedi have.
This is very unusual in the Star Wars galaxy, making her lightsaber incredibly unique and recognizable. She also dedicates it to the Skywalkers, arguably the most impactful family the galaxy has ever seen, for both the good and bad.
8 Kylo Ren's Lightsaber Has Been Through A Lot
Originally crafted while training to be a Jedi, Kylo Ren's lightsaber followed him to the dark side. Kylo's lightsaber is very memorable in terms of appearance, as it's a crossguard lightsaber with the main blade and two smaller blades coming out of the side near the hilt.
Fans would get very used to seeing this lightsaber in action, albeit even if that action was just Kylo's transgressions being let out in bursts of rage. This lightsaber leaves a scar in the mind bigger than the one on Kylo's face.
7 Ahsoka's White Lightsabers Were Made With A Kyber Crystal Taken From An Inquisitor
Ahsoka Tano has carved out a very interesting path in the galaxy, filled with heroic moments and also very sad ones. Unlike most characters in Star Wars, Ahsoka is known for wielding two lightsabers instead of one. While she was still with the Jedi Order, Ahsoka had two green lightsabers, one being a shoto lightsaber with a slightly more yellow-tinted green. Upon being returned to her by Anakin, they were blue.
Later in her life, Ahsoka wields two lightsabers that emit a white blade, forged from kyber crystals that were taken from the Sixth Brother and purified with the Force. LIke Dooku, Ahsoka's lightsaber hilts are also curved. No matter which pair of lightsabers she uses, Ahsoka has always been known for her great combat skills as a dual wielder.
6 Sith Lord Kouru's Lightsaber Parasol Is Unlike Anything Else
Although Star Wars: Visions isn't officially canon, it's still filled with fascinating stories and characters in the Star Wars universe. One of these characters is the Sith Lord Kouru, who one day attacks a village on Genbara. She wields one of the most creative lightsabers in the franchise, a lightsaber parasol.
Sith Lord Kouru's lightsaber parasol is a single-blade hilt with a parasol auxiliary that gives it multiple red blades. This allows her to spin the blades and create a shield or even give off the appearance of an umbrella. No matter what people say about canon or non-canon, this lightsaber is one of the coolest things to come out of Star Wars.
5 The Inquisitor's Lightsabers Are Terrifying
Jedi and Sith aren't the only people who wield lightsabers, as the Inquisitors also engage in battle with them. The lightsabers used by the Inquisitors are dual-bladed lightsabers with a ring in the middle where the handgrip is.
While hunting for Jedi, this lightsaber not only allows for intimidation and epic battles, but it looks absurdly awesome. The blades can also spin around the middle ring, which not only makes Inquisitors that much more dangerous, but allows them to glide through the air. No other character in the galaxy wields a lightsaber quite like it.
4 Darth Maul's Double Blades Are Iconic
While most lightsabers in Star Wars are single blades, the Sith Lord Darth Maul uses a double-bladed lightsaber with two red blades emitting from both ends. From Maul's fighting stance to his skills in battle, his lightsaber is a staple of his character.
Not only does it look fantastic, but it also has a rich history behind it. Darth Maul used his lightsaber used it to kill many Jedi, most notably Qui-Gon Jinn in Star Wars: The Phantom Menace. He accomplishes this by punching Qui-Gon in the face with the hilt in the middle of the two blades. Maul is a fan favorite, and his lightsaber is a big part of that.
3 Purple Lightsabers Exist Thanks To Samuel L. Jackson
One of the most recognizable lightsabers in all of Star Wars belongs to Mace Windu, as he's the first character to display a lightsaber with a purple blade. The story of that goes beyond the parameters of the world within Star Wars and into behind the scenes talks.
When joining the cast of the prequel trilogy as Mace Windu, Samuel L. Jackson insisted on having a purple lightsaber because purple is his favorite color. In the world of Star Wars, the purple blade stands for his morally gray area as a Jedi and his prowess in combat. Either way, it's as epic as the character and the man who plays him.
2 The Darksaber Is A Bridge Between Two Worlds
While most lightsabers in Star Wars are known for their attachment to their user, the Darksaber is famous for being on its own. It serves as the bridge between the Jedi and the Mandalorians, having been forged by Tarre Vizsla, the first Mandalorian to become a Jedi. Since Tarre Vizsla, the Darksaber has been in the possession of many people, including Darth Maul, Bo-Katan, Moff Gideon, and most recently, Din Djarin.
The Darksaber is made of beskar, the same metal used to build Mandalorian armor, and has a black blade, the only one of its nature. The person in possession of the Darksaber can lay claim to the throne of Mandalore, making it one of the most powerful and important lightsabers in Star Wars lore.
1 The Skywalker Lightsaber Is Rich With History
There's no lightsaber more well-known in the galaxy than the Skywalker lightsaber. This lightsaber originally belonged to Anakin, arguably the most powerful Force user of all time, before it was given to his son Luke by Obi-Wan Kenobi. Believed to be lost after Luke battled Darth Vader on Cloud City, Rey was given the iconic lightsaber by Maz Kanata.
The Skywalker lightsaber sports a blue blade and there is nothing out of the ordinary about it in regard to its appearance, but its power and the history it carries makes it one of the most iconic lightsabers ever. Anakin, Luke, and Rey are the three main protagonists of the three trilogies, so it makes sense that their shared lightsaber stands at the top.