Types of Lightsabers: Every Design, Who Uses It, What You Can Buy

The main types of lightsabers are the single blade, the double-bladed saber, the crossguard, the curved hilt, the shoto, the lightwhip and the pike. Each has a canon owner and, for most, a real hobby version [1][2][3]. A retractable blade is the odd one out: it exists in fan builds, but a ready-made one did not turn up in this research [4].

Types of lightsabers at a glance

The table covers the designs below. Canon means the film and show universe as it stands today, Legends means the older material that is no longer canon [5].

Single blade

This is the baseline. One hilt, one blade, and most Jedi carry one [1]. Luke Skywalker’s blue and green sabers, Obi-Wan Kenobi’s blue one and Yoda’s shortened green one are all single-blade designs [6]. Every other type below is a change to this layout: a second blade, a bent hilt, a flexible blade or a smaller size.

If you are buying a first hobby saber, this is the type to start with. The picks are in best lightsaber, and the choice between blade technologies is in xenopixel vs neopixel.

Double bladed and staff

A double-bladed saber has an emitter at each end of one hilt. Darth Maul brought it to the screen in The Phantom Menace [7]. Shops and fans call the same thing a saberstaff, a staff, or a doublesaber [8][16].

Some in-universe variants are worth knowing. A hinged one folds in half for carrying. A spinning one has a rim that turns the blades around a track, and the Inquisitors used it [1][17]. A split saber is two sabers that join into one weapon, and Asajj Ventress is the usual example [11]. Cal Kestis in the video games builds a saber that can work as single or double [18].

The full story, wielders and the real staffs on sale are in double-bladed lightsaber. If you arrived with a question about a saberstaff or a staff-form build, that page answers what a staff is and where it comes from.

Crossguard

A crossguard saber has a main blade with two short blades pointing out to the sides, like the guard of a sword. Kylo Ren carries the best-known one, introduced in The Force Awakens in 2015 [9]. The archive wiki ties the idea to a much older design from the Great Scourge of Malachor [1].

Replica prices, the “inspired by” wording on listings and what changes in the hilt are in crossguard lightsaber.

Curved hilt

A curved hilt bends along its length, like a sabre handle. Count Dooku’s saber in Attack of the Clones is the standard example [10]. The archive wiki says the curve fits the palm and suits one-handed styles such as Form II [1]. The handbook repeats that explanation but marks it as unconfirmed against a primary source [10]. For the forms themselves, see lightsaber forms.

Asajj Ventress carries two curved red sabers that Dooku gave her, which can join into one double saber [11]. Ahsoka Tano’s later pair of white sabers also uses curved grips, with a reverse hold [12][19].

Hobby versions exist, often sold as pairs. The two-saber set priced in the shoto section is one such pair, but its page does not say whether the hilts are curved, so check the listing photos [20].

Shoto

A shoto is a short saber, usually the second weapon in a pair. The archive wiki links it to dual-blade fighting and notes a guard shoto with the hilt set across the blade [1]. Wikipedia describes it as a much smaller saber, often paired with a standard one [2].

In canon, Ahsoka Tano carries a short saber in The Clone Wars, with a yellow-green blade. Sources disagree on how yellow it is, so the colour is not pinned down here [12].

Real shotos are sold alone or in sets. One vendor page lists the Xeno DP Shoto at $495 as of November 2026, with a 36 inch removable blade and a hilt of 7.87 inches, drop-shipped with a wait of 1 to 2 weeks and no returns [13]. The same vendor lists a two-saber set of a main saber and a shoto at $855, with hilts of 11.75 and 8.9 inches [20]. Both pages say the maker is a partner manufacturer, not the vendor, with the vendor’s warranty on top [13][20].

Dual wield

Dual wielding is a way of fighting, not a hilt shape: one saber in each hand. It can be two equal sabers or a main saber plus a shoto [1]. In canon, Ahsoka Tano and Asajj Ventress both fight with pairs [11][12], and General Grievous goes further, holding several sabers at once across four arms [16].

