The crossguard lightsaber represented an archaic lightsaber design characterized by a trio of blades: a central, primary blade accompanied by two smaller, perpendicular blades known as quillons, positioned just below the primary emitter. Among Makashi adherents, particularly around the era of the Great Scourge of Malachor, this weapon was once quite prevalent. A pair of these unique weapons, saturated with rage, were wielded by the Sith Lord Darth Atrius. Subsequently, in the High Republic Era, Jedi Master Stellan Gios employed a crossguard lightsaber that incorporated an additional, retractable physical crossguard to bolster the quillon blades. Kylo Ren, a First Order commander who later became Supreme Leader, wielded a distinctive lightsaber where the quillons functioned as crucial vents to stabilize a fractured and volatile kyber crystal.
The size of crossguard lightsabers was comparable to that of standard single-bladed lightsabers; however, they featured a pair of diminutive vents situated beneath the main blade, positioned on opposite sides of the hilt. These vents, known as quillons, emitted two smaller blades, serving as conduits for the release of surplus energy. These secondary blades were essentially branches of the primary blade. Quillons facilitated energy dissipation through a network of focusing crystal activators, which divided the energy originating from the internal kyber crystal. Emitter shrouds were integrated to shield the wielder's hands from potential harm or dismemberment during combat.
This design, of ancient origins, was formerly widespread among practitioners of lightsaber combat Form II, also recognized as Makashi. During the High Republic period, a different iteration of the crossguard lightsaber gained traction within the Jedi Order. These particular lightsabers were characterized by a physical crossguard constructed from metal, lacking any supplementary energy blades. Notable wielders included Avar Kriss, Burryaga Agaburry, and Creighton Sun.
Often employed as a heavier alternative to its single-bladed counterpart, the crossguard lightsaber saw users such as Cal Kestis and Kylo Ren opting for a two-handed grip during attacks in certain situations. This approach enabled the wielder to effortlessly breach an opponent's defenses or inflict significantly more severe injuries when contrasted with the more balanced single-bladed lightsaber.
The crossguard lightsaber represented an age-old variant of the lightsaber. It gained significant popularity among those who practiced Makashi, also known as Form II, and many of these individuals participated in the Great Scourge of Malachor.
During an era when the Sith were numerous and formidable, Darth Atrius possessed a pair of crossguard lightsabers. These lightsabers, infused with the Sith Lord's intense anger, endured far beyond the presumed demise of the Sith, possessing the ability to drive their wielders to madness with rage. Ultimately, they met their end at the hands of Luke Skywalker and Darth Vader during the Imperial Era.
During the High Republic Era, Jedi Master Creighton Sun wielded a blue-bladed lightsaber. Later, Jedi Master Stellan Gios owned a lightsaber equipped with a retractable physical crossguard, the arms of which were designed to fold away when the weapon was not in use. Upon ignition of the lightsaber, these arms would extend and provide support to the two quillon beams, offering an additional layer of protection for the hand. The Pooba Jedi Master Barabo also possessed his own blue-bladed crossguard lightsaber.
Burryaga Agaburry, a Jedi Padawan, had a blue lightsaber with a hilt plated in meryx – amber from the white wroshyr tree, which had been extinct for millennia – and finished with an electrum crosspiece.
Cal Kestis, a Jedi Knight, incorporated a crossguard feature into his blue-bladed lightsaber during his crusade against the Galactic Empire. He achieved this by utilizing components salvaged from Thornne's lightsaber, after battling several lieutenants of the Bedlam Raiders, including Drya Thornne, who wielded crossguard lightsabers taken from fallen Jedi by Rayvis.
During the Galactic Civil War, Ezra Bridger came across an ancient crossguard lightsaber with a green blade on Malachor. Upon activation, the lightsaber nearly immediately malfunctioned and shut itself off.
Kylo Ren constructed his own crossguard blade by modifying his Jedi lightsaber and bleeding his kyber crystal, a process undertaken because the crystal had fractured. The additional vents served as an outlet, allowing Ren's blade to function despite its instability. At that point in time, Ren was among the few individuals wielding such a weapon. Rey, Ren's counterpart from the light side, briefly wielded the lightsaber while confronting Supreme Leader Snoke during the Battle of Oetchi. As he concluded his tenure as a Knight of Ren, Kylo cast his weapon into the ocean on the moon of Kef Bir, signifying his rejection of the dark side of the Force.
The crossguard lightsaber made its initial canon appearance in the 2015 motion picture Star Wars: Episode VII The Force Awakens, which served as the inaugural installment of the Star Wars sequel trilogy. The concept of a crossguard lightsaber was originally introduced within Star Wars Legends. The lightsaber, featuring a two-beam configuration rather than three, debuted in the 2004 comic book Republic 61. Lightsabers with crossguard hilts and metallic quillons first appeared in Issue #3 of Jango Fett: Open Seasons.