Kylo Ren's lightsaber possessed a secret Force power in the lightsaber an unusual design, using a crossguard hilt with quillons to control and direct the energy streams to each side and prevent the lightsaber overheating. Kylo Ren quite liked the sinister crackle emitted by this distinctive lightsaber but, even though Star Wars sequel viewers never realized it, the use of a damaged kyber crystal potentially granted Kylo Ren's lightsaber unusual Force powers.
The Star Wars: Force & Destiny sourcebook Unlimited Power reveals some dark-siders prefer flawed kyber crystals because a Force can draw power out of them. "Under normal circumstances, these imperfections will not affect a lightsaber's performance," the sourcebook notes. "With the right knowledge, however, a Force can harness the leaking energy for their own ends. By performing a lengthy ritual with the lightsaber, a Mystic can draw some of its power into themselves for a time." This means Kylo Ren could have actually boosted his own dark side Force power by harnessing his lightsaber's cracked kyber crystal.
Did Kylo Ren Know How To Use His Lightsaber?
The interesting question, of course, is whether Kylo Ren knew how to use the Force power of energy transfer that would have allowed him to draw the power of his flawed kyber crystal into himself. Although many Star Wars sequel trilogy viewers will likely assume he didn't, it's important to note that Kylo Ren spent many years studying the dark side. At times, Kylo Ren showed more knowledge than Emperor Palpatine himself (such as recognizing his Force dyad with Rey before the Emperor), which suggests an intimate knowledge of Sith lore. Palpatine concerned himself only with Sith secrets he considered useful, and according to the book Secrets of the Sith, the Emperor never even bothered to visit the Sith homeworld of Moraband.
Star Wars doesn't confirm whether Kylo Ren ever took a trip to Moraband, but his fascination with Sith mythology certainly leaves that door ajar. It is, therefore, entirely possible Kylo Ren knew how to enhance his Force powers through his damaged lightsaber. Kyber crystals are tremendously powerful, and performing this ritual would have been beneficial even to the grandson of the Chosen One. Unfortunately, the Unlimited Power sourcebook does indicate the ritual required is a lengthy one, and it's possible the real reason Kylo Ren never drew power from his cracked kyber crystal was poor temperament. Quite simply, he may have lacked the patience.
Kylo Ren Never Made The Most Of His Lightsaber
In truth, as skilled as he may have been, Kylo Ren was nowhere near as powerful as his grandfather, Darth Vader. He never used that distinctive crossguard lightsaber properly; those quillons were awesome weapons in their own right, and Kylo Ren could have developed his own unique lightsaber style involving pivots and twists that exploited them to his advantage. Had Kylo Ren put in the training hours, one can imagine him sliding his blade downward when crossed with another lightsaber, thereby using a quillon to cut off his opponent's hand. Kylo Ren's crossguard lightsaber had tremendous potential, but Kylo himself never really tapped into that during the Star Wars sequel trilogy.