Monday, December 21, 2015

J.J. Abrams Discusses Why Kylo Ren Idolizes Darth Vader

59 comments
By: Benjamin Hart

Warning: this article includes spoilers from The Force Awakens. If you have not seen it yet, stop reading and head to your nearest theater!

The Force Awakens seemed to ask as many questions as it answered, especially concerning the villainous Kylo Ren. In the film we learned much about the character and his past and saw more of his idolization of his grandfather Darth Vader. Of course this raises some questions, such as why Kylo chooses to follow in the footsteps of Vader rather than his Light Side alter ego Anakin Skywalker. Gav Murphy from IGN recently caught up with director J.J. Abrams and inquired about this very subject. Abrams' gives a very intriguing answer, and also comments on why Kylo turned to the Dark Side in the first place. You can check out the video below:



Additionally, Pablo Hidalgo of the Lucasfilm Story Group confirmed Kylo's age on Twitter:


Kylo's backstory, coupled with Adam Driver's performance, made him one of the standout characters in The Force Awakens. I can't wait to see his story unfold further and learn more about his motivations in future films.

Sources: IGN, Twitter
Via: Club Jade

Follow The Star Wars Underworld on Twitter @TheSWU for more updates about this story and other breaking Star Wars news.

59 comments:

Unknown said...

I thought he was the best character in SW7. But is he is 30, then it makes no sense anymore.
In my mind he was 18-20 and that's why he acted so "childishly".

And he is still an apprentice.

30 years old make no sense. Hope Rian Jonhson will correct this.

Unknown said...

Darth Vader was still an Apprentice to ao it doesn't matter how old he was there is always to a master and an apprentice.

Unknown said...

I agree with the first comment. From the way he behaves you would assume he's in his early/mid twenties. Still a brilliant character though!

Unknown said...

If he were grown up and mature, he wouldn't be on the dark side. I know plenty of people that are in their 50's and 60's and are STILL ASSHOLES!

Brotherlink said...

People,
I know some young minded 30 year olds who behave far worse.
Immaturity doesn't have an age.

Brotherlink said...

People,
I know some young minded 30 year olds who behave far worse.
Immaturity doesn't have an age.

Unknown said...

does it make more sense to have kylo be a 10 year old wearing the costume when he kills the people at the jedi academy.............no. so thats why hes 30 in the movie so that 10 years before he could be capable of doing these things. the only problem i have with the movie is the slight mishandling of the relationship and emotion conveyed in the movie between han, leia and ben solo. So that when a certain thing happens to han i get upset about it, but im not upset about who is responsible for it which is a pretty big mishandling.

Unknown said...

Tyranus was also technically an apprentice. Age doesn't determine your status. And incidentally, "and childish" is basically what Sith do. They allow themselves to be purposely driven by base, selfish instinct.

Unknown said...

Tyranus was also technically an apprentice. Age doesn't determine your status. And incidentally, "and childish" is basically what Sith do. They allow themselves to be purposely driven by base, selfish instinct.

delete000 said...

Listen closely to what he says exactly at 0:40. Now check the resemblance:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adam_Driver
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dzhokhar_Tsarnaev

Far fetched, but maybe there's something to it?

Unknown said...

I see it as Ben Solo/Kylo Ren is about 10 years older than Rey. And in my mind, there's no doubt she's got Skywalker blood, either through Luke or Leia/Han. Han recognized here. Leia seemed to at the end, as well. And the lightsaber called to her, gave her a Skywalker-centric Force vision and obeyed here call at the end in the duel with Kylo. My thoughts are that she was hidden away, because of Luke/Leia's awareness of Snoke. Was placed in the care of that junk trader Alien who was in possession of the Falcon. I think she's more likely the daughter of Luke than Leia.

Unknown said...

Anyone else think the ship Rey watched leave Jaku looked like the Jade Fire in the EU?

Unknown said...

Anyone else think the ship Rey watched leave Jaku looked like the Jade Fire in the EU?

Unknown said...

Ok let me tell you how it works, its more like the master has knowledge to pass on... the apprentice can be younger then the master as long as there is a new knowledge to pass on.. until it is mastered and they are equal does the tutorhip stay in effect.... (Ex Dooku was not considered a sith but was taught by palpatine in the ways of the dark side and is considered a former pupil)

Unknown said...

Th side enhances the weak characteristics in those learning...
A master Jedi can control such urges but a sith Let their inner darkness take over hence why evil does not triumph for long...
Greed for power takes over even within dark apprentices they long to be supreme..and take the reigns..
A Dark Lord will not remain in power if the Master and apprentice scenario remains...
Greed is the only winner on the darkside

Unknown said...

