It’s no secret that Kylo Ren’s mission (and mask) are inspired by his grandfather, Darth Vader. But the Star Wars comics may have just confirmed our theory that Darth Vader is Kylo’s TRUE Master - by linking the dead Sith directly to his grandson in Star Wars: The Last Jedi.
It isn’t official just yet, but those reading the Darth Vader comic series know how much it has improved and enriched the Star Wars canon. And after establishing exactly how Darth Vader could be teaching Kylo Ren in earlier issues, Darth Vader #25 has dropped a massive bombshell. Potentially, an even bigger change to the Star Wars story than confirming Anakin Skywalker’s ‘father.’ Because this twist could completely change the way fans see The Last Jedi, and more movies to come.
As Star Wars: Episode 9 prepares to finally end the Skywalker story once and for all, the comic books have just revealed that Kylo Ren’s most iconic line… may have been taught to him by Darth Vader.
- This Page: Kylo Ren Learned His Motto From Darth Vader? Page 2: Kylo Ren May Be Darth Vader’s Best Student
Kylo Ren’s Famous Line Was Darth Vader’s First?
Star Wars fans should prepare themselves for just how deeply Charles Soule and Giuseppe Camuncoli’s Darth Vader comic has enhanced the canon, revealing how conflicted Anakin Skywalker really was in his first days, months, and years as Darth Vader. But he was most conflicted over his departed wife, traveling to a site of powerful Dark Side energy on the planet Mustafar - and building his castle to bring Padmé back to life. But to do that, Vader would need to crack open the Force, and enter it himself.
An impossible feat… but one he accomplishes in Darth Vader #25, crossing the veil of the Force in his spirit form, and leaving his body behind. Since fans won’t know what to expect - a strong reason to read the issue for yourself - we’ll clarify that the Force which Vader enters is one specifically shaped by his life, and its most pivotal events. As he passes these memories, a disembodied voice speaks to him in words of the past and future. It’s a powerful story, but when Vader’s path to Padmé is blocked by shadows of the Jedi he once knew, his spirit form slays them without hesitation.
Up to this point, Darth Vader has been torn apart by internal conflict, unable to find something in his new life as Vader that is strong enough or sharp enough to make the cut, and leave the past behind. But as Vader embraces his resolve and shuts out the feelings these images of old friends might inspire, the voice ringing in Vader’s head from the Dark Side of the Force speaks clearly, in words that will be eerily familiar to fans of The Last Jedi: “Let the past die.” And as the essence of Anakin Skywalker strikes down every person who ever meant something to him, every obstacle the Force could raise, the second half of the phrase is spoken: “…kill it if you have to.”
And after months of teasing a possible link between Darth Vader’s ghost carried on by the Dark Side of the Force and Ben Solo, who would one day be corrupted by it, the comic has forged a direct connection. The belief and teaching which fuels Kylo Ren’s desire to kill both Jedi and Sith… first spoken to Darth Vader, decades earlier. Which means fans will need to accept that in no uncertain terms, Kylo Ren has become the student of Darth Vader, and not Supreme Leader Snoke, as the movies first claimed. Now the only question is whether that was Vader’s plan all along.
Page 2 of 2: Has Kylo Ren Learned from Darth Vader Directly?
Kylo Ren is Officially Darth Vader 2.0
No matter how readers interpret the combination of Vader’s actions and words, and those eventually repeated by Kylo Ren, one thing is clear: the Darth Vader comics have made the similarities between the two explicit, and canonical. Not at the cost of the character of Anakin Skywalker, either. As each issue has expanded upon the story of Anakin’s fall - the doubts, fears, and the light pulling him back from the edges of his mind - every step has made him a richer, deeper villain. And with the words “let the past die” ringing in his ears, Vader has his connection to Padmé completely severed.
The most obvious conclusion is that Vader’s path is now the exact same one that Ben Solo would follow years later. Anakin was raised to believe in the righteousness of the Jedi, only to be betrayed by those who served their ideals. Ben was raised to believe the same, until his Uncle Luke’s inability to control him manifested in betrayal, as well. Vader took a new master, eventually realized his lies and manipulation for what they were, and struck him down. Kylo Ren did the same, but with one key difference.
Where Darth Vader came to understand that the legacy of the Jedi had to die, his feelings towards the Empire or Sith weren’t clear. Remembering who Anakin was through his entire life, and not just after his fall to the Dark Side, it seems most likely that he would view the Sith and its Empire as part of that same past that be killed. That’s the mission Kylo Ren has embraced, and now with this comic backing up our suspicions, it seems more likely than ever that Kylo Ren has learned the lessons of Darth Vader… because Vader is the one teaching them to him directly.
Could Darth Vader Be Kylo Ren’s True Master?
There are a few different interpretations that fans will likely draw from this comic book moment. The first, and perhaps the least likely, is that the words of Kylo Ren are applied to Vader for dramatic effect, and nothing more (not at all the tone of the issue, or the series). It’s also possible that these words are The Force speaking to Darth Vader to reflect his own path, and the all-encompassing field… decided to stick with a phrase that sounded great. Or, as we propose, these words are a great truth learned by Anakin on his path of no return - and eventually taught to his grandson, Kylo Ren.
Those wondering how Vader could pass on such wisdom will want to read our explanation of the comic’s new mythology. Particularly the revelation that the helmets of Sith Lords keep their spirits alive. So even if readers interpret this scene as further evidence of the Force encompassing all events in past, present, and future, the layers of new mythology in the series can’t be coincidence. Is it possible that the Darth Vader comic gave Anakin his mantra, and a way he could pass it on to his grandson, but ask fans not to do the math? Perhaps.
If Anakin watched as the Jedi clawed their way back into existence, and once again turned the galaxy into a warzone, was he the kind of man who would believe that everything old must die, once and for all? We’ll leave that to the fans to decide. But no matter how Star Wars 9 does or doesn’t explain Kylo Ren’s fall to the Dark Side, the comics have shown he really is finishing what his grandfather started. Whether or not the films ever confirm Vader’s helmet is showing him the way.
Darth Vader #25 is available now from Marvel Comics.
