Note: This post was originally published on Audible.com.
Among the most prevalent themes in the Star Wars saga is that of family, of the intergenerational connections that forge lasting legacies. And in the Skywalker family, these connections are all the more significant. Their familial strength in the Force and the push-and-pull between Light and Dark adds an additional complication to your typical family drama. There is perhaps no character that embodies the significance of the past and the possibilities of the present better than Ben Solo, initially introduced as the villainous Kylo Ren.
Portrayed with immense depth through the meticulous character work of Academy Award nominee Adam Driver, Solo is one of the most compelling figures of the sequel trilogy. From his arrival in The Force Awakens to his eventual redemption, Ben Solo’s arc is not only demonstrative of the significance of lineage and personal history but also captures the impact of love, connection, and belonging.
Warning: The following article contains major spoilers for the Star Wars franchise. Please note that this character guide is based on the current canon as defined by Lucasfilm.
Who is Ben Solo? Who are Ben Solo’s parents?
Ben Solo is the son of Leia Organa and Han Solo, born in 5 ABY on the day the Galactic Civil War officially came to an end. He was named after Obi-Wan “Ben” Kenobi, the Jedi Master who aided in Leia’s rescue from the Death Star only five years earlier. He was a fairly happy child, content in the presence of his mother and father, and he demonstrated strong abilities with the Force early on in his life. That being said, Organa’s political career and Solo’s smuggling business often left Ben lonesome and desperate for a semblance of human connection.
Leia grew worried about Ben, seeing parallels between her son’s behaviors and the darkness that consumed her father, Anakin, eventually leading to his downfall as Sith Lord Darth Vader—a familial connection kept hidden from young Ben. So, when Ben is 10 years old, Leia and Han send their son to train as a Jedi Apprentice under Leia’s brother, Luke Skywalker. Though Ben is an apt pupil, Luke’s attempts at protecting his nephew only make him feel increasingly cut off from his peers and family. Supreme Leader Snoke, who is aware of Ben’s connection to Vader, seizes this opportunity to reach out through the Force and manipulate the vulnerable young apprentice toward seeking the Dark Side.
Nonetheless, Ben remains in good spirits with his peers at Luke’s training academy. He is an exceptional student and demonstrates an unparalleled aptitude with the Force, whether it be in sparring or meditation. But then everything falls apart: Leia faces censure in the Galactic Senate for her familial connection to Vader after her parentage is publicly exposed. With Ben’s lineage out in the open and Snoke’s meddling more insidious than ever, a darkness begins to boil within Ben Solo.
Sensing Snoke’s influence on Ben and fearing the worst, Luke makes a terrible decision with incalculable repercussions. For just a moment, he ignites his saber to strike down his sleeping nephew, then immediately feels a rush of guilt and reconsiders. But it's too late: recognizing his uncle’s intentions, Ben uses the Force to collapse his living quarters. In a rage, Ben wields the Force to start a lightning storm that sets the training facilities ablaze. He feels a rush of pain and regret, but Snoke’s voice reassures him: the devastation he has wreaked is not the fault of his own. The blame lies with Luke Skywalker. He escapes the wreckage, attempting to avoid further destruction in altercations with surviving students as he flees.
Who is Kylo Ren?
Kylo Ren is the moniker taken up by Ben Solo after he is turned toward the Dark Side and joins the cause of the First Order. He takes the name partially from “Ren,” the pseudonym used by the leader of the Knights of Ren, a Dark Side-inclined group of Force-sensitive warriors. Kylo kills the original Ren in a lightsaber duel, thus becoming the new Master of the warrior clan with Snoke’s approval. Now working beside Snoke to further the cause of the First Order, Kylo disavows any connection with his past life and identity; nonetheless, Leia never stops believing there is still light and goodness in her son.
Regardless of his disconnection from his family, Kylo Ren still reveres his grandfather (or, more accurately, Darth Vader). Vader’s redemption is of little significance to Snoke and Kylo, as they both believe that Anakin Skywalker’s Sith identity was emblematic of his truest self. He goes as far as having Vader’s partially destroyed helmet recovered and placed on a pedestal as a symbolic reminder of the work he has set out to finish. And like Vader, Kylo, despite being without military rank, is able to command officers, liaison with Supreme Leader Snoke, and set out on missions.
As Kylo’s Master, Snoke encourages his young apprentice to tap into the wells of hate, anger, suffering, and fear within his soul and channel those dark emotions into unbridled power. With the First Order, Kylo participates in the colonization, scourging, and subjugation of worlds across the galaxy. Before long, Snoke and Kylo realize an even greater threat: Luke Skywalker, who, if permitted to continue training a new legion of Jedi, would no doubt pose a great danger to the First Order’s reign. In the process of tracking down Luke’s location in The Force Awakens, Kylo Ren crosses paths with Rey, a Force-sensitive scavenger who, as Snoke warns, is incredibly strong—his equal, in fact—with the Force.