Please tell me how Emperor Palpatine got to be the emperor through acting childish. I would really like to know.

Unknown said...

You mean the Jade Shadow and I truly hope it was. They must bring Mara to these stories she was my favorite eu character

Unknown said...

How does maturity dictate dark side? Han was very immature and still light side. Luke was very immature, still light side even before Jedi training.

Sith are selfish, self serving, manipulative, strategic geniuses who are able to plan a multitude of steps ahead. If they couldn't, then they would never have gotten into power in the first place.

Jorge Grados Lopez said...

EL papel que juega en esta pelicula Luke es de Maestro y la vez tio de los dos

Unknown said...

Don't try and make sense of it. Disney owns star wars now and they screwed up everything in my opinion. And kylo Ren is by far the worst villain I have seen in star wars. The only thing they improved on is that stormtroopers can now hit their targets.

Unknown said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Unknown said...

Episode VII ? I've heard of IV V and VI, but never VII? oh well, must be a Fandom. More to the point, it's a written act, you can't put a real life judgment, on a fake written act... He could 50 and just looks young cause of the force, and is a complete cry baby, or 12 and looks older cause of the force and is a complete mature common sensed gentlemen, whatever he's told to be, XD.

Paul Venne said...

See Darth Plagueius audiobook, very good.

Awkwardad said...

Star wars episode 7 was released in theaters last week.

Awkwardad said...

Star wars episode 7 was released in theaters last week.

Unknown said...

Because John, simply put, every child wants control over all of the children around them, other's toys become "mine" and manipulation is a skill mastered by most children. You ask how did Palpatine become Emperor through a selfish and decietful campaign to rule the Galaxy and I tell you, you pretty much answered your own question.

Unknown said...

He has childish fits of rage like a 12 year old...

Unknown said...

All of the Skywalkers are emotional. The males are all very childish and whiny.

Unknown said...

All of the Skywalkers are emotional. The males are all very childish and whiny.

buffs92 said...

Sith do not throw temper tantrums. They use their hatred and anger to fuel their force powers. The are never out of control or reckless. Ren is acting childish.

Ian Hornbarger said...

Kylo Ren is not a developed character. He's not Sith yet.

Anonymous said...

I was left with feeling of something missing. I disagree, I don't think that there was much of a backstory to him at all. We find out he is the grandson of Darth Vader, the son of Leia and Han, but nothing in the movie to tell us why he turned evil, why he idolizes his grandfathers darkside. We learn something happened that caused him to kill the students that Luke was teaching but nothing more. I felt his character was very one dimensional and flat. On the other hand the character Finn was much more enjoyable and fleshed out. So was the character Rey. I am huge fan of the Darkside, but Kylo Ren was a very wishy washy character without a strong backstory, making him probably the most weak character in the film. Don't get me wrong, I truly enjoyed the film, but there are areas that I found a bit weak that perhaps they made the assumption of clarifying in the next movie. It certainly is an option.

Unknown said...

The knights of Ren aren't Sith though. They're more like Sith wannabes

Unknown said...

The knights of Ren aren't Sith though. They're more like Sith wannabes

Mister E said...

Anakin in the prequels was kind of childish. He went berserk after his mother died and gave in to his anger. I'd like to think kylo ren is like how young anakin was

tom dunne said...

"Sith do not throw temper tantrums."

Kylo Ren is not a Sith.

Unknown said...

But kylo ren's ass git beat by a woman who just learned how to use the force in 5-10mins.. Wtf.. That part sucks..

Unknown said...

He may very well be a sith, or at least in training. So for all Sith from the series have had a birth name and a "Darth" name. There is always a teacher and a student.

Pfaelzer said...

Kylo Ren is not only a force user but being seduced by the dark side of the force. A normal 30 year of course wouldnt react this way. But imagine one being seduced by the side of the force that feeds off emotion. Everything he does or thinks is amplified by these emotions. Hence why killing his father even became a plausible option in his mind. Its because he cannot think. It like blue balls on steroids.

Unknown said...

Kylo ren is NOT sith. To be sith you need to be reborn as a darth. In accordance to darth banes rule of two, there is only one master and one apprentice. Darth sideous aka palpatine was the only sith lord and darth vader was his apprentice. Vader killed his master to become the new sith lord and was killed shortley after. The only remnance of a sith lord would be accolites, who intern wouldn't have much training in the dark side. Kylo ren is an imposter not a sith lord. But the expanded universe means absolutely nothing anymore

Unknown said...

