Lightwhips, a specialized form of the lightsaber, utilized one or more plasma blades held within adaptable energy fields. These flexible blades demanded greater user precision compared to standard lightsabers and possessed reduced cutting effectiveness. Originating as far back as the Sith Wars, lightwhips became closely linked to the Nightsisters of Dathomir, although some Jedi also employed them, recognizing their value against the Forbidden Forms of the Sith. During the High Republic Era, Jedi Knight Vernestra Rwoh successfully adapted her lightsaber to incorporate a whip function after discovering the design through a Force vision.
Lightwhips represented a significant modification of the standard lightsaber. In contrast to lightsabers, the internal mechanisms of lightwhips allowed for the flexible manipulation of the containment field around their plasma blades. This design enabled the use of numerous small emitters to create slender, adaptable blades that could extend for several meters. It was even possible to modify a conventional lightsaber to include a lightwhip mode, complete with a control mechanism to switch the blade's configuration between a rigid sword and a flexible whip. Due to their slender profile, lightwhip blades exhibited less power than a typical lightsaber blade, resulting in reduced cutting capability. Nonetheless, the whip-like form factor allowed for capturing or restraining opponents.
The flexible characteristics of the tendrils required lightwhip wielders to exercise heightened caution compared to lightsaber users, as the user needed to carefully monitor the trajectory of the tendrils to prevent accidental self-inflicted injury to a limb. Electro-whips, visually similar but non-lethal weapons utilizing a retractable, electrified cable, were sometimes misidentified by the same name.
On occasion, the Jedi Order utilized lightwhips during the Sith Wars. The Jedi known as Cervil the Uncanny documented the effectiveness of lightwhips against the Forbidden Forms favored by certain Sith Lords. By the time of the High Republic Era, lightwhips had become uncommon among the Jedi, but the Nightsisters, a group of dark side-aligned witches hailing from Dathomir, were known to employ them.
While stationed at Port Haileap during that time, the recently appointed Jedi Knight Vernestra Rwoh experienced a Force vision which revealed to her the method of modifying her lightsaber to incorporate a lightwhip mode. This mode could be activated by twisting the first ring located on the hilt. Unsure how others would react to this modification, she kept it a secret for several weeks, practicing with the whip privately and not informing either Jedi Master Douglas Sunvale, her superior at Port Haileap, or her former Master Stellan Gios about the alteration to her weapon. Rwoh eventually revealed the whip to Padawan Imri Cantaros after they, along with Avon Starros, Honesty Weft, and the droids J-6 and SD-7, were stranded on the jungle moon Wevo following an attack on the cruiser Steady Wing. She reasoned that the whip mode would expedite clearing brush, allowing the group to seek shelter from acid rain.
Later, Rwoh and Cantaros participated in a skirmish against the pirates who had destroyed the Steady Wing, and were also stranded on Wevo. Cantaros and Weft had been captured by the Nihil Strikes Gwishi and Klinith Da after a poorly planned attempt to confront the pirates, fueled by their grief and anger over the deaths of Cantaros' Master and Weft's father in the bombing. Rwoh, Starros, and J-6 embarked on a rescue mission. Rwoh initially fought the pirates using her lightsaber in its standard configuration. However, when Cantaros was at risk of succumbing to the dark side, Rwoh used the Force to hurl him into the jungle after he attempted to Force choke Da to death. The Mirialan Jedi then engaged Cantaros in a lightsaber duel to restrain him and prevent his descent. During the duel, Rwoh gained the upper hand by switching her lightsaber to whip mode mid-fight, slashing the ground in front of him and destroying his lightsaber, which ended the confrontation.
Lightwhips were first mentioned within canon in the Fantasy Flight Games sourcebook Endless Vigil, and they appeared in the novel The High Republic: A Test of Courage. The lightwhip originated in the Star Wars Legends continuity, making its initial appearance in the comic book Star Wars (1977) 95.
After the Battle of Exegol, the Dark side adept known as Am wielded six lightsabers capable of transforming into lightwhips. Four of these were integrated into her dark armor. She used these weapons in a duel against her twin brother Karre when he attempted to escape from their Gemini-class Star Destroyer.