Author Charles Soule promises that Marvel's Kylo Ren's reign as Supreme Leader of the First Order between Last Jedi and Rise of Skywalker. In an interview promoting his Legacy of Vader book, Soule itted that "the films only give us so much."
Speaking with IGN, Soule discussed Star Wars: Legacy of Vaser #1, a series that dives into greater detail about Ren's struggle to come to with what it truly means to be the heir to Darth Vader.
As with any entry in the Star Wars multimedia franchise, Legacy of Vader seeks to extend, and enhance, the story of the films. Charles Soule's story will focus on the "extreme amount of change" his main characters has endured during the book's time period, and will derive its dramatic tension from his reaction to the major events of the Sequel Trilogy.
Charles Soule's New Kylo Ren Comic Carries On The Tradition Of Filling In The Gaps Left By Star Wars Movies
Star Wars: Legacy Of Vader #1 – Written By Charles Soule; Art By Luke Ross; Color By Nolan Woodard; Available February 5, 2025 From Marvel Comics
The Star Wars Expanded Universe has always been intended to do exactly what its name implies, which is to make the Star Wars galaxy more detailed, and more immersive. Marvel's Star Wars comics have been essential to that project, and Soule has been at the heart of it, especially over the last several years; Legacy of Vader is his latest, most pivotal new entry in canon yet.
Charles Soule's story seeks...to make the inconsistent aspects of a character like Ren part of the story itself.
Part of fans' dissatisfaction with Star Wars movies over the years – in both the Prequel and Sequel Trilogies – has stemmed from the films' gaps. As Soule noted to IGN:
Just like Darth Vader, the films only give us so much – a great deal of Kylo’s story is either implied or just not really addressed at all.
From Luke Skywalker to Kylo Ren, criticisms of the Sequel Trilogy have rested on character inconsistencies; Charles Soule's story seeks to smooth those out, to some degree, but also to make the inconsistent aspects of a character like Ren part of the story itself. In other words, the character will struggle with them as much as fans do.
Star Wars Fans Know Where Kylo Ren Ends Up, But Now They Will Have A Better Sense Of How he Got There
Expanding The Meaning Of Ben Solo's Redemption
Charles Soule also explained why Legacy of Vader's place in the timeline is so important, saying:
I think setting this book directly after Episode VIII gives me a chance to deal with a character who’s gone through an extreme amount of change in a very short amount of time – his life has changed in drastic ways. I do think it’s a huge opportunity. You want to write characters with emotion to them – and at this point, Kylo’s about as emotional as a character can get.
"An extreme amount of change," in itself is almost an understatement, as in a short amount of time, Kylo Ren killed his father and almost killed his mother, killed his master, and took over the First Order. If anything, it seems Kylo's journey is going further down the path of the Dark Side after The Last Jedi, but in The Rise of Skywalker, he actually returns to the light side as Ben Solo. Legacy of Vader will, hopefully, make his redemption feel more earned.
Star Wars Is Ready to Prove That Darth Vader's True Legacy Is Kylo Ren With an All-New Series
Luke Skywalker may have been Anakin’s legacy, but he wasn’t Darth Vader’s. Darth Vader was merely a puppet for a darker power, just like Kylo Ren.
Just as when Kylo Ren's grandfather, Darth Vader, returned to the light side at Return of the Jedi, there needs to be enough backstory for it to make sense to viewers. More than that, it needs to have meaning, which comes from forging a genuine emotional connection between a character and the audience. Charles Soule's Legacy of Vader series, from Marvel's Star Wars line of comics, has the chance to do that, which will help to make Kylo Ren's storyline in the films more impactful.
Source: IGN, Charles Soule Interview
Star Wars: Legacy of Vader #1 will be available February 5, 2025, from Marvel Comics.
The son of Han Solo and Leia Organa, Ben was manipulated by Palpatine through the Force for most of his life, influenced toward the dark side of the Force. A misstep by Luke Skywalker ultimately left Ben feeling he had no choice but to embrace the dark side, and he became Kylo Ren, a key figure in the First Order. Kylo Ren's heart remained deeply divided, however, even after he ascended to become Supreme Leader of the First Order. He was ultimately redeemed by Rey, with whom he shared a remarkable Force bond, and by the love of his parents.
