Dupengda Flamestrike Saber Review

There was a time when the sheer range of authentic lightsaber toys available today would have felt like a gift from the netherworld of the Force. Many children who grew up in the 90s will remember relying on a treasured stick from the local park (coupled with a healthy dose of the imagination) to act as their elegant Jedi weapon. The best most could hope for in terms of a real lightsaber would have been licensed toys such as the Hasbro retractable blades, released to coincide with the Lucasfilm and 20th Century Fox remaster of the Star Wars original trilogy. While fun, these quirky toys were not in the same league as the current range of high-value lightsaber toys, complete with light effects and authentic sounds.

The lightsaber is the quintessential prop from the Star Wars saga. As Obi-Wan Kenobi said, they are an elegant weapon for a more civilised age. It continues to be a popular purchase among a now grown-up generation of fans with the disposable income to afford expensive replicas, who can now finally own a movie-accurate or personalised weapon to call their own.

But which lightsaber brand should you choose? With so many Force FX options from official Star Wars retailers, such as the Hasbro Black Series and Master Replicas, and unofficial offerings from companies like Nsabers and Galaxy Sabers, it can be hard to decide.

Today’s blog focuses on the range of laser swords from Chinese manufacturer Dupengda. Dupengda were founded in 2009 when they began researching and developing the production of lightsaber replicas, and they now offer shipping worldwide, including Europe and the USA. They also sell over 70 products online, offering numerous hilt styles and light-up blade options. Their products aim to stand out from the competition with the ability to control the blades through a mobile phone app, which we couldn’t wait to try out.

For this review, we will be looking at the Flamestrike Saber, which features the latest XENOPixel 4.0 technology and promises to be a tough, stylish, and battle-worthy weapon for an aspiring Jedi Knight…

Flamestrike Saber – Features

For our chosen laser sword, we were sent the current highest-level pixel lightsaber, which features 34 sets of sound effects, more than 16 colour changes (with an infinitely variable colour palette), and 8 light effects, including the all-important blade power-on. When ordering the product, customers can choose between a 92cm blade length or a shortened 82cm option, which suits children better. For this review, we were sent both choices to try out.

Many lightsaber toys require old-fashioned disposable batteries, but we were pleased to see that Dupengda’s offering uses an onboard 3600MA battery that can be charged via USB. This is much better for the environment and saves money on replacements (which lightsaber toys tend to eat through faster than a rathtar hunting space colonists).

The weapon also supports SD cards, which can load custom sound profiles (fonts), and will connect to your cell phone for additional customisation options, easier control of sound effects, and parameter adjustments such as brightness. A brief read-through of the detailed printed manual included with the product reveals how deep you can go with customisation. If you want to create a truly personalised weapon by altering which buttons and blade motions trigger specific sounds and effects, this is the blade for you.

Flamestrike Saber – First Impressions

The product was well packaged with plenty of padding, and the blades and hilt were wrapped in plastic shrink-wrap to protect them from scratches. The blade arrived in a plain black box with limited imagery or logos, so collectors looking to exhibit their weapon rather than swing it around should consider investing in an acrylic display case to keep the prop dust-free and retain its shine. Dupengda also stock their own clear lightsaber stand.

The blade hilt design for this model looks similar to Obi-Wan Kenobi’s lightsaber from Star Wars Episode One: The Phantom Menace, with the distinctive spherical pommel and reflective silver alloy-style metal decorating the grip and upper portions of the hilt. The extended blade emitter guard at the top also reminds us of Anakin Skywalker’s lightsaber from his days as a padawan learner.

One element we appreciate is that the size of the hilt and blade matches the weapons seen in Star Wars films, TV shows and games. When compared against releases such as the Hasbro Black Series (see the Flamestrike Saber vs Rey’s lightsaber above), the hilt feels sleeker, and the blade itself maintains a uniform size rather than emitting from a chunky, ill-proportioned hilt.

The blade element on the Dupengda saber is held in place using three flat-headed screws. The manual does not provide instructions on this, and we would have appreciated more certainty that we were assembling the lightsaber in the correct way without risking damage. That said, it wasn’t difficult to figure out.

Once the blade and hilt are combined, you can truly appreciate the lightsaber’s weight. This is not a toy for careless swings. As the Jedi Code says, its powers should be used for defence, never for attack.

After charging the device using the USB cable provided, it was time to ignite the blade…

Flamestrike Saber – In Action

Turning on the Dupengda Flamestrike Saber for the first time was a thrilling moment – the blade rose in perfect blue from the hilt to full extension in several seconds, accompanied by authentic sounds. After messing around with the on button a few times (without first reading the instructions), we were treated to a wild ride of alternate ignition effects, blade styles and even some music which started playing from the speaker. In several minutes, we had gone from a clean blue blade to a rainbow effect worthy of a space rave!

After a bit of trial and error, we altered the laser sword’s default configuration, changing it from blue to Sith-worthy red, Mace Windu purple, and more. The lit-up blade looks bright and vivid in a dark room, but it also deserves a mention of how impressive it looks in a well-lit room or daylight. It’s hard for pictures to do this justice, but the ignition, blaster, lightning and other effects retain their clarity, regardless of the blade colour.

Fortunately, while the device boasts a complex range of settings, most people can master the basics following a short read of the manual. That said, we recommend checking out the different ignition effects once you are comfortable – options such as ‘pulse’ and ‘unstable’ offer some epic alternatives.

Whatever colour you want, the blade can accommodate it. The Xeno app can be downloaded from the App Store on iPhone and Google Play on Android, offering a much easier way to navigate the weapon’s options by connecting your phone to the device using Bluetooth. As per the screenshots below, options include customising the volume and changing the blade colour using a palette.

Are The Dupengda Lightsaber Laser Swords Worth Buying?

Having sampled many different lightsaber collectibles in our time, we can confidently say that the Flamestrike Lightsaber is easily one of the best we’ve wielded, with a fair price attached. Official Star Wars product manufacturers could learn something from the toy’s authentic experience, from its movie-accurate design to its intense battle sounds. Whether you’re slashing a wall, deflecting imaginary laser blasts, or striking another blade, there is a sound for everything – once you master the button controls.

The customisation options offer fun extras for hard-core fans who like to mod their toys, though even in the default mode, the weapon packs a force-worthy punch with a strong and sturdy design and intuitive effects.

At the time of writing, the Flamestrike Saber is on sale for $189.00 (including a $170.00 discount) for the RGB version, and $219.00 (including a $170,000 discount) for the XENOPIXEL version we received. And don’t forget to browse the rest of their range, which includes plenty of different hilt options.

Looking for a discount code for Dupengda lightsabers? Use code ginaplayit for 10% off your lightsaber purchase!