Kylo Ren ' s lightsaber Kylo Ren ' s lightsaber was a crossguard lightsaber constructed sometime before or during the year 34 ABY by Kylo Ren , Supreme Leader of the First Order and master of the Knights of Ren . The lightsaber , based on an ancient design dating back to the Great Scourge of Malachor , contained a cracked Kyber crystal , requiring it to have lateral vents on either side of the handle in order to divert the extra heat generated by the crystal . During the cold war , Ren used the lightsaber to strike down Lor San Tekka , a member of the Church of the Force . When his father , Han Solo beseeched him to leave the First Order , Ren ignited the crossguard lightsaber through Solo ' s torso in an act of patricide . He later dueled the former stormtrooper known as Finn , and the Force - sensitive scavenger Rey , though he lost to the latter . After recovering from his defeat on Starkiller Base , Ren assassin ated his dark side master , Supreme Leader Snoke , and fought alongside Rey against the Elite Praetorian Guard . He killed several guards using his crossguard lightsaber before taking control of the First Order as Snoke ' s successor . On Crait , he was confronted by his uncle and former mentor , Jedi Master Luke Skywalker , and attempted to strike him down in battle . However , Ren ' s lightsaber was ineffective against his opponent as Skywalker had only projected his appearance on Crait whereas his physical form was still on Ahch - To . Description . Kylo Ren , master of the Knights of Ren and Supreme Leader of the First Order , owned a crossguard lightsaber during his time as the dark side apprentice of former Supreme Leader Snoke . The weapon was built sometime before or during the year 34 ABY . The lightsaber was crudely assembled based on an ancient design dating back thousands of years to the Great Scourge of Malachor . Despite being an ancient design , the lightsaber had modern components inside it . A single cracked Kyber crystal , barely able to contain the weapon ' s power , necessitated the lateral vents which diverted the extra heat produced by the crystal to either side of the hilt , and gave the weapon ' s red plasma blades an unstable , serrated appearance . To balance the weapon ' s power , the crossguard blades emerge after the main blade appears . History . Kylo Ren wielded the crossguard lightsaber while working alongside the Knights of Ren and the First Order . During the conflict between the First Order and the Resistance , he used the lightsaber to kill Lor San Tekka , a member of the Church of the Force , as well as his own father , Han Solo . He also used the weapon to destroy a computer terminal aboard the " Finalizer " , and later an Interrogation chair aboard Starkiller Base , both times in a rage - induced temper tantrum — regarding a report about Finn ' s involvement in BB - 8 ' s escape from Jakku and discovering that Rey had escaped in his absence , respectively . It later crossed blades with the Skywalker lightsaber , a Jedi weapon that once belonged to Ren ' s grandfather , the Jedi Knight Anakin Skywalker . Although he defeated and injured the former stormtrooper known as Finn in a brief duel , he was in turn defeated by Rey , who successfully channeled the Force within herself to fight back , striking Ren ' s lightsaber and knocking it from his hand . Despite the weapon being damaged , it was far from irreparable , as Kylo Ren would soon use the weapon again , adding a sleeker black casing to it . While in the presence of Snoke ' s Elite Praetorian Guard s , the lightsaber came into the possession of Rey , who summoned it from Kylo ' s side in an attempt to fight Snoke and his bodyguard s . In spite of her efforts , Rey was telekinetically disarmed by Snoke , who commanded his apprentice to kill the aspiring Jedi . Kylo used the moment as an opportunity to assassinate Snoke by cutting him in half with the Skywalker lightsaber . Activating his own lightsaber , Kylo Ren fought alongside Rey against the Praetorians , all of whom perished while attempting to avenge their slain leader . After the battle in the throne room , Kylo assumed the title of Supreme Leader and brought the forces of the First Order to the planet Crait , where he attempted to fight his uncle Luke Skywalker , only to discover that he was fighting a projection of the Jedi Master . As a result , the Resistance was able to escape before Ren could destroy them . Behind the scenes . Kylo Ren ' s lightsaber was introduced in the first teaser trailer for . The trailer , released on November 28 , 2014 , showed Ren walking through a snowy forest on Starkiller Base and igniting the lightsaber . The introduction of the lightsaber was well - publicized in the media , including on " The Colbert Report " and " @ Midnight " on Comedy Central . The lightsaber was also the subject of a number of pieces of fan art released in the days after the trailer premiered . It appeared twice in the second trailer that debuted at Celebration Anaheim 2015 . The trailer showed Ren swinging the lightsaber , and later holding it in his left hand while he holds out his right . The concept of a crossguard lightsaber was first introduced in " Star Wars " Legends , previously known as the Expanded Universe . The lightsaber , which had two beams rather than three , made its first appearance in the 2004 comic book " " .