Dont forget to note he was injured and still took on his enemies, barely making it out alive. She was skilled in her own way, a natural so to say. He too wanted to seduce and convert her.

Unknown said...

Or perhaps they figured not everyone needs to have every tiny details spelled out.
What do you learn about Vader in ANH?

Unknown said...

Is kylo,jacen or anakin solo?, han solo has 3 children jacen,jaina and anakin, jacen turns to the dark side, so I suppose that kylo is jacen, but in the movie the called him Ben. This is stupid, they had to keep the real names. Anda I suposse that the girl is jaina, Han solo's daughter.

Pete said...

DON'T google Jade Fire at work....... lol

DerickWJazz said...

For those who think Kylo Ren wasn't fleshed out enough, think about it. What did we learn about Vader in Ep. IV? Nothing except that he was bad and could use the Force. We learned NOTHING about him until Empire.

Unknown said...

Looks like you don't know yet that JJ Abrams stated that all the novels writen after episode 6 arent canon anymore. Jacen, Jaina and Anakin Solo are no more.

Unknown said...

Looks like you don't know yet that JJ Abrams stated that all the novels writen after episode 6 arent canon anymore. Jacen, Jaina and Anakin Solo are no more.

Unknown said...

Kylo sez he "felt" the light side calling him. I think he knows he has to be strong to beat the new Sith Lord and is willing to go into the darkside to do so. He tells Han as such right before the dubious deed.'member? He sez, "I don't know that I have the strenght to do it." I think his words had a deeper meaning.
Also, when he "talks" to Vader, he sez that his master knows about his "weakness."

Just a thought.

Unknown said...

Also, Leia claims there's still good in him much in the same way Luke did for his father.

Unknown said...

He would also know that it was Vader that defeated Sidious. Not Luke. He covets the power to defeat to new dark lord

Anonymous said...

Mario. That isnt true anymore. I am madly in love with Jar Jar Binks... dont tell anyone but I have an engagement ring in my dressering disney scrapped the expanded universe so for all we know, Han and Leia may only have had 1 child now. So he is not any of them, he is a completely new character.

Anonymous said...

And Gabriel, not only the novels after episode 6 but EVERY NOVEL INN THE EU has been made legacy and is considered "unofficial"

Dave Owens said...

She had the full "force" of an awakening light side, hence her preternatural skill. That's kind of the point of the film. The light side of the Force was calling Luke back, not just Rey.

Dave Owens said...

She had the full "force" of an awakening light side, hence her preternatural skill. That's kind of the point of the film. The light side of the Force was calling Luke back, not just Rey.

Unknown said...

I don't think anyone here knows the Power of the Dark Side! Rey is clearly the Off-spring of your Master Obi Wan Kenobi! I've foreseen it! Lol,

Unknown said...

Been Solo should have remained Anakin Solo with his twin siblings Jacen and Jaina Solo. Ben should have remained Ben Skywalker son of Luke Skywalker and Mara Jade. Rey Kenobi will dominate the new trilogy, can't wait to see her battle Captain Phasma and Kylo Rin in 8.

tiger84 said...

kylo ren totally dissapointed, he was childish, bad performed by adam driver and outmatched by a girl who wield a lightsaber for the first time

Anonymous said...

Let us for a moment suggest Kylo is not a Sith but tainted for if he was Sith the question you would have to ask is if Kylo is apprentice WHO is master? the Rule of Two like the Jedi tenents remains a constant even in a Disney Universe.

Unknown said...

I have a theory as most would ...hope in some way you can understand.... Kylo is tormented by feelings that of his father that of his grandfather and by where he means to fit in the world I think he is trying to better understand the force of witch he knows some times you have to sacrifice some thing important to you to maybe be trusted by a larger force I think he killed his father to embrace the dark side but as you heard him say the light side is so strong with him.... Let's first try to understand the force aswell I like to think it's much like a ying and yang symbol you have light you have dark but together in complete harmony is untested ...so what if kylo is atch embracing both side of the force so he can become completely at one with the force and wouldn't that bring perfect balance like is for told in earlier Star Wars movies and bring balance to all so I think he atch killed his father even asking his permission to do so ..so he can fufillhis destiny and destroy supreme leader snoke who I also i think is at darth plagueis it also felt like he didn't want to kill rey even offering to train her so in conclusion I think he will become a sith but embrace the Jedi to so he can become one with the force and help his family fufill there destiny and bring balance to the force ....

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