Warning! This post contains SPOILERS for Star Wars: Legacy of Vader #5Star Warshas unveiled a truly dark new event in the official timeline as cruel asAnakin Skywalker’scruelest atrocities, if not more so. In the newLegacy of Vaderseries,Kylo Renhas been uncovering the history of Darth Vader and where his power comes from. Along the way, it’s been revealed that the Supreme Leader did something truly heinous beforeThe Rise of Skywalker.
InLegacy of Vader #5by Charles Soule and Stefano Raffaele, Kylo Ren has made good on his promises in the previous issue, declaring himselfKing of Naboobefore sending the First Order to take over the planet.However, this new issue saw Kylo Ren assuming a masked identity, offering to help the Naboo resist his own forces, only to slay them all by the issue’s end:
AsDarth Vader’s former servant Vaneédeduces, Kylo Ren is currently full of self-hatred, just like his grandfather was.However, it doesn’t excuse the fact that Kylo Ren’s newest act in theStar Warscanon is one of his most horrible.
Kylo Ren Didn’t Just Kill The Naboo…
He Gained Their Trust First
Ordering his forces to place Naboo under martial law with the First Order, Kylo Ren donned a pair of goggles to obscure his face before fighting his own stormtroopers. He then offers his guidance to the Naboo to fight back, turning every bridge and street corner into a kill box and battlefield. With Kylo’s help, they used their knowledge of the planet to their advantage while also developing winning strategies using intel from Kylo himself.
Essentially, Kylo Ren fully gained the trust of the Naboo under this masked identity. As he tells Vaneé,Naboo needed a catalyst for them to take control of their lives and let go of the past(a concept Kylo himself is naturally obsessed with). However, that development of trust is exactly what makes the end of this newStar Warsissue so horrible.
Vaneé dares to point out that Kylo’s entire performance on Naboo is an elaborate form of self-hatred, on par with the hatred Darth Vader once held for himself after losing those he loved. As a result, the caretaker ofDarth Vader’s Mustafar castlenearly loses his life before promising Kylo Ren a source of Vader’s power that only he can provide to the Supreme Leader. Apparently, there’s a vault on Mustafar containing a secret power, though Vaneé makes another recommendation as well.
At the urging of Vaneé, Kylo Ren is motivated to end his game on Naboo in favor of finding a more worthy target for his hatred other than himself. Kylo decides to “clear the board”, killing everyone who’d seen his face.It’s absolutely one of Kylo Ren’s cruelest acts, especially after he’d just empowered all these people to take control of their lives, only to take them with his iconic red-bladed lightsaber at the issue’s end.
Kylo Ren Is Continuing To Embrace His Grandfather’s Dark Legacy
In More Ways Than One
The new parallels between Kylo Ren and Anakin Skywalker are easy to spot inLegacy of Vader’sNaboo arc. While Anakin ended an invasion on Naboo as a boy, Kylo Ren ended one between Episode VIII and IX (albeit one he started). Likewise, the shared self-hatred is palpable as well.
However, Kylo Ren’s Naboo slaughter is arguably worse than Anakin’s Tusken Raider massacre inAttack of the Clones, considering all the trust and loyalty he’d gained before killing them all. As such, one could argue the Supreme Leader’s newest atrocity is more on par with Anakin’s purge of the Jedi Temple duringOrder 66. Similarly, Anakin was sent to kill those he’d served alongside before betraying them all after his dark side corruption.
Star Wars: Legacy of Vader #5is on sale now from Marvel Comics.
Ben Solo/Kylo Ren
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.
Anakin Skywalker/Darth Vader
Conceived by the will of the Force itself, Anakin Skywalker was the prophesied Chosen One, destined to bring the Force into balance. Anakin struggled to balance competing attachments to the Jedi Order and his wife Padmé Amidala, and ultimately fell to the dark side, becoming Darth Vader. For years he served as Palpatine’s right hand man, but he was ultimately redeemed by the faith of his son, Luke Skywalker. Now a Force Ghost, Anakin continues to act as an agent of balance.
