Kylo Ren's Fall To The Dark Side Explained: How Princess Leia's Son Was Seduced By Palpatine

The fall of Ben Solo and rise of Kylo Ren in the Star Wars canon is more involved than what was revealed in the sequel trilogy alone. The son of Princess Leia and Han Solo, Ben Solo had a very troubled childhood despite living during the New Republic Era in the wake of the Rebellion's victory over the Empire. This was largely due to years of work behind the scenes by Palpatine, and key mistakes made by Solo's loved ones (not just Luke).

Ben Solo was born in 5 ABY, the very same day the Galactic Civil War officially ended with the Empire's surrender following the Battle of Jakku. After displaying a powerful connection to the Force, Ben became Luke Skywalker's apprentice just before he turned 10. However, Palpatine's gradual corruption of Ben had already begun even before the boy joined his uncle to become a Jedi. Here's how Ben Solo was turned to the dark side, and how Princess Leia and Han Solo ultimately lost their son in the Star Wars canon.

Ben Solo Was Tormented By Palpatine All His Life

Snoke, Vader, Palpatine (Every Voice)

When Kylo Ren finally faces Palpatine in person at the beginning of The Rise of Skywalker, the resurrected Sith Lord confirms that he'd been "every voice you've ever heard inside your head", his own voice changing to sound like both Snoke and Ben's grandfather, Darth Vader. This was later revealed in future additions to the canon to be truer than audiences could have possibly known at the onset. After all, Ben was only a child when Palpatine began his dark work to mold Solo into his future apprentice.

Palpatine first used Snoke who served as a proxy at the start of Ben's corruption. The young Solo began communicating with Snoke through the Force at a very young age, long before the start of his Jedi training with Luke. Presenting himself as a mentor and teacher, Snoke took advantage of Ben's fear and loneliness, especially when he was frequently left in the care of a droid while his mother helped lead the New Republic Senate and his father was training the next generation of pilots.

As Kylo Ren and knowing the full truth about his lineage, Darth Vader's helmet speaking to Ren was nothing more than Palpatine himself, continuing to stoke the darkness from behind the scenes. After all, Anakin had been redeemed in Return of the Jedi and wouldn't have spoken to his grandson as the Sith Lord he once was. That said, the revelation that Darth Vader was his grandfather played a large role in Ben's corruption, while also creating a sizable rift in his relationship with his family.

The Secret Of Darth Vader Wore Down On Ben Even More

Leia, Han, and Luke All Kept The Truth From Him

It was revealed in the Star Wars canon that the secret about Anakin Skywalker and his darkness as Darth Vader had been kept secret from Ben, just as it had from the rest of the galaxy for years. The only ones who knew the truth about Vader was Luke, Leia, and Han. However, the truth was eventually discovered and Leia in particular was exposed by her political rivals in the Senate (seen in the novel Star Wars: Bloodline). This meant that Ben learned the truth about his grandfather right alongside the rest of the galaxy as a young man.

While Leia had wanted to wait until Luke could adequately share with Ben about Anakin's redemption to the light side of the Force, the damage was done and Ben felt incredibly alienated from the rest of his family. To that end, this pushed him even further towards Snoke (Palpatine). It also meant that Ben began to feel justified in his own inner struggles with the dark side he'd long had for years, the true start of his obsession with Darth Vader and the desire to continue his dark legacy.

Luke Skywalker's Mistake On Ossus Was His Breaking Point

The Final Piece Pushing Ben Solo To The Dark Side

Not long after the Darth Vader revelation was Luke Skywalker's greatest mistake in the Star Wars timeline which served as Ben's final breaking point (both occurring in 28 ABY). As seen in The Last Jedi flashbacks where the Jedi Master briefly considered killing his own nephew, Ben felt as though he had no other option but to finally go to Snoke and embrace the dark side once and for all. This resulted in his destruction of Luke's Jedi academy on Ossus, taking over the Knights of Ren by killing their leader, taking the new name Kylo Ren, and bleeding his kyber to construct his new red lightsaber.

The Darth Vader revelation combined with Ben's action also resulted in Leia's resignation from the Senate, Han leaving his wife and returning to smuggling with Chewbacca, and Luke going into exile on Ahch-To. Ultimately, Ben Solo's seduction to the dark side was years in the making. One could argue he never really had a chance, considering how young he was when the corruption began by Palpatine. That said, it is satisfying that his eventual return to the light did see Ben Solo finally finishing what his grandfather started not as Vader, but as Anakin.

Ben Solo/Kylo Ren

The son of Han Solo and Leia Organa, Ben was manipulated by Palpatine through the Force for most of his life, influenced toward the dark side of the Force. A misstep by Luke Skywalker ultimately left Ben feeling he had no choice but to embrace the dark side, and he became Kylo Ren, a key figure in the First Order. Kylo Ren's heart remained deeply divided, however, even after he ascended to become Supreme Leader of the First Order. He was ultimately redeemed by Rey, with whom he shared a remarkable Force bond, and by the love of his parents.

Died Star Wars: Episode IX- The Rise Of Skywalker

Alliance Jedi, First Order

Race Human