Star Wars has secretly revealed just how Palpatine corrupted Kylo Ren. It's gradually become clear Kylo Ren never truly fell to the dark side. Where Darth Vader embraced his own inner darkness and became a Dark Lord of the Sith, Kylo Ren experienced the darkness as a trap from which he could not escape. In Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker, he suggested Rey should "surrender" to the dark side, unintentionally hinting at his own relationship with it. It took the death of his mother Leia - her decision to spend the last of her precious life energy telling him he was still loved rather than continuing to lead the Resistance - to persuade Kylo Ren he ever had a choice.

This fact is obscured in the films themselves, but it has been ably demonstrated in Charles Soule's The Rise of Kylo Ren. This is essentially Kylo Ren's origin story, and it reinterpreted his life in a fascinating way. The comic revisits that fateful day when Luke Skywalker sensed the darkness within Ben Solo and, in a moment of horror, triggered his lightsaber - leading to a duel in which he was defeated by his own nephew. But it hinted Luke did not sense Ben's own darkness, but rather Palpatine's, with Darth Sidious orchestrating the battle. Once Luke was defeated, it was not Kylo Ren who destroyed the Jedi Temple; it was the Emperor, who summoned Force Lightning from the heavens.

Related: Star Wars: Why Not All Dark Side Users Are Sith (Including Kylo Ren)

But just how did Palpatine influence Kylo Ren so strongly? The recently-published in-universe fact book Secrets of the Jedi details Force powers associated with both the light and dark sides of the Force. It gives particularly interesting insight into the Force Bond, which - surprisingly - is considered a dark side power by Luke Skywalker. As he explains:

"On occasion, the Force allows us to connect with another living being and communicate with them across great distances, seeing what they see, and feeling what they feel. Though this may seem like a harmless - and perhaps even valuable - ability, it is easily manipulated by those on the dark side. Some powerful Force users have been able to create secret bonds with others who are unaware of their connection. They then use these bonds to corrupt their target and steer their actions. Even if the unwanted bond is detected, it can still be extremely difficult to break."

Star Wars Rise of Skywalker Palpatine

Secrets of the Jedi is supposedly compiled from the notes of Luke Skywalker, completed shortly before his death in Star Wars: The Last Jedi. As such, it focuses entirely upon the Force Bond between Rey and Kylo Ren, with an image of those two linked together in some mystical way. This represents Luke's greatest fear, but astute readers will instead recognize shades of Palpatine's relationship with Ben Solo. Chuck Wendig's Aftermath trilogy is set around Ben's birth, and in one chilling scene Leia sensed a dark presence watching the child in her womb with covetous eyes. "Hands reach for her," she sensed, "hands of shadow, lifting her up, reaching for her throat, her wrists, her stomach-" This could well be the moment Palpatine established a Force Bond with Ben, still in his mother's womb.

The Force Bond deepened as Ben Solo grew up, and - as shown in The Rise of Kylo Ren - Palpatine's voice became a constant whisper in his ear. The Emperor's link to Ben Solo was so subtle he could exert an influence on the boy even when he was stood next to Luke Skywalker himself; the great Jedi Master had no sense of Palpatine's presence, until that terrible night at the Jedi Temple. No wonder Luke was so afraid when he saw the bond between Rey and Kylo Ren - he had no idea they were a Force Dyad, and was instead reminded of all the clues he had missed over the years. Even Kylo Ren himself had no idea of this terrible truth, until Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker, when he stood before the Emperor and heard him say; "I have been every voice you have ever heard inside your head." At that moment, Kylo Ren realized he was not the hero of this Star Wars story; he was nothing but a pawn.

More: Rey vs. Kylo Ren: Who Is Really More Powerful In Rise of Skywalker