A common question is whether two sabers are overpowered. The canon sources here do not rank styles by power, and the archive wiki describes the shoto as the secondary weapon in dual-blade combat [1]. What changes in real life is practical: you pay for two sabers, and you control two blades. If you want to try it, start with how to duel with a lightsaber and the hilt notes in lightsaber hilts.

Lightwhip

A lightwhip is a flexible blade made of plasma held in flexible energy fields. The archive wiki says it takes more precision than a standard saber, cuts less, and can capture an opponent [5]. In canon the Nightsisters of Dathomir are tied to it, and Vernestra Rwoh adapted her saber to switch into whip mode [5][14]. Her saber’s first appearance is the novel The High Republic: A Test of Courage, and she appears on screen in The Acolyte in 2024 [14].

For buyers, CCSabers lists a convertible saber and whip based on Vernestra, with a 156 cm flexible polymer whip, and says it is suited to cosplay, flow arts and display, with light to medium sparring possible [21]. That page blocked an automated fetch, so the price is (unverified) and should be checked at the shop. The colour question is covered in purple lightsaber.

Pike

A lightsaber pike, also called a Jedi Temple Guard saber, is a staff-like weapon with two short yellow blades, one at each end. The blades are much shorter than those of a double-bladed saber [15]. Temple Guards used it, and the archive wiki lists Ahsoka Tano’s trial among its Clone Wars appearances [15]. The Force Unleashed, a 2008 Legends novel, is listed as an early appearance of a pike [15].

Wikipedia describes the pike differently, as a shorter blade on a long handle, like a spear, from the video game The Force Unleashed [2]. Sources disagree on the shape, so treat the word as covering both. No ready-made pike turned up in the vendor pages checked for this article, so a pike is usually a custom or kit job. The parts side is in lightsaber hilts.

Retractable

A retractable lightsaber is one whose blade slides out of the hilt when switched on. In fiction, the closest match found is the dual-phase saber from Expanded Universe novels, where blade length can be adjusted [3]. Canon sources checked here do not describe a retracting blade.

In the real world, a retracting blade is a DIY project. Make magazine covered a hobby build from HeroTech in May 2025 with an LED blade on a springy aluminium cane that extends to just over 3 feet, controlled by a geared motor and a Proffieboard V3.9 [4]. The article does not state a price or a sale [4]. Standard hobby sabers use a removable blade that sits in the emitter and does not retract, as the vendor pages above show [13][20].

Other designs

Some designs do not fit the main list but come up often.

• Darksaber: a black blade with a white edge, a flat, pointed shape, and a tradition that it must be won in combat. First seen in The Clone Wars in 2008 [2][22]. See black lightsaber.
• Lightsaber blaster: a saber with a pistol in the hilt. Ezra Bridger’s in Rebels is the example [2][23].
• Two-part saber: Qimir’s red saber in The Acolyte splits its hilt into a long and a short blade [24].
• Four-handed: General Grievous collects the sabers of fallen Jedi [16].
• Spinning ring: the Grand Inquisitor and Reva carry a ring with two blades that rotates on the hilt [17].

For where each of these appears, use every lightsaber by film.

What you can buy

Pre-made hobby sabers cover single, double, crossguard, shoto and whip designs. The ones with prices are on the sibling pages above and in the sections on shotos and lightwhips. Check three things on any listing: the electronics, the blade size, and whether it is licensed or only “inspired by” a character. Best lightsaber has the general picks, and the hub is at Characters and Films.

FAQ

How many types of lightsaber are there?

Sources do not give a fixed number. The archive wiki groups the main ones under single, double-bladed, crossguard, curved hilt, shoto and lightwhip, with sub-variants of the double-bladed type [1].

What is the rarest type?

Canon does not rank rarity directly. Purple is called rare in canon colour terms and the black Darksaber is unique, but those are colours, not types [14][22]. Of the types, the lightwhip has the fewest named users in the sources checked [5].

Is a retractable lightsaber real?

As a hobby build, yes: HeroTech’s design was covered in May 2025 [4]. A ready-made one was not found in the shops checked here.

