How Old is Kylo Ren?

Kylo Ren was the main antagonist of the Star Wars sequel trilogy, which followed a young woman, Rey, on her path from desert scavenger to being the last hope of the Jedi. 

Throughout the course of the three movies, Ren developed a complex relationship with Rey as he attempted to pull her to the dark side. It was eventually revealed that they were a dyad in the Force, and she eventually managed to pull Ren back to the light side.

So, perhaps you’re wondering, who was Kylo Ren, really? How old was he during the movies, and during some key events that led up to them? How old is he in comparison to Rey?  

At the start of the sequel trilogy, Kylo Ren was 29 years old. About a year passed over the course of the trilogy, so he was 30 by the end of it. He was 10 years older than Rey.  He first made his transition from Ben Solo to Kylo Ren when he was 23 years old.

How Old is Kylo Ren’s Actor?

Kylo Ren was played by Adam Driver.

Driver was born in 1983. He was cast to play Kylo Ren in 2014. This means he was 31 when he was initially given the role.

So, he was in his early thirties during filming for the Star Wars  sequels. With this in mind, he was a couple of years older than the character he was portraying.

How Old is Kylo Ren in the Star Wars Sequel Trilogy?

The character of Kylo Ren was born as Ben Solo. His parents were Han Solo and Leia Organa, who married shortly after their climactic victory over the Empire at the Battle of Endor. 

According to Wookieepedia, Ben was born a year and four days after the Battle of Endor. This battle took place in 4 ABY (after the Battle of Yavin), so Ben was born in the year 5 ABY.

Fast forward to the sequel trilogy, which took place in 34 and 35 ABY. By this time, Ben had been steeped in the dark side for several years. He was known by the name Kylo Ren and his status was the leader of the Knights of Ren.

As the apprentice of Supreme Leader Snoke, Kylo was not a Sith Lord per se, but he fought against the New Republic and the Resistance, wielding a red lightsaber and longing to live up to his grandfather’s legacy. 

He became aware of Rey, a Force-sensitive young woman who had fallen in with Kylo’s father, Han, while attempting to return a droid to the Resistance. Kylo attempted to seduce Rey to the dark side, but she repeatedly resisted his efforts.

Their relationship grew despite their status as enemies, as they discovered they shared a strong bond in the Force. It was finally revealed that they were a Force dyad–two individuals who were bound through the Force.

Kylo continued his attempts to pull Rey to the dark side, while she endeavored to bring him back to the light side. Eventually, she was successful; he renounced his identity as Kylo Ren and became Ben Solo once more.

He then joined Rey as she faced her grandfather, Emperor Palpatine, during the Battle of Exegol. In the battle, Rey is killed, but Ben gives his own life to heal and restore hers.

Again, all of these events took place in the sequel trilogy, in the years 34 and 35 ABY. Kylo Ren/Ben Solo was 29 and 30 years old during these movies.

How Old Was Kylo Ren When He Destroyed the Jedi Temple?

As mentioned, Kylo Ren was already a dark warrior by the time Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens hit the screen. 

But how did he get to that point?

Ben Solo spent his early life in training with his uncle, Luke Skywalker, at Luke’s Jedi Academy. But, over time, he became frustrated that his uncle didn’t seem to trust him. 

When it was publicly revealed that Anakin Skywalker had been Darth Vader, Ben realized his parents and uncle had known the truth all along and had kept it from him. This badly damaged his relationship with his family and encouraged the growing darkness in him.

He was further influenced by Supreme Leader Snoke and the Knights of Ren, but he didn’t fully flip to the dark side until Luke sensed that he would betray the Jedi and attempted to kill Ben.

Feeling betrayed, he let his anger take control of him and summoned a storm to Luke’s Jedi training temple. Lightning from the storm set the temple on fire, and various explosions leveled the building and killed many of Luke’s students who were inside.

Filled with anger and hurt over his uncle’s betrayal and shame over what had happened to the temple, he fled to Snoke and embraced his new identity as Kylo Ren.

All of this happened in the year 28 ABY, when Ben was 23 years old.

How Old is Kylo Ren When He Dies?

During Star Wars Episode IX: The Rise of Skywalker, Kylo Ren reclaimed his old identity as Ben Solo and went to Exegol to fight alongside Rey as she faced down Palpatine. 

In the course of the battle, Palpatine discovered their dyad bond and used it to restore his own body to his former strength. In the process, he nearly killed both of them. 

Ben was left incapacitated, but generations of past Jedi called out to Rey, encouraging her to make a final stand. With their strength supporting her, she rose and defeated Palpatine, but the effort killed her.

When Ben regained consciousness, he found her dead beside him. Using the last of his strength, he transferred his own life essence into her body, restoring her to life. 

However, this sacrifice killed him.

This event happened at the end of The Rise of Skywalker, in the year 35 ABY. So, Ben was 30 years old when he died.

How Old is Rey?

As mentioned, Kylo Ren/Ben Solo developed a complex relationship with Rey throughout the events of the sequel trilogy. They were bound through the Force, and this close connection seemed to engender a romantic interest between the two of them.

Rey was born in 15 ABY, which means she was 19 and 20 years old during the events of the sequel trilogy.

With this in mind, she was about 10 years younger than Ben.

Conclusion

Kylo Ren’s story is not unique to those in his family. It is a story of falling to the dark side, finding redemption, and sacrificing himself for someone he loved. 

The most memorable events of his story began when he was 23 years old and continued through to the end of the Star Wars sequel trilogy, when he was 30 years old.

Sarah Hood

Sarah Hood is a freelance content writer and editor with a love for all things Star Wars. When she’s not writing, she enjoys cooking, singing, and spending time in the great outdoors.