When creating the Star Wars sequel trilogy, Disney faced the difficult task of creating a new antagonist who could live up to Darth Vader, one of the most iconic villains in all of popular culture. Star Wars: Episode VII – The Force Awakens introduced Ben Solo, better known as Kylo Ren, leader of the Knights of Ren. In his first scene, Kylo showcased his might by displaying a never-before-seen Force ability, freezing a blaster bolt in midair.
Kylo later faced off against the Praetorian Guard, his fellow Knights of Ren, and in the comics, even a Zillo beast. However, he suffered from his turbulent emotions and a lack of experience, leaving him undisciplined. Formidable as he was, especially upon ascending to Supreme Leader of the First Order, Kylo was far from the most powerful villain in Star Wars canon.
Darth Maul Channeled His Wrath Into the Dark Side of the Force
Darth Sidious’ original apprentice, Darth Maul, never became as powerful as Vader, but he was still a major threat to the Jedi. In Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace, he proved himself a match for Qui-Gon Jinn and Obi-Wan Kenobi in a two-on-one fight. He killed the Jedi Master and very nearly did the same to his Padawan, only losing because he taunted Obi-Wan instead of slaying him when he had the chance.
Much like Kylo, Maul was defined by his anger, but his rage took on a very different form. Kylo was emotionally conflicted, torn between the Light and the Dark, which weakened him. Maul instead used his fury to fuel the Dark Side. He survived being cut in half with a lightsaber and falling down a reactor shaft because he was literally too furious to die, driven by his thirst for vengeance against Obi-Wan.
Count Dooku Was Star Wars’ Best Lightsaber Duelist
Image via Disney
Count Dooku, also known as Darth Tyrannus, may have lacked Kylo’s raw strength, but he was easily a superior duelist. Dooku specialized in Makashi, a form of lightsaber combat designed for fighting other Jedi and Sith, hence the unusual shape of his lightsaber hilt. In Star Wars: Episode II – Attack of the Clones, he bested Anakin Skywalker and Obi-Wan simultaneously, and he then held his own against his former master, Yoda.
CBR Exclusive · Quiz WHICH STAR WARS CHARACTER ARE YOU? The Force Will Reveal All In a galaxy far, far away, every person carries the essence of a legendary hero — or villain. Twenty questions stand between you and the truth. Answer honestly. The Force doesn’t lie.
Luke Skywalker
Han Solo
Leia Organa
Darth Vader
Yoda
01
You’re given an impossible mission with a 20% chance of success. What’s your first instinct? A critical moment defines who you truly are.
02
Your closest friend has betrayed you for money. How do you respond? Loyalty is tested in the darkest moments.
03
You discover a powerful secret that could change everything. What do you do? Knowledge is power — and responsibility.
04
How do you typically make big decisions? Decision-making reveals your deepest nature.
05
Someone disrespects you in front of others. Your reaction? How we handle disrespect reveals our character.
06
What’s your approach to rules and authority? Every hero has their own relationship with order.
07
When facing an enemy, your strategy is: Combat reveals a warrior’s true philosophy.
08
Your biggest personal flaw is: The wisest know their own shadow.
09
Someone comes to you for guidance during a crisis. You: Leadership is defined by how we show up for others.
10
What drives you more than anything else? Your core motivation shapes every choice.
11
How do you handle failure? Resilience is the mark of a true character.
12
You’re offered enormous power at a moral cost. You: The hardest choices reveal your deepest values.
13
Your relationship with fear is: Fear is the path to the dark side — or the light?
14
People who just met you would describe you as: First impressions carry a grain of truth.
15
What’s your ideal home base? Where we feel most alive says everything.
16
How do you feel about hope? A new hope, or a dangerous illusion?
17
Your legacy — what do you want to leave behind? The ending shapes the meaning of the journey.
18
When someone you care about is in danger, you: Crisis reveals the deepest loyalties.
19
The Force — or fate, or the universe — what is it to you? Your metaphysics reveal your deepest character.
20
In the final battle — the moment of ultimate choice — you: This is the question that decides everything.
THE FORCE HAS SPOKEN YOUR GALACTIC ALIGNMENT
Your scores are shown below. The character with the highest number is your match. Read their description to discover why the Force chose you.
Luke Skywalker
Han Solo
Leia Organa
Darth Vader
Yoda
Idealistic, determined, and driven by love and justice. You believe in people even when they don’t believe in themselves, and you’d sacrifice everything for what’s right. You lead with your heart, trust your instincts, and refuse to give up on anyone — including your enemies.
