Evolving from the flickering flame of lighters, the bright phone flashlights waving in the air, and neon glowsticks on our wrists,K-pop fandoms have a unique and creative way to show support for their favourite idols - lightsticks. 

Considered a quintessential part of K-pop fandom culture, these lightsticks are one of the many ways fans interact with their favourite groups during a live concert. Referred to as "the ocean", fans would use these glimmering lights to engulf the entire stadium in a beautiful display of colours as a showcase of unity and strength for their idols on stage. If you've ever been to a K-pop concert, then you know it's probably one of the most mesmerising and magical experiences ever.

190127 [FANCAM] Lightstick ocean / Concert opening

NCT 127 1st Tour ‘NEO CITY : SEOUL – The Origin’ @ Olympic Park KSPO Dome - DAY 2

© Starbuckie@NCTsmtown @NCTsmtown_127 pic.twitter.com/eEhMUcbF6E

— NCT DREAM CENTER ↺ (@NCTDREAMCENTER) January 27, 2019

Every single K-pop group and artist you can think of has an official lightstick. Designed and customised specifically for the artists and their fans, lightsticks have become a defining factor for the identity of every fandom. Every lightstick carries a symbolic reference and creative design to make it stand out from the rest, and they even have their own name! BTS has the ARMY Bomb, TWICE has the Candy Bong, MAMAMOO has the Moo Bong, and the list goes on.

While K-pop fans usually have the lightsticks for their favourite idol groups, these flashy memorabilia have become artworks of its own with many collecting as much as they can. Now, there's a lot of lightsticks to choose from. So, in no particular order, here are 10 of some of the most unique lightsticks out there!

DAY6's Light Band

Straying away from the typical light "stick", JYP Entertainment's rock band DAY6 decided to go for a wrist watch-style fanlight for their fandom My Day. While it may not have an actual clock, the light band's centrepiece includes a mint-green leaf-shaped light encased in a dome carrying the group's logo. 

The light band can be connected to a control centre during DAY6 concerts to create synchronised lights shows. Watch it in action here:

BLACKPINK's BI-Ping-Bong

When it comes to uniqueness, BLACKPINK's hammer lightstick or 'BI-Ping-Bong' is definitely one of the top contenders. At the time of its debut, many BLINKs (fandom name) and other members of the K-pop community were not too fond of the group's fanlight but overtime, the 'BI-ping-bong' has been well-received and often regarded for its creative design and features. 

Designed by the girls themselves, the hammer lightstick is most known for its hilarious squeaky noise when actually used as a hammer - something no other K-pop fanlight can do. The 'BI-Ping-Bong' can also react to music by blinking, which is an especially essential feature during a BLACKPINK concert.

Cherry Bullet's Cherry Gun

[Notice] Cherry Bullet OFFICIAL LIGHT STICK 온라인 판매 안내 🍒🔫

자세한 사항은 해당 상품의 상세페이지에서 확인 가능합니다.#CherryBullet #체리블렛 #CherryBullet_OFFICIAL_LIGHT_STICK

🍒 https://t.co/80gbvUtm7y pic.twitter.com/QJOUNowQdS

— Cherry Bullet (체리블렛) (@cherrybullet) February 6, 2020

When you have a group named Cherry Bullet, it's only fitting to have a Cherry Gun. Considered one of the most unique lightsticks to date by those both in and out of the fandom, the girl group's fanlight is donned in bright red and white, resembling the shape of a gun. There are different light modes and settings available for fans to activate by pulling the trigger.

Check out how the girls of Cherry Bullet use the Cherry Gun here:

iKON's KONBAT

iKON really came swinging with this one. When it comes to design, the YG Entertainment boy group's KONBAT definitely ranks high. Designed to be a literal baseball bat, the lightstick glows the group's signature red colour and dons the group's logo, which represent the stripes on the South Korean flag.

I.O.I's Ice Cream

[PIC] I.O.I Unit with their Official Light Stick! 🍦 pic.twitter.com/pIzsXwSWW2

— teamIOI (@teamIOI) December 20, 2016

K-pop lightsticks take inspiration from everywhere and for I.O.I, it's from ice cream. Emulating the girl group's sweet charm, their official fanlight take the form of a large vanilla ice cream swirl laying atop a cone. The lightstick emits lights in the group's signature colours, pink and yellow. While it has no official name like most traditional fanlights, this one would be easy to spot from a mile away. Considered a true collectible, only 2,500 of these ice cream fanlights were made. 

ITZY's Light Ring

Similar to their labelmate DAY6's light band, ITZY ventured far from traditional lightsticks and instead went onto rings. Meant to be held like a tambourine, the group's Light Ring has a sleek, all-white design that comes with a wall hang cradle so you can hang the ring for mood lighting. Taking lightstick culture to a new level, the girls' unique fanlight sold out in less than seven hours after official pre-orders were launched. 

The Light Ring comes with varied lighting and colour settings, including a 'rainbow flow' option that radiates a string of varied neon colours. 

Watch as a fan unboxes and reviews ITZY's Light Ring:

Highlight's HALLABONG

While most lightsticks try to go all with their design, this fanlight stands out for exactly the opposite. Contrary to its monochrome and sleek exterior, Highlight's HALLABONG can really cover a stadium with bright colours. Designed to fittingly look like a lightbulb, the HALLABONG comes with six varied colour settings and light modes. 

Watch the lightstick in action here:

#Highlight fans spelled their name in lights during their stage at #INK2017. #Light is the best! #Kpopmap_INK2017 ★Kpopmap pic.twitter.com/5gkvF29Rwk

— Kpopmap (@Kpopmap) September 9, 2017

Big Bang's Bang Bong

Credited with creating the first-ever lightstick in K-pop, you can't have any list of lightsticks without considering Big Bang's Bang Bong. Designed by group leader G-Dragon, the Bang Bong has undergone several modifications since its debut but its crown design and 'B' emblem has stood the test of time. The most recent version of the group's fanlight comes in two variants - black and white, and comes with a microphone that can detect low bass beats which allow the light to sync to song beats. 

In its time, the group also came also with different variations of the Bang Bong, some of which were a portable charger and a ring. 

Golden Child's RUNE-BONG

golden child's official lightstick is a bowling pin! omg imagine if chanyeol is goldenness, he'll gonna buy ten of the lightsticks so he can play bowling using them at their dorm hahsfahgfh 😂 my athletic babies,,, even their lightstick is athletic and sports related ㅋㅋㅋ pic.twitter.com/uS0eWF2qfl

— ⬣ ᴇxᴏ ʟᴏᴠᴇʟʏᴢ ᴅᴀʏ6 ⬣ (@lovelydayxoxo) October 10, 2018

Golden Child's official fanlight is packed with a bunch of cool features that make it stand out amongst a sea of K-pop lightsticks. First of all, it's a bowling pin! Named RUNE-BONG, many fans believe that the lightstick takes after the fact the group has ten members and symbolises how each member completes the set. Beyond its shape, the lightstick comes with a unique feature that projects the group's logo when turned on. 

The RUNE-BONG can also sync to sounds and change colours and light modes based on the beats of the song. There's even an official app that connects to the lightstick and acts as a remote control. 

VIXX's Starlight Stick

Is it the stars? No, it's the bright, twinkling ocean of Starlights (fandom name) in a VIXX concert. Resembling the look of night stars encased in a glass hexagon, VIXX's official lightstick is definitely a wonderment of its own. The Starlight Stick is, of course, lovingly named after boy group's legion of fans and is painted in the group's signature colours, "navy and shining gold". Atop the lightstick is also the group's logo and engravings of the members' names.