Awesome Theory of how Darth Vader Fits Into Star Wars: The Force Awakens
There’s a theory that’s been floated by very knowledgeable Star Wars fan and journalist Germain Lussier that very intriguing. It sounds credible to us on a lot of levels, not least of which is the fact that Lussier is parsing things said by the very people who made the film, finding nuggets and teasing them out into potential motives.
Because this theory could be true, we have to warn you right now that read no further if you want to go into Star Wars: The Force Awakens without even a chance of knowing what a big character like Kylo Ren might be up to. So, spoiler alert.
Still here? Okay then, so here’s the deal. As you know by now, Kylo Ren is a bad guy, played by Adam Driver, and a part of the First Order. As we explained in this piece, the First Order is the latest iteration of the Galactic Empire, after said Empire was defeated by the Rebel Alliance at the end of Return of the Jedi. Kylo Ren is a First Order mission commander known for his fiery temper and who at one point will have a light saber duel with Finn. Lussier then pieces together several things said by director J.J. Abrams (specifically in this interview with Entertainment Weekly) regarding Ren’s motivations, detailing why, for example, he wears such a Darth Vader-like mask. Do you see where this is going?
Lussier and his i09 colleagues think there’s a chance that Darth Vader is a big part of The Force Awakens. In fact, they believe that Kylo Ren’s main goal is to…again, speculative spoiler alert, clone Darth Vader or resurrect him in some way. Lussier points out that Abrams has stated on several occasions that Ren is “obsessed with Vader, has modeled his mask after him and more.”
As Abrams told Entertainment Weekly, “The movie explains the origins of the mask and where it’s from, but the design was meant to be a nod to the Vader mask. [Ren] is well aware of what’s come before, and that’s very much a part of the story of the film.”
Lussier points out that it might be Kylo Ren who’s holding that melted Vader mask, and that Ren might be collecting Vader relics. “Remember the shot in the trailer of Darth Vader’s burnt mask taken from the fires of Endor? Well, who or what is holding that mask, and for what reason? Possibly Ren—and possibly because he’s a collector,” Lussier writes.
There’s also the little issue of how Anakin Skywalker’s lightsaber has been seen in the trailers and teasers twice. Once, being handed to Leia, and a second time in Finn’s hands during the aforementioned duel with Kylo Ren. Lussier writes that in the huge merch reveal during Force Friday, the Kylo Ren toy says “That weapon is mine!” He wonders if Ren is referring to Anakin’s old saber.
Lussier also reminds us that Ren is not a Sith (as Abrams revealed to Empire Magazine)—"Kylo Ren is not a Sith," Abrams said. "He works under Supreme Leader Snoke, who is a powerful figure on the Dark Side of the Force.” Ren's collection of Vader artifacts might be less about his being a fanboy and more about his desire to reach Sith status. Taking it a step further, Lussier posits that Ren might be attempting to bring Vader back to life with the objects he’s collecting allowing him to contact or harness Vader in some way. “We know cloning is possible,” Lussier writes, "We also know Supreme Chancellor Palpatine (Darth Sidious) fooled Anakin Skywalker into believing the dark side could bring someone back from the dead. What if he wasn’t lying? Or what if Ren had just been fed the same line of crap as Anakin was?”
We suggest you read Lussier’s full piece here, which also dips into the recently published novel “Star Wars: Aftermath,” which includes a potentially explosive clue. All of this is purely speculation, but it’s well researched and reasoned. It wouldn’t be surprising that J.J. Abrams would want to make Vader a part of his new film—Abrams was a huge fan of the original Star Wars trilogy, so it makes sense that he'd want to resurrect its most enduring villain. With Mark Hamill involved in the film, one would imagine that Luke would have some very intense feelings if he were to find out Ren was trying to bring back his dad. Is this all an insane theory? Or is it totally plausible? What do you think?
