How Star Wars: Legacy of Vader Fleshes Out Kylo Ren's Lost Year

Ben Solo After The Last Jedi

Legacy of Vader is set during a very pivotal period in Ben Solo's life - the immediate aftermath of Star Wars: The Last Jedi. At this point, Ben has just failed to turn Rey to the Dark Side. He's faced his uncle in battle one last time, and nearly succeeded in killing his mother like he did his father. He's also just gained control of the most powerful military force in the galaxy. It's been a tumultuous period for Ben, to put it mildly, and the series is all about exploring the profound turmoil plaguing Kylo Ren as he attempts to move forward and kill his past for good.

"Poor Ben. We know he’s still in there somewhere because of the things we see in both Last Jedi and Rise of Skywalker, but at this particular moment he’s been shoved down into some dark corner of Kylo Ren’s psyche," Soule says. "In a very short amount of time, Kylo’s faced down one of his great mentors in Luke Skywalker, killed another in Snoke, killed his father, almost killed his mother, met someone with whom he’s felt a unique, powerful connection in Rey, and assumed total control of one of, if not the most powerful military organization in the galaxy. All that in what seems to be just a matter of weeks! Kylo wants to move forward, but all of that trauma and intensity is very fresh – not easy to get past."

The series opens with Ben travelling to Mustafar to visit the fortress once occupied by his grandfather, Darth Vader. Ben is trying his best to kill the past, but to do so, he has to commune with the ghost of the man who so deeply inspired him (figuratively, if not literally). Soule teases that Ben is as conflicted about his connection to Anakin Skywalker as he is anything else in his life right now.

"One of the key things to understand about Kylo is that he’s not particularly honest with himself," Soule says. "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."

Readers can also expect plenty of focus on the inner workings of the First Order. As the Sequel Trilogy made clear, Domhnall Gleason's General Hux is no fan of Kylo Ren. And based on The Rise of Skywalker, we know there are officers like Richard E. Grant's Allegiant General Pryde who are quietly plotting underneath their Supreme Leader's nose, ushering about the rise of Palpatine's Final Order. As you might expect, the politics of the First Order will be a major element of Legacy of Vader, as we see what happens when Kylo Ren works to tighten his grip on his new military.

"I would be bummed if I were writing a series set at this time period and not get to play with the First Order and its internal political shenanigans," Soule says. "Hux is certainly in the book, and Pryde was around as well during this time period. Kylo’s journey is the book’s focus, but the way he uses and develops the First Order is certainly part of the story too.

Ultimately, the goal with Star Wars: Legacy of Vader is to enhance our understanding of Kylo Ren/Ben Solo and add new layers to the villain who was at the forefront of the Sequel Trilogy. We may know how this story ends, but the book will give us a better understanding of who Ben Solo is and why he makes the choices he does in The Rise of Skywalker.

"I’ve been doing this job (telling Star Wars stories) for a while now – a decade," Soule says. "I try to make sure every one can be appreciated as a tale on its own, while also having elements that can be appreciated by readers who know exactly where the story fits into the overarching mega-story that is all of the Star Wars canon."

Soule continues, "This book is about Kylo Ren’s struggle to define himself, and it is not easy for him. It feels like every moment of his life is accompanied by turmoil and pain. Some fans would say that’s because he is not himself as Kylo – part of him knows he’s truly Ben – and the story can be viewed through that perspective. But I think it also works if you know nothing about Kylo Ren other than what you see in these beautifully-drawn pages – that he’s searching for himself, like many younger people do. Of course, he’s also a dark space wizard with a laser sword he loves to use to deadly effect whenever he feels like it. There’s plenty of angst and drama, but we don’t stint on the action, either. I think fans will love it."

Star Wars: Legacy of Vader #1 will be released on February 5, 2025.

For more on what's coming up in the Star Wars franchise, check out our breakdown of every Star Wars movie and series in development.

Jesse is a mild-mannered staff writer for IGN. Allow him to lend a machete to your intellectual thicket by following @jschedeen on BlueSky.