What is a shoto?

A short saber used as a second weapon, usually next to a longer one [1][2].

Sources

1. Lightsaber, Archivum wiki, https://starwars.archivum.wiki/article/lightsaber (accessed 2026-11-06)
2. Lightsaber, Wikipedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lightsaber (accessed 2026-11-06)
3. Lightsaber, Wikipedia (dual-phase and Expanded Universe variants), https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lightsaber (accessed 2026-11-06)
4. HeroTech’s Really Retractable Lightsaber, Make, https://makezine.com/article/craft/cosplay-props/herotechs-really-retractable-lightsaber/ (accessed 2026-11-06)
5. Lightwhip, Archivum wiki, https://starwars.archivum.wiki/article/lightwhip (accessed 2026-11-06)
6. Editorial handbook note, handbook/sabers/index.md, resting on https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lightsaber (handbook check 2026-11-01)
7. Editorial handbook note, handbook/sabers/darth-maul-red-double.md, resting on https://starwars.archivum.wiki/article/maul’s_lightsaber and https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lightsaber (handbook check 2026-11-01)
8. The History of Double-Blade Lightsabers, Ultrasabers, https://ultrasabers.com/holocron/the-history-of-double-blade-lightsabers (accessed 2026-11-06)
9. Editorial handbook note, handbook/sabers/kylo-ren-red-crossguard.md, resting on https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lightsaber (handbook check 2026-11-01)
10. Editorial handbook note, handbook/sabers/count-dooku-red.md, resting on https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lightsaber (handbook check 2026-11-01; colour and the grip explanation not verified there)
11. Editorial handbook note, handbook/sabers/asajj-ventress-red.md, resting on https://starwars.archivum.wiki/article/asajj_ventress’s_lightsabers (handbook check 2026-11-01)
12. Editorial handbook note, handbook/sabers/ahsoka-tano-green.md and handbook/sabers/ahsoka-tano-white.md, resting on https://starwars.com/databank/ahsokas-lightsabers (handbook marks the white sabers as unchecked)
13. Xeno DP Shoto, Ultrasabers, https://ultrasabers.com/product/xeno-shoto/ (accessed 2026-11-06)
14. Editorial handbook note, handbook/sabers/vernestra-rwoh-purple.md, resting on https://starwars.archivum.wiki/article/vernestra_rwoh’s_lightsaber (handbook check 2026-11-01)
15. Lightsaber pike, Archivum wiki, https://starwars.archivum.wiki/article/lightsaber_pike (accessed 2026-11-06)
16. Editorial handbook note, handbook/sabers/general-grievous-collection.md and handbook/glossary.md (handbook marks the Grievous card as unchecked)
17. Editorial handbook note, handbook/sabers/grand-inquisitor-red.md and handbook/sabers/reva-red.md (handbook marks both cards as unchecked)
18. Editorial handbook note, handbook/sabers/cal-kestis-blue.md (handbook marks the card as unchecked)
19. Editorial handbook note, handbook/sabers/ahsoka-tano-white.md, resting on https://www.ccsabers.com/blogs/ccsabers-blog/ahsoka-tano-white-saber-every-version-history (handbook marks it as not opened)
20. Xeno DP Fulcrum Set, Ultrasabers, https://ultrasabers.com/product/ds-xenopixel-fulcrum-set (accessed 2026-11-06)
21. Vernestra Rwoh RGB/Neopixel Saber/Whip, CCSabers, https://www.ccsabers.com/products/vernestra-rwoh-rgb-neopixel-saber-whip (description taken from a search result; page blocked fetch 2026-11-06)
22. Editorial handbook note, handbook/sabers/darksaber-black.md, resting on https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lightsaber (handbook marks owner list and colour as unchecked)
23. Editorial handbook note, handbook/sabers/ezra-bridger-blue.md, resting on https://hasbropulse.com/product/star-wars-the-black-series-force-fx-elite-ezra-bridger-lightsaber/G07025S01
24. Editorial handbook note, handbook/sabers/qimir-red.md, resting on https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Acolyte_(TV_series)