How to Choose a Lightsaber

If you already have a style in mind, go for it! Trust your instincts over which lightsaber you should go for. Let the Force guide you!

Understand that a standard lightsaber is the best option for most situations. There is a reason that it's called the "standard" lightsaber. This is the traditional Jedi weapon and is used for all seven classical lightsaber forms. It offers a good balance between reach and maneuverability.

Choose a saberstaff if you prefer a more aggressive style, or if you want to maximise defensive coverage. A Dualsaber is a saber like Darth Maul's: big handle, blade at both ends. Having two blades, it is better at defense as there is more blade to defend with. However, when attacking, the second blade points behind you, so it is no better at attack than a regular saber. It's increased length means that it requires wide open spaces, and the bigger handle presents a large target. If thrown using Force telekinesis, it can inflict far more damage than a regular saber.

Go for a shoto or guard shoto if you can't use a full size blade, or as a second blade in Niman or Jar'kai. A shoto is a short lightsaber like the one Yoda wields. The blade is typically between 1/2 and 2/3 of a metre, and the handle is smaller. A guard shoto has a second handle at right angles to the first, similar to a police baton. Shotos offer increased maneuverability at the expense of range, but are easier to handle than a regular saber.

Choose paired blades if you want the best of both worlds. Paired blades are a pair of lightsabers that can be joined at the hilt to form a Dualsabers, like the ones Asajj Ventress uses. They can be used as a single blade, dual blades or as a saberstaff. As such, they have very few weaknesses, but require extensive training to use properly.

Use a curved-hilt lightsaber for elegance and precision. These sabers fit better in the palm and allow for quick changes to the angle of attack, disrupting an opponent's defense. These sabers are most often used by Makashi practitioners, such as Count Dooku.

Go for a crossguard lightsaber! These offer all of the benefits of a standard lightsaber, plus they offer hand protection. The original crossguard saber had one guard, slanted towards the blade at 45 degrees. Kylo Ren's saber has two guards at right angles to the main blade. The guards do make it a bit harder to do spins, though, as they can catch on your hand - possibly slicing off your thumb. Make sure you don't do this.

Choose a lightclub if you're a big fella. A lightclub (or greatsaber) is kind of the opposite of a shoto - instead of a scaled down lightsaber, it's a lightsaber that's been made bigger and heavier. These carry a lot more momentum in their blows, but can only be wielded by Jedi that possess a large amount of strength

Go for a lightwhip if you don't care for defense. A lightwhip is the lightsaber version of a whip - a long, flexible tendril of lightsaber, up to ten feet (3m) long. A lightwhip can be very difficult to defend against, as it can wrap around your blade and rip it from your hand. They also have substantial shock value - almost nobody has ever encountered one. However, there are good reasons why - the lightwhip has a vast array of weaknesses. There are ways to compensate, however. You can use a shoto alongside your lightwhip, or use some kind of saberstaff hybrid - whip on one side, blade on the other (obviously don't activate both at once). Or you can do what Lumiya, Dark Lady of the Sith, did: make a lightwhip with multiple tendrils, some energy, some solid, that can lash out at multiple angles simultaneously. Here are some weaknesses:

• The blade is weaker than that of a lightsaber. This stops it from cutting through walls, although it can still cut flesh.
• The blade can short out if it is hit hard enough with a lightsaber.
• A lightwhip has absolutely no defensive value. Being flexible, a lightwhip cannot block another saber. This pretty much eliminates lightwhips as an option for most Jedi.
• It is very easy to hit yourself with a lightwhip.
• It's useless against dual blades - your opponent can tangle your whip with one blade, then use the other to kill you.

Look at the style of the hilt. Find something that you like. You might want a leather handgrip, or metal ridges, or axe-style blades on either side of the lightsaber blade (check out Darth Malgus' lightsaber).

Decide on a finish on the hilt. Darth Sidious and Mace Windu had hilts finished in electrum (a gold-silver alloy). Kylo Ren has a very weathered, utilitarian look to his hilt. Most hilts, however, appear to be somewhere in between, with a matte or metallic finish to them.

If you have paired blades, decide on the locking mechanism. This is the mechanism that joins the sabers together to form a staff. It is usually a simple twist to lock mechanism, but some have a fibre cable that allows you to hold one hilt and use the other as a flail.