How to Fight With a Double-Bladed Lightsaber? (in Real Life)

Learning how to fight using a lightsaber is a dream all Star Wars fans have had at one point, and if we’re honest, still do.

There’s something so enticing about combining an old-fashioned weapon with more futuristic ideas. And there are many unique models and types of them.

Lightsabers are wonderful weapons that seem easy to use while in the hands of a master Jedi or Sith. But in truth, it’s a hassle even more for double-bladed lightsabers.

So, do you want to know how you can fight with one in real life?

How To Fight With a Double-Bladed Lightsaber?

“I hear the twin blades are harder to master, but they can make enemies stampede over each other running for cover.”

Or so said, Atton Rand from Knights of the Old Republic II.

In the Star Wars canon and extended universe, there is not one specific way to fight with a double-bladed lightsaber, but I can tell which forms are best suited for its use.

Double-bladed lightsabers were originally a Sith weapon, created by the Old Sith Empire. However, the first one wasn’t used until the Great Sith Wan Star Wars Legends.

 

It was an improvised weapon because Exar Kun did not have the official design.

Wielding double-bladed lightsabers requires a certain type of aggression and passion that is not typically found in Jedi. The emotions are discouraged within the Order.

So, the two best forms for a double-bladed lightsabers would be:

Form VI / Niman

Form VI, also known as the Way of the Rancor or the Moderation Form, was the jack of all trades and master of none.

It used and blended aspects of all the preceding forms into a well-balanced, generalized style, and modernized it at the same time. Niman mainly focused on blade work, but didn’t have any prominent advantages or weaknesses.

However, where Niman lacked the significant prowess other forms had, it made up for it by constantly mixing in the Force. It could be just as deadly as any other form, as seen in former Jedi Knight Exar Kun. He used this form with a double-bladed lightsaber.

 

This form would be better for those who use double-bladed lightsabers because of its diversity and ability to accommodate the needs of the weapon.

Form VII / Juyo

Form VII, also known as the Way of the Vornskr or the Ferocity Form, was the most vicious and aggressive of all seven forms. It involved strong inner concentration from the user, especially for Jedi.

Juyo seems like a form of lightsaber combat made by the Sith. The form relies on you enjoying the battle, feeling your passion, and the thrill of the fight. For these reasons, very few Jedi were permitted to learn this form; all others were restricted by the High Counsel.

Given their history, it makes sense. Many Jedi have been tempted over to the dark side for far more trivial reasons than enjoying a fight. This warranted the rule being put in place.

The reasons for this form being more suited to double-bladed lightsaber combat is clear: the weapons were originally Sith, and this style of fighting encourages you to channel emotions affiliated with the dark side.

 

We see an example of this in Darth Maul. He, like the other Sith, used a double-bladed lightsaber and was a master of Juyo. He must have been one of the best fighters out there, having survived being cut in half.

How to Fight With A Double-Bladed Lightsaber In Real Life?

Historically, double-bladed swords were never used or created. The closest thing being double-edged spears, or the haladie, a double-bladed dagger from ancient Syria.

Unfortunately, using the lightsaber combat forms you see in Star Wars media would never work in real life without the Force to help you along.

So, we’ll have to find our own way to go about this.

Fighting with a regular lightsaber alone would be dangerous, but double-bladed ones would be much more hazardous, so if you want to know how to fight with an actual live and burning blade — yes, a prototype has been made, you can see the video below — there are certain precautions that would need to be considered. Lightsabers are very dangerous weapons, not only for your enemies, but you yourself if you are not careful.

Most sabers seen within the Star Wars universe seem to lack a hilt to prevent your hand from slipping and hitting the actual blade, so you would need to make modifications to the common designs in order to keep all your fingers on your hand where they belong.

Another issue is the hilt. The materials used for the grip are not suitable enough for you to, well, keep a proper grip.

Finding better material is an option, I suppose. However, the heat the blade emits will still cause your hands to sweat, meaning the best way to go would be a well-fitted pair of custom-made heat-resistant gloves.

Then, of course, there’s all the odd bumps and edges to the hilt, which while aesthetically pleasing can be troublesome to keeping the required grip for wielding your lightsaber. To fix this matter, doing away with all unnecessary aspects is best, but of course the on switch is still needed.

Now, with these modifications aside, how do you fight with a double-bladed lightsaber in real life? When researching this subject, you will come across plenty of people stating double-bladed lightsabers are impractical, but that’s not always the case.

 

Double-bladed swords have their cons, as most weapons do. Normal swords themselves are already heavy enough, so two blades would be hard to bear during a drawn-out fight.

However, any replicas made, be simple models or the actual sabers used for fighting, will be far lighter than traditional swords.

Using a double-bladed lightsaber has its pros as well, assuming you have the talent to use one. Having the two blades, you can always keep your enemies at blade point, get past shields and defenses and reach further.

That being said, treating your double-bladed lightsaber as a sword isn’t the only way to do this. When fighting with this weapon, you can also use stances that you would while fighting with a spear. After all, double-bladed lightsabers are also known as lightsaber lances.

With that in mind, the way you would fight with a double-bladed lightsaber in real life would be similar to the way you fight with a normal sword. And when performing a maneuver that cannot be done with a double-bladed lightsaber, you can use spear stances to prevent any injury. And, of course, adding hand guards to the things, so you keep all your fingers.

If you have any more curiosities, you can watch some reference videos here, here, and here.

Conclusion

Mastering typical lightsaber combat is hard enough, and the double-bladed lightsaber requires all the more dedication.

If we’re to look at canon, there are only two out of seven forms suited to the unique weapons, and even then one of those forms is rarely used, so the odds aren’t really in our favor.

And when broaching the topic in real life, users are met with challenges that aren’t addressed in the fictional universe of Star Wars. However, with a little reading up and training, those obstacles can be overcome.