Star Wars’ New Sith Is Showing Kylo Ren How It’s Done

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As a huge Star Wars fan, I’m really fascinated by this new Sith character and how they’re getting a chance at redemption – honestly, it’s the arc Kylo Ren should have had. Star Wars has always thrown some compelling dark side figures at us, but it’s rare to see one actually change. Even big villains like Maul and Vader were pretty stuck in their roles. It’s tough to switch sides in that galaxy, and even if you do manage it, you usually don’t last long!

It’s not too surprising that the one character who seems to escape the endless cycle of Sith villains in Star Wars isn’t officially part of the main story. Star Wars: Visions, a series of animated shorts on Disney+, features stunning animation from studios around the globe. What’s special about these stories is that they aren’t limited by the established Star Wars timeline. They’re free to explore familiar Star Wars ideas – like the Force, Jedi, the Empire, lightsabers, and the Sith – in new and creative ways.

As a huge Star Wars fan, I was immediately hooked by the first short in the Visions anthology, “The Duel” by Kamikaze Douga. It introduces this really intriguing character, simply known as the Ronin, who seems like just a tired wanderer enjoying a quiet moment. That peace is quickly shattered when a brutal Sith Lord attacks the village he’s visiting. He steps in to defend the people, showing off his skills and challenging the Sith. It’s a classic setup – the Sith naturally assumes he’s a Jedi… until he ignites his own shockingly red lightsaber! It’s a fantastic reveal that really sets the short apart.

The Ronin is a complex hero in the world of Star Wars. He dedicates his life to tracking down the last of the Sith and protecting the helpless. Though he once fought against the Jedi and even associated with the Sith (as shown in the season 3 episode, “The Duel: Payback”), he’ll never fully rejoin their ranks. He’s become something new: a Force user who believes true balance comes from accepting both the light and dark sides. He represents the kind of path that could have been possible for characters like Kylo Ren and Ben Solo.

Star Wars Turned Kylo Ren Into Darth Vader 2.0, But The Character Deserved More

When Kylo Ren appeared in the latest Star Wars films, many hoped he’d be a different kind of villain, one who wasn’t simply following the path of the traditional Sith. However, his story ended up mirroring that of his grandfather, Darth Vader. Like Vader, Kylo was influenced by a hidden manipulator from a young age, led to distrust his loved ones, and ultimately used as a tool by another.

Adam Driver’s character, Kylo Ren, was incredibly compelling, particularly due to his special connection with Rey through the Force. He had a unique opportunity to redefine how we understand the dark side in Star Wars and what it takes to truly be redeemed. The story raised an interesting question – can a single good deed erase past wrongs, or is redemption a continuous journey, like the one shown in Star Wars: Visions? Sadly, similar to his grandfather, Kylo sacrificed everything to save Rey and didn’t live long enough to discover the answer for himself.

Honestly, I was really hoping to see a more nuanced Kylo Ren – or rather, Ben Solo – after The Rise of Skywalker. Imagine seeing him trying to find his place in the galaxy, not as a Jedi or Sith, but as someone genuinely trying to do good. It would have been fascinating to watch him support Rey in rebuilding the Jedi Order, or even to see him grapple with his past, becoming a sort of wandering warrior, constantly battling the darkness within and searching for his own redemption after everything he’d been through. That felt like a story with real potential.

A script Adam Driver and Steven Soderbergh created—intended as a follow-up to Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker and titled The Hunt for Ben Solo—likely would have explained what happened to Kylo Ren after the events of the film. It’s disappointing Disney didn’t move forward with it. Kylo Ren was a particularly compelling character in the Star Wars sequels, and it would have been great to see his journey continue as he moved beyond his past as a Sith and became something new.

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2026-05-11 02:08