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Dual-phase lightsabers are lightsabers that can be extended at the push of a button and typically have a range of up to 3 meter. Since the weight of a lightsaber is almost entirely in the handle, this seems to me as an incredibly useful tool for lightsaber duels.

When lightsaber duels became less common, they naturally went out of fashion, since shorter lightsabers are more practical and just as useful against droids and blasters.

What I'm wondering about is: Is there a canon1 explanation as to why dual-phase lightsabers didn't make a comeback when lightsaber duels became more common again? Especially among Jedi like Obi-Wan and Anakin and the Sith they faced.

Some possible reasons I can think of:

  • Dual-phase lightsabers are not as useful as they seem.
  • They require very specific training. (no one knows how to use them effectively anymore)
  • They are exceedingly difficult/expensive to make (doubtful).

1: by canon, I mean originating from a source of the same level of credibility as the one that says dual-phase lightsabers exist.

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overactor
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    It's been done. Corran Horn's dual-phase lightsaber can extend during battle. He kills at least one opponent by doing just that, in the New Jedi Order series. I've voted to close, as this question is clearly opinion-based. – James Sheridan Oct 13 '14 at 08:56
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    I fail to see what's opinion based about it, the implied question is: "what would be the downsides of fighting with a lightsaber that's a few meters long in a one on one duel?" I might need some clarifying though, as apparently this question doesn't come across well as it is. – overactor Oct 13 '14 at 09:00
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    @JamesSheridan I've rewritten the quetsion in an attempt to make it less opinionated and to make the actual question more clear. Is it any better now? – overactor Oct 13 '14 at 09:14
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    The canonical answer is that the source material for this is no longer canon, so dual-phase lightsabers don't actually exist! –  Oct 13 '14 at 10:22
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    Two relatively major drawbacks that I can see: Unusable - without completely destroying your surroundings, at least - in enclosed spaces. Swinging through the same angle as a regular lightsaber, the end of the longer "blade" has to travel through a greater distance which gives the opponent more time to react. – Anthony Grist Oct 13 '14 at 10:30
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    @AnthonyGrist I'll take your point concerning confined spaces, but that's why the blade length is adjustable. There being more time to react is false, since the blade weighs practically nothing, you can swing a 3 meter blade with the same angular speed as a 10 cm one. – overactor Oct 13 '14 at 10:34
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    I suspect that some of it may come down to the safety of the user. Occasionally, people have commented on how "only Jedi can use lightsabers" because of the risk of cutting off one's own limbs using the blade. I know I saw some quotes from Ray Park about how the double-ended lightsaber required major choreography because most moves resulted in the "blades" pressing up against some part of his own anatomy. Similarly, I feel like changing the length is going to add one more bit of complexity for "is this swing going to lop off my goodies?" – FuzzyBoots Oct 13 '14 at 11:50
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    Hmmm ... I can answer this from the viewpoint of a medieval combat instructor but I cannot cite any cannon sources as I am only a recreational Star Wars fan. – Stefan Oct 13 '14 at 13:00
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    @Stefan I suggest that further discussion of this question be taken to the chat – overactor Oct 13 '14 at 13:04
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    I've just recently read "I, Jedi", in which Corran Horn makes his own dual phase lightsaber, and uses it in a battle. Due to a low-quality crystal it dies, and he goes back to a single phase, and I seem to remember him giving a reason why he wasn't that fussed to replace the duff crystal. I'll write a canonical answer when I get time, and if this question gets re-opened (which, seeing as I'm prepared to give a canonical answer to question, it should) – Matt Taylor Oct 13 '14 at 13:54
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    @Stefan or maybe you know of an appropriate site on SE where I could ask that question? – overactor Oct 14 '14 at 06:58
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    The reason this would be an ineffective weapon is that it has neither the agility of a sword, the range of a spear or the momentum of an axe (although that is irrelevant for a light sabre as no momentum is really needed so the situation is not as bad as the real world). You would need to grip it in the centre so you cannot thrust any further than a swordsman and when both blades are extended your attacks would be restricted and you would need excellent footwork and body movement to avoid injuring yourself whilst attacking and making unexpected parries. – Stefan Oct 14 '14 at 06:59
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    You could spend years training developing these body movements etc in addition to training to fight but you would be better off picking a less awkward weapon and spending that time just training to fight with it and not have the extra complications. – Stefan Oct 14 '14 at 07:00
  • @Stefan there seems to be a small misconception, were are not talking about two-bladed lighsabers, but a single bladed lightsaber that can vary its bladelength between 1.5 and 3 meters long. – overactor Oct 14 '14 at 07:07
  • Good lord, you are right! I said I didn't know much about Star Wars!!! :-) Well back on point, ignoring the potential for catching someone with a sudden blade extension a weapon much longer than the traditional light sabre would be drastically harder to manourve. In the real world bladed weapons are often a compromise between range and manourvability. The longer the blade the less wieldy it is. If you are outranged you often look to parry and rapidly close in. If you have a 3 metre long blade then breaking free of a parry will be difficult due to the angles you have to move through. – Stefan Oct 14 '14 at 07:24
  • However, I guess a lightsabre can be retracted which would change things and also being pretty much weightless means you are not as inconvenienced. Hmm ... these options change things a lot. – Stefan Oct 14 '14 at 07:24
  • In Attack of the Clones when Anakin is cutting into the Tusken Raider's "tent" it appears that he is using a "dual-phase" lightsaber as you described. The blade is noticeably smaller while he cuts the hole. – Mykewlname Jul 06 '16 at 13:07

