One of the most iconic things in Star Wars is the lightsaber. The weapon of the Jedi and Sith that comes in many different colors, and is wielded so elegantly by its user, is something that makes Star Wars stand out among other science-fiction franchises. Indeed, this most famous weapon is used in the saga's many gripping and exhilarating duels. Certain individuals even utilize more than one lightsaber, and master the art of dual-wielding.
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The art of using two blades in combat is called "Jar'Kai", which is employed by both Jedi and Sith characters. In TV series such as Star Wars: The Clone Wars, some individuals wield more than one on many occasions. Whereas some characters only use a second blade for a short time, others were trained in the art of Jar'Kai and used this form of combat constantly. Still, in some cases, dual-wielding is learned and mastered by those who aren't even Force-sensitive.
8 Barriss Offee
Former Padawan, Wannabe Sith
- Fought Anakin Skywalker with two stolen blades
- Luminara Unduli's Padawan
- Tried to frame Ahsoka Tano for her crimes against the Jedi Order
The Padawan of Luminara Unduli, Barriss was the former friend of Ahsoka Tano. She carries a blue lightsaber, but In the fifth season of Star Wars: The Clone Wars, Barriss falls to the dark side and steals the lightsabers of Dooku’s former apprentice, Asajj Ventress.
Barriss, completely disillusioned with the Jedi Order, goes to great lengths to frame Ahsoka for the bombing of the Jedi temple. When Anakin becomes suspicious of her, she goes up against him using Asajj’s two blades. Commenting how she thinks they suit her, she is able to hold her own against Anakin for quite a while, until he eventually overwhelms and captures her.
7 Obi-Wan Kenobi
Jedi Master Fights Maul & Savage Oppress
- Obi-Wan used two lightsabers to fight Darth Maul and Savage Oppress
- Obi-Wan uses his lightsaber as well as that of Jedi Adi Gallia's
Obi-Wan is not a regular user of two blades, but one such instance had him using two lightsabers in a desperate struggle against his fierce enemy, Darth Maul. When Maul and his brother Savage lay waste to pirate Hondo Ohnaka’s headquarters on Florrum, Obi-Wan and fellow Jedi Adi Gallia are sent to stop the wayward brothers.
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Sadly, Gallia is killed by Savage’s sheer strength. Now facing the two Sith, Obi-Wan takes her lightsaber and dual-wields it with his own, using the Jar’Kai style temporarily. Eventually, he’s able to escape from them after cutting off Savage’s arm. He barely escapes a furious Maul, who's desperately seeking revenge on Obi-Wan for the events in The Phantom Menace. Obi-Wan faces him again later in The Clone Wars when Maul kills another person close to him, Duchess Satine of Mandalore.
6 Anakin Skywalker
A Cunning Warrior & A Good Friend
- Fought Count Dooku multiple times with dual-wielded lightsabers
- His Padawan uses two lightsabers
Though Anakin was not trained in the art of Jar'Kai, certain occasions have seen him using a second blade against his opponents. One such example is against fallen Jedi Barriss Offee. Though she uses the stolen blades of Asajj Ventress, Anakin matches her ferocity using both his own and Barriss' original blue lightsaber. After an intense duel, he eventually comes out on top.
Another example is prior to this event, against Separatist leader Count Dooku in Attack of the Clones. After Dooku defeats Obi-Wan, Anakin fights him using the blades both he and his master had fought with in the Geonosian Arena. Anakin couldn’t hold off Dooku for long and indeed lost his right arm to him. However, when he duels him aboard the Invisible Hand in Revenge of the Sith, and this time defeats him, he uses his own and Dooku’s blades to decapitate the Count.
5 Darth Sidious
Originally Had Two Lightsabers
- Dual-wielder, but lost his second lightsaber in a fight with Maul and Savage
Towards the end of The Clone Wars’ fifth season, Chancellor Palpatine takes a rare course of action. Seeing how his former apprentice, Darth Maul, has taken over the planet Mandalore with the help of the terrorist group Death Watch, he journeys there himself, in his Darth Sidious guise. Thus begins one of the most gripping and exhilarating duels in the whole of Star Wars.
