The lightsaber of Dooku, alternatively referred to as Darth Tyranus' lightsaber or Dooku's Sith lightsaber, served as the uniquely designed lightsaber with a curved-hilt for Dooku, who held the title of Count of Serenno. Once a Jedi Master, Dooku transitioned into the role of Darth Tyranus and became the political leader of the Separatist Alliance. He personally crafted the weapon's distinctive hilt, incorporating a kyber crystal that projected a red blade. As the apprentice to the Dark Lord of the Sith, Darth Sidious, Dooku wielded this Sith weapon against his adversaries.
This weapon was specifically designed for lightsaber combat. Throughout the Clone Wars, the Sith Lord carried it into numerous battles against the Jedi, a conflict that he and his master strategically manipulated from both sides. During his final bout, Dooku was defeated in a duel aboard the starship Invisible Hand by Jedi Knight Anakin Skywalker, resulting in the loss of his Sith lightsaber. Skywalker then used Dooku's own weapon to behead the Sith Lord, marking the end of his life.
When he functioned as a Jedi Master, Dooku chose to replace the first lightsaber he had utilized as a Padawan with an upgraded version. This new lightsaber showcased a custom design that distinguished it from the styles associated with his master, Yoda, or the prevailing trends of the time. Dooku consulted records within the Jedi Archives to inform the design, tailoring the lightsaber to complement his unique technique, which emphasized extended, elegant movements and manual dexterity. Even after his transformation into a Sith, he continued employing the blade, albeit with subtle cosmetic adjustments to the hilt. As a consequence of Dooku's utilization of a red kyber crystal provided by Darth Sidious, his new master, the lightsaber began to emit a red blade.
In contrast to standard lightsabers, Dooku's was uniquely crafted with a curved shape, enhancing control during a duel. This design primarily afforded Dooku enhanced finesse and precision in combat, particularly during lunges or slashes. Dooku adopted this design as he considered himself a refined duelist, frequently wielding his lightsaber with one hand against multiple opponents.
As was sometimes the case within the Jedi Order, Jedi Master Dooku decided to retire the first lightsaber he had used during his Padawan years. Seeking to create a superior weapon, Dooku studied the Jedi Archives to inform his design, resulting in a personalized lightsaber. This weapon diverged from the prevailing fashion and bore no resemblance to the style of his master, Yoda, who wielded a shoto. Tailored to complement his distinct technique, the lightsaber facilitated long, graceful movements and emphasized manual dexterity. Emitting a blue hue, this lightsaber was even used by Dooku in a duel against Yoda. However, Dooku's departure from the Jedi Order occurred prior to the Invasion of Naboo, during which his former Padawan, Qui-Gon Jinn, met his demise. Despite Dooku's offer to relinquish the lightsaber to the Jedi, Yoda insisted that he retain it.
Even after his transformation into a Sith, Dooku persisted in using the blade. When he dueled and killed Master Yaddle, reaffirming his allegiance to the Dark Side, the blade retained its blue coloration.
During the galactic conflict known as the Clone Wars, the weapon now had a red color due to the incorporation of a red kyber crystal provided by his new master, Darth Sidious. Ten years following the Invasion of Naboo, Dooku wielded his weapon at the First Battle of Geonosis against Obi-Wan, Anakin, and Yoda, marking the commencement of the Clone Wars.
While attempting to escape from Geonosis in a private hangar, Dooku encountered Jedi Knight Obi-Wan Kenobi and his Padawan, Anakin Skywalker. Dooku effortlessly overpowered his adversaries with his lightsaber, inflicting wounds upon both Kenobi and Skywalker, severing the latter's arm during a brief duel. Subsequently, Dooku was confronted by his former Jedi Master, Yoda, whom he was unable to defeat in combat, either through the Force or with his lightsaber, despite challenging his former master to demonstrate his newfound power.
At one point during the Clone Wars, Kenobi and Skywalker attempted to capture Dooku by tracking his starship, but their efforts were unsuccessful. A brief skirmish resulted in Dooku's solar sailer crash-landing on Vanqor, where Hondo Ohnaka, a Weequay pirate and his gang, offered him transportation to Florrum. However, Ohnaka's true intention was not to assist Dooku but to use Pilf Mukmuk, his loyal Kowakian monkey-lizard, to steal Dooku's lightsaber and take the Sith Lord captive. Ohnaka demanded a ransom for Dooku, presenting the unique, curved lightsaber as proof of the Sith Lord's capture to the Republic and the Jedi—a claim that Yoda verified upon confirming the weapon's authenticity. Dooku eventually reclaimed his weapon and escaped from Florrum.
