Which lightsaber do you prefer for dueling?

My personal favorite is a double lightsaber, but one having the ability to detach for both duel and double lightsaber use

X

The one with actual defence.

Double lightsaber as long as I can separate them.

The lightsaber with a cross-guard would be the best for dueling. The extra hand protection helps stop the fingers and wrists from being targeted by your opponent, which we have seen is extremely common in lightsaber duels. Even Japanese swords at least have a tsuba.

Meanwhile a double-bladed lightsaber is a garbage weapon that has less of a reach than a standard lightsaber, less leverage, and a higher chance of injuring yourself. It is objectively an inferior weapon in every regard with only a few niche advantages. It may be my favorite type of lightsaber from an aesthetic perspective but it's pretty poorly thought out, managing to get all the weaknesses of a staff with none of the advantages.

Dual wielding doesn't have that significant of an advantage over a single blade despite needing a lot more concentration and training to pull off. You sacrifice all your leverage, meaning your guard will be weaker, which is an even bigger deal in a lightsaber duel over normal swords due to the bigger emphasis on kinetic energy behind the swings. That also means less kinetic force behind your own strikes. It does give you the ability to defend and attack simultaneously, but if your opponent is good they'll account for that before committing fully.

Curved or Single.

Nyax sabers

Dooku

Double Lightsaber.

If I had the skill I would take the Duel wielding double lightsabers, as you can mix up the forms at will and not be handicapped by their limitations. That said I'd probably be most comfortable with the single blade for better control and precision and it's overall adaptability.

Ideally, dual wielding with one long blade and one short blade for parries and close attacks. Think rapier with dagger or in this case lightsaber and lightsaber shoto.

Duelwielding double bladed lightsabers, because I have the power of god and anime on my side

Bump

Classic single blade for me

In lore? Curved. A lightsaber duel should be more about speed and precision rather then brute strength. The weapon can barely exert force and relies on the user being superhuman, or amping themselves to such a state, in order to do that. However, as lightsabers don't need brute force, or really any kinetic force at all, to apply damage, being able to 'hit first' would make you win and curved lightsaber with a thin blade would be ideal for that. Form II all the way baby.

In reality? Give me a lightsaber with a metal lightsaber resistant cross guard or, even better, a force-imbued blade, tyvm. Weight is important in understanding blade position, and I'd rather not cut my arm off because I over-swung and misjudged where the blade was.

@metaljimmor:The problem with the cross guard is.. its a bad cross guard. The metal is the same as the hilt which doesn't stop a lightsaber stroke and the extra 'saber things' that come out the sides wouldn't stop a lightsaber from sliding down and smacking into said vulnerable metal due to how they stick out. Then you also run into the risk of your hands sliding up and hitting said weirdly placed mini-sabers [or someone else's weapon hitting them and pushing them into your hands]. I think, ideally, if you had one that had a guard made of a stronger metal, like a cortosis weave or phrik [although that is heavy], that'd be the best since it actually gives you hand protection.

The kinetic energy part is odd. Cause a lightsaber wouldn't generate almost any kinetic energy on its own since the only weight is the handle which is really bad for leverage... unless that is what you mean? That sacrificing what little kinetic energy you can apply for a second weapon being a bad idea? Cause I'd agree with that [wasn't sure what you meant cause of the wording, so was curious].

Single blade with green kaiber crystal.

@wut:

Lightsaber blades don't slide against one another too much, and while the weakness you point out does exist it's still better than the enemy just straight up taking off your arms with the same slash. It's also unlikely you will burn your own fingers because of the gap between the hilt and the little cross-guard blades.

Lightsabers do generate kinetic energy as they move through the air. That is why you can smack stuff around with one if they don't just cut through it. There are two whole styles that revolve around kinetic energy transference to repeatedly hammer down on your opponent's guard, djem so and juyo. Because there is kinetic energy focusing on the blade when you go to block leverage becomes important even if the blade is usually weightless. Otherwise your opponent could just slap your lightsaber from your hand or knock the blade out of the way. We see this just before Luke cuts off Vader's hand, as an example.

@metaljimmor: 'Too much' being the operable word. IF you have to rely on 'too much' from keeping your lightsaber from being destroyed then you have the same weakness as the one you are trying to fix. As it doesn't stop the blade from sliding down [one of the primary purposes of handguards] and trying to use the little... lightsaber prongs to protect your hands from a slice that doesn't slide down requires you to, somehow, ensure it hits said lightsaber prongs [and then pray it doesn't slide even an inch] and not the nearly as large metal part that will get cut clean in half. The design of that lightsaber is just bad. It can easily be fixed by just making the handguard entirely out of a lightsaber resistant metal. Sure, it may be a bit more expensive, but it isn't like the Jedi are blowing their credits on fashion. So, yes, the crossguard lightsaber, of the style Kylo uses, is dumb. Incredibly so. It is easily fixed. But as it is, it is terrible.

Uh, no, that isn't how it works. The reason things 'bounce' off of it when it doesn't cut is because there is a shield around it. It doesn't generate nearly any kinetic energy on its own due to its design. The only weight, therefor the only thing capable of delivering momentum, is all in the handle, and if all the weight is at the bottom of a stick you are swinging..... well, physics tell you that isn't the best way to do things [there is a reason the weight of a mace is at the top and not the bottom]. I never said it creates zero. I said it creates very little. The reason those styles exist is because they are being used by people capable of amping themselves to super human limits and have other more... exotic abilities. You are not a Jedi. You are not a superhuman. You cannot generate stone crushing force which would make such a style viable even with a weapon not optimal for delivering kinetic energy. This is not some great weakness as lightsabers do not require physical force to do their jobs, however, the lack of weight is very bloody important if you are trying to use it as a non-jedi.

@wut:

I was working under the assumption that we are jedi using these weapons. Obviously none of us in real life go around dueling with real lightsabers, so the thread seemed to me to be asking what sort of lightsaber we'd prefer if we were Force sensitives in the Star Wars universe.

@metaljimmor: I gave answers for both in my original post to this, however, even if you are a Jedi, or Sith, Kylo's lightsaber's design flaws are still just as bad. Just your precog now lets you...... kinda... sorta... overcome it by better ensuring you deflect on the lighsaber nubs... but doesn't fix the fact it isn't functioning as a handguard by protecting your hand so much as just.. being there. [Personally I think a lightsaber with some kind of cortosis weave basket hilt and a thin blade, like a rapier, would incredibly cool. Wouldn't be super good at deflection, but it'd be scary potent in a duel.]

Of these choices, probably the cross guard. Hand protection is a significant advantage.

Though I'd be willing to sacrifice the hand protection if I could get a curved hilt lighsaber of normal length and a shorter lightsaber about as long as Yoda's lightsaber. That way I can essentially use it like a rapier and dagger. Ideally, the lightsaber I use as a parrying dagger would also have a crossguard.

The longsword version of a lightsaber needs a redesign as others have pointed out but it's still a cool concept. I'd take that, or one like a cutlass even if that's not an option.

I recommend Bounty hunter and Burnout Fx. Anyone who needs a battle-ready lightsaber for anything more lively than light, casual dueling. For those who are serious about dueling, Bounty Hunter is really the only way to go. https://neonsabers.com/shop/dueling-lightsaber/

Defiantly double, but with the choice to use one side only.

Cross-guard. Feels like it provides additional protection and offensive opportunities.

I would cut myself in half if I tried to use a double lightsaber.

Single from the options listed… but because there is a “other” option, I choose a saber with the built in blaster for effectiveness.. tho I think the saber whip is coolest.

I like green and red best, ascetically.