Star Wars Turns Kylo Ren Into a Literal Darth Vader Replacement, Completing The Force Awakens’ Forgotten Story

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A decade ago, Star Wars: The Force Awakens introduced the main villain of the sequel trilogy, Kylo Ren, played by Adam Driver. From his first appearance, it was clear he was modeled after Darth Vader. Lucasfilm intentionally kept Kylo Ren’s identity a mystery, sparking many fan theories – some even speculated he was Luke Skywalker turned to the dark side. Eventually, The Force Awakens revealed that he was actually Ben Solo, Darth Vader’s grandson, and was strangely fixated on his grandfather.

I’ll never forget the moment Kylo Ren stood before the shattered remains of Darth Vader’s mask. It was heartbreaking to witness him wrestling with his inner conflict, desperately trying to connect with his grandfather’s spirit. He pleaded to be shown the dark side’s power again, promising to complete Vader’s mission, whatever that was. Honestly, it always felt a little mysterious what Kylo thought that mission even entailed, because their connection was never fully explained… until now! This week’s Star Wars: Legacy of Vader #11, from Charles Soule and Luke Ross, finally sheds some light on everything.

Kylo Ren Is Literally Transformed Into a New Darth Vader

Ben Solo always felt a dark shadow looming over him, but he didn’t know what it was. As revealed in The Rise of Skywalker, that presence was actually the resurrected Palpatine, a fact Ben was unaware of. He only discovered the truth about his family history as an adult, and initially believed the darkness he felt came from his grandfather, Darth Vader. His connection to Darth Vader’s legacy remains complex because he simply didn’t know enough about his grandfather.

The comic series Legacy of Vader fills in gaps between The Last Jedi and The Rise of Skywalker. It focuses on Kylo Ren’s encounter with Vanée, Darth Vader’s former aide, who attempts to teach Kylo about Vader’s history. However, Vanée has a secret goal: to mold Kylo Ren into a new version of Darth Vader. This culminates in issue #11, where Vanée drugs Kylo and attempts to transform him by immersing him in the lava of Mustafar while forcing a Darth Vader helmet onto his head.

Kylo Ren Finally Rejects His Grandfather’s Shadow

Vanée’s attempts to control Kylo Ren fail; he refuses to simply follow in Darth Vader’s footsteps. He’s determined to forge his own path and define himself independently. This is a key moment for his character, as he finally asserts his own identity. He declares, “I am already everything I need to be,” and it’s ambiguous whether he’s saying this to Vanée or to himself. He makes it clear he isn’t a replacement for Vader, nor is he defined by his family name; he is simply himself.

As a huge fan, I’ve always thought about Kylo Ren’s turn in The Rise of Skywalker, and something really struck me. Seeing him want his old mask back suddenly makes so much sense! It wasn’t about becoming Darth Vader again, it was about reclaiming the identity he created, the one he chose for himself years before. It’s actually kind of beautiful when you think about it – becoming Kylo Ren, separate from Vader’s shadow, was probably a key part of him finding his way back to the light and remembering he was, at his core, a Solo.

Star Wars: Legacy of Vader #11 is on sale now from Marvel Comics.

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2025-12-03 19:41