It's no secret that the lightsaber is one of pop culture's coolest weapons (although it's sadly nonexistent). Laser swords are great for cutting through anything yet can be easily stowed away in your pocket when not in use. Star Wars has shown us many times that not everyone is satisfied with traditional lightsaber designs. Just one example of this is the bizarre switchblade lightsaber used by Dark Side Rey.

We round up some of the strangest and most noteworthy curved hilt lightsaber designs, including some from the classic Legends continuity, including a lightsaber rifle.

Star Wars' Strangest Lightsabers

An Old Republic Sith Lord known for his powerful metal staff that can collapse into a lightsaber blade, Darth Chratis is another powerful Sith Lord. Chratis can reach farther in battle thanks to the unusually long hilt.

Darth Bane's Lightsaber Pike

In The Clone Wars, a weapon even closer to a traditional pike almost replaced the lightsaber pike used by Jedi Temple Guards. Darth Bane will use this weapon in the Season 6 episode "Sacrifice." It consists of a long staff that emits a broad, tapered blade. Despite his appearance in that episode, Bane's weapon was not included.

In addition to their ornamental design, Darth Sidious' sabers are notable for their short hilts. As Sidious conceals his Sith powers within the folds of his robes, it makes sense that he would keep his sabers hidden.

Ahsoka Tano wielded a traditional green saber when she first appeared in Star Wars: The Clone Wars. Ahsoka eventually switched from the Jar'Kai style to the Jar'Kai style, which is centered around dual sabers. In line with samurai tradition, Ahsoka carries both a long and short blade. Using a white lightsaber blade further distinguishes Ahsoka from other Jedi in Star Wars Rebels.

As one of the earliest known lightsaber weapons in the Star Wars universe, the Darksaber is one of the most ancient. As a result of its archaic design, the blade is flat and angled, and makes a distinctive hum when it glows black. The Mandalore warriors have used this blade for centuries. Since Pre Vizsla and Sabine Wren used it, it's been created by Mandalorians such as Tarre Vizsla.

It's likely that even a deactivated lightsaber from the ancient Sith Lord Darth Malgus can kill a man. Malgus appears to carry an ax on the battlefield due to two blade-like protrusions on the hilt.

Maris Brood, the Jedi Padawan in Star Wars: The Force Unleashed, falls to the Dark Side after her master, Shaak Ti, is killed. A perpendicular hilt on Brood's twin sabers allows her to hold them at an unusual angle because they are inspired by tonfa sticks.

Canonically, there can only be one Jedi capable of wielding a purple-bladed lightsaber. Mace's saber is quite a collectible since it was made with crystals of green, blue, and red varieties. Revenge of the Sith left us wondering what happened to Mace's arm after Anakin sliced it off.

When Count Dooku defected to the Sith he was considered one of the finest swordsmen in the galaxy. Its curved hilt allows him to use precise movements and strikes when using his lightsaber. This contributes to Dooku's perfecting of a fencing-inspired fighting style. Asajj Ventress, his protege, also wields sabers that are similar to his, though not with the same skill.

On Coruscant, the guards of the Jedi Temple use a lightsaber pike, a variation of the double-bladed lightsaber. Unlike traditional swords, these sabers have a longer hilt and shorter blades, making them more like staffs. In addition to folding in half, the hilts feature a switchblade-style design, which has become more popular in the Star Wars world.

A corrupt Jedi Master named Pong Krell introduces his own twist on the double-bladed lightsaber in Star Wars: The Clone Wars. In contrast to Maul's lightsaber hilts, Krell's have longer blades, and his hilts fold in half. Due to his incredible strength and extra arms, Krell is also the only Jedi who can wield two double-bladed sabers simultaneously.

It is admirable that Marvel Comics thought outside the box on this one. A strange lightsaber design appeared in 1985's Star Wars #95 long before Darth Maul and Kylo Ren. According to ancient Sith designs, Lumiya constructed a whip inspired by Darth Vader. Lightsaber crystals are combined with unbreakable Mandalorian iron to create this flexible lightsaber. As a result of Lumiya's deadly weapon, Luke was forced to wield two sabers at once in order to survive.

In The Phantom Menace, Darth Maul introduced the concept of a double-bladed lightsaber to the mainstream. By dominating two powerful Jedi at the same time, Maul demonstrated how deadly this weapon can be in the right hands. A double-bladed saber is similar to those used by characters such as Savage Opress and Satele Shan.