Sidious goes up against former apprentice Maul and his brother Savage in Mandalore's palace throne room. Though in the movies, Sidious carries only one blade, in his fight against Maul he uses not one but two lightsabers. His sheer dual-wielding skills see him slaying Savage easily and completely overwhelming Maul.
4 Pong Krell
A Fallen Jedi Who Hates Clones
- Featured in the Umbra story arc
- Dual-wielding double-bladed lightsabers
- Executed by clone trooper Dogma
Jedi General Krell is first seen in the "Umbara" story arc in Star Wars: The Clone Wars. He assumes control of Anakin’s battalion, becoming their temporary leader. He is revealed to have fallen to the dark side himself and possesses a huge hatred of the clones. Cunning and manipulative, Krell even coerces Rex and Cody’s battalions to slaughter each other by tricking them into believing the Umbarans are disguised in clone armor.
Krell is a Besalisk, a species with four huge arms. As such, he is capable of wielding two double-bladed lightsabers. Using these he proves himself vicious when he eventually reveals his true nature to Rex and his men. Krell kills many clones on Umbara with his two massive blades, before being executed by clone trooper Dogma.
3 Asajj Ventress
Count Dooku's Apprentice
- Count Dooku's secret Sith apprentice
- Wielder of two red lightsabers
The formidable Sith opponent is one of the most recognizable dual-wielders, who first appeared in the non-canon 2003 series Star Wars: Clone Wars. In a brilliantly done 2D animated fighting sequence, she puts Anakin Skywalker in an epic duel with her two red blades. She battles the Padawan through the jungles of Yavin 4 but ultimately loses the battle to Anakin’s sheer might.
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She returns in the canon Star Wars: The Clone Wars, wherein she clashes with Anakin and Obi-Wan numerous times. One instance even sees her caught in another intense battle against her former master Dooku and Savage Opress, the latter of whom was aiding Ventress in her quest for vengeance against the Count. Asajj was swift and skillful with her dual blades, which were ultimately stolen by the renegade Barriss Offee.
2 General Grievous
Trained in the Jedi Arts by Count Dooku
- Dangerous Jedi killer
- Not Force sensitive
The ruthless cyborg ally of Count Dooku proves himself one of the most powerful and feared Jedi killers. Armed with the blades of the Jedi he slaughters, he had a formidable debut in the 2D animation Star Wars: Clone Wars. He was trained by Dooku in lightsaber combat and possesses incredible amounts of skill in wielding dual, sometimes more, blades at once. He also serves as the Separatist’s chief commander of their droid army and is a clever strategist.
Throughout the Clone Wars, he encounters many Jedi, from Ahsoka to Kit Fisto, but his main rivalry is with Obi-Wan. Grievous had a lot of hatred for the Jedi Master "negotiator", who was his equal rival in combat. Grievous fights with such fury; coupled with his dual blades and cunning mind make for an intense and difficult villain.
1 Ahsoka Tano
Anakin Skywalker's Padawan
- Survived Order 66 thanks to Anakin's training
- Uses shoto and single-blade lightsabers
Anakin’s former Padawan has surely become the most iconic wielder of dual lightsabers. She first received a second blade in the third season of Star Wars: The Clone Wars. From going up against the likes of General Grievous in the Clone Wars to fighting the Dark Jedi Baylan Skoll in her own series, Ahsoka’s two blades have served her well. She's relied on them on her many journeys across different planets and, as seen in her own spin-off series, even used them in space.
She used to have green and yellow-green blades, but her most iconic set is her white lightsabers that she purified from an Inquisitor. Indeed, she has become something of a Gandalf-like figure, as her character growth is partially defined by the color of her blades. This is similar to how Gandalf’s increased power is defined by his transformation from Gandalf the Gray to Gandalf the White. It's no understatement that Ahsoka is a formidable opponent; armed with her famous dual blades she is no easy match.
