WARNING! Spoilers for Star Wars: Legacy of Vader #2Kylo Renhas been on a mission to erase his own personal past and rewrite it to his liking since he was first introduced inEpisode VII: The Force Awakens. Marvel’sStar Warscomics from the recent past and from 2025 could finally come together to give him the chance to do so.
As the son of Leia Organa and Han Solo, Kylo Ren comes from a storied heritage that he cannot seem to marry with his personal choices.Star Wars: Legacy of Vaderby Charles Soule and Luke Ross, which released its second issue in March 2025, followsKylo on a journey to learn more about his grandfather,starting on Mustafar.
2017’sStar Wars: Darth Vaderby Soule and Giuseppe Camuncoli focuses on Vader’s early days after the Empire rose to power, including background on how Vader chose Mustafar for his home.The lore established inDarth Vadercould very well influence the trajectory of Kylo Ren’s questinLegacy of Vader.
Kylo Ren Seeks to Erase Anakin’s Past, Even After Learning More About It
Star Wars: Legacy of Vader#2 by Charles Soule, Luke Ross, Nolan Woodard, and Joe Caramagna
By the second issue ofLegacy of Vader,Kylo had already tried to strike both Anakin and Vader’s legacies from the record.In the debut issue,Kylo thinks of his own pastand lashes out in anger at his inability to cut himself off from his family and personal ties. Curiously, he latches on to Darth Vader’s history, which makes his reasoning very muddled. On the one hand, Kylo wants to “kill” the past, but on the other hand, his actions and obsession with Vader’s background is in stark contrast to this desire.
Kylo himself is consumed with inner turmoil and transforms his rage into action.
Kylo himself is consumed with inner turmoil and transforms his rage into action.He journeys to Mustafar with the intention of destroying Darth Vader’s home, Fortress Vader. However, Vader’s cyborg servant at the fortress, Vaneé,convinces Kylo to change his plansand join him in learning about Vader’s past. Fortress Vader is a very significant part of Vader’s past and contains a power that only Vader himself, the Emperor, and an ancient Sith Lord are aware of, as revealed in Soule and Camuncoli’sDarth Vader.
The aptly titled“Fortress Vader” arc fromStar Wars:Darth Vadertakes place in issues #19-25. The entire series is set directly after the events ofEpisode III: Revenge of the Sithand follows a newly “born” Darth Vader as he tries to navigate his new body, life, and place in the Empire. As part of that,Vader requests that the Emperorgive him an entire planet to make his own.Though the Emperor agrees, his first suggestion is Naboo - a clear tactic to further manipulate Vader, as his beloved Padmé Amidala not only hailed from the planet, but was the Queen and Senator.
Fortress Vader’s Deep History Was Predicated on Vader’s Hope to Change the Past
Star Wars: Darth Vader#19 by Charles Soule, Giuseppe Camuncoli, Daniele Orlandini, David Curiel, and Joe Caramagna
Vader, however, has another planet in mind: Mustafar, the site of his most harrowing defeat at Obi-Wan Kenobi’s hands. It is not only for that reason thatVader chooses Mustafar,as he learned something about the planet. Earlier in the series, while bleeding his kyber crystal there,Vader discovers an otherworldly power emanating from the exact spot where he stood.The power allowed him to see a possible future that had not occurred yet, but could occur if Vader made the choice to defect from the Empire at that very moment.
Looking for a Star Wars comic that stars more characters from the original trilogy? Be sure to check out Marvel’s newStar Wars#1 by Alex Segura and Phil Noto, available May 7th, 2025.
Sensing the great and mysterious power on Mustafar, Vader chooses to start construction in the hopes that he can harness the unknown force through his Fortress to see Padmé again. Vader is assisted by the spirit of an ancient Sith Lord architect called Momin, who instructsVader on how to channel the powerto construct his fortress. After eight failed attempts, Vader succeeds in building the final version of Fortress Vader on his ninth attempt, and manages to open a “door” to a different plane of existence, outside of time and space,showing Vader glimpses of the past, present, and future.
