Why Crossguard Lightsabers Are Actually Safer Than You Think
In addition to venting excess energy from an unstable kyber crystal, the crossguard lightsaber is meant to keep the user protected from sneaky blows. It’s the same purpose that a real crossguard serves on a real broadsword, preventing an opponent from sliding down the blade and slicing at your hands, as well as stopping you from accidentally cutting yourself during battle.
The Protective Design of Crossguard Lightsabers
For as much grief as the design got when it debuted, it arguably makes more sense than the regular, unadorned lightsaber hilt. In “Revenge of the Sith,” Anakin Skywalker defeats Count Dooku by doing the exact thing the crossguard is designed to prevent: sliding down his opponent’s blade while their sabers are locked, slicing off his hands, and leaving him defenseless. This is the only time in mainline Star Wars that we see someone successfully pull off a move like this, but it doesn’t seem hard to do. Like the question of why people don’t rapidly turn their lightsabers off and then back on to break locks, this is a detail that’s best not to look at too closely.
The Evolution of Lightsaber Hilts
It still seems odd that the crossguard saber didn’t remain in vogue during the Republic’s final days. The reason, obviously, is that no one at Lucasfilm had come up with it yet. If we really wanted to find an in-universe explanation, you could argue that the design’s more cumbersome nature — evident in both Kylo Ren’s fighting style and Cal Kestis’ crossguard saber in “Star Wars Jedi: Survivor” — made it unpopular for the fast-paced fighting styles of the prequel era.