InStar Wars, the sequel trilogy’sKylo Renwas a formidable antagonist who wielded a unique lightsaber with a cross-guard hilt that set him apart from any Jedi or Sith who had come before him. But Kylo isn’t the only character with a badass laser sword in Star Wars continuity becauseinStar Wars: Legacycomic canon, a Sith exists with an equally as wild lightsaber design as Kylo’s, one that makes him one of the deadliest villains to ever fall to the dark side.
Aniconic Star Wars weaponthat comes in many shapes, sizes, and configurations — like Ahsoka’s dueling shoto blade, Dark Rey’s switchblade saber, Ezra Bridger’s hybrid gun sword, and Darth Maul’s dual-bladed weapon — the lightsaber is an offensive tool that turns anyone wielding it into a far more effective combatant practically by default.
InStar Wars: Legacy, a now non-canon Star Wars Legends series,a Sith named Darth Nihl uses a lightsaber that rivals Kylo Ren’s in terms of its design with a long-handled, single-bladed lookthat’s as badass as it is unique,especiallyin the hands of this comic-exclusive character.
Star Wars: Legacy’s Darth Nihl Uses a Long-Handled Lightsaber That Rivals Kylo Ren’s Weapon
Darth Nihl’s Lightsaber Is Single-Bladed
Wowing fans inStar Wars: Episode VII - The Force Awakensas the latest addition to official lightsaber lore,Kylo Ren’s cross-guard designoriginated as a rarely used element in Star Wars Legends comics but has recently been traced back to the High Republic, where the style was a far more popular option when creating the era’s ornately designed lightsabers. Sprouting three wildly unstable energy blades from the top and sides of his saber’s hilt due to the damaged Kyber crystal Kylo uses as the weapon’s energy source, this lightsaber became synonymous with the character within moments of its flashy debut.
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Palpatine used his power over the dark side to crush his foes, with Darth Vader’s distant relative commanding a Force ability Palpatine always wanted.
Conversely,Darth Nihl’s lightsaber is a long-handled weapon with a looped hilt and textured design that not only looks cool in his hands but is a sight to behold in actionthanks to Nihl being a particularlyrespected duelist inLegacycontinuity. Apprentice to the Sith overlord Darth Krayt, who himself once employed a unique dual-wielding stance, Nihl’s long-handled lightsaber isn’t a design commonly used by other Jedi and Sith in Star Wars continuity, current canon or otherwise, with any reservations when seeing a lightsaber with an almost comically long hilt instantly being dashed after witnessing Nihl in his element.
Darth Nihl Makes Long-Handled Lightsabers a Credible Threat in His Capable Sith Hands
Darth Nihl Kills Multiple Jedi Using This Saber
Infamously using his lightsaber to murder Kol Skywalker, the father ofLegacy’s main protagonist Cade Skywalker, as well as Cade’s Jedi mentor, Master Wolf Sazen,Darth Nihl expertly wields his weapon throughoutLegacywith precision and balanced rage, consistently proving himself as a master of his craft. Housing a Sith-red blade that’s almost half the size of the long grip that Nihl needs two hands to effectively wield, this lightsaber design was relatively rare in Star Wars beforeLegacy, making its uniqueness a signature part of Nihl’s character who defined how the blade was initially used and perceived by fans.
Star Wars: Legacyran for 50 issues from 2006 to 2020.
What’s cool about this lightsaber design is that itallows Darth Nihl more control over his blade when overextending or swinging it around his body, with its long hilt doubling as an effective guard against any non-lightsaber melee attack Nihl may need to defend against. Admittedly, one downside of this saber style is that it’d be far easier for Nihl’s opponents to trip him up in tight spaces, with the length of its hilt potentially making it harder to maneuver at close range, to say nothing about how the handle would be an easy target for destruction in a duel.
Kylo Ren’s Cross-Guard Lightsaber and Darth Nihl’s Long-Handled Weapon Design Are Unique to Their Characters
Star Wars: LegacyIs a Star Wars Legends Story
At first glance,Kylo Ren’s cross-guard stylemight seem like the more useful weapon compared to Darth Nihl’s, as it can easily be used like a traditional sword. Yet there’s something about the confidence and effectiveness Nihl has in his unconventional blade, along with theunwillingnessof others to take the time to master it, that makes his style more intriguing. But what good is a specialized blade if its user can’t wield it properly, so until there’s a definitive live-action battle or in-continuity duel between enemies using these differing designs, fans can only speculate which is the better option.
It remains to be seen if Darth Nihl’s lightsaber will make its canon debutin any upcoming Star Wars film, television, or comic book projects (theStar Wars: Jedi Survivorvideo gamehas a similar-looking lightsaber stance that mixes a longish-handled blade with a cross-guard hilt), but ifStar Wars: Legacy’s depiction of the weapon is to be believed, it’d fit right into “main” continuity regardless of where it officially premieres.Kylo Ren’s unique cross-guard design was a worthy addition toStar Warslore, with Darth Nihl’s long-handled blade changing the lightsaber game well beforehand in the world of comics.
