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Kylo Ren

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Kylo Ren
Star Wars character
File:KyloRen-2015.jpg
Kylo Ren in a promotional
image for The Force Awakens
First appearanceThe Force Awakens (2015)
Created by
Portrayed byAdam Driver
Voiced byAdam Driver (Disney Infinity 3.0)
In-universe information
SpeciesHuman
GenderMale
Occupation
Affiliation
  • First Order
  • Jedi (formerly)
Family
Relatives

Kylo Ren (born Ben) is a fictional character in the Star Wars franchise. He was introduced in the 2015 film Star Wars: The Force Awakens, where he was portrayed by Adam Driver. Kylo Ren is a pseudonym for Ben, the son of original Star Wars trilogy characters Han Solo and Leia Organa. He was trained by Luke Skywalker in the Jedi Arts, but was seduced to the dark side of the Force and joined the Knights of Ren. He is a leading member of the First Order, an organization spawned from the Galactic Empire, and aspires to be as powerful as his grandfather, Darth Vader.

Concept and creation

After Lucasfilm was acquired by The Walt Disney Company in 2012, the script for The Force Awakens was written by Lawrence Kasdan, J. J. Abrams and Michael Arndt, with no direct participation from Star Wars creator George Lucas. According to director Abrams, Ren was initially conceived as a figurehead within the First Order who represents the organization's admiration of Darth Vader and the Galactic Empire. Abrams said that the First Order is inspired by the theory of ODESSA, which allegedly involved SS officers fleeing to Argentina following World War II.[1]

In an interview with Time, the costume designer for The Force Awakens, Michael Kaplan, said that Ren was the most difficult character to design for the film. Abrams requested that the character be designed to have features that would be memorable for a child. After numerous attempts to gain Abrams' approval, the final design was selected, due in large part to its spaghetti-styled fabric lining across the body and silver reflective lining along the mask. He was an unnamed villain at first, but later got a name.[2]

Ren's character arc shares similarities with that of Jacen Solo of the Star Wars expanded universe, as the son of Han Solo and Princess Leia who threatens the galaxy as a fallen Jedi.[3][4]

According to other cast members, Driver is a method actor, which meant that he sometimes stayed in character on set as Ren and left his mask on between scenes.[5] Driver explained that his goal was "to forget you're in Star Wars and treat it like any other job that's filled with moments and problems," because from the perspective of the characters living within the film's world, "Darth Vader is real."[5]

Appearances

The Force Awakens (2015)

In the film, Ben is revealed to have trained as a Jedi under his uncle, Luke Skywalker. However, he was corrupted to the dark side of the Force by Supreme Leader Snoke, and wiped out all of Skywalker's other apprentices. He joins the Knights of Ren and takes the name Kylo Ren. As the master of the Knights of Ren, he serves as a commander of the First Order. Ren's betrayal tears his family apart: Han and Leia separate, and Luke has simply disappeared, apparently leaving to find the First Jedi Temple. As one of the leaders of the First Order, Ren is in direct conflict with Leia, the leader of the Resistance. Despite his fanatical devotion to the First Order, however, he knows that there is still good in him, and reaches out through the dark side to communicate with Darth Vader, imploring his grandfather to give him strength.

When Leia sends pilot Poe Dameron to the planet Jakku to retrieve a map containing Luke's location, Ren leads a squad of Stormtroopers to capture him. But before he is captured, Dameron gives the map to his droid, BB-8. Ren then uses the Force to torture Dameron, forcing him to reveal the location of the map. After dispatching his troops to capture the droid, Ren discovers that a scavenger named Rey and a rogue Stormtrooper named Finn aided it in escaping the planet. Ren tracks them down and confronts Rey in a forest, where he subdues her and brings her back to Starkiller Base for interrogation. There he takes off his mask and his face is revealed. As he is torturing her, Ren discovers that Rey is strong with the Force, as she manages to resist his power. After Snoke orders Ren to bring Rey to him, Ren discovers that she escaped.

