Warning! This post contains SPOILERS for Star Wars: Legacy of Vader #5Star Warshas finally shown fans a glimpse at theheroKylo Renwas always meant to be. The son of Han Solo and Leia Organa, young Ben Solo was also the Jedi apprentice to his uncle Luke Skywalker. However, the manipulations of Emperor Palpatine and Supreme Leader Snoke saw his gradual corruption to the dark side as Kylo Ren, as seen in the sequels.
In Marvel’s newLegacy of Vader #5by Charles Soule and Stefano Raffaele,Kylo Ren is the new Supreme Leader in the aftermath ofThe Last Jedi.Wanting the people of Naboo to let go of their past and seize their future, Kylo Ren is shown ordering his First Order forces to invade and take over the planet.However, Kylo Ren surprisingly dons a disguise before leading the Naboo himself, teaching them how to fight back.
Kylo Ren Was Raised By The Greatest Rebel Heroes
Han, Leia, and Luke Skywalker
Using Naboo to reinforce his own beliefs about the past needing to be forgotten and even killed, Kylo Ren has effectively turned the world into a grand experiment. Under his masked alias, Kylo Ren shows the Naboo how to fight back against the First Order. As such, they turn every bridge and street into a killbox, using their knowledge of their homeworld to their advantage.
While training the Naboo to become warriors, the son of Han Solo and Leia Organa confirms he was “raised in the tactics of the Rebellion”. He knows how to fight an oppressive regime just as his family had during the Galactic Civil War. As such, it’s a great reminder of the destiny Kylo Ren was meant to have in an alternate version of theStar Warstimeline.
Tragically,Kylo Ren was manipulated by Palpatine via Snoke from a very young age. Believing he’d never live up to their expectations of his family’s legacy, Ben also felt deeply betrayed by the discovery that Darth Vader was his grandfather, something that was publicly revealed as an attack against his mother in the New Republic Senate, but had been kept hidden from Ben by his family beforehand.
Unfortunately, Ben’s insecurities led to Snoke gradually seducing him to the dark side and a growing gravitation to Vader’s legacy. As such, all it took was Luke Skywalker’s moment of weakness and fear of what Ben could become that pushed the boy straight to the dark side.However, this new issue offers a window into another timeline where Ben could’ve been the perfect Rebel hero.
Ben Would Have Been The Best Resistance Leader/Jedi Knight
Fighting The First Order Alongside His Family
As seen in other canonicalStar Warscomics likeThe Rise of Kylo Ren, Ben Solo was perfectly positioned to be a great Jedi Knight as well. Apprenticed to his uncle onOssus with Luke’s growing Jedi academy, Ben was one of Luke’s best and most gifted students. However, Snoke, having presented himself as a confidant and mentor in the shadows, resulted in the major deviation in Ben’s path that led to his transformation as Kylo Ren.
What’s so great about this newStar Warscomic is that it shows the other side of the legacy Ben was meant to inherit from his parents, Han Solo and Leia Organa. While the issue does end withKylo Ren brutally killing all the Naboo warriors whose trust and loyalty he’d gained, it proves that Ben could have become one of the greatest Resistance leaders right alongside his mother. It certainly makes one wish for an alt-realityStar Warsstory where Ben never turned.
Star Wars: Legacy of Vader #5is on sale from Marvel Comics.
