Marvel's Star Wars comics are finally exploring the darkest point in Ben Solo/Kylo Ren's life, in the time between The Last Jedi and Rise of Skywalker; though he has risen to be the Supreme Leader of the evil First Order, this era also finds him at his personal lowest, a dynamic that, according to the author of the new Legacy of Vader miniseries, will be pivotal to the story.
In an interview with IGN to promote Star Wars: Legacy of Vader – written by Charles Soule, with art by Luke Ross – Soule discussed how the series extracts drama from Kylo Ren's journey to discover what it truly means to be the heir of Darth Vader, noting that this story finds its protagonist at the most turbulent time in his life, to say the least.
"You want to write characters with emotion to them," Soule noted, before adding, "and at this point, Kylo’s about as emotional as a character can get."
Marvel's Star Wars Comics Will Explore The Little Known Period Of Kylo Ren's Reign As The First Order's Supreme Leader
Star Wars: Legacy of Vader #1 – Written By Charles Soule; Art By Luke Ross; Color By Nolan Woodard
Kylo Ren has appeared in a few minor stories set between The Last Jedi and The Rise of Skywalker, including his time hunting down the Resistance on the planet Battu, which can be experienced at Disney's Galaxy's Edge, and previously aboard Disney's Galactic Starcruiser. Until now, none of these events really went into detail about how Kylo Ren was dealing with all the traumatic things that went down in just a matter of weeks. Kylo killed his father and almost killed his mother, faced his mentor and killed his master, made a powerful connection with Rey, and took over the First Order.
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Ahead of the upcoming "Legacy of Vader" comic series, author Charles Soule spoke about the importance of the Star Wars Expanded Universe.
According to Legacy of Vader writer Charles Soule, Ben Solo is still somewhere within Kylo Ren, and that dynamic is pivotal to the new comic series. As Soule explains:
At this particular moment he’s been shoved down into some dark corner of Kylo Ren’s psyche... Kylo wants to move forward, but all of that trauma and intensity is very fresh – not easy to get past.
After all the emotional trauma that Ben has gone through, he is fully Kylo Ren, more than he ever has been before. Eventually, he will return to the light side, but first he needs to work through his emotions while leading the First Order; that is where Legacy of Vader comes in, as a vital part of Disney's Star Wars canon.
Ben Solo's Character Needs To Be More Fleshed Out For Fans to Accept His Return To The Light
Star Wars: Legacy of Vader #1 – Main Cover By Derrick Chew; Variant Covers By Karen Darboe, Erik Gist, Annie Wu, & More
Ben Solo's return to the Light Side happened quite quickly in The Rise of Skywalker; after his mother's death and a vision of his father, whom he killed, Kylo Ren's character seemed to have a drastic turnaround. This was hard for many fans to accept, especially with such little evident motivation behind the switch. Which is precisely why Legacy of Vader is such a vital story for Marvel's Star Wars to tell, for a generational character such as Kylo Ren. Before he can become good again, Kylo needs to work through all the darkest parts of his life.
Legacy of Vader is actually a story of redemption, which puts Kylo in a very vulnerable spot by the time The Rise of Skywalker begins.
It will be an emotional journey, as noted by Charles Soule, and that is precisely what will make Legacy of Vader such an impactful story. Discovering the past of his role model Darth Vader may also bring him to the realization that Legacy of Vader is actually a story of redemption, which puts Kylo in a very vulnerable spot by the time The Rise of Skywalker begins, allowing him to change more dramatically. He needs that kind of epiphany before Star Wars fans can accept Ben's return to the light.
Source: IGN, Charles Soule Interview
Star Wars: Legacy of Vader #1 will be available February 5, 2024, from Marvel Comics.
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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.
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