Star Wars The Force Awakens: Kylo Ren’s Background and Crossguard Lightsaber

The force is strong in this one, geeks! More news about the J.J. Abrams directed installment Star Wars The Force Awakens has surfaced. Apparently Kylo Ren from The Force Awakens is just a big Darth Vader worship like a lot of us.

Director J.J. Abrams recently revealed that the new villain is very well aware of Darth Vader’s existence and hopes to continue his legacy with the First Order, a group of loyalists looking to reinstate the totalitarian regime of the Galactic Empire. Ren is such a huge fan of Vader that even his mask pays some sort of homage to the infamous Sith Lord.

“The movie explains the origins of the mask and where it’s from, but the design was meant to be a nod to the Vader mask,” Abrams told Entertainment Weekly. “[Ren] is well aware of what’s come before, and that’s very much a part of the story of the film.”

But the most eye-catching thing about Kylo Ren is the cross-guard lightsaber that was the source of a lot of different comedic jokes and memes. Abrams revealed that it is in fact something he created on his own and it is as “fierce and as ragged as the character.”

Abrams also mentioned that Kylo Ren is in fact not his real name. He sports it like a title very much in the same way that Anakin Skywalker would come to have the title of Darth Vader. Kylo Ren, is a given moniker for something that is lying under his mask. A title like “Ren” is apparently a surname given to members of a secret society much like “Vader” would be bestowed to Sith Lords.

“He is a character who came to the name Kylo Ren when he joined a group called the Knights of Ren,” Abrams explained.

Now regardless of his weapon, origin, or title, Abrams promises Star Wars fans this much: Kylo Ren will be a compelling villain who may just earn the audience’s sympathy. And that is not a Jedi mind trick either.

“He is not your prototypical mustache-twirling bad guy,” Abrams told EW. “He is a little bit more complex than that, and it was a great joy to work with [actor] Adam Driver on this role, because he threw himself into it in a deep and remarkable way.”

Are you excited for The Force Awakens? What do you think about Kylo Ren? What are your theories on what drove him to join the Knights of Ren? Let us hear your thoughts in the comment section!

Star Wars: The Force Awakens hits theaters on December 18th of this year.