Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker toy packaging reveals Kylo Ren is on a quest to find dark side secrets in the film. The first two installments of the sequel trilogy flirted with the idea of the villain coming back to the light side of the Force, but now with even Leia giving up hope in her son, it would appear Kylo is set on an evil path. By the end of The Last Jedi, he was the new Supreme Leader of the First Order and vowed to destroy the remaining traces of the Resistance. A Ben Solo redemption arc is always possible, but that doesn’t seem to be in the cards.

Lucasfilm has always kept details about the new Star Wars films closely guarded, but they’ve ratcheted up the secrecy when it comes to The Rise of Skywalker. In particular, it looks to be a point of emphasis to hide Kylo Ren as much as possible. Despite being the trilogy’s primary antagonist, the villain has been barely glimpsed at in marketing materials so far. The biggest reveal about Kylo to this point is that his helmet has been repaired. But as the Star Wars 9 release date inches closer, Lucasfilm is peeling the curtain back a bit more.

Star Wars News Net was able to see images from the upcoming Triple Force Friday products, including a Black Series figure for Supreme Leader Kylo Ren. The back of the box contains a short character description that hints at what Kylo Ren is up to when the film begins:

Picking up one year after The Last Jedi, Star Wars 9 is supposedly featuring the Resistance and First Order in the midst of an all-out war for the fate of the galaxy. While the First Order definitely has the upper hand in terms of resources and military power, it’s possible that they’re struggling to end the scrappy Resistance once and for all (much like how the Rebellion gave the Empire headaches in the Galactic Civil War). If the First Order is encountering problems, that might influence Kylo Ren to seek out these dark side secrets, believing they’re the key to achieving victory. It’s been rumored the battalion of Sith Troopers are hiding in a secret fleet located in the Unknown Regions, so Kylo’s quest could put him in contact with a new army.

“As Supreme Leader of the First Order, Kylo Ren wields more power than ever before. Nevertheless, Ren continues to search for secrets of the Force from the depths of the dark side.”

Of course, if dark side secrets are being mentioned in relation to Star Wars 9, there’s a distinct chance Emperor Palpatine is involved. Palpatine’s return to the fold remains one of the film’s biggest mysteries, and fans are very curious to see how he fits in. Perhaps on his journey, Kylo Ren unwittingly encounters Palpatine and forms an alliance with the Sith master. Someone as emotionally unstable and vulnerable as Kylo seems like the ideal victim for Palpatine’s manipulations, and the conniving villain could view Anakin Skywalker’s grandson as the missing piece he needs for whatever he’s trying to accomplish. Luring in a young Force user with promises of great power is a classic play out of the Emperor’s playbook.

More: Palpatine’s Return in Star Wars Legends Has Some Weird Rise of Skywalker Parallels

Source: Star Wars News Net

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