Of all the characters in the Star Wars sequels, few made as big an impact as Kylo Ren. As the sole legacy of the Skywalker-Solo dynasty, his struggle between the light and dark makes him one of the franchise's most complex, magnetic characters to date — even if a lot of his story happens off-screen.
In the comics, Kylo Ren's background is fleshed out in considerably more detail. While moviegoers were forced to fill in the blanks, these stories help piece together the fall (and rise) of the man once known as Ben Solo.
10 He appeared in Force visions before he was born
The Force connects everyone in the universe — even if they don't technically exist yet. Kylo Ren's first chronological Star Wars appearance comes in the 2017 series Darth Vader, where his grandfather hears his voice 17 years prior to his birth.
This turns out to be prophetic in more ways than one. As Vader slaughters illusions of the Jedi in a dark side portal on Mustafar, he hears Ren's voice insisting it's time to "let the past die." Of course, this is exactly what Ren later tells Rey in The Last Jedi, and it's this belief that drives most of his villainy.
9 He didn't always hate Luke
Something Ben and Luke had in common was their passion for old Jedi artifacts. Part of their travels involved accumulating these items to piece together some understanding of the history of the Jedi Order, which Ben, as the galaxy's resident Force nerd, was all too happy to do.
Comic fans see proof throughout the entirety of The Rise of Kylo Ren, but it's never more obvious than in volume two. Luke takes Ben to an old Jedi outpost, admitting he partly did so to indulge Ben's fascination with ancient weapons. Both note how pleased they are to have the other by their side, giving a heartwarming — but rare — glimpse at their uncle and nephew dynamic before it was tainted by Snoke.
8 He believed Luke was holding him back
Despite their similarities, Ben's grudge against Luke started long before he became Kylo Ren. As a teenager, he was keen to learn all he could about the mysteries of the Jedi Order and the Force. While Luke takes him on exploratory missions in The Rise of Kylo Ren serial, Ben feels Luke won't let him put the knowledge they find into practice and wants to hold him back.
It's not uncommon for teenagers to feel like they know more than their elders, and this bitterness poses a clear parallel to Palpatine manipulating Anakin Skywalker's belief that the Jedi were stunting his potential. Just like Anakin, these feelings lead to Ben's downfall — Snoke convinces Ben that Luke only sees him as a child, but would one day realize his potential.
7 Why he chose the name Kylo Ren
There are lots of things that don't make sense about The Rise of Skywalker. Kylo Ren's storyline doesn't get the time or attention it deserves, and neither does his background — including why Ben chose the name "Kylo Ren" in the first place.
Thankfully, this is tackled in The Rise of Kylo Ren. A young Ben Solo resents being named for legends he's never met. He later takes over the Knights of Ren, all of whom name themselves for their eponymous leader and the legendary lightsaber "Ren", and chops up the names "Skywalker" and "Solo" to make the name "Kylo". It's an unusual move but lives up to the Skywalker reputation for drama.
6 He killed Ren
There's a lot more to the Knights of Ren than just influencing the name of Ben Solo's dark side alter-ego. Ben actually meets the group of dark warriors with Luke early on in The Rise of Kylo Ren. After destroying Luke's academy, he returns to find them at Snoke's suggestion, determined to forge a new destiny.
Unsurprisingly, this doesn't go well. Ben travels with them for a while but when their leader, Ren, kills one of Ben's former fellow Jedi apprentices, he gives in to the darkness and kills Ren with the weapon of the same name. Considering how rapidly the other Knights welcome the newly-dubbed Kylo Ren as their new leader, their sudden change in loyalty in Rise of Skywalker makes a lot more sense.
5 He didn't mean to kill his fellow apprentices
One of the most chilling moments of Anakin's downfall in Revenge of the Sith is when he ruthlessly kills Jedi younglings. Many assumed Ben carried out a similar deed the night he destroyed Luke's Temple, but The Rise of Kylo Ren proves that wasn't the case.
Angry, scared, and confused, Ben's emotions get the better of him. After he brings his hut down around his uncle, he's as shocked as anyone when a Force Storm strikes — and destroys — the Temple, killing those inside. The comic never clarifies who's to blame, but strongly implies it wasn't Ben, who comes away saying he never wanted this to happen. Of all the proof in this series that Kylo Ren never truly fell to the dark side, this is some of the most important.
4 Snoke trained him on Dagobah
Luke isn't the only person to learn the ways of the Force on Dagobah. Just like his uncle before him, Kylo Ren sharpens his abilities on the remote swamp planet — except this time, it's under the tutelage of Snoke, not Yoda.
In 2019's Age of Resistance – Supreme Leader Snoke, Ren is taken to Dagobah where Snoke challenges him to enter the Cave of Evil. Just as Luke confronts a vision of Darth Vader in The Empire Strikes Back, Ren faces visions of his uncle and parents. Unlike Luke, he can't bring himself to kill them. Instead, Ren destroys the Cave, foreboding his later betrayal of both Snoke and the dark side.
3 He bled his kyber crystal
Kylo Ren has one of the most unique lightsabers in the Star Wars universe, but a blade that cool doesn't come easy. After renouncing his life as Ben Solo, the fourth volume of The Rise of Kylo Ren sees him bleed his kyber crystal — the heart of every lightsaber that helps its wielder find balance in the Force.
Bleeding is a dark side tactic that involves pouring hate, anger, fear, and pain into the crystal, turning it red. It also makes it more unstable. It causes Ren's lightsaber to overheat, forcing him to adopt a crossguard design, cementing it as one of the most formidable weapons in the galaxy.
2 Rey felt his presence in the Force before they met
Kylo Ren's rivalry and Force bond with Rey is one of the most compelling parts of the entire sequel trilogy. Audiences first witnessed it in The Last Jedi, but The Rise of Kylo Ren confirmed that Rey, at least, had sensed Ren years earlier.
When Ben Solo falls to the dark side and takes on his new moniker in volume four, it creates a disturbance in the Force. Leia, Snoke, and even Darth Sidious all feel it – and so does a teenage Rey back in Jakku. There's no way of knowing if he ever sensed her before they met, but the dyad is a powerful thing.
1 He saved Hux's life
Only one thing outweighs General Armitage Hux's lust for power, and that's his hatred for Kylo Ren. The feeling is mutual — and yet Kylo Ren once went out of his way to save the general's life.
While hunting Luke Skywalker in Age of Resistance — General Hux, Ren and Hux's shuttle crash-lands. Ren manages to survive by using the Force, but he accidentally saves Hux in the process. He soon regrets the fact — and even later considers striking Hux down with his Lightsaber when he taunts Ren over his parents – but is ultimately responsible for letting him live.
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