When Ben Solo fell to the dark side and became Kylo Ren, his actions left a trail of destruction and heartbreak across the galaxy. One of the most devastating moments was the destruction of Luke Skywalker’s Jedi Temple.
In The Last Jedi, Luke recalls the aftermath of the tragedy, saying, “He had vanished with a handful of my students.”
But what happened to those students? Were they allies in Ben’s fall to the dark side, or did they meet a tragic fate as a result of his betrayal?
In this article, we’ll explore what the canon has revealed about these students and the lingering mysteries surrounding their fates.
Without further ado…
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What Canon Comics Reveal About Luke’s Missing Pupils
If you haven’t read Star Wars: The Rise of Kylo Ren comic series yet, let me walk you through it.
This four-issue series dives deep into what happened after the destruction of Luke Skywalker’s Jedi Temple, giving us a closer look at the “handful of pupils” Luke mentioned in The Last Jedi.
Issue #1 picks up right where Luke’s story left off in the movie.
After the Jedi Temple burns down, we see Ben Solo in a state of confusion. He seems completely lost as if he doesn’t fully understand what just happened.
Enter the three young Jedi who had just returned from their missions—Voe, Tai, and Hennix. These three were part of Luke’s students, and they were immediately left in shock at the sight of the burning temple.
When they land their starship, Verity, things get even more intense. Voe can’t sense any life on the ground, but Tai detects Ben’s presence.
The confrontation that follows is packed with tension. Ben claims that Luke had tried to kill him in his sleep and insists that the Jedi Master is now dead.
While Tai tries to calm things down, Voe and Hennix aren’t convinced.
Voe’s mistrust leads her to draw her lightsaber, and Hennix follows suit. Ben, however, quickly shows them why he’s a force to be reckoned with.
He freezes Voe mid-air, hurls her into Hennix, and defends himself with a barrage of debris. Hennix ends up critically injured, stabbed in the chest by a piece of wood.
As Ben escapes on his starship, Grimtaash, Voe and Tai try to help Hennix and decide to chase Ben. But Ben’s skills aren’t just limited to combat—he manages to outmaneuver them, damaging their ship, the Verity, and escaping into hyperspace.
What’s fascinating is what happens next. While Tai suggests they alert Leia Organa, Ben’s mother, Voe convinces the group to investigate the truth behind the destruction of the temple and Ben’s betrayal first.
This decision marks a turning point for the trio, as they embark on a dangerous path to uncover what really happened—and to confront Ben once again.
The Battle at Elphrona
On their relentless pursuit of Ben Solo, Voe, Tai, and Hennix tracked him to the Jedi outpost on Elphrona.
Here, Solo was preparing to meet the shadowy cult known as the Knights of Ren on the planet Varnak.
But before he could leave, the trio confronted him, and a tragic lightsaber duel broke out.
Tai attempted to reach Ben by penetrating his mind, but Solo resisted and cast Tai aside.
As the fight moved outside the outpost, Voe, determined to stop Ben, used the Force to leap after him onto a high rock. Her pursuit led to a heated exchange, with Voe accusing Ben of being a murderer.
Overwhelmed with anger, Solo Force-pushed Voe, causing her to lose her lightsaber and plummet downward.
But guilt got the better of him, and Ben tried to save her using the Force—only to lose his grip, leaving her fall uncertain.
Hennix, believing Voe was dead, launched an attack on Ben in rage, but the encounter ended with Hennix’s accidental death at the hands of the conflicted Solo.
Meanwhile, Tai used the Force to save Voe from her fall. Before the pair could regroup, Ben struck again, hurling them into the outpost and collapsing two massive statues to bury them alive, ensuring they couldn’t follow him.
Using their Force powers, Voe and Tai managed to escape the rubble. While Tai disclosed that Ben was seeking the Knights of Ren, Voe was consumed with revenge for Hennix’s death.
Tai, who had tried to help Ben, admitted that he now believed Solo was lost and had to be stopped.
Later, Ben recounted this confrontation to Ren and the Knights of Ren. While Ren recognized that Ben had killed Hennix, he dismissed it as “not a good death,” since it wasn’t intentional.
Despite this, he allowed Ben to join their group, seeing potential in the young dark sider if he could prove himself further.
Death and Betrayal on Minemoon
Voe and Tai, determined to stop Ben Solo’s descent into darkness, managed to track him to Minemoon.
There, the Knights of Ren were engaged in a mission to seize a Force relic known as the Mindsplinter from the local Mimbanese.
This confrontation would prove to be the final chapter for Luke Skywalker’s remaining pupils.
As the skirmish unfolded, Tai attempted to reach Ben through the Force, hoping to reason with him one last time.
Meanwhile, Voe took up arms to assist the Mimbanese, clashing directly with Ren, the leader of the Knights.
Voe’s determination was clear as she stopped Ren from killing a second Mimbanese and even countered his boasts about having faced Master Skywalker, reminding him that Luke had defeated them. With a decisive kick to Ren’s head, she made it clear she wasn’t backing down.
However, Ren retaliated with the Force, ordering his acolyte Kuruk to shoot Voe. Despite dodging the blaster fire and rallying the Mimbanese against the Knights of Ren, the battle took a tragic turn.
Tai, still trying to save Ben, was murdered by Ren. Overwhelmed by rage and grief, Ben turned on Ren, killing him in a climactic duel. This act cemented his fall to the dark side.
What followed was a devastating end for Voe. As Ben unleashed Force lightning that scattered everyone around him, he retrieved her lightsaber using the Force.
Voe, stunned by his power, watched in fear and awe as Ben declared himself a murderer and mocked her dreams of becoming a Jedi.
With no one left to train her and consumed by his darkness, Ben impaled Voe with Ren’s lightsaber, ending her life. In a final, chilling gesture, he left the weapon on her body as the mine began to flood.
With Voe and Tai dead, Ben Solo fully embraced the dark side, claiming the title of Master of the Knights of Ren.