Writer Charles Soule, who has been essential to Marvel's Kylo Ren's infamous "let the past die, kill it if you have to" line in The Last Jedi. The line, and Ren, have been on the author's mind lately, as he prepares for the release of the Legacy of Vader comic series.

reckon with Darth Vader's impact on the subsequent generation of Star Wars heroes. Naturally, there is no better protagonist for the book than Ben Solo, the fallen grandson of Anakin Skywalker.

Legacy of Vader promises to shed more light on Kylo Ren's actions during the Sequel trilogy, and Charles Soule's comments on the character's "let the past die" quote illuminate what fans can expect from his approach to the story.

Kylo Ren's "Kill The Past" Quote Is A Product Of The Character's Inner Conflict, Not A Resolution

According To Legacy Of Vader Author Charles Soule

Speaking about Legacy of Vader, Charles Soule elaborates on the idea that Kylo Ren/Ben Solo is a complicated character. He wants to cut himself off from his legacy, as much as he wants to live up to and sur it – which is precisely what makes him such a dynamic character to star in the series. Part of the character's internal struggle, as it manifests in the story, will be about how much his dishonesty with himself drives his actions. As Soule put it:

One of the key things to understand about Kylo is that he’s not particularly honest with himself. As I see his character, he’s big on grand pronouncements, big on posturing, big on trying to convince himself he feels a certain way, e.g. untouchable and all-powerful. In reality, though, he’s pretty lost. So while he’s telling himself he wants to kill his own past, part of him is also looking for any sort of guidance he can get. That sums up his feelings about his grandfather at this point – he’s conflicted.

Now, Soule's job as a writer will be to take a complicated character, and make him complex.

In his response, Soule specifically sites that Kylo Ren seeks to "kill his own past," while at the same time, he idolizes Darth Vader; literally, in the sense that he keeps Vader's destroyed helmet as a totem, a physical connection to the past that he claims to want to "let die." This is fertile narrative soil for an author like Charles Soule to plant seeds in, and the exciting part of Legacy of Vader will be finding out how fans' understanding of the character grows in response.

Kylo Ren's Own Complicated Legacy Informs How Star Wars Fans Feel About The Skywalker Saga

Star Wars: Legacy Of Vader #1 – Written By Charles Soule; Art By Luke Ross; Color By Nolan Woodard; Available February 5, 2025 From Marvel Comics

To some degree or another, every aspect of the Star Wars Sequel Trilogy was controversial, but Kylo Ren is perhaps at the focal point of more disagreements than any other character. There are a number of reasons for this, but one of the most significant is the fact that Ren is his uncle Luke Skywalker's legacy as much as his grandfather Darth Vader's. Fans of the franchise –especially long-time fans, who followed along as original Legends Expanded Universe – were rightly uneasy with Ren, who represented Luke's failure in the new canon made manifest.

This presents some difficulty in fleshing out the character's EU history in material like novels and comic books; the trajectory of the character's arc, for better or worse, is mapped out, and authors like Charles Soule are now tasked with extracting drama and pathos from the journey from Plot Point A to Plot Point B. That said, with Star Wars, as with any creative endeavor, the greater the adversity in the writing process, the greater the triumph the final product can be. Legacy of Vader is certainly a must-read for any Star Wars fans, but this makes it especially exciting.

Kylo Ren's Depiction In The Comics Still Has A Major Impact On The Overall Star Wars Universe

Part Of A Larger Tapestry

While Kylo Ren's story arc may be complete, his character arc is far from complete. There are a lot of stories left to be told about the character, spanning his entire life. Given the opportunity, authors like Charles Soule can continue to elevate Kylo/Ben, and make his story all the more foundational to the fabric of Star Wars history. Legacy of Vader is the next step toward fulfilling that goal, and Soule has demonstrated that he has a sharp understanding of the character on a psychological level, suggesting Legacy's story is in the right hands.

In many ways, Star Wars helped to define the contemporary conception of a multimedia franchise, but it is fair to say the Disney era has not always felt as cohesive across mediums as Star Wars did at the peak of the Prequel Trilogy. With plans for a new trilogy solidifying, and television adding an entirely new dimension to the scope of the overall multimedia project, it seems as though the pieces are moving into place for greater cohesion – and comics like Star Wars: Legacy of Vader and its exploration of Kylo Ren have a vital role to play.

Source: IGN, Charles Soule Interview