When the first trailer for Star Wars: The Force Awakens debuted, fans were treated to the back of a hooded and cloaked Sith, brandishing a red-crystal lightsaber with a unique cross-guard.
Back then, little was known of the mysterious figure, only that he seems to be conflicted in the above scene. This past Thursday, during The Force Awakens Panel, J.J. Abrams revealed a second trailer for TFA, which showed Kylo Ren doing a bit more, and this time we were treated to a view of his face…or rather his mask.
So what do we actually know about this Sith Lord? Well, in most rumored reports, Kylo Ren seems to be a man bent on bringing the First Order under his control, claiming to be Darth Vader. Many people think that he is the son of Han Solo and Queen Leia, and twin brother to Rey (Daisy Ridley).
The Darth Vader rumor holds water, as in the second trailer, the burned mask of Vader is seen on a pedestal, or in someone’s hands.
If Kylo Ren is in fact the son of Han and Leia, then that makes him the grandson of Anakin Skywalker/Darth Vader, and this would make his obsession with Vader, a connected plot-line. He would also know where to find his grandfather’s mask, as Leia would have told the story of her father’s redemption, to her children.
An odd fact about Kylo Ren, has surfaced from the Star Wars Celebration. And that is of his lightsaber. As mentioned before, his lightsaber is unique in that it has a cross-guard that ignites as well as the main blade. And, upon closer inspection, the saber itself seems rather large and unwieldy, which would explain why Kylo is shown using a two-handed slash method.
Again, notice how large that lightsaber is. It is almost reminiscent of a 2-handed great sword from the middle-ages. Upon a closer inspection, you can clearly see exposed wiring, which leads one to believe that the saber is cobbled together, homemade, without the proper guidance from a Master of the Force, be they Jedi or Sith.
Looking down from the top, you can see the hole from which the saber’s blade ignites. However, it is clear from these pictures, that this lightsaber is not in fact, an elegant weapon from a more civilized era.
And then there’s Kylo Ren’s costume. The garb is the traditional black and red robes of the Sith. A hood covers the head, where a mask covers his face.
According to The Verge, from where some of these photos come, Kylo Ren’s mask is almost a direct call-back to Ralph McQuarrie concept drawings for Darth Vader.
Personally, I am reminded of Darth Revan’s mask, when looking at Kylo Ren, but then again, Revan’s is more of a complete helmet type dome, where as Kylo Ren’s looks like the front face plate can be removed.
Regardless of where the inspiration for Kylo Ren’s mask came from, the truth remains that he looks incredibly evil, and badass. J.J. Abrams has constructed a perfect villain, and whether or not he survives Episide VII, Kylo Ren will take his place in the new Star Wars canon as a Sith Lord to be feared, much like his grandfather, if rumors can be believed, before him.
