Dueling Sabers

Dueling Lightsabers for Ultimate Battle

Lightsabers also referred as laser swords are the iconic weapos of Jedi, Sith, and other Force-sensitive individuals across the galaxy. Apart from being a symbol of strength, the sabers are functional tools that can be used to cut through blast doors or enemies alike. 

While many lightsabers are designed for casual dueling or display, dueling sabers require durable construction, high quality blades, and advanced features for serious combat. 

From the blood red lightsaber of Darth Vader to the green lightsaber of Luke Skywalker, fans have many saber designs to choose from. While the standard remains valuable and practical for dueling purposes, fans have to choose the lightsaber according to their purpose. In recent years, neopixel sabers have recently spread across the galaxy fans and the lightsaber marketplace because of the bright blade and realistic experience. 

Can you duel with the Force FX lightsabers? The answer is yes. The FX lightsaber duel can be pretty vigorous and trustworthy, based on its features and strong build. For instance, it has a nice weight, and the sound fonts making it an authentic battle ready lightsaber.

Specifications of Dueling Lightsaber

A duel worthy lightsaber is a weapon that is particularly designed to handle the intensity of real combat and not only casual swings. Remember, the most important part of a saber for dueling is the blade that directly strikes the lightsaber of an opponent. The lightsaber blades are made from polycarbonate tubing and come in different lengths and grades.

The main two types of blades include: 

• Midgrade blades
• Heavy Grade

Midgrade blades are utilized for bright colors whereas Heavy Grade and the Ultraedge Heavy Grade blades are recommended to anyone who needs a battle ready lightsaber. It is clear that Heavy Grade saber (with or without the Ultraedge option) because of its durability and sturdiness is best for dueling. 

Moreover, lightsabers are of different types not only because of the blade but other  specifications as well. Some of the major types are mentioned below. 

Types of Dueling Lightsaber

• RGB 
• Neopixel (Xenopixel)
• Proffie

RGB stands for ‘Red, Blue and Green.’ An RGB lightsaber or baselit lightsaber comes with limited options as compared to neopixel or proffie and it gets light directly from the hilt.

Neopixel and Proffie Lightsabers portray numerous advanced features. These lightsabers are modifiable and can be customized. There are some additional effects such as the flame effect, rainbow effect, and many more. Some of the Proffie Lightsaber include Ranger Xeno Neopixel Lightsaber and Premium FX Neopixel Lightsaber.

Note: It's not difficult to program a saber. You can watch a lot of videos to customize one for yourself. 

Dueling History

Dueling with saber has evolved dramatically over the course of SW universe, both in choreography and cinematic style. 

While in 1977, the world was introduced to Luke Skywalker, Obi-Wan Kenobi, and Darth Vader. The dueling style in that era was largely informed by Kendo, the martial art descended from the Samurai warrior tradition in Japan. These early duels featured two-handed grip and the small precise movements that culminate quickly into brief and savage exchanges.

1980 disclosed an important fight between Luke and his father, Darth Vader. The dark moments of Luke made him lose the duel, his hand, and his father’s lightsaber. The last of the original trilogy showcased the Jedi constructing his lightsaber and introducing green as a new color to the galaxy, with Blue still being the dominant saber color.

The original trilogy lightsaber duels had fewer strikes and simpler choreography, reflecting the grounded nature of combat at the time.

16 years later, the prequel trilogy in 1999 bought a shift in dueling with increased fast-paced movements. The dueling style prequels was still rooted in kendo but evolved into much more energetic swordplay. Yoda’s first lightsaber duel was unveiled against Count Dooku, who wielded a lightsaber with a curved hilt, incorporating a fencing style by using only one hand.

The most intense dueling of the saga was shown in 2005. It was a  8 minute battle between Anakin and Obi Wan Kenobi which marked a turning point in the galaxy. It was rich with emotions and the longest fight in the series with countless loss of lives and the rise of the Empire.

The 2015 sequel returned to a more raw and brutal lightsaber combat. Characters like Kylo Ren wielded his red saber, and the duels were less about aesthetic and more about power! One of the most symbolic battles in the saag was between Luke and his nephew Kylo Ren where their blades did not even touch. 

Futuristic Features

For all the fans, its an all time dream to own a lightsaber. Having a new one even if you have a collection of lightsabers is just as thrilling as if you are getting your first favorite one.

However, with numerous dueling lightsabers for sale, it is essential to be all ears when purchasing a lightsaber. Saber replica for dueling is not recommended and is certainly better for display purposes. You should always look for various brands offering lightsabers to get a top quality lightsaber.

Below are some important features for you to look at before purchasing a lightsaber:

1. Sturdiness

If you’re buying a lightsaber for exhibition, cosplay, or fighting, be sure it’s strong. The blade, hilt, and electronics should all survive a long time and not break easily during shipping and normal handling. Some lightsabers, for instance, those for display and costumes, are relatively less durable than those lightsabers you can duel with. NEO Sabers, lightsabers are highly sturdy with blades and hilt that can withstand duels.

