Kylo Ren and "The Knights of Ren" Teased for STAR WARS: THE FORCE AWAKENS
We have some intriguing new information regarding the main villain in J.J. Abrams' Star Wars: The Force Awakens, Kylo Ren, who is played by Adam Driver. There is a lot more to this character than we know, and all questions will be answered when we see the movie, but right now we have some new information on the character that was teased by Abrams and Lawrence Kasdan.
Talking to EW, director Abrams confirmed that Ren is someone who's aware of the events that took place during the original Star Wars trilogy and that his aesthetic is Ren's intentional nod to Darth Vader. We already know that he is obsessed with Vader from an earlier article I posted. Abrams said,
“The movie explains the origins of the mask and where it’s from, but the design was meant to be a nod to the Vader mask. [Ren] is well aware of what’s come before, and that’s very much a part of the story of the film.”
Abrams also revealed that the crossguard lightsaber that Ren wields is something he built himself, and "is as dangerous and as fierce and as ragged as the character." Not only that, but apparently the character sees himself as the hero of the story. The director explained,
“As you see in the best of storytelling, and no doubt the best of Star Wars, these are tales in which an everyperson has to step up. And I think that what makes Ren so unique is that he isn’t as fully formed as when we meet a character such as Darth Vader. And I think that there are two sides to the Force. Both sides, arguably, would see themselves as the hero of their story, and I think that applies here.”
As it turns out, Kylo Ren isn't the character's real name. In the same way Darth Vader came to have his name, Kylo was also given his new name when he joined a group called the Knights of Ren. So in the same way that there are several Darth names in the Star Wars universe, it seems like Kylo Ren won't be the only "Ren." The title of "Ren" is something that someone has to earn. Abrams said,
“He is a character who came to the name Kylo Ren when he joined a group called the Knights of Ren. He is not your prototypical mustache-twirling bad guy. He is a little bit more complex than that, and it was a great joy to work with Adam Driver on this role, because he threw himself into it in a deep and remarkable way.”
Lawrence Kasdan added his input on the character and talked about Driver's performance in the movie:
"I’ve written four Star Wars movies now, and there’s never been a character quite like the one that Adam plays. I think you’re going to see something that’s brand new to the saga. He’s full of emotion. No matter how we express ourselves in the world, whether we hide it and act very calm or whether we’re very out there and demonstrative, everybody’s roiling with emotion. And you want your characters to be that way, too. Then they have to deal with their emotions as best they can, with what they are. (Kasdan pauses as if he is on the verge of saying too much)... I’d say that is as far as I’d go".
I don't know what you think about all this, but I think that there's a good chance that Ren is in some way related to the Skywalker family. With his knowledge of the events that took place in the original trilogy and his obsession with Darth Vader, it just seems to make sense to me. But, of course, there's a chance that he could be related to anyone who lived through that time who passed down those stories. It would definitely be more dramatic if he were related to the Skywalker family, though!
After learning all this new information, how do you think the character fits into the saga?
Star Wars: The Force Awakens arrives in theaters on December 18th, 2015.