Star Wars is one of the most polarizing fandoms in the world, and there’s a reason for drama every couple of years. Fans have heated debates every time a new movie comes out, if something challenges George Lucas’ lore or when Disney announces a new director. That also happens with an upcoming trilogy, a spinoff, or even a set of prequels. That fact is that drama is everywhere, whether it's because fans think the prequels are the worst thing that ever happened or because they love them and have to scream that out loud.
One of the most polarizing aspects of the new Star Wars trilogy is the character of Kylo Ren. While some people do believe he’s a somewhat average character, the bulk of the fandom has some really extreme beliefs as to his identity as the best addition to the Star Wars lore — he's a hero who's just lost his way! However, the other camp firmly believes he’s a badly written character who’s just a cheap rip-off of Darth Vader.
There are valid points to both sides of these arguments! This is precisely what makes Kylo Ren a great character, and also one of the greatest villains of the entire Star Wars franchise. Ren is multifaceted and has benefited from a 40-year legacy, which is not an easy feat. Check out 25 comics that prove that Kylo Ren is not only awesome, but also — dare we say it— more complex than Darth Vader.
Proceed with caution, however: spoilers!
25 The Last Straw
This comic is brilliant, riffing on one of the best scenes from The Force Awakens where Kylo attacks part of his own ship in a fit of rage. When Snoke criticizes his work and questions his commitment to the Dark side, Kylo can't take it.
This scene is also very interesting when compared to Darth Vader’s demonstrations of temper in the original trilogy, like when he intimidated subordinates because they were doing their job wrong. Vader is intense, but Kylo Ren is just funny. That actually works with the surprise element at the end of The Force Awakens, when he finally looks like a real threat.
Kylo has a scene where he subdues someone —even though it might be lazy writing— it also reads as a guy who’s unsuccessfully trying his best to imitate his idol.
Art by CypressPhoenix
24 Cork Board Memories
Kylo doesn’t even show up on this meme and we already know it directly references him. This has been done so many times, but I find it to be an exception because it's so amazing. The best parts are the images where Vader is giving a thumbs up and when he’s flicking his cape dramatically.
You can totally picture Kylo Ren pinning pictures of his grandfather to the cork board as a teenager, and dreaming of Sith adventures.
Kylo Ren’s obsession with Vader is interesting because it makes you think. Is it possible that Han was a really bad dad? And is it possible that, for some reason, Kylo may have been very disappointed with both of his parents?
These developments will all be interesting to see on the next and last instalment of the trilogy.
Collage from Bustle.
23 Drag Me Home
This was basically Rey and Kylo’s relationship throughout The Last Jedi, and this artist captures it perfectly with their fan art. There is another reason why Kylo Ren might be a better villain than Darth Vader: the relationship between Rey and Kylo is extremely complicated and explored in the trilogy.
While Luke and Vader were father and son, they both share a couple of scenes together in the three movies. On the other hand, Rey and Kylo have already had many scenes and exchanges, and we still have one more movie to go.
I love Vader and he’s irreplaceable, which is also why I think Kylo is the perfect follow up to that. Even though his character is clearly inspired by Vader — a fact that’s very much admitted to in the film — he’s also his own person, which was emphasized during The Last Jedi.
Art by Utena-Sama
22 Kylo's Lightest Secret
Another relationship that’s great is the one between General Hux and Kylo Ren. Even though Hux is less important than Kylo, he’s also a villain that plays a part in all three movies. General Hux has some interesting and telling exchanges with heroes and villains of the franchise.
Hux and Ren both have the ability to get on each other’s nerves
During The Force Awakens, both work under Snoke and they seem to command equal power and respect from their armies. In The Last Jedi, things change once Kylo Ren removes Snoke and becomes the Supreme Leader himself. This effectively puts him above Hux, putting a stop to their fights.
We're sure we haven’t seen the last of that rivalry yet.
Art by Annicron.
21 To Be Or Not To Be...
This is one of the best bits of fan art I’ve seen with Kylo Ren, and I’ve seen a lot of those —especially when researching for this list. Aside from the fact that the artwork is awesome, and that Kylo looks like the handsome emo protagonist of some animated show, the Shakespearian question that Kylo debates with himself is one that’s very creative.
Kylo Ren’s struggle has always been his indecision when it comes to belonging to the Dark or Light side. His problems are always presented in absolutes, and he’s always put in situations where he has to make extreme decisions in order to do his job and prove himself as a true Sith lord.
Even though the comic is humorous and cute, it’s also really smart, which is the best combination for fan art.
Art by CaptBexx
20 Puns Away!
This solid pun is a great way to move down the list, and it illuminates one of the reasons why Kylo Ren is great. During The Force Awakens, it’s revealed that Kylo Ren is truly Ben Solo, or Han and Leia’s only son. This reveal is even not the biggest twist you get, which true fans know after watching Episode VII.
