Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker is nearly upon us, with the generations anxious awaiting the release of J.J. Abrams' upcoming blockbuster. Episode IX will wrap up the story Abrams began with The Force Awakens, as well as nine-film story that has made up the Skywalker Saga. Abrams will be able to give his ending to the characters he created, including Adam Driver's villainous Kylo Ren. More information about Ben Solo is arriving ahead of the movie's release, including details about the character's signature mask. As it turns out, his First Order underlings haven't seen Kylo's face unmasked.
Kylo Ren's mask is directly inspired by his grandfather Darth Vader, as seen when the character debuted in The Force Awakens. It gives the villain an extra badass look, even if Ben might have destroyed it early on in The Last Jedi. But it turns out the function of the helmet extends to other areas, including intimidating even members of the First Order. As a Star Wars companion book recently revealed:
Kylo Ren's helmet is designed in the style of the Knights of Ren. It is also reminiscent of the infamous mask of his grandfather, Darth Vader, connecting Kylo Ren to the dark side of his family heritage. The helmet conceals his former identity as Ben Solo (also obscured by the helmet's vocoder which makes his voice sound more threatening), and serves to intimidate both his enemies and his subordinates in the First Order. Beyond this and the protection it affords, the helmet has no special functions.
Well, this is interesting. While it seems obvious that Kylo Ren might want to wear a terrifying mask when picking off members of The Resistance, it turns out that the masked villain wants to inspire the same fear in his allies as well. I guess that's how you become a true villain: fear from everyone.
This latest update comes from the book Ultimate Star Wars New Edition (via Screen Rant), which was recently updated to include information about Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker. While the secrets of the movie are still being kept under wraps, a few bits of information regarding the mysterious Knights of Ren have come to the light thanks to this book. Since we've seen so little of them, fans are eating each update up.
Related: Kylo Ren Looks Blown Away In New Star Wars: Rise Of Skywalker Photo
The current trilogy of Star Wars movies is very much focused on Kylo Ren, and the ongoing fight for his morality. The angry young man turned against his family and mentor to go to the Dark Side, and it's unclear if he'll ever be redeemed. Rey seemed to think so in The Last Jedi, but it should be interesting to see how the time jump in The Rise of Skywalker affects their fascinating connection.
Answers will come when Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker hits theaters on December 20th. In the meantime, check out our 2019 release list to plan your next trip to the movies.
