"Kylo Ren's Lost Year Explored in Star Wars: Legacy of Vader"

Marvel's Star Wars line is entering an exciting new phase, expanding beyond its recent focus on the one-year gap between The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi. With the conclusion of titles like Star Wars, Darth Vader, and Doctor Aphra, Marvel is now venturing into other fascinating periods of the Star Wars timeline. One of the new series, Star Wars: The Battle of Jakku, delves into the final showdown between the Rebel Alliance and the crumbling Empire. Another, Star Wars: Jedi Knights, offers insights into the Jedi Order's past before The Phantom Menace. Perhaps the most anticipated of these new ventures is Star Wars: Legacy of Vader, which promises to enrich the narrative surrounding Adam Driver's complex character, Kylo Ren.

IGN had the opportunity to discuss the upcoming Legacy of Vader series with its writer, Charles Soule, who shared insights into how the series will add new dimensions to the enigmatic Ben Solo. Before diving into the details, take a look at an exclusive preview of the series in the slideshow gallery below.

Star Wars: Legacy of Vader - Preview Art Gallery

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Returning to the Story of Kylo Ren

Charles Soule, known for his work on Marvel's flagship Star Wars series and major crossovers like War of the Bounty Hunters and Dark Droids, is eager to explore Kylo Ren's story further. "I’ve wanted to get back to Kylo Ren for ages," Soule shared with IGN. "It’s amazing to me that it’s been over four years since The Rise of Kylo Ren, the miniseries I created with Will Sliney that chronicled Ben Solo’s transformation into Kylo Ren. That one was set before Episode VII, and I’ve always thought there was so much more story to tell with Kylo."

Soule believes that setting Legacy of Vader directly after Episode VIII provides a unique opportunity to explore a character undergoing significant change. "I think setting this book directly after Episode VIII gives me a chance to deal with a character who’s gone through an extreme amount of change in a very short amount of time – his life has changed in drastic ways. I do think it’s a huge opportunity. You want to write characters with emotion to them – and at this point, Kylo’s about as emotional as a character can get."

The collaboration with artist Luke Ross, with whom Soule has worked on several Star Wars projects, is another highlight for him. "I’ll work with Luke any chance I get!" Soule exclaimed. "He and I have done three big pieces of work in the Star Wars universe at this point – War of the Bounty Hunters, Dark Droids, and now this story. I think his work has leveled up with each project, and this one… wow. He’s captured the turmoil and unpredictable cold rage of Kylo Ren perfectly. You’ll see – Luke, and our colorist Nolan Woodard, are doing top-notch work here."

Art by Derrick Chew. (Image Credit: Marvel/Lucasfilm)

Ben Solo After The Last Jedi

Legacy of Vader is set during a crucial period in Ben Solo's life, immediately following Star Wars: The Last Jedi. At this juncture, Ben has failed to turn Rey to the Dark Side, faced his uncle Luke Skywalker in battle for the last time, nearly killed his mother, and assumed control of the galaxy's most formidable military force. Soule aims to delve into the profound emotional turmoil Kylo Ren experiences as he tries to move forward and sever ties with his past.

"Poor Ben. We know he’s still in there somewhere because of the things we see in both Last Jedi and Rise of Skywalker, but at this particular moment he’s been shoved down into some dark corner of Kylo Ren’s psyche," Soule explained. "In a very short amount of time, Kylo’s faced down one of his great mentors in Luke Skywalker, killed another in Snoke, killed his father, almost killed his mother, met someone with whom he’s felt a unique, powerful connection in Rey, and assumed total control of one of, if not the most powerful military organization in the galaxy. All that in what seems to be just a matter of weeks! Kylo wants to move forward, but all of that trauma and intensity is very fresh – not easy to get past."

The series begins with Ben visiting Mustafar, the former stronghold of his grandfather, Darth Vader. This journey is part of Ben's attempt to break from his past, yet he remains deeply conflicted about his connection to Anakin Skywalker. "One of the key things to understand about Kylo is that he’s not particularly honest with himself," Soule noted. "As I see his character, he’s big on grand pronouncements, big on posturing, big on trying to convince himself he feels a certain way, e.g. untouchable and all-powerful. In reality, though, he’s pretty lost. So while he’s telling himself he wants to kill his own past, part of him is also looking for any sort of guidance he can get. That sums up his feelings about his grandfather at this point – he’s conflicted."

The internal politics of the First Order will also play a significant role in Legacy of Vader. As the Sequel Trilogy established, General Hux harbors animosity towards Kylo Ren, and officers like Allegiant General Pryde are plotting the rise of Palpatine's Final Order behind the scenes. "I would be bummed if I were writing a series set at this time period and not get to play with the First Order and its internal political shenanigans," Soule remarked. "Hux is certainly in the book, and Pryde was around as well during this time period. Kylo’s journey is the book’s focus, but the way he uses and develops the First Order is certainly part of the story too."

The overarching goal of Star Wars: Legacy of Vader is to deepen our understanding of Kylo Ren/Ben Solo and provide new layers to the villain central to the Sequel Trilogy. "I’ve been doing this job (telling Star Wars stories) for a while now – a decade," Soule reflected. "I try to make sure every one can be appreciated as a tale on its own, while also having elements that can be appreciated by readers who know exactly where the story fits into the overarching mega-story that is all of the Star Wars canon."

Soule further elaborated, "This book is about Kylo Ren’s struggle to define himself, and it is not easy for him. It feels like every moment of his life is accompanied by turmoil and pain. Some fans would say that’s because he is not himself as Kylo – part of him knows he’s truly Ben – and the story can be viewed through that perspective. But I think it also works if you know nothing about Kylo Ren other than what you see in these beautifully-drawn pages – that he’s searching for himself, like many younger people do. Of course, he’s also a dark space wizard with a laser sword he loves to use to deadly effect whenever he feels like it. There’s plenty of angst and drama, but we don’t stint on the action, either. I think fans will love it."

Star Wars: Legacy of Vader #1 is set to be released on February 5, 2025.