In Star Wars: The Force Awakens, one of the most striking images tied to Kylo Ren isn’t his mask, it’s Darth Vader’s burned helmet. We see Kylo kneeling in front of it, speaking to it.
That moment raises an obvious question. Kylo Ren isn’t just inspired by Darth Vader. He’s obsessed with him.
And after killing Snoke, that obsession doesn’t fade. It goes even further. Kylo Ren becomes more fixated on Darth Vader’s legacy than ever before, leading to a moment where he actually puts on Vader’s helmet himself.
This story is told in the Legacy of Vader comic series, which follows Kylo Ren after he becomes the leader of the First Order and shows how he continues to sink deeper into the dark side of the Force through his obsession with Vader.
In issue #11, after killing Snoke as we saw in The Last Jedi, Kylo Ren has become Supreme Leader of the First Order. Instead of finding clarity or control, he continues his journey to fully submit himself to the dark side.
At the start of the issue, we see Kylo Ren submerged inside a bacta tank, recovering from his injuries. From outside the tank, Vaneé speaks to him, telling Kylo that if he truly wants to become like Vader, then Kylo Ren must die, just as Anakin Skywalker “died” to give birth to Darth Vader.
Vaneé then injects something into Kylo. As it takes effect, Kylo’s perception shifts. Suddenly, Darth Vader’s helmet appears before him, and slowly, it is placed over Kylo Ren’s face.
After putting on the helmet, Kylo suddenly finds himself restrained, surrounded by the lava flows of Mustafar. It quickly becomes clear that this is not a vision meant to guide him. Kylo realizes that Vaneé is trying to kill him. He breaks free and immediately begins hunting Vaneé through the castle.
But Vaneé is not easy to catch. He has prepared traps throughout the stronghold, forcing Kylo to fight his way forward. During the pursuit, Kylo runs into an old super battle droid. The droid overpowers him, beating him down and leaving Kylo with little choice but to retreat.
While escaping, Kylo stumbles upon a cache of abandoned lightsabers. Desperate, he grabs one and ignites it. The blade ignites green.
Fueled by anger, Kylo turns back to face the super battle droid. As he fights, his rage pours into the weapon. The kyber crystal inside the lightsaber begins to bleed, and the blade shifts from green to red.
With the droid destroyed, Kylo finally tracks down Vaneé. There is no hesitation. Kylo kills him, bringing the confrontation to an end.