‘Star Wars: The Force Awakens’ Toy Reveals What’s Under Kylo Ren’s Hood

Kylo Ren is the new big bad in the Star Wars universe, described by director J.J. Abrams as a “Vader obsessive” who is darkly drawn to the original trilogy’s villain. We’ve caught a few glimpses of Kylo Ren in the trailers with his distinctive helmet, black cloak and crossguard lightsaber — but what’s under that hood, exactly? What is Kylo Ren hiding? As it turns out, it’s nothing major, but it will please many Star Wars fans.

Adam Driver portrays Kylo Ren in Star Wars: The Force Awakens, and as the universe’s new major villain, he’s attracted a fair amount of attention (second only to BB-8, obviously). His helmet is familiar to the aesthetic of the Star Wars universe and yet still unlike anything we’ve seen. Up until now, we also haven’t seen what’s under that hood. During the Force Friday unboxing livestream we got to see all kinds of new Star Wars toys, including a 31-inch Kylo Ren action figure. During the event, his hood was pulled back to reveal the rest of his helmet, which will look awfully familiar to you:

As Abrams previously revealed, Kylo Ren’s mask was constructed as a “nod” to Darth Vader, but looking at the back of it, it would appear that it’s more than just a mere nod. Here’s what Abrams had to say a few weeks ago:

The movie explains the origins of the mask and where it’s from, but the design was 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.

Slashfilm points out that some are already speculating about Kylo Ren’s helmet, with a few fans suggesting that Kylo Ren repurposed Vader’s helmet to make his own. That seems like a bit of a stretch, but it’s a fun idea.

Star Wars: The Force Awakens hits theaters on December 18.