Throughout the Clone Wars, Dooku continued to wield his Sith lightsaber while posing as the leader of the Separatist Alliance, orchestrating the conflict against the Galactic Republic. Despite secretly operating under his hidden identity of Tyranus, Dooku openly displayed the Sith weapon without hesitation. During the war, Dooku used his lightsaber to kill Rish Loo, a Gungan traitor, in front of Skywalker on Naboo, and later used it to kill Lom Pyke, the leader of the Pyke Syndicate, in the presence of both Kenobi and Skywalker. It was during this mission that the Jedi discovered that Dooku and Tyranus were one and the same.
Eventually, Dooku sought to train two Sith apprentices of his own with the intent of overthrowing Darth Sidious and claiming the title of Dark Lord of the Sith for himself, adhering to the way of the Sith. While he temporarily succeeded in recruiting both Asajj Ventress and Savage Opress to his cause, both ultimately proved to be failures as Sith. Nevertheless, Dooku utilized his knowledge of the Force and his dueling prowess to train them both. He also successfully trained General Grievous, a cyborg, in lightsaber combat. Grievous went on to kill numerous Jedi during the Clone Wars, amassing their lightsabers for his collection and becoming a formidable adversary. Grievous was eventually defeated in combat by Kenobi.
During the Battle of Coruscant—which would become Dooku's final confrontation—Dooku once again faced Kenobi and Skywalker aboard Grievous' starship, the Invisible Hand, in the General's quarters. The two Jedi believed their mission was to rescue Supreme Chancellor Palpatine, who was secretly Darth Sidious. However, Sidious' true objective was to sacrifice Dooku in order to recruit Skywalker as his new apprentice.
After defeating Kenobi and rendering him unconscious, a vengeful Skywalker engaged Dooku in a duel. Despite Dooku's confidence in his lightsaber skills to overcome the Jedi Knight—as he had previously done on Geonosis—he was unable to match Skywalker's intensity and swiftly lost both of his hands. Skywalker then seized Dooku's own lightsaber and, at Sidious' urging, beheaded the unarmed Count Dooku with the Sith Lord's own weapon.
Following Skywalker's escape with Kenobi and Palpatine, Dooku's lightsaber was left behind alongside his corpse in Grievous' quarters on the Invisible Hand. Shortly thereafter, the General's quarters were destroyed.
The initial appearance of Dooku's lightsaber coincided with Count Dooku's debut in the Star Wars prequel trilogy, specifically in Star Wars: Episode II Attack of the Clones and Star Wars: Episode III Revenge of the Sith. Dooku and his weapon continued to feature in Star Wars canon across various media, including Star Wars: The Clone Wars film, the television series of the same name, The Clone Wars Legacy, and several novels.
When conceiving Count Dooku, George Lucas, the creator of the Star Wars saga, envisioned an older Jedi who possessed qualities of being "very good," "elegant," and "sophisticated." These characteristics were subsequently embodied in Dooku's depiction and his prowess with a lightsaber. Christopher Lee, who played Dooku in the live-action Star Wars films, expressed that he found the role "very rewarding" and regarded the action sequences in Attack of the Clones as the most remarkable he had ever been involved in. Lee, a renowned swordsmanship expert throughout his career, had to learn new fighting styles for the lightsaber sequences. Kyle Rowling served as Lee's double in both Attack of the Clones and Revenge of the Sith, particularly during certain lightsaber sequences, where Rowling's face was replaced with Lee's using CGI. The distinctive curved shape of the lightsaber handle originated from earlier explorations of Sith villains. Roel Robles, an assistant in the Art Department, drew inspiration from various Filipino swords, knives, and spears; one of these, the Barong, featured a curved handle that provided a more secure grip for the wielder.
Initially, there were plans for Count Dooku to wield two lightsabers during his duel with Yoda in Attack of the Clones. However, this idea was later abandoned as it was deemed unnecessary, although scenes were filmed, some of which can be found in the special features of the Attack of the Clones DVD release. In concept art for unfinished episodes of The Clone Wars Legacy, Dooku's lightsaber served as the basis for the lightsaber of Jedi Master Oppo Rancisis, who ultimately appeared in the episode "The Big Bang" without the lightsaber. The reference booklet "Lightsabers and Jedi Equipment" incorrectly states that Dooku's lightsaber used a synthetic kyber crystal.