The Sith Lightsabers

Sith Lightsaber

"The Sith grew past the use of lightsabers. But we continue to use them, if only to humiliate the Jedi."
―Darth Sidious

 

Sith Lightsabers were a specialized type of weapon that catered to the needs and preferences of the Sith Lords. For the most part, the design differences were minimal, due to the typical modern lightsaber being based on original Sith designs. Sith lightsabers almost always utilized synthetic crystals as opposed to the natural crystals favored by the Jedi, a fact they considered to be a mark of superiority. Also, most Sith weapons featured an overall more aggressive design aesthetic. One of the variations on typical Sith lightsabers was the double-bladed lightsaber. Being of Sith design, these staff-weapons were sometimes referred to as Sith lightsabers, though were not to be confused with the genuine article.

 

The design of these weapons changed greatly over the centuries since the founding of the Sith, sometimes featuring a standardized mold, other times being designed by individual wielders. Despite this evolution, they were almost always distinguished by their scarlet bloodshine blades, a result of the red coloration usually taken on by synth-crystals. Ultimately, the Sith wielded these weapons to mock the Jedi, a trait demonstrated by the regularly greater combat effectiveness the aggressive Sith Lords possessed.

Bleeding

Bleeding was the process that a Dark Side Adept used by way of the Force to bend a kyber crystal to their will. This process was accomplished by the individual in question pouring rage, hate, and pain into the crystal via the Force until the crystal turned crimson, resulting in the bloodshine lightsabers associated almost exclusively with dark side adepts. Since the crystals were inherently aligned with the light side of the Force, they attempted to resist the forced corruption; when Darth Vader was attempting to bleed the green crystal within Jedi Master Kirak Infil'a's lightsaber, he experienced intense visions which nearly drove him mad.

 

Using the light side of the Force, it was possible to "heal" the effects of bleeding on a kyber crystal. This process would change the crystal's color from red to white. Ahsoka Tano notably performed this on the Sixth Brother's lightsaber during an encounter with him.