Kylo Ren is the kind of antagonist that Star Wars needs. The franchise is filled with memorable villains — Darth Vader, Boba Fett, and Emperor Palpatine to name a few — and Kylo Ren has taken his place among their ranks. In fact, he might be even btter than all the rest.
But, exactly why is he such a strong adversary?
Conflict
Unlike many Star Wars enemies, Kylo Ren’s character is introduced with a surprising amount of inner turmoil. Yes, Darth Vader ended up having a lot of conflict in him but that wasn’t until Return of the Jedi. It took three films to imbue Vader with his own character complications.
Kylo Ren is given a significant struggle early on in The Force Awakens. We learn that he is the son of Han Solo and Leia Organa. He trained to become a Jedi under the tutelage of his uncle, Luke Skywalker, but betrayed him and went to the dark side.
However, Kylo Ren still feels a “pull to the light” and wishes to rid himself of this feeling. To do so, he kills his own father but not without a clear sense of difficulty. And from what we’ve seen in The Last Jedi, he may also kill his own mother in order to walk even further down the dark path.
It’s this kind of personal strife that makes a character interesting, especially when it’s a villain who has an intimate connection to our heroes. This alone would make Kylo Ren a strong antagonist.
Character
But, he’s also imbued with a ton of personality. Most of the Star Wars villains have one defining aspect of their character and that element is played to its height. For example, Emperor Palpatine is delightfully wicked. That’s most of what we get from his character in the original trilogy and it’s certainly iconic and a ton of fun. Still, it doesn’t create a ton of depth to the character.
On the other hand, Kylo Ren is given a number of characteristics that make him a more multifaceted character. Where Darth Vader was effortlessly cool and ruthless, Kylo Ren attempts to appear imposing and it shows. He’s prone to fits of rage when his plans aren’t going right. He lets his emotions get out of hand while still trying to come across as in control.
These flaws create a fully formed person. Kylo Ren is more than just a cool suit design or a new lightsaber. He’s a true character with layers of complexity.
Commentary
Possibly my favorite thing about Kylo Ren is that he’s also a sly bit of commentary about certain types of fans. In the films, he is obsessed with Darth Vader. He collects artifacts connected to his grandfather and even models his own appearance after the legendary villain. He’s even put himself in a similar situation as Vader by aligning himself with Supreme Leader Snoke.
Yet, he is unaware of the truth behind Darth Vader. Kylo Ren idolizes the wrong parts of the thing he admires. And when he doesn’t get his way, he lashes out with petulant violence. And for all of the posturing menace of his mask and deep voice, he’s revealed to be an average and somewhat meek young man.
It’s not hard to draw parallels to the kind of zealotry you see from bad fans. You know, the kind who viciously attack others online for having opposing views or who misread the meaning of the fandoms they love. Just look at the people who revere characters like Patrick Bateman, Travis Bickle, or Tyler Durden. It’s the same as Kylo Ren misunderstanding the real meaning behind Darth Vader.
Kylo Ren is a fantastic villain and his journey is still underway. We’ll see where it leads when The Last Jedi opens on December 15.
