‘Star Wars: The Force Awakens’ Reveals New Details About Kylo Ren

Star Wars: The Force Awakens is the subject of the next Entertainment Weekly cover story, which means the release valve on details has been ever-so-slightly loosened. Earlier today, we got a look at a fresh batch of photos from the insanely anticipated film. Now, director J.J. Abrams, the man of mystery himself, has loosened his lips. The topic is the film’s villain, Adam Driver’s Kylo Ren, and he certainly has some interesting things to say.

First of all, it turns out that any resemblance between this new baddie and Darth Vader is entirely intentional. In fact, EW’s story describes Kylo Ren as a “Vader obsessive” who holds the long-dead Sith lord in high regard. In fact, his feelings about the late Anakin Skywalker will play into the plot of the film:

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.”

Like any worthy Force-wielder, that instantly controversial hilted lightsaber glimpsed in the first trailer was constructed by Kylo Ren himself. And yes, it’s supposed to look homemade and unstable:

The lightsaber is something that he built himself, and is as dangerous and as fierce and as ragged as the character.

Most interestingly, Abrams confirmed that Kylo Ren is not his real name. It’s a title, much like how Anakin became Darth Vader. On the subject of his real name and what makes him tick, Abrams isn’t talking, but he does say he will be a more complex villain than most:

He is a character who came to the name Kylo Ren when he joined a group called the Knights of Ren ... He is not your prototypical mustache-twirling bad guy. 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.

You can read more details at the link above. It want to take a quick dive into speculation and possible SPOILER territory, read on. Just tread carefully. We warned you.

It has long been assumed that Kylo Ren was a fake name and that his real name would be part of a massive revelation in the actual movie. The most popular suggestion (one that is whole-heartedly supported by ScreenCrush’s own Star Wars column, WookieeLeaks) is that Kylo Ren is the son of Han Solo and Leia Organa, making him the grandson of Darth Vader and the nephew of Luke Skywalker. Everything Abrams reveals in this interview lines up perfectly with this idea. Think about it.

Star Wars: The Force Awakens opens on December 18, 2015.