When the Resistance attempts to destroy Starkiller Base and rescue Rey, Han, who has been helping Rey and Finn, confronts Ren. Addressing him by his birth name, Han implores him to abandon the dark side. Ren rejects Han's offer, however, and stabs him with his lightsaber and watches him fall into the reactor shaft below. An enraged Chewbacca then shoots and injures Ren, before igniting explosives that create a gaping fissure in the Starkiller Base, which the Resistance use to start a chain reaction that destroys it.

While the Base disintegrates, Ren chases Finn and Rey onto the surface, where Finn tries to fight him using Luke's old lightsaber. When Ren wounds Finn, Rey takes up the lightsaber and fights him, eventually overpowering him with the Force; before she can deliver a killing blow, however, they are separated by a fissure on the surface. Snoke then orders the base to be evacuated and for Ren to be brought to him to complete his training.[6]

Family tree

Main article: Solo family

Template:Skywalker-Solo family tree

Reception

Both the character of Kylo Ren and Driver's performance have received acclaim. Many complimented Ren's conflicted nature and depth, as well as his costume design, and noted there were many places the character could be taken in future installments.[7][8][9] However some critics did find fault in Driver's youthful face not being as menacing when compared to his mask, as well as the filmmaker's possible attempt to copy Ren's costume design after Darth Vader.[10][11] Other critics have noted similarities between Ren's character design and that of Revan, the protagonist of Knights of the Old Republic.[12]

Peter Bradshaw of The Guardian praised the character and the actor alike, saying, "He is gorgeously cruel, spiteful and capricious – and unlike the Vader of old, he is given to petulant temper tantrums, with his lightsaber drawn."[13] Terri Schwartz of IGN also called Driver's performance "spectacular". She also noted that "his performance adds great depth to a character who could have come off as one-dimensional, and the implications of his arc leave a viewer with plenty to think about after they leave the theater".[14]

References

  1. ^ Dyer, James (August 25, 2015). "JJ Abrams Spills Details On Kylo Ren". Empire Online. Retrieved December 18, 2015.
  2. ^ "How Kylo Ren's Terrifying Mask Was Designed to Be Unforgettable to Kids". Time. December 11, 2015. Retrieved December 18, 2015.
  3. ^ Bouie, Jamelle (December 16, 2015). "How The Force Awakens Remixes the Star Wars Expanded Universe". Slate. Retrieved December 20, 2015.
  4. ^ Kendrick, Ben (December 18, 2015). "Star Wars 7: Kylo Ren Backstory Explained". ScreenRant. Retrieved December 20, 2015.
  5. ^ a b Hiatt, Brian (December 2, 2015). "'Star Wars' Strikes Back: Behind the Scenes of the Biggest Movie of the Year". Rolling Stone. Rolling Stone LLC. Retrieved December 22, 2015.
  6. ^ Saavedra, John (December 17, 2015). "Star Wars: The Force Awakens Easter Eggs and Reference Guide". Den of Geek. Retrieved December 18, 2015.
  7. ^ "Star Wars: The Force Awakens Review (Or How I Might Just Like Kylo Ren)". thebiglead.com. Retrieved December 21, 2015.
  8. ^ "'Force Awakens' Thrilling If Not Familiar Adventure". thereeldeal.com. Retrieved December 21, 2015.
  9. ^ "What Happened To Kylo Ren After 'The Force Awakens'? The Villian Could Make A Return". bustle.com. Retrieved December 21, 2015.
  10. ^ Buchanan, Kyle (November 11, 2015). "Let's Discuss the Ending of Star Wars: The Force Awakens". Retrieved December 19, 2015.
  11. ^ Travers, Peter (December 16, 2015). "Star Wars: The Force Awakens". Retrieved December 21, 2015.
  12. ^ Dickens, Donna (August 17, 2015). "Kylo Ren Looks An Awful Lot Like This Other Star Wars Character". Hit Fix. Retrieved December 24, 2015.
  13. ^ Bradshaw, Peter (December 16, 2015). "Star Wars: The Force Awakens review – 'a spectacular homecoming'". Retrieved December 21, 2015. {{cite web}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |1= (help)
  14. ^ Schwartz, Terri. "Star Wars: The Force Awakens Review". IGN.com. Ziff Davis LLC. Retrieved December 22, 2015.

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