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Okay, to build out an answer here, (along with some knowledge of melee combat), there are some things that need to be laid out first.

1: While lightsabers are weightless, they produce a gyroscopic effect...which means they resist changes in motion...so it takes force to get them moving, and then takes more force to stop them moving once they get going. This is generally cited as the reason why lightsabers are so dangerous to the user, and why Jedi are normally the only ones who use them. (Once you got them moving, it could be hard to get them to stop)

2: A longer blade produces more gyroscopic force, this is why the 'lightsaber shoto' was favored by some, because it could be moved more easily and quickly than a full length lightsaber.

As a result, this means that fighting with a dual-phase lightsaber would be the equivalent of swapping between a one handed longsword, and a greatsword at a moments notice...only worse, because a greatsword isn't twice the length of a longsword.

So, here's a breakdown of what happens when you flip the dual-phase switch to extend the blade: Your blade doubles in length...it also doubles its gyroscopic force, so if it is already moving, good luck stopping it. This has the potential to be extremely potent in combat, but would be hard to master, and limits flexibility of the fighting style. For example, you could start with the blade short, extend it to increase its 'momentum', then re-shorten it before you try to stop it. This would let you hit like a warhammer without having to start or stop the warhammer's motion.

Unfortunately, this also means that any time you want to change the direction of the blade (which happens a lot) you have to hit that toggle, and are limited by the switch delay of the blade changing length. A brief delay like that can cost you your life in a battle that high paced. This is further complicated by how a dual phase lightsaber could work. Corran Horn's dual-phase saber had its length switched by twisting the handle, this requires two hands and is more time consuming that flipping a switch.

As a result, while this makes the weapon potentially very powerful, and quite good at surprising your opponents, it would be very difficult to master. You would have to learn to fight with a weapon that could double or halve its functional momentum at a moment's notice...and it can be hard enough to work with weapons of different mass, even if they aren't spontaneously changing in your hands.

So, in summary, a dual-phase lightsaber could be a very powerful weapon, but very difficult to develop mastery over, and even more likely to maim you while you are figuring it out. All of this together is why Luke dubbed dual-phase lightsabers 'something of a fad' for Jedi, and Master Skarch Vaunk dismissed them as 'only good for surprising an opponent.' In short, it seems that they were simply considered more trouble than they are worth.

guildsbounty
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If you forget the problem with the momentum and conservation of movement, there is still a big, big problem...

The leverage effect.

If your oponent block your blade with his, he can push his saber near the end of yours and multiply the force you have to withstand to.

And remember, you can't use your hand to help push, you have to apply the pressure only with your wrist...

max pnj
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I would think the dualphase lightsaber is pretty much only useful for a one time trick and then you better hope it lands a hit.

There really isn't much more convenience in it. Although making the blade longer for meleeing with a bunch of droids seems like it would be rather useful.

Also now that i think about it, another reason for not having a dual phase would be something like:
And this is just basically so you can picture what i am talking about. 3 meters is roughly 9 feet. 1.3 is about 4 feet. So if i swing a 9 foot pole at you and you block it somewhere in the middle, then i would either have much farther to have to draw my sword back to get out of your block or i would have to take time to make the blade smaller so i could move it into a blocking position for a counter strike.

I think something like that!

Cearon O'Flynn
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