2. Dueling Quality

Before buying a lightsaber, it is essential to verify that the lightsaber dueling blade is a product of heavy-duty polycarbonate material. This is why NEO Sabers lightsabers are the best option. Other, weaker materials are unable to endure the force and will instead break or bend. Keep in mind that while dueling, if the electronics, such as batteries, LED lights, and other stuff are weakly attached they might get dismantled.

3. Bright Lights and Flashing Effects

When you use a lightsaber, a bright light that pulsates and flashes makes a big difference. While plasma is an unreasonable expectation for lightsabers on the market, LED lights might provide a comparable appearance. While buying the best lightsaber for dueling you should not only think of having a normal lightsaber that should light up instead, you should look for one with flashes and other effects.

4. A Variety of color options

Colors of lightsabers are an important part in the galaxy far, far away. Blue and Green lightsabers for the Jedi while Red ones for the Sith. There is also something called the Dark Saber. If you are looking for a specific color, then you should look for it. A few brands that have dueling lightsabers for sale have LED lights that switch colors. Thus you could get a customized lightsaber and you can change it to any color you want.

5. Clear and Motion Activated Sound Effects

Without the signature buzzing and the crashing sound the lightsaber is not an actual lightsaber. If you focus more on the saber color than you might also realize that different lightsabers have quite different and unique sounds. There are also soundboards that you may personalize by downloading and installing different sound files. For the best dueling lightsaber with sound, you should prefer the motion activated ones that do not require you to press a button for particular sounds.

Range of colors

The most common lightsaber colors in the galaxy far, far away are Red, Blue, and Green. But the SW galaxy has many more colors, including the orange saber, made canon in Jedi: Fallen Order. The colors of the lightsabers are given by the Kyber Crystals which are rare, force-attuned crystals that can be found on different planets. They are colorless, however, once a Jedi finds them, they take different colors.

The most common, Blue lightsabers are said to represent bravery and righteousness, associated with what a Jedi stands for. The second most common color, Green, is associated with harmony, helpfulness, cooperation, spirituality, and demonstrable goodwill.

The Yellow lightsaber is singularly used by Jedi temple guards, who carry double-bladed yellow lightsaber pikes. White lightsabers are used by Ahsoka Tano and are proof of her mastery of the force.

The Red lightsaber is associated with the Sith. Since they are unable to forge the unseen bond, they have to steal their Kybers or employ other methods to bleed their lightsabers.

The black lightsaber (or Darksaber) is created by the first Maldorian which has a unique blade, shorter than the usual blade and shaped like a traditional sword. 

Combat Ready Lightsabers

While some sabers are just visually appealing weapons, many want to engage in actual lightsaber combat and you can only do that with true combat ready lightsabers. 

Battle ready lightsaber should be durable and safe if you are going to use it for full combat. You need a sturdy blade that can withstand the clashes in a tense lightsaber duel. These sabers are years ahead of traditional sabers and the many toys found in department and toy stores. 

They are made from the finest quality materials such as a polycarbonate blade and a metal hilt. After all, you wouldn’t go to battle with a low quality build dueling saber.

Are NEO Sabers Lightsabers Best for Dueling?

When it comes to dueling, NEO Sabers makes high quality lightsabers that are perfect for light to heavy dueling and classy for cosplay.

Choosing the best lightsaber for dueling is important because you definitely don’t want to lose. The lightsaber needs to withstand the hit and clash and also should last long enough to win the battle.

• For heavy dueling, RGB lightsabers are the best, because their polycarbonate blades are wide and do not contain any LED strips that can be damaged during long battle sessions.
• Neopixel Lightsabers on the other hand contain LED strips that can be easily damaged. They are more suitable for lighter dueling.

If you are into heavy dueling, you can opt for RGB lightsabers with screwable hilts. This will allow you to use connectors or couplers that will allow you to convert your single blade to a double bladed lightsaber. Moreover, Neopixel Lightsabers have a more realistic feel because of the customization and better soundboard that provides a variety of options.

Things to consider before buying Dueling Lightsabers

1. Evaluate the hilt material and integrity: One of the first things you need to examine is the material of the hilt. Some people sell PVC and 3D-printed lightsabers that are not durable enough for realistic lightsaber duels. Although aluminum is one of the most common lightsaber hilt materials, not all aluminum hilts are duel worthy. The durable carbon fiber lightsabers are mostly durable enough for dueling.
2. Try to avoid sharp edges and points around the hilt or hilt components: Those sharp edges can seriously injure or poke you or your opponent. However, some dark side lightsabers have claws around the emitter area, make sure to avoid sharp hilt or hilt component edges during a combat.
3. The Blade: The blade is an essential part of measuring the worthiness of the saber. When buying for display, flat acrylic blades are more for show and contain sharp edges. Whereas, if you are looking for lightsabers you can fight with, the polycarbonate blades are trustworthy. Even with that, you have to make sure that the blade is thick enough for dueling. Duel-worthy lightsaber blades are thicker than usual and are often called: dueling grade, heavy grade, or thick-walled.