Studying Jedi Archive records, Dooku based his new weapon design after the curved hilts that were standard during the heyday of Form II lightsaber combat. The curve allowed the hilt to fit better into his hand, allowing for superior finesse and precise blade control.
Dooku belonged to the aristocracy, and his weapon reflected an older, more chivalric style than the Jedi he faced. It also reflected his status as the head of the Separatists: the lightsaber looked far more ceremonial than practical, suggesting that he himself did not face combat nearly as much as the Jedi did.
Lightsabers with a curved-hilt design provided for increased precision in combat. The curved-hilt lightsaber was a type of melee weapon; elegant in design, its gracefully curved hilt enabled the wielder to utilize greater finesse when slashing and lunging at an opponent.
The reason Dooku joined the Separatists, he said, was that he learned a terrible truth: a Sith Lord called Darth Sidious controlled the Senate. With Obi-Wan at his side, they could destroy the Sith. “I'll never join you, Dooku,” the Jedi said. Dooku coldly left Obi-Wan in his cell.
Count Dooku's red-bladed lightsaber was an elegant weapon befitting a refined man. Its gracefully curved hilt let Dooku slash and lunge with greater precision.
Far from it. Count Dooku, aka Darth Tyranus, was one of the most powerful Sith Lords, not just during his time, but ever. Dooku practiced Form II of light saber combat, Makashi, which focused heavily on technique. He was not only a master of it, but most likely the greatest practitioner of the form ever.
Bottom line, Dooku never considered himself a Sith. And he wasn't; he was a man looking to change the galaxy in a way the Jedi were unwilling to try. And that is why he joined the Sith and became Darth Sidious' apprentice, Darth Tyrannus. When Dooku became Sidious's apprentice, he was already an elderly man.
Palpatine, pretending to be a helpless bystander, goads his future apprentice on. “Do it!” he hisses. Skywalker does, beheading Dooku as he gives in to his base emotions. He almost immediately feels regret, but Palpatine works to dismiss it.
Count Dooku became a Sith because the Jedi served a corrupt Republic, but he had another more personal reason to betray the order. The following contains spoilers from Yoda #4, on sale now from Marvel Comics. Darth Sidious was Star Wars' master schemer.
Over the next decade, the galaxy was on the verge of civil war with entire star systems—led by Count Dooku, Yoda's one-time Padawan—threatening to secede from the Republic by 22 BBY.
The Forbidden Forms were forms of lightsaber combat used by the Sith during the Sith Wars. According to the testimonies of the Jedi Cervil the Uncanny, lightwhips—a lightsaber variant with a flexible blade—were used to defend against Sith Lords who utilized the forms.
Black is the rarest lightsaber color in the world of Star Wars. For a while, the only known black lightsaber was the Darksaber, forged a thousand years ago and owned by a Mandalorian Jedi.
Obi-Wan was Dooku's polar opposite. Dooku hoped to have Obi-Wan as his Sith apprentice and went as far as to reveal Sidious's existence to convince him to join him. Obi-Wan didn't believe him and refused, resulting in the two being enemies ever since.
Palpatine carried the lightsaber for a great deal of his life afterward, though he only rarely wielded it in combat, as his position as Emperor made battles with other Force-users few and far between, and he preferred to rely on his raw ability with the Force in any case.
Anakin gives in to his hatred of Dooku and uses his anger to overpower him, severing both of Dooku's hands and leaving him helpless. Palpatine then orders Anakin to execute Dooku on the spot, thus betraying Tyranus. After initial hesitation, Anakin decapitates Dooku, much to his horror of the betrayal by his master.
While Dooku was certainly evil -- and even had a Darth sobriquet, Tyranus, that he rarely used -- he was never quite a Sith, at least not in the true sense. Unlike those who espoused the Sith doctrine, Dooku wasn't motivated by hatred or fear, but by the same purpose that drove him as a Jedi.
In legends, Dooku actually explains why he hates Anakin: He could feel Yoda's touch still lingering on the edges like a distant echo. Vividly his mind went back to their last meeting, on Geonosis: swords drawn at last, and finally equal.
It's not shown, but it is clearly insinuated that Anakin killed the younglings. This is confirmed later in the movie when Obi-Wan informs Padme that Anakin killed them. Both are torn apart with hurt and confusion, trying to make sense of something so terrible. How could Anakin do such a thing?
In Star Wars canon, there are currently only four younglings that are known to have survived the infamous Order 66 and Darth Vader's slaughter, while in Legends, there are 20 known survivors.
The Younglings Reminded Anakin of How Different He Was
Those negative emotions also power the dark side, meaning Anakin likely felt stronger as he killed the younglings. That, in turn, reinforced his belief that only the dark side could save Padmé.
Within the Star Wars Legends continuity, Yoda's Jedi instructor was N'Kata Del Gormo, a Hysalrian Jedi Master, according to an in-universe legend.
Padawan Windu was trained in the ways of the Force by Jedi Master Cyslin Myr.
It's not even up for debate that Darth Vader is stronger than Count Dooku. Even before he was at full power, Anakin Skywalker was able to overpower Dooku simply based on his lightsaber training. Had Dooku fought Darth Vader at full power, the fight likely would have been a lot shorter.