As cool as Kylo Ren’s crossguard lightsaber is in the sequel trilogy, it’s definitely been topped in recent years thanks to the High Republic Era. While the crossguard of Kylo Ren’s lightsaber is actually the venting of excess energy due to his cracked cyber crystal, there were Jedi Knights much earlier in the Star Wars timeline who wielded crossguard lightsabers with actual uniform blades. One of the most famous was Jedi Master Stellan Gios of the High Republic Era, and his lightsaber has become one of Disney’s coolest Star Wars collectibles.

Since the opening of Disney’s Galaxy’s Edge, a vast archive of “Legacy Lightsabers” has been sold both in the parks and online for avid fans and collectors alongside custom lightsabers that can be built at Savi’s Workshop. This includes lightsabers belonging to classic characters from all eras of the Star Wars timeline, including Kylo Ren’s crossguard lightsaber, the classic blue Skywalker lightsaber, Mace Windu’s signature purple-bladed lightsaber, Cal Kestis’ saber from EA’s Jedi games, and more. However, Stellan Gios’ crossguard lightsaber is one of the newest additions I recently got my hands on, so here’s our review.

Jedi Master Stellan Gios And His Crossguard Lightsaber Explained

Heralding The High Republic Era

First appearing at the start of Lucasfilm’s major High Republic transmedia publishing initiative, Stellan Gios was a leading member of the Jedi Council at the start of the Nihil marauders’ attack on the galaxy led by Marchion Ro. He was also the master of Vernestra Rwoh, a prodigy who was one of the youngest Jedi to be knighted in the history of the Order (she also made her live-action debut in The Acolyte). Good friends with both Avar Kriss and Elzar Mann, Stellan Gios was considered to be a model Jedi Master and a great hero whom many in the Order looked up to.

However, Stellan ended up giving his life as the Marshal of Starlight Beacon when the station was sabotaged by the Nihil. Sacrificing himself to ensure that the station didn’t decimate one of the cities below on the planet Eiram, Stellan’s impressive lightsaber was later found and gifted to Elzar Mann, an impressive blue-bladed weapon with a physical crossguard supporting two quillon beams. The lightsaber is confirmed to have been inspired by King Arthur’s Excalibur.

What I Like Most About Stellan Gios’ Legacy Lightsaber

There’s A Lot To Love

One of the first things I love about Stellan Gios’ legacy lightsaber is the price. Originally, the lightsaber was released as a limited exclusive with a special High Republic comic and a decorated wooden box. That version retailed for the steep price of $325.00. However, the hilt by itself has since been released for the much cheaper price of $179.99, which is on par with a fair number of Disney’s other Legacy Lightsabers currently available for sale.

Furthermore, the new saber’s overall functionality is great. Mirroring the books and comics, Stellan Gios’ crossguard lightsaber can be collapsed when turned off, making it easier to affix to a belt for cosplay, and the unique quillon beams are easy to screw into the sides of the hilt. The hilt itself is also incredibly accurate, gold, black, and silver with ornate decorative accents that were more common in the High Republic Era, a greater age of peace compared to the days of the Skywalker saga. The hilt is also heavier than most Legacy Lightsabers, a feature I consider to be a plus.

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There’s Only One Main Drawback To The Stellan Gios Lightsaber

The Sound Could Have Been Better

On the one hand, the lightsaber looks even better when turned on with a blade. The color looks good, and the weapon looks even better in a dimly lit room. Likewise, the sound of the saber is deeper and “older” compared to typical lightsabers, which is pretty cool considering the period of the Star Wars timeline it was wielded in.

However, the sound itself only comes out of a speaker on the bottom of the hilt, and the hilt extends past where the internal speaker is located. This means that the sound can be harder to hear at certain angles, though this isn’t a unique critique as it can be found with some other Legacy Lightsabers as well depending on the design. Nevertheless, the Stellan Gios Legacy Lightsaber is still a great buy, and I’d highly recommend as one of Disney’s more unique lightsabers (while also being perfect for fans of the High Republic Era).