Following today's batch of brand new photos from Star Wars: The Force Awakens, Entertainment Weekly has shared all new details about the film's "villain" Kylo Ren, courtesy of an interview with director J.J. Abrams.
I put villains in quotations because it seems even Abrams is hesitant to refer to Kylo Ren as such.
“As you see in the best of storytelling, and no doubt the best of Star Wars, these are tales in which an every person has to step up. And I think that what makes Ren so unique is that he isn’t as fully formed as when we meet a character such as Darth Vader,” Abrams explained. “And I think that there are two sides to the Force. Both sides, arguably, would see themselves as the hero of their story, and I think that applies here.”
Abrams didn’t completely divulge Ren’s plans in the film, but did acknowledge his influence from Darth Vader. Abrams went on to reveal that The Force Awakens will explain the origins of Ren's mask, which is “meant to be a nod to the Vader mask. [Ren] is well aware of what's come before, and that's very much a part of the story of the film."
As for his unique lightsaber, which features a distinctive laser crossguard at the hilt, apparently Ren crafted it by himself. “The lightsaber is something that he built himself, and is as dangerous and as fierce and as ragged as the character,” Abrams continued.
Right of the bat, it looks like The Force Awakens will succeed in a way the prequel trilogy completely failed — by incorporating a villain we actually care about. In the prequels, it felt like characters weren’t completely fleshed out, villains tossed in just for the sake of a good lightsaber fight. Darth Maul may still be memorable for his double-sided lightsaber and unique physique, but there was so much left on the table when he was killed at the end of Episode 1. I’m hoping the new trilogy actually explores more of the dark side of the force. And it sounds like it will.
“He is not your prototypical mustache-twirling bad guy,” Abrams offers. “He is a little bit more complex than that, and it was a great joy to work with Adam Driver on this role, because he threw himself into it in a deep and remarkable way.”
Kylo Ren has quite the backstory, it seems, as Abrams revealed that’s not actually the name the character was born with. “He is a character who came to the name Kylo Ren when he joined a group called the Knights of Ren,” Abrams added..
Beyond Abrams, The Force Awakens screenwriter Lawrence Kasdan teased that “there’s never been a character quite like the one that Adam plays. I think you’re going to see something that’s brand new to the saga.”
For fans eager to learn more about the new Star Wars villain, you’ll have to wait until The Force Awakens hits theaters on December 18, 2015.
