Fans of Star Wars are counting the days until The Rise of Skywalker, when the mysterious Knights of Ren finally get their chance to appear in glorious combat. But one of the most nagging questions surrounding Kylo Ren's masked warriors has been answered ahead of time: Yes, the Knights of Ren are Force users. Officially.
There are sure to be many Star Wars viewers, if not most, who have always assumed that to be the case. After all, what would make Kylo Ren's seemingly elite group of followers any deadlier or fearsome First Order forces, unless they could use the ways of the Force to defeat their opponents? But after their appearance in a single vision of Rey's in Star Wars: The Force Awakens, no answers followed. They were missing from The Last Jedi completely, so their return along with director J.J. Abrams for The Rise of Skywalker was a massive relief. And now that it's clear Lucasfilm really didn't forget all about them, their connection and mastery of the Force is the next mystery solved.
The long awaited clarification is going to have fans wondering why it wasn't explained earlier, since the false start of the Knights of Ren reveal in The Force Awakens ended up generating anticipation, excitement, speculation, and mistaken revelations all on its own. When Lucasfilm refused to explain the nature of the group to lore hungry fans, misinformation and confusion filled the vacuum instead. Why did they use conventional weapons instead of lightsabers? Where did they come from? Even their exact species has seemed less and less likely to ever be answered. But the first details about The Rise of Kylo Ren comic book has shown how wrong those assumptions really were.
Due to their common names, it was assumed that the masked fighters were somehow either assembled and named by Kylo Ren himself, or existed as lesser followers of Snoke until Ben Solo became their leader. That was shot down when official references claimed the Knights existed before Ben Solo's fall. A single line of dialogue from Luke Skywalker in The Last Jedi suggested they had once been his other students at his fledgling Jedi Academy... until it was revealed that Luke's other students sought revenge on Ben Solo, believing he had killed their teacher. And as fans postulated one explanation after another, only to have them shot down or refuted by Lucasfilm, patience wore thin.
There's a case to be made that Lucasfilm didn't want to confirm or deny the Knights of Ren's Force abilities or formation at the time, because there was no explanation decided on yet. Calling them "followers of the dark side" or "dark Force warriors" is vague enough to keep options open. But in speaking with StarWars.com about his upcoming Star Wars: The Rise of Kylo Ren origin comic (from which the above reveal originates), writer Charles Soule has finally etched the truth in stone:
They can all use the Force, the dark side of the Force, to varying degrees. They’re not as powerful as a Jedi or a Sith, but they use it when they fight…. They have some sort of a code, like a motorcycle gang, but it’s not elaborate. They’re flexible... Mostly they’re just kind of out to live their lives the way they want to live them and take what the galaxy will give them and eat what the dark side sends.
So there you have it. The Knights of Ren aren't Force followers, or Force sensitives, but true Force Users. And with that mystery solved, readers can focus all the more on the real point of Soule's story: how Ben Solo tragically became Kylo Ren.
In the past, fans might not have expected a tie-in comic book to explain such important, valuable character work or exposition for a series as high profile as Star Wars. But fans have long wrestled with the fact that the final Star Wars movie of this new trilogy could only answer so many questions, and complete so many stories. Those who know Star Wars comics know Soule can be trusted to do Kylo Ren's origin story justice. Which means the real anticipation can begin, waiting to see how Soule and artist Will Sliney will show the Knights of Ren wielding the Force in a fight, considering their range of melee weapons, blades, and heavy firearms.
The series will likely feature more than one demonstration of where the Knights of Ren fit on the scale of Force-using warriors. But the cover art for Issue #2 (seen above) promises the kind of fight every moviegoer would dream of seeing. And judging by the writer and artist's comments, readers don't know what they're in for when the series begins on December 18th. For now, find the full credits and plot synopsis below:
- STAR WARS: THE RISE OF KYLO REN #1 (OF 4)
- Release Date: December 18th, 2019
- Written by: Charles Soule
- Art by: Will Sliney
- Cover by: Clayton Crain
- Variant Covers by: Carmen Carnero, John Tyler Christopher
- WITH BEN SOLO’S FALL… COMES KYLO REN’S RISE! Young Ben Solo is legendary Jedi Luke Skywalker’s most promising pupil. As the son of Rebel Alliance heroes Leia Organa and Han Solo, as well as Luke’s own nephew, Ben has the potential to be a great force for light in the galaxy. But the Skywalker legacy casts a long shadow, the currents of the dark side run deep, and Darth Vader’s blood runs in Ben’s veins. Voices call from both his past and his future, telling him who he must be. He will shatter, he will be reforged, his destiny will be revealed. Snoke awaits. The Knights of Ren await. Ben Solo’s path to his true self begins here.
Star Wars: The Rise of Kylo Ren #1 will be available from your local comic shop on December 18th.
Source: StarWars.com