Star Wars' New Energy Sword May Be More Powerful Than A Lightsaber

The lightsaber is one of the most iconic fictional weapons and a staple of the Star Wars universe. Within the galaxy far, far away, it's regarded as a legendary and immensely powerful item wielded by only the most disciplined and skilled individuals. At the same time, this mythical blade is far from the be-all-end-all of handheld weaponry in the franchise. Take, for instance, the energy sword owned and used by the warrior droid Ajax Sigma, which could be even mightier than the fabled lightsaber.

During the High Republic Era, Sigma becomes a leader in the fight for droid liberation, which brings him into conflict with the Jedi Order. He's eventually struck down but is later resurrected during the Imperial Era and becomes a priest of the droid church, the Second Revelation. Sigma goes on to destroy a being known as Scourge Prime, which commands a droid hive mind, with his energy sword in just one strike. This is no small feat considering that, as Star Wars has shown (pertinently with Sigma himself), lightsabers can fail at killing droids. In many cases, it takes quite a bit of hacking and slashing to get the job done, and even then, they can be rebuilt and put back on the battlefield in short order.

As if its destructive capabilities weren't enough to put it a cut above the traditional lightsaber, there's also more to Sigma's sword than brutal and efficient destruction.

In the Star Wars comic "Dark Droids" #5, Ajax Sigma destroys Scourge Prime with one mighty strike to the chest and releases countless droids from its grasp. However, it quickly becomes apparent that the imposing core of the droid hive mind hasn't been killed in the traditional sense. Before stabbing Scourge Prime, Sigma's sword is colored black and gold, though this changes once the deed is done. With Scourge Prime dead, Sigma's energy sword takes on a purple hue, but what does this mean? Thankfully, fans aren't left in the dark on this matter.

It's important to note that one of the forces behind the Scourge's existence is an artificial intelligence known as the Spark Eternal. It was created by a cult known as the Ascendant during their war against the Sith Order. It appears that when Sigma impales Scourge Prime with his energy sword, the Spark Eternal transfers to the weapon, changing the blade's color. Lightsabers haven't ever displayed such an ability to harbor sentient AI beings, further lending credence to the idea that Sigma's weapon of choice is more powerful.

Hopefully, regardless of the format, the story of Ajax Sigma and his astounding energy sword continues, and Star Wars fans can learn more about them.