The Star Wars franchise has gradually moved away from the sequel trilogy since its conclusion, The Rise of Skywalker, released in 2019. Despite the divisiveness of the direction of the story of those films, some elements remain fan favorites. The Last Jedi’s throne room duel has always been well-received, even if some questioned the story decisions that led to that moment. And more broadly, Kylo Ren arguably remains one of the most popular characters to be introduced in the Disney era.
Kylo Ren’s journey was depicted across the trilogy. He began as a Vader wannabe, seeking the power and respect that was given to his grandfather. However, The Last Jedi showed that he was much more, and very different, from Darth Vader. Rather than a defiant Sith Lord succumbed into the dark side, Kylo was a weaker, indecisive, insecure villain who questioned everything he did, including his turn away from the light. Eventually, his journey ended when he chose to move back into the light and help Rey defeat Palpatine on Exegol, where he died giving his life force energy to Rey.
Kylo Ren’s story is well-documented over the course of the trilogy, but the three films only take place over the course of one year. Before the events of The Force Awakens, Kylo Ren/Ben Solo has an extensive history that includes his time training with Luke Skywalker, as well as his relationship with parents Han Solo and Leia Organa. Here’s the history of Kylo Ren in Star Wars before the beginning of Episode VII.
Ben Solo was born one year after the Battle of Endor, and it’s been said in extended canon stories that he felt the light and the dark side of the Force within him immediately. Even before birth, Ben had mysterious Force visions, highlighting just how connected he was to the mystical parts of the universe, for better and worse. In fact, the day that Ben Solo was born was the official ending date of the Galactic Civil War, so his birth directly coincided with (relative) peace in the galaxy. Han and Leia's son was named after Obi-Wan Kenobi, who went by the name of Ben when he rescued Leia Organa when she was a young child (as depicted in the Disney+ series Obi-Wan Kenobi last year).
During his childhood, Ben Solo had a close relationship with both Chewbacca and Lando Calrissian, referring to both his father's closest friends as uncles. The darkness within him came quickly, however, as he heard the voice of Snoke talking to him frequently. The influence of Snoke, who was essentially Palpatine, capitalized on the indecision within him. This indecision was in part due to the fact that Ben felt his family was keeping something from him. His suspicions were correct. Ben wasn’t even aware that his grandfather was Darth Vader, as Luke and Han and Leia kept his identity a secret. Leia also did this with the rest of the galaxy, hiding her biological parentage during much of her political career in the New Republic.
Ben Solo began training with his uncle Luke Skywalker at an early age, and their journey together began with a quest to find old Force related objects. He also met the Knights of Ren while with Luke, the group that he eventually became the leader of, and developed relationships with the other members of his uncle’s Jedi temple. At age 23, he finally discovered the identity of his grandfather, which resulted in feelings of betrayal towards his parents and his uncle Luke.
.jpg?q=50&fit=crop&w=1500&dpr=1.5)
At the same age, Ben was on the verge of becoming a Jedi Knight when the flashbacks shown in Episode VIII occurred. Luke had sensed Ben’s conflict from an early age, and one night considered destroying him in order to save the rest of the galaxy. Those feelings quickly dissipated, but the consequences remained, as it was the catalyst for Ben turning into Kylo Ren. From there, he traveled to meet with Snoke, whom he considered his only ally after his uncle turned on him. It’s there that he ultimately fell fully to the dark side. Contrary to what The Last Jedi may have implied, Ben Solo was not responsible for the death of his fellow pupils at the Jedi Temple, a fact that aided his ultimate turn back to the light in Episode IX.
Interestingly, Ben’s fall to the dark side came roughly only six years before the events of The Force Awakens. The First Order and Kylo Ren as an identity weren’t around for as long as Darth Vader or the Empire. Ultimately, Kylo Ren’s journey is common knowledge among fans of the franchise at this point, but he has an interesting backstory depicted in books and comics that are set prior to the events of the sequel trilogy.