How Luke and Anakin's Missing Hands Shaped Kylo Ren's Lightsaber

Back when Kylo Ren was introduced in Star Wars: The Force Awakens, the design of his iconic crossguard lightsaber was influenced by the lost hands of both Luke Skywalker and Darth Vader.

Back when Kylo Ren was introduced in Star Wars: The Force Awakens, the design of his iconic crossguard lightsaber was influenced by the lost hands of both Luke Skywalker and Darth Vader. Jet Cooper, the 3D Modelling Supervisor of the movie, revealed that the concept of the crossguard stemmed from the idea of preventing hand loss in combat, inspired by historical European sword designs.

The lightsaber underwent several design iterations, with influences from knights' swords. The decision to include the crossguard was not only rooted in historical swordsmanship but also aimed at creating a distinctive silhouette recognizable even to a young audience. Cooper expressed pride in his collaboration with J.J. Abrams on crafting Kylo Ren's lightsaber, which went through multiple versions before reaching its final design.

Aside from his work on Star Wars, Cooper, who also contributed to films like Skyfall and X-Men: First Class, recently unveiled a unique Terminator collectible with his team at Makinarium. His passion for prop-making, ignited by his childhood fascination with Star Wars, has led him to a successful career in the movie industry.