Star Wars’ Kylo Ren Lightsaber Controversy Makes Even Less Sense 10 Years Later

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Despite being a much-loved series, Star Wars has sparked a lot of debate among fans. While most people agree the first three movies are great, the later trilogies have been quite controversial, and discussions often turn into arguments. Many fan concerns are legitimate, but sometimes people focus on nitpicking small details. A good example of this was the early backlash over Kylo Ren’s unique lightsaber.

I still remember being absolutely captivated when I first saw Kylo Ren’s lightsaber in the trailer for The Force Awakens. It wasn’t just a single blade, but with those smaller, perpendicular ones forming a crossguard – it reminded me of medieval swords! It seems silly now, but that lightsaber design sparked so much discussion, even among people who weren’t huge Star Wars fans. Looking back, a decade later, I’m honestly surprised how much debate something like that could create – it was a really cool design, and it’s amazing to think people actually questioned its practicality!

Kylo Ren Wielded One of Star Wars’ Strangest Lightsabers

When Kylo Ren’s unique lightsaber appeared, many people questioned whether its crossguard could actually deflect attacks. They reasoned that if the extra blades weren’t made of a strong material, they’d be easily damaged and wouldn’t provide any protection. Conversely, if they were made of a durable substance, the entire hilt could have been constructed from it, making the plasma blades unnecessary.

Kylo Ren’s lightsaber design had a practical flaw: the crossguard made it difficult to use in a fight because he had to be careful not to hit himself with the side blades. While some fans playfully made fun of the unique design with memes and short videos, others strongly disliked it, seeing it as an example of the new Star Wars movies prioritizing cool ideas over good ones.

Looking back, the excitement surrounding Kylo Ren’s unique lightsaber seems like an overreaction considering its limited role in the Star Wars sequel trilogy. He didn’t use the crossguard feature very often, and when he did, it was mostly to attack. A good example from The Force Awakens is when he fought Finn – he used his main blade against Finn’s, then pressed one of the side blades into Finn’s shoulder, causing a burn.

Although a lightsaber with a crossguard might seem risky for the person using it, all lightsabers can be dangerous, especially during intense fights. Luckily, the Force usually protects Jedi and Sith from accidentally hurting themselves with their own weapons, allowing for complex and quick combat. The debate over Kylo Ren’s lightsaber became even less important when it was revealed that the crossguard design wasn’t the original idea.

The Crossguard Lightsaber Suited Kylo Ren’s Character in Star Wars

In the 2020 comic Rise of Kylo Ren #4, Kylo’s lightsaber crystal turned red when he embraced the Dark Side. The crystal cracked, probably because of his intense emotions. This damage made the crystal unstable, causing his lightsaber to overheat and fly out of his grip when he tried to activate it.

I always thought Kylo Ren’s lightsaber was incredibly cool – he added those vents to release extra energy, and the fact that they could split open into extra blades was just a fantastic detail! It turns out, the idea of lightsabers with those kinds of guards wasn’t just a one-off thing. We started seeing them appear in other parts of the Star Wars universe, like with some of the Jedi from the Old Republic era, even in the Rebels series. It showed that some Jedi actually thought these crossguard designs were a good idea and could be really useful.

Honestly, even if Kylo’s crossguard lightsaber hadn’t been practical – or even made things worse – it totally fit his character! He was clearly a young guy trying way too hard to be a scary Sith Lord, desperately wanting to live up to the image. It was the same with his mask. He didn’t need it like Vader did, and he wasn’t hiding anything, he just thought it made him look more intimidating, even though Snoke didn’t agree! He really valued how things looked over how well they actually worked, and that was just so Kylo.

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Since the release of The Force Awakens, Star Wars has added several unique lightsabers to its official storyline, including the spinning lightsabers used by the Inquisitors and Darth Noctyss’s sickle-shaped blade. While some fans questioned these designs, none caused as much debate as Kylo Ren’s crossguard lightsaber.

It’s possible other debates overshadowed this one, but it also suggests fans are less focused on how realistic lightsabers could be. The iconic weapons of Star Wars were always meant to be visually striking and new, and Kylo Ren’s unique lightsaber continued that tradition for a new audience.

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2025-12-26 07:11