Kylo’s defining Dark Side moment is the murder of his father, Han Solo. At Leia’s urging, Han attempts to save Ben from the Dark Side and bring him back home. But while Han confronts his son on the Starkiller Base, Kylo drives his saber through his father's chest, killing him. This act haunts Kylo throughout the rest of the trilogy; he bears the burden of shame and guilt until he is ultimately redeemed.
What kind of lightsaber does Kylo Ren use?
Kylo Ren uses what’s called a crossguard saber, with one central blade and two smaller blades that shoot from vents on either side of the hilt. His saber ignites red, the crystal having been bled shortly after Kylo kills Ren on Mimban. To bleed a crystal, a Force-user must channel all of their vitriol, anger, and fear into the kyber that powers their saber. Interestingly, Kylo’s saber is unstable as he cracks his crystal during its bleeding while focusing intently on his family. Although the crossquard style allows the energy to vent properly, the glow of his saber isn’t steady—its flickering flame-like appearance is symptomatic of the fractured crystal that powers it.
Why isn't Kylo a "Darth"? And why doesn’t he have yellow eyes?
Kylo is a fascinating character in that he doesn’t fully embody either the Dark or Light side of the Force—-and this very moral turmoil prevents him from ever becoming a Sith. Because Ben Solo is never totally corrupted and remains a mix of both sides of the Force, he does not have the yellow eyes signature of those who have been fully consumed by the Dark Side. Similarly, "Darth" is a title bestowed only upon Sith Lords. Kylo's Dark Side indoctrination occurred after what was thought to be the end of the Sith (the Battle of Endor, where both Sidious and Vader were killed); his affiliation with the First Order and the Knights of Ren do indicate his Dark Side inclinations, but Kylo is never formally trained as nor knowingly associated with the Sith.
How are Ben and Rey connected?
Ben and Rey form the prophesied “Force dyad,” a pair of Force-sensitive individuals who have unique abilities and an unshakable Force-bond between them. Throughout The Last Jedi, Kylo and Rey are able to communicate with one another via the Force no matter the distance separating them, and in doing so, each can sense what that the other is feeling. Their connection is incredibly strong, as they are bound not only by destiny but by shared emotions, fears, and doubts. The two beings in a Force dyad are also capable of great feats like Force-healing, which both Rey and Ben use throughout the saga. As Ben and Rey each feel isolated from the world and without a grounding sense of family and connection, they naturally gravitate towards one another and forge a sense of kinship.
How does Kylo Ren die?
Kylo Ren dies on Kef Bir (the ocean moon of Endor) shortly after Rey deals a mortal wound during a lightsaber duel on the wreckage of the second Death Star. Though Rey Force-heals him, saving his life physically, this blow, coupled with the memory of his mother and father, destroys the man known as “Kylo Ren” forever. Shortly after having a vision of his father that encourages him toward a path of redemption, Ben sheds the moniker, tosses his saber into the ocean, and sets out on a path toward joining Rey in her crusade against the resurrected Darth Sidious.
How does Ben Solo die?
Ben Solo dies after he and Rey are stripped of their energy by the Emperor and he makes the decision to heal her, sacrificing his own life so Rey might live on. This act of selflessness is the final act in Ben’s redemptive arc: his decision is near instinctive, a sacrifice of pure goodness without expectation. When Rey is brought back, completely healed by Ben, she shows her gratitude with a kiss, that moment of closeness acknowledging the depth of their shared bond. As he becomes one with the Force, Ben finally feels completely at peace. His death is especially significant as it marks the end of the Skywalker bloodline.
Best Kylo Ren/Ben Solo Quotes
"Let the past die. Kill it if you have to." — The Last Jedi by Jason Fry
"Your son is gone. He was weak and foolish, like his father...So I destroyed him." — The Force Awakens by Alan Dean Foster
"I had no idea we had the best pilot in the Resistance on board...Comfortable?" — The Force Awakens by Alan Dean Foster
"Revenge is little more than an adolescent concession to personal vanity." — The Force Awakens by Alan Dean Foster
"You have no place in this story...You come from nothing. You are nothing....But not to me. Join me. Please." — The Last Jedi by Jason Fry
"He had sensed my power, as he senses yours. And he feared it." — The Last Jedi by Jason Fry
Best Audiobooks for Kylo Ren/Ben Solo Fans
Listen if: you want to hear more about Leia's pregnancy and the world that Ben Solo was born into.
Listen if: you're fascinated by the chilling rise of Kylo Ren and his descent into darkness.
Listen if: you want to dive deeper into Kylo's history with Luke Skywalker and the growing connection between Ben and Rey.
Listen if: you want expanded context on the film, the death of Kylo Ren, and the redemption of Ben Solo.
