Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker is the end of the road for the Knights of Ren - so who were this mysterious group? Star Wars: The Force Awakens introduced fans to a new villain, Kylo Ren, who was revealed to be the son of Han and Leia. In one key scene, Kylo Ren was described as “master of the Knights of Ren.”
It was a strange comment, given that the Knights of Ren were completely new to the canon. In the years since, viewers have eagerly speculated as to just who the Knights of Ren were, and why they were worthy of such an honorable mention. Lucasfilm has seemed reluctant to answer these questions, most likely because they hadn’t quite made up their minds. Still, the release of Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker marks the end of the sequel trilogy, meaning the mysteries are finally being resolved. Amusingly, because The Rise of Skywalker has so much to do, the Knights of Ren are mostly being explained in tie-in mediums.
No doubt more information will be revealed over the next few months, particularly in the ongoing tie-in comic The Rise of Kylo Ren. But, for now, here’s everything Lucasfilm has revealed to date.
The Knights of Ren’s Origins & Ben Solo
The story of the Knights of Ren begins centuries ago, out on the fringes of the Unknown Regions. A mysterious Force-sensitive founded an order who worshipped the dark side of the Force, which they called the shadow, and who wielded crimson lightsabers that they referred to as the Ren. These Knights of Ren became a dangerous, malevolent force in their local area, working for an as-yet-unidentified master and taking on dangerous and bloody jobs. Back in those days, only Force-sensitives could join the Knights of Ren, and they had to prove their loyalty by killing someone who mattered greatly to them. The cult of the Knights of Ren continued to operate in the shadows for centuries, and became more prominent after the fall of the Empire, which led to chaos and unrest across the galaxy as new political systems were born.
According to the Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker Visual Dictionary, Ben Solo was Luke Skywalker’s star pupil, but he secretly became interested in the dark side of the Force. This led him into the company of Snoke, the being who would ultimately become the first Supreme Leader of the First Order, and he also learned of the Knights of Ren. One fateful night, Luke Skywalker sensed the growing darkness around his nephew, and unwisely triggered his lightsaber; Ben defended himself. When Luke was defeated, Ben watched in horror as a Force Storm destroyed the entire Jedi Temple - probably unleashed by Palpatine, who was orchestrating these events. Shaken, and realizing he would be blamed for the whole tragedy, Ben fled to Snoke. The future Supreme Leader continued to encourage Ben Solo down the path of the dark side, and Ben decided it was time to approach the Knights of Ren.
The Names of the Knights of Ren
According to the Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker Visual Dictionary, all members of the Knights of Ren are Force-sensitive - but only to a low level. Their current members are:
- Vicrul, who sees himself as the harvester, the reaper of the fallen, and the targeter of souls. He grows in the dark side with every life he takes, and has a nascent and uncontrolled ability to generate fear in his prey. Cardo, a destructive warrior who uses hefty arm cannon packs, vented plasma bolt launchers, and flamethrowers. He is the Knights’ armorer, and is obsessed with weapon modification. Ushar believes in testing his victims; if they plead for mercy, then they receive a slow and painful death. His signature weapon is a blunt-ended war club that drives kinetic energy into a concussion field generator. Trudgen collects trophies from his fallen conquests, adding to his weapons and armor with every victory. His patchwork helmet incorporates elements from a Death Trooper he defeated at some point, and his signature weapon is a powerful vibrocleaver. Kuruk is something of a loner, and typically operates as the Knights of Ren’s pilot. He’s predominantly a sniper. Ap’lek is a master manipulator and strategist, who likes to use smoke to conceal his approach and uses the Force to peer through the smoke screens. He carries an ancient Mandalorian executioner’s ax.
Ben Solo became leader of the Knights of Ren after proving himself in a grueling trial, and presumably adopted the name “Kylo Ren” as a symbol of his status. According to the Ultimate Star Wars New Edition, he fashioned his helmet in the traditional Knights of Ren style, blending it with the infamous mask of his grandfather Darth Vader. In contrast with the helmets of the rest of the Knights of Ren, though, Kylo Ren’s never contained any special functions - bar a vocoder which made his voice sound more threatening.
Where Were The Knights of Ren Before Rise of Skywalker?
The Knights of Ren operate as a team, and they travel aboard a heavily customized ship called the Night Buzzard; this was originally a prison vessel from the Unknown Region world of Osseriton. Given they’re just a single group, it’s actually hardly surprising that they haven’t been seen much in the sequel trilogy; they’re scouts and hunters, and had no logical place in the First Order’s attack on Hosnian Prime and their subsequent Blitzkrieg across the galaxy in Star Wars: The Last Jedi. When Kylo Ren ascended to the rank of Supreme Leader, he appointed the Knights of Ren as his personal guard and best field agents. Much to the displeasure of the Supreme Council, their loyalty was to him on a personal level, rather than to the First Order.
Ben Solo Defeats The Knights of Ren
But the events of Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker saw Kylo Ren and the Knights of Ren choose different paths. In the end, Rey’s healing and a memory of his father was enough to draw Ben Solo back to the light side of the Force, and he tossed his weapon away and abandoned his mask. No doubt this earned him the ire of the Knights of Ren, because they would see it as a symbol of his betrayal. In any case, though, they sensed a far greater darkness in the Emperor, and decided to serve Palpatine instead. They confronted Ben Solo on the Sith redoubt of Exegol, and initially looked set to defeat him. Fortunately for Ben, Rey was able to pass him one of her two lightsabers, and he used it to take the Knights of Ren down with extreme prejudice.
More: Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker - Every Easter Egg & Reference
