Struggle Bats

Struggle "Bats" are the primary weapon of Twilight Town's Struggle competition during both Roxas's and Sora's story of Kingdom Hearts II. They also act as a basic means of self-defense for Twilight Town's residents.

Styles
There are three different kinds of Struggle Bats available for use in the Struggle tournament in Kingdom Hearts II - although there may be more that were not seen.

Struggle Sword
The Struggle "Sword" is the most commonly used bat. It is simple in design - having only a straight golden handle that curves to a 90 degree angle at the pommel, and a thick blue "blade" extending from the thin "guard," that barely extends past the diameter of the blade.

This bat is for those who favor strength in battle, giving a STR bonus when chosen, and is easier to use in fast, powerful strikes. All competitors of the Struggle competition use this bat.

Struggle Guard
The Struggle Guard, or Struggle Shield, is one of the two Struggle bats that only Roxas can use. The "blade" is similar to that of the sword, but the handle is thinner, and there is a wide hand guard that wraps from the hilt around the hand, similar to a rapier. This bat also has a thick and slightly more ornate pommel.

This bat is designed for finesse and defense. It gives a DEF boost when chosen, and is best for guarding against attacks.

Struggle Staff
The Struggle Staff is the other Struggle bat that only Roxas can use. This bat is quite different from the other two in that, rather than having a short gold handle and a long blue "blade" used for fighting, the staff has a long handle, tipped with a blue star that acts as the weapon. This bat most fits the design of Twilight Town, fitting the star motif of Roxas' bedroom and Yen Sid's Tower.

This bat is made to accomodate special abilities. When chosen, Roxas gets a boost in AP. It provides balance for good finishing moves and powered attacks.

It is unknown if this bat has any magical abilities, but it seems to be more in the ways of Donald's staves and magic wands. This, along with the Yen Sid-like star motif, makes it a likely candidate for channeling magic.

Composition & Abilities
The Struggle Bats are made of an as-of-yet unidentified blue material that causes little real damage, but still has enough substance to knock out an opponent if necessary. The handle is sturdy and golden in color, and also of an unknown substance.

The most common theories about its nature are plastic or hard rubber - seeing as they are used most commonly by minors.

Whatever they are made out of, it has absolutely no effect on Nobodies, and likely on Heartless. Roxas, Seifer, Hayner, and all the other inhabitants are therefore quite helpless against the Nobodies when they invade the Simulated Twilight Town. They pose only a minor threat to normal beings, at most incapacitating them for a few moments.

Trivia

 * Through cheat codes, you can have Sora and Roxas wield the struggle bats at any time, and even dual-wield with them.