Kylo Ren’s character is introduced in a way that’s very interesting.
While a lot of people said that JJ Abrams’ script was very safe — basically a rewrite of A New Hope — this works when it comes to Kylo, who’s introduced as a wannabe Vader-type. This is accurate because Kylo simply wants to be Vader, and the script confirms this repeatedly by emphasizing his tantrums and his inability to have his own identity.
19 Girl Troubles
This meme illustrates how lame Kylo Ren is. This is a good thing, don’t get me wrong! All fan-based shipping aside, there are some weird vibe going on between Kylo and Rey. Be that hatred, jealousy, attraction —or a mixture of all three— we know it's there. This is really interesting when seen on screen, and is definitely one of the most acclaimed aspects of the new trilogy.
Interesting and dynamic relationships between the hero and the villain are one of the most important developments of any movie. The Star Wars movies know this well, which is why the movies are universally beloved and remembered.
It’s always funny when fans poke Kylo over his very emo reactions. Adam Driver is so very good at playing them.
Meme Art taken from Ariata.
18 Kylo's Valentine
We're not sure if Rey likes or hates Kylo. Why does she identify with him so much? While Rey’s feelings for Kylo are up for debate, Kylo’s feelings for Rey are much more obvious. No character or storyline has confirmed if his feelings for her are romantic, but Kylo pretty much makes things obvious when he offers to Rey the opportunity to rule the galaxy together.
Maybe he was trying to trick her, because that’s a pretty good possibility. But I still found it telling that he’d offer that to Rey, of all people. There’s also that scene where he gets angry after discovering that Rey escaped from his ship with Luke’s lightsaber.
This comic is sweet and adorable, and it really suits Kylo, who always acts like a really tall child.
Art by Kesinger
17 Pants Don't Go There
Even though Darth Vader is hilarious and has created his fair share of memes, Kylo Ren created the most iconic of all Star Wars memes, and that deserves a good amount of credit. Ben Swolo is the name of the meme that took over the entire web when The Last Jedi was released at the end of last year. The Ben Swolo meme might have even eclipsed all the debate over Luke’s characterization The Last Jedi, and that’s saying a lot.
This comic is hilarious and might even make much more sense than the movie. Why would anyone wear their pants that high on their waist? Aside from looking very uncomfortable, Kylo Ren also looks really dumb. We can totally sympathize with Rey's discomfort in this scene.
What a weird guy!
Art by RJ Pierce
16 Reylo Wars
While there’s a lot of people who want Kylo and Rey to get together by the end of the trilogy, there are a lot of people who want the opposite thing. They are totally set on Kylo Ren remaining a villain until his last breath.
I personally have no shipping preferences, but think that Kylo Ren’s redemption —or lack thereof— can be very interesting, if executed correctly. If the character redeems himself, it would make sense because he’s always had the light side in him.
If he doesn’t, then it would also be very different because it would be a departure from the original trilogy. We know Vader redeemed himself at the end of the film, and had a sweet final moment with his son.
Art by RJ Pierce
15 Middle Names
This fan art represents a different and much happier version of the moment when Kylo Ren ends Han Solo, even though it’s much more angsty. It’s a compliment to Adam Driver’s acting that I can perfectly imagine Kylo Ren throwing a tantrum and stomping out of a room because his dad made him angry.
Even though I love Han Solo and will miss him forever, it was rewarding to see Kylo finally committing to one side of the battle.
Even though Kylo went way over to the dark side on the final quarter of The Force Awakens, he still couldn’t hurt his mother during The Last Jedi. That gave us all some much-needed hope. Ren still has a long way to go if he wants to become the greatest Sith lord that ever existed.
Art by Adidraws
14 Look To The Future
Aside from being very adorable piece of fan art, the descriptions of each character are spot-on and cute. Rey’s motivations can be chalked up to not understanding Kylo because he's had everything she ever wanted. He had parents who loved him, an important lineage, power, and the opportunity to train with Luke Skywalker.
When it comes to Poe, he wants to be the hero, and he’s very good at it. Finn just wants to do the right thing, and he’s also very sweet and a kind friend. In Kylo Ren's case, he's just trying to get over the huge chip on his shoulder and make the ghost of his grandfather proud. Even though Anakin saves the galaxy by the end of the original trilogy, but somehow Kylo doesn’t seem to remember that.
Art by RandomSplashes
13 Team Spirit
This is another entry where Kylo and Hux annoy each other! I have to say, the fact that I can imagine Adam Driver doing all of these things is one of the reasons why Kylo Ren is one of my favorite villains of the entire franchise.
Kylo Ren may even win over Darth Vader, whom I absolutely adore.
