Jedi Padawans would use electroblade training swords until they were deemed worthy of journeying to the Tython Forge and creating their own lightsaber. Similarly, Sith Acolytes were required to wield these in order to earn the right to use Sith warblades, which in turn would earn them the right to wield a lightsaber.
The electroblade was widely used as a combat melee weapon by both the Imperial and Republic Armies, as well as by paramilitary groups.
Electroblade training swords first appeared in The Old Republic, Blood of the Empire Act 1: Shades of the Sith, a comic book published by Dark Horse Comics in 2010 which served as a prequel to Star Wars: The Old Republic, a video game released by BioWare in 2011 where they were first identified and featured prominently. In game, they are used by Sith and Jedi classes on their starting planets until they obtain better equipment; they were first named in the Codex entries for "Jedi Weapons" and "Sith Weapons."