Kylo Ren was never meant to be Darth Vader — and Star Wars just proved it

From the moment Star Wars: The Force Awakens introduced Kylo Ren, it was clear that he wasn’t just some new Sith apprentice — he was a man obsessed with Darth Vader’s legacy. He wore a mask despite not needing one, built his own unstable red lightsaber, and even kept Vader’s charred helmet as a relic. But no matter how much Kylo wanted to emulate his grandfather, Star Wars has now confirmed that he was never going to be what Palpatine wanted him to be.

Via ScreenRant, in Legacy of Vader #2, a new Star Wars comic from Marvel, we see Kylo Ren stepping into his role as Supreme Leader of the First Order after killing Snoke. But as much as he talks about killing the past, Vader’s old servant, Vaneé, is determined to show Kylo that his grandfather didn’t erase his past — he used it. And therein lies the key difference between them. Kylo Ren’s backstory was never going to create another Darth Vader because, unlike Anakin Skywalker, Ben Solo simply didn’t suffer enough.

Anakin Skywalker’s life was defined by pain and loss

Vaneé takes Kylo to Tatooine, where he explains that Anakin Skywalker’s entire life was shaped by struggle. Born into slavery, separated from his mother, and later losing her in a brutal attack, Anakin learned early that life could be cruel. His grief and rage pushed him toward the dark side, first manifesting when he slaughtered an entire tribe of Tusken Raiders. That pain only deepened over the years—Palpatine’s manipulation, his brutal injuries from Obi-Wan Kenobi, the death of Padmé Amidala. Every devastating moment of Anakin’s life carved away his humanity, making him the perfect Sith Lord Palpatine wanted.

Kylo Ren, by contrast, had an entirely different childhood.

Ben Solo had a good life, and that was his biggest weakness

When Vaneé assumes that Kylo Ren must have suffered like Vader did, Legacy of Vader #2 presents an entire splash page of Ben Solo’s happy childhood. He’s shown playing with his parents, being taught how to fly the Millennium Falcon by Han, sharing family dinners, and training with his uncle, Luke Skywalker. He was loved and wanted — a stark contrast to Anakin’s lonely, painful upbringing.

And yet, Kylo still insists that he suffered just as much. But let’s be real: Ben Solo’s corruption wasn’t the result of a lifetime of hardship — it was manipulation. Snoke (and, by extension, Palpatine) gradually wormed his way into Ben’s mind, turning him against his family. What finally pushed him over the edge wasn’t years of torment but rather Luke’s fleeting moment of fear, when he considered striking Ben down. That moment — being betrayed by his uncle — was enough to make him reject his past. But rejecting something isn’t the same as embracing the darkness.

Kylo Ren’s darkness was always shallow

This is the fundamental reason why Kylo Ren would never be as powerful in the dark side as Darth Vader. Vader’s power came from truly embracing the darkness — he had nothing left to return to. Kylo, on the other hand, was constantly fighting against his past, trying to bury it rather than use it. Even when he killed Han Solo, it didn’t cement his place in the dark side — it weakened his resolve.

Kylo Ren was powerful, no doubt. He was a Skywalker, after all. But he was never meant to be Vader, no matter how much he or Palpatine wanted it. His connection to the dark side was performative — more about proving himself than fully surrendering to it. That’s why, in the end, he was still able to turn back.

Ultimately, Legacy of Vader makes one thing clear: Kylo Ren was never destined to be another Darth Vader. He was a man trying to escape his past, not one driven by it. And that, more than anything, is what doomed his reign as Supreme Leader from the start.