Maybe this is because Adam Driver is such an awesome actor, or maybe it’s because we’ve kind of seen an evolution within the character. I don’t know why, but Kylo Ren is a very compelling villain, especially in this day and age when great villains are really hard to come by. Rey also deserves some credit here, since the relationship between heroes and villains can be one of the coolest aspects of any series.
Art by RandomSplashes
12 A Lot Of Feelings
While this meme is very funny and perfectly represents Kylo Ren’s weak will, it doesn’t make him in any way less intense or compelling. In a way, Kylo Ren is very unpredictable! You can never know when he’ll make a rash decision that can lead to trouble for all our heroes, which makes him one to watch constantly.
Even though Vader was extremely intense in his own movies, he had very few weaknesses, meaning that it was hard to see him as a relatable character.
This quality also made his redemption less impactful. If Kylo Ren were to vanish or to sacrifice himself for the heroes' lives, it would be an extremely meaningful moment because we’ve seen so much of Ren in the previous movies.
11 Kylo's Backstory
This amazing comic takes a funny approach towards Kylo Ren’s scar and to his entire scene with Han at the end of The Force Awakens. Everyone knows the moment where Ren breaks everyone's heart and commits the unspeakable.
Unlike Anakin Skywalker, who simply gains a really cool battle scar, Adam Driver ends up with an entirely more intense sign, and he doesn’t look cool at all. Luckily, Rian Johnson decided to move the scar a bit so that it looks better on the actor, resulting in a very large and very imposing mark.
The cool thing is that even though it totally signals how torn Kylo really is, it still makes him look intimidating and worrisome. Absolutely top-notch decision by the film staff and crew!
Art by Berk-shire
10 Parenthood
It’s really a shame that we were robbed of scenes between baby Kylo and his parents! Even though we did get to see the dynamic between Ben, Han and Luke, it would’ve been amazing to see how Kylo would responds when faced with his mother. During The Last Jedi, there’s a scene where Kylo isn’t capable of hurting his mother, and he gets very emotional when he thinks that someone else did.
The different relationships that Kylo has with his family are also some of the reasons why he’s a more compelling character than Darth Vader.
Kylo has the benefit of a 40 year history behind him, which makes his scenes with his parents and his uncle really complex and powerful.
Art by RandomSplashes
9 Comparisons Abound
This meme hilariously targets Kylo Ren and makes fun of the fact that Vader’s look was iconic and revolutionary back in 1977 when Star Wars first came out, and that Kylo’s look is just a rip off in 2015. The fact that this is always acknowledged within the universe of the movies is one of the best things about the new trilogy of films.
Unlike Vader, who was feared and respected with his mask —because he actually needed it— Kylo is mocked because he has no reason for wearing a mask other than the fact that he wants to be someone else. Say whatever you want say about the new movies, but you have to commend Star Wars for predicting the joke that everyone else would make as soon as they saw the movie.
Meme from CBR.
8 Vader Family Life
One of the things that people criticize the most when it comes to Kylo Ren is the fact that he had everything in life and he still turned out bad. He didn’t care about his parents or his uncle —even though he was considering betraying him— and turned away to the Dark side. Darth Vader had a much heavier life, which is explored in the prequels, where he slowly transforms to the Dark side.
Even though we know the change will happen, it still feels inevitable because of the situations Anakin was put in.
Kylo Ren’s situation is entirely different, but he still chooses to go to the Dark side even though it would be much easier for him to choose his parents and stay with them. This makes the character interesting and complex! What other things is he hiding?
7 Sounds Familiar!
The iconic love confession between Han and Leia is made all the more powerful and iconic when it’s between Kylo Ren and Darth Vader. We all know the true love story from the new trilogy is between those two!
Kylo talks to his grandfather’s mask, confides in it and feels vulnerable without it. It’s the trilogy’s only official romance.
While the film has its fun with this situation, I always think about the fact that Darth Vader was redeemed in the end, and he came back to the light side of the force. So it makes little sense for Kylo Ren to idolize him as much.
Yes, he did a lot of bad things, but he felt bad for them in the end and made peace with his son, which Kylo Ren seems all too happy to forget about.
Meme from CBR.
6 Why, Kylo?
Yeah, be cool Kylo! If Vader were to reappear to his grandson, he’d tell him that he’s messing everything up. Kylo Ren is trying to get rid of Vader's kids —even though Vader had the same goal for most of his life, and he never really had a full conversation with Leia— and he’s also trying to put the Dark side of the force back in power.
Vader wasn’t a saint at all, but by the end of the original trilogy he saves the galaxy from the galactic empire, choosing to side with Luke.
Now his grandson wants to destroy all of that? I bet he’d be pretty angry about it. How come Kylo Ren doesn’t know about all of this? Is it acknowledged at some point on the films? I’m curious to know.
Art by HellaHella.