Are the Knights of Ren Sith?

Princess Leia Organa (together with Han Solo) gave birth to Ben Solo. With parents like these, it’s no wonder that Ben began his life as a part of the Jedi Order.

As a result of Princess Leia Organa’s blood coursing through his veins, Ben Solo was a powerhouse. He possessed such strength in the Force that he had the potential for ultimate power.

Of course, once Emperor Sheev Palpatine caught wind of yet another person within the Skywalker bloodline, he had to have him. Thus, he propositioned one of his prized creations, Supreme Leader Snoke, to condition Solo into joining the dark side.

Snoke planted seeds in Solo’s head to poison him against his family and the light side as a whole. This was successful, resulting in Ben Solo relinquishing his light side affiliation and becoming Kylo Ren.

Ren was certainly a force to be reckoned with as he began to fully embrace the power of the darkness within him. So much so that Kylo Ren went on to lead a group known as the Knights of Ren.

That being said, the question of who the Knights of Ren were and whether or not they were Sith arose. Without further ado, let’s get right into this topic.

Who Exactly Are the Knights of Ren?

The Knights of Ren were a group of warriors who followed the preachings of the Ren.

To preface, Ren was a religion that centered around a red-bladed lightsaber, which was named Ren. Over time, this lightsaber was wielded by an individual who adopted the name “Ren” and founded the Knights of Ren.

The Ren’s beliefs are centered around the lightsaber’s nature, nothing more, nothing less. There was no concept of right or wrong. The Ren felt no remorse, nor did they care about any specific goal or code.

The Ren simply cared to live life the way they wanted, without being bound by any rules. Followers of the Ren fully embraced the dark side without having to consider any repercussions.

While Ren was the lightsaber and the religion, its followers were known as the Knights of Ren. This group was fully operational during the Civil War and was one of the last sets of Force-sensitives left after the Empire’s purging of the Jedi Order.

Even after the fall of the Empire, the Knights of Ren continued raiding planets, voyaging around the galaxy, and looking for new people to recruit as the New Republic came to fruition.

Eventually, this group was taken over by Ben Solo, who adopted the name “Ren” after killing the previous leader of the group.

Unlike the rest of the Knights of Ren, Kylo Ren was gifted with the raw Force talent that comes with the Skywalker bloodline. Thus, he became a warlord as the leader of the Knights of Ren.

Are the Knights of Ren Sith?

Although the Knights of Ren were undoubtedly a dark-side group, they were not Sith.

Of course, they were not Jedi either. The Knights of Ren were simply a new generation of soldiers who had the Force embedded in them. However, the Knights of Ren were not as strong in the Force as the Sith or Jedi.

The Knights of Ren did not have Sith-level Force power until Kylo Ren took over as leader of the group.

You see, Kylo Ren’s bloodline had many reputable Force users, such as his uncle, Jedi Knight Luke Skywalker, and his grandfather, the legendary Sith Lord Darth Vader. 

What’s more, Ren was a direct descendant of Leia Organa who had proven that she is just as competent in the Force as her brother and father. Therefore, Kylo Ren had elite Skywalker blood in his veins.

Ren was destined to be strong with the Force, and he was in many ways. Under Kylo Ren’s leadership, the Knights of Ren unleashed their chaotic wrath on many planets in the galaxy.

What Is the Difference Between the Knights of Ren and the Sith?

The Knights of Ren were arguably more free than any Sith could be. 

The major difference between the two is that the Knights of Ren simply desired to serve Ren and the dark side whereas the Sith wanted to rule the dark side (and by extension the entire galaxy). 

Now, the Sith were given more liberties than the Jedi but they were still bound by the Sith Code. This stipulated that the Sith were to allow all their negative emotions to fuel them. 

They were to shy away from positive feelings (like love) for fear that they would make them weak. The Sith lusted for power and believed that complete immersion into the dark side was the way to do it.

Nonetheless, they were to follow the Sith Code to the letter, and any deviation would often result in repercussions.

On the other hand, the Knights of Ren had a much looser grasp on morality. They did not truly follow any one code. They simply did whatever they thought the lightsaber (Ren) would have wanted them to.

The Knights of Ren led a seemingly lawless existence filled with countless planetary raids, bloody seizures, and other excursions throughout the galaxy.

Furthermore, the Sith began as an ancient race that was later transformed into an organization for dark side Force-sensitives of the same belief system and moral code.

Conversely, the Knights of Ren were a newer group generally composed of anyone who wanted to follow the way of the lightsaber. 

It is not clear whether or not every member of this organization was Force-sensitive, which was a requirement to become a Sith.

FAQs

Just as with everything else in the franchise, the existence of the Knights of Ren spiked intrigue within the Star Wars communities.

Naturally, some questions surface more frequently than others. That said, let’s get right into the answers to one of these frequently asked questions.

Were The Knights of Ren Trained By Luke Skywalker?

Right off the bat, we can say that the Knights of Ren were not the students of Luke Skywalker.

Luke did not know of their existence until he and Ben Solo encountered them and the Knights of Ren’s leader at that time. Then, the Knights attempted to convince Solo to join them (which we know he eventually did), but Luke defeated the group, causing them to flee.

To that end, Luke thought the Knights of Ren were clumsy and untrained. Ergo, it’s safe to assume that if they had been taught by Luke, the Knights would have been far more qualified.

If we take a look at Kylo Ren (who was trained by Luke while he was still Ben Solo) in comparison to the Knights, he is miles ahead them.

Not only does Ren have a natural inclination towards the Force, but he also received combative training by one of the greatest Jedi the galaxy has ever seen.

This doesn’t go to say that the Knights would have been on par with Kylo Ren if they were Luke’s students. Still, they would have been much more adept than they were portrayed to be.

Conclusion

The Knights of Ren were a group of warriors that did not fall under the category of Sith. 

Although they allowed the dark side of the Force to fill them, the Knights were not confined by the same rules as the Sith. The Knights of Ren simply adhered to the will of the lightsaber their religion was based on. 

They had a rather loose moral code, did not necessarily follow any particular goal, and basically did whatever they pleased.

When Kylo Ren took over as the group’s leader, they were given a bit more direction as Ren was presumably the most qualified Force-sensitive in the group. Still, the Knights’ one true desire was to serve their lightsaber and the dark side.

Additionally, the existence of Kylo as the organization’s ruler led to fans wondering if the Knights of Ren were apprentices of Luke Skywalker. However, this is not true, as Luke did not even know about the group until they encountered each other.