From the first time fans of the "Star Wars" franchise saw the red broad sword of new villain Kylo Ren, questions that needed answers were raised.
Fortunately for fans, Director J.J. Abrams shed some light on the mysterious figure who fights for the empire. In a recent interview with Empire Magazine, Abrams confirmed something that fans were thinking all along. Kylo Ren is not a Sith Lord. Abrams goes on to say in the interview that Kylo Ren is a servant of Leader Snoke, who is a key figure for the Dark Side of the Force.
Abrams stated that the idea for the First Order came from a conversation he had asking the question, what would have happened if all the Nazis relocated to Argentina and then started to work with each other again? This could mean that the First Order is a fanatical leg of the Empire that looks up to Darth Vader as a possible martyr. This could spell trouble for our heroes.
In a separate interview with EW, Abrams delves further into the character's back story. According to the director, Kylo Ren has long admired the work of the Empire, especially that of Darth Vader. Fans know fully well that years before the original trilogy, Vader was a force like no other for the Empire. His intimidating robotic suit and iconic mask drove terror in the hearts of all those who dared defy the will of the emperor.
Kylo Ren's look and feel is Vader inspired, and his light saber is completely self-made with no proper training during his early years. Abrams compares Ren to a young Luke Skywalker, who had no proper training and had to deal with his force powers alone after his master's death. However, Ren is the dark opposite of what happened to Luke and was persuaded by the Dark Side of the force.
Abrams gives one last piece of information for anxious fans, namely, some details behind Kylo Ren's name. While the standard for Dark Jedi is to have Darth ahead of their name, this is noticeably missing from Kylo Ren's name. Instead, Abrams says that the character's last name Ren has a deeper meaning. Abrams reveals that sometime in the past, Kylo joined a group called the Knights of Ren.
To know what that means, viewers will have to wait until "Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens" debuts on Dec. 18.
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