Independent, charming, and fiercely loyal beneath a tough exterior. You live on your own terms and show up when it matters most, even if you’d never admit you care. You don’t follow rules — you make calculated bets on your own judgment, and you have an uncanny knack for finding a way through.
A natural leader with iron resolve. Strategic, outspoken, and utterly unintimidated by power — you fight not for glory but for lasting justice. You carry responsibility with grace, but there is iron beneath it. You inspire others not through speeches alone, but through the example of your own unwavering resolve.
Disciplined, intense, and deeply complex. You believe in order and commit absolutely to your path. You have high standards — for yourself first, then others — and little patience for weakness. Beneath the formidable exterior burns something deeply human: old loyalties, buried wounds, a past that still shapes every decision.
Wise, patient, and perceptive. You lead with stillness and insight, seeing clearly where others panic. You are the voice of reason in a chaotic room — you don’t need to be the loudest because when you speak, people listen. Your greatest power is not what you can do alone, but what you awaken in others.
Kylo was ferocious in combat, but he was not a refined duelist. He swung his lightsaber in large, wild arcs, hoping to overwhelm his enemies with sheer physical strength. While this strategy was effective against most foes, it fell apart as soon as he faced an opponent of sufficient skill, such as Luke Skywalker. None of Kylo’s feats matched what Dooku was able to achieve.
Supreme Leader Snoke Was Kylo Ren’s Master
Supreme Leader Snoke smiling in Star Wars: Episode VIII – The Last JediImage via Disney / Courtesy the Everett Collection
Just as Kylo was an analogue to Vader, the sequel trilogy’s equivalent to the Emperor was Supreme Leader Snoke, who trained Kylo in the ways of the Dark Side. As a genetic Strand-Cast of Palpatine, Snoke possessed a fraction of the Sith Lord’s immense strength in the Force. In Star Wars: Episode VIII – The Last Jedi, Snoke easily overpowered Rey, who was consistently portrayed as Kylo’s equal at worst.
Kylo ultimately killed Snoke, but that did not mean that he had surpassed the Supreme Leader. He took the overconfident Snoke by surprise, striking him when he least expected it. Vader did the same thing to the Emperor in Star Wars: Episode VI – Return of the Jedi, but that did not change the fact that he was weaker than his master.
Darth Vader Was Everything Kylo Ren Wanted to Be
Darth Vader gestures menacingly from Empire Strikes BackImage via Lucasfilm
Anakin Skywalker once had the potential to become the most powerful Force user in the galaxy. Though the wounds he sustained on Mustafar and the cybernetic suit of armor in which he was trapped held him back from that potential, he was still a horrifyingly dangerous Sith Lord. Darth Vader was the Galactic Empire’s most dreaded enforcer, and countless Jedi fell to his blade.
Vader was the example to which Kylo aspired, but the young Knight of Ren fell short of his grandfather’s evil legacy. In The Force Awakens, Rey glimpsed into Kylo’s mind and saw that his greatest fear was that he would “never be as strong as Darth Vader.” Then, in The Last Jedi, Snoke told him, “When I found you, I saw… the potential of your bloodline: a new Vader. Now, I fear I was mistaken… Alas, you’re no Vader. You’re just a child in a mask.”
Kylo Ren Was No Match For Emperor Palpatine
A promotional still of Palpatine with his lightsaber from Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the SithImage via Keith Hamshere / Twentieth Century-Fox Film / Courtesy the Everett Collection
Emperor Sheev Palpatine was the most powerful villain in the Skywalker Saga. He was a master manipulator who orchestrated the downfall of the Galactic Republic while hiding in plain sight, and once the time for secrecy was over, Palpatine easily dispatched several Jedi Masters. He killed Agen Jolar, Saesee Tiin, and Kit Fisto in mere seconds, won a duel against Mace Windu with help from Anakin, and even forced Yoda to retreat.
There is no need for speculation when comparing Palpatine to Kylo, because the former Emperor proved his superiority in Star Wars: Episode IX – The Rise of Skywalker. Even in a weakened, zombie-like state, he was able to disarm and completely immobilize Kylo and Rey. He then siphoned away their life and threw Kylo down a pit, leaving Rey to face him alone.
Comic
Star Wars: Revelations
Cast
Mark Hamill, Carrie Fisher, Harrison Ford, Hayden Christensen, Ewan McGregor, Natalie Portman, Ian McDiarmid, Daisy Ridley, Adam Driver, Rosario Dawson, Pedro Pascal
