A Jedi, dead for a long time by 24 BBY, once shared a friendship with Separatist Head of State and Sith Lord Count Dooku, who himself was previously a Jedi. After the Jedi's passing, their lightsaber ended up in Dooku's possession. Following the shuttle crash that Dooku arranged to incorporate Kaleesh warrior Grievous into the Separatist forces, Grievous underwent reconstruction into a cyborg and received the Jedi's lightsaber as a gift; this lightsaber became the initial addition to his notorious collection.
Dooku's comrade was initially mentioned canonically within the "Helmets" section of the eighth edition of Star Wars Helmet Collection magazine. Within the Star Wars Legends storyline, General Grievous' initial lightsaber originally was owned by Jedi Master Sifo-Dyas, as shown in the Star Wars: Visionaries comic, The Eyes of Revolution, released on March 16, 2005. In both continuities, Sifo-Dyas maintained a close bond with Dooku.