Let the Past Die

Behold! 8 things you (probably) didn’t know about Kylo Ren

The Star Wars bad boy to rule them all has a few secrets. Don’t let the (recent) past die!

by Ryan Britt
Updated: 
Originally Published: 

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Fans generally have mixed feelings about the Star Wars sequel trilogy, but everyone agrees on the excellence of Adam Driver’s portrayal of Kylo Ren/Ben Solo.

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But there’s plenty even the most die-hard fans don’t know about Han and Leia’s only child. So we dug into the deepest recesses of Star Wars lore to bring you eight amazing facts about Kylo Ren.

8. “The Grave Robber”

Early concept art of the Star Wars: Episode VII villain was dubbed “the Grave Robber.” Spooky, right?

Christian Alzmann

Christian Alzmann

In one specific piece from artist Christian Alzmann, we get a version of this proto-Kylo holding the helmet of Darth Vader. The implication was that this mysterious villain had robbed the grave of Darth Vader.

7. The Han Solo twist

In early concept art for The Force Awakens, Kylo Ren was also called “the Jedi Killer.” But the true identity of this character was kept top secret.

As explained in The Art of the Last Jedi, by author Phil Szostak, a select few concept artists for the film were told in 2013 that “the Jedi Killer” was “Han and Leia Organa's son.” The concept art for “the Jedi Killer” murdering Han Solo wasn’t even published until 2017.

6. The evolution of Kylo’s lightsaber

In The Last Jedi flashbacks, we see Ben Solo wield a blue lightsaber against Luke Skywalker. But, did you know that the hilt of this saber is actually supposed to be the same weapon Kylo uses in the other movies?

In Star Wars canon, you get a red-bladed saber by “bleeding” a Kyber Crystal. The fact that Ben’s crystal cracked is why the red blade had a crackling, unstable quality. The crossguard feature was added by Kylo after he changed his name.

5. Lightsaber switcharoos

In all of the Star Wars films, Ben Solo/Kylo Ren is the only character to use both a red-bladed lightsaber and a blue-bladed lightsaber at different points in the same movie. Kylo swings both red and blue in The Last Jedi and The Rise of Skywalker, albeit in different scenes.

The only other movie character to wield both red and blue simultaneously was Anakin Skywalker in Revenge of the Sith. (Briefly, Anakin held his own blue saber and Count Dooku’s red one at the same time. Do it!)

4. Kylo loves calligraphy

In addition to collecting Darth Vader swag, Kylo Ren also loves the art of calligraphy. At least, he did when he was Ben Solo. In the book The Last Jedi: The Visual Dictionary, it was revealed that, right next to his lightsaber, Ben Solo had a “calligraphy set.”

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3. Kylo Ren was a bad baby

In the Daniel José Older novel Double Shot, we learned that, even as a tiny toddler sleeping with his dad, Ben Solo “kicked Han in the face.”

Shirlaine Forrest/WireImage/Getty Images

Shirlaine Forrest/WireImage/Getty Images

The idea that Ben Solo was a troubled child is further revealed in the in-universe history book Star Wars Skywalker: A Family at War by Kristin Baver.

2. Lando (probably) bought Kylo his first cape

Although we attribute most of Kylo Ren’s fashion sense to his obsession with Darth Vader, it’s possible his interest in capes comes from... Uncle Lando Calrissian?

In the canon novel Aftermath, Lando tells Lobot he really wants to buy Ben “a cute little cape.”

1. Kylo’s face scar changed — twice!

In The Force Awakens, Rey sliced Kylo Ren across his face. It left a gnarly scar that ran the length of his entire face.

In The Last Jedi, this scar is way smaller. Rian Johnson says it changed because it “looked goofy running straight up the bridge of his nose.” In Rise of Skywalker, when Rey uses Force-healing to restore Kylo, this scar evaporates.

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