The ever-iconic Star Wars lightsaber saw a new transformation during Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace in the hands of Darth Maul, but the double-bladed lightsaber forged a legacy of its own as the choice weapon of several significant characters throughout canon. Emitting a blade of light from both ends, the double-bladed lightsaber is designed to resemble a quarterstaff, a weapon used in various martial arts, and create a striking visual presence to distinguish itself from its single-bladed counterpart during combat. The elevated skill and precision needed to wield such a volatile weapon ensured its users held immense power, and indeed, many who used the double-bladed lightsaber left a significant impact on the galaxy in their time.
Being a weapon that exudes an innate sense of power, it comes as no surprise that many wielders of double-bladed lightsabers are also devotees of the Sith. In fact, during the age of the Empire, twin-bladed sabers came standard issue for the Jedi-hunting Imperial Inquisitors. However, the Inquisitors' double-sided lightsabers came with a mechanical twist that separated them from the traditional double-bladed lightsabers that came before. Even preceding the Empire, the weapon's long history of dark side wielders dates further back than one might expect, and continued to serve warriors long after the regime's demise.
