Though some thought the crossguard was impractical due to the proximity of the vent to a wielder's hand and wrist, many styled their variant with pieces that gave extra protection. For the quillons to emit smaller blades, the energy from the weapons' kyber crystal was split to power the entire weapon. Most existing crossguard sabers in Star Wars were the same size as traditional single-bladed weapons.
The crossguard variant usually consists of three plasma blades: the primary blade that stems from the center of the cylindrical hilt and two smaller plasma blades that come out at 90-degree angled vents, known as quillons. As time went on, lightsaber users experimented with more advanced modifications, resulting in the creation of crossguard lightsabers. While the basic structure of lightsabers is often the same, certain aspects can be modified, including the hilt and the color of the plasma blade in connection to the kyber crystal inside.
The presence of crossguard lightsabers in Star Wars canon has increased in recent years, but the specific variant also has a history in Legends materials. The plasma-bladed swords are commonly used by Force-sensitive beings within the Star Wars universe, particularly the Jedi and the Sith.