This moment is not the first time thatStar Warsfans have seen this sort of nexus location known as the World Between Worlds.In season 4, episode 13 ofStar Wars: Rebels,“World Between Worlds,” the location is introduced and revealed to have been created by the Force itself. It connects every moment - past, present, and future - througha collection of doors in a mystical dimension.The World Between Worlds is not easily accessible and is implied to only be open to those most connected to the Force. The particular opening shown inStar Wars: Rebelsis specific to the planet Lothal and the Jedi Temple that resides there.
The Force Created a Plane of Existence Unto Itself Known as the World Between Worlds
The Events ofDarth VaderShow That Mustafar Contains a Door to a Mysterious Place
Ezra Brider, the Jedi who opens the portal to the World Between Worlds inRebels, is also very strong in the Force, with a special talent that allows him to connect with Loth-wolves: animals that are tied to the World Between Worlds and that can use it as a pathway to travel from one side of Lothal to the other.Ezra changes the past while in the World Between Worlds by rescuing Ahsoka Tanofrom a duel with Vader that occurred in the past, relative to Ezra’s timeline. But he learns quickly that he cannot change other moments, such as his master’s death.
At Last, Star Wars Is Revisiting a Key Piece of Rebel Lore With Ahsoka’s Help
Introducing the World Between Worlds in the live action world and the comics space has major implications that can change the future of Star Wars.
Ahsoka - Anakin’s former apprentice - also has a connection to the World Between Worlds that continues beyond her experiences inRebels. In the Disney+ seriesAhsoka, the titular character finds herself in the otherworldly plane yet again after losing a duel; only this time, Anakin himself is waiting there for her.At this point in the timeline, Anakin is long-since dead, buthe appears to Ahsoka looking exactly like he did the last time she saw him at the end of the Clone Wars(during the events ofRevenge of the Sith,as revealed inStar Wars: The Clone Wars), taking her through very specific moments in her past.
A common thread in both of these appearances of the World Between Worlds is the presence of Anakin/Vader.Vader is there when Ezra saves Ahsoka,and Anakin is there when Ahsoka needs saving yet again years later. Anakin/Vader’s apparent natural connection to the World Between Worlds explainswhy he is drawn to Mustafar for reasons beyond his own past or own control inStar Wars:Darth Vader.Vader senses the unfamiliar plane of the Force for the first time in this comic series, yet he still inherently knew that it was the key to changing his past and getting Padmé back.
Kylo Ren Could Use the World Between Worlds on Mustafar to Manipulate History
All Moments Are Connected Through the Force
As Kylo Ren is on a pilgrimage to both learn about Vader’s past and erase parts of it, it would make sense if he were to come across the very heart of Fortress Vader that Vader himself used to attempt to reconcile his own past decisions. Vader quickly learned that he was unable to do so, asthe Padmé in the World Between Worlds refused to go with him, recognizing that the man trying to “save” her was Vader and not her beloved husband, Anakin.
However,Kylo Ren is not as quick to learn as Vaderand does not draw on his past to fuel him in the way Vader did. While Anakin and Vader both used the pain and heartache of the past to propel them forward, Kylo wishes to forget and eliminate it all, showing a stark difference between grandfather and grandson. If Kylo was already willing to go to extremes, like killing his father and striking records of Anakin’s legacy from existence, it’s hard not to wonderwhat he would do when presented with the power to actually manipulate time and bygone events.
It is significant that Soule wrote and is writing bothDarth VaderandLegacy of Vader, as he first explored the origins of Fortress Vader and the door to the World Between Worlds located there. Soule could easily tie the lore he first established intoKylo’s current journey in his ongoing series,Legacy of Vader. IfKylo Rendiscovers the truth about Fortress Vader and the secret power upon which it is built, he will be able to finally alter the past of theStar Warsuniverse to his liking.
Star Wars: Legacy of Vader#2is available now from Marvel Comics.
Ben Solo/Kylo Ren
The son of Han Solo and Leia Organa, Ben was manipulated by Palpatine through the Force for most of his life, influenced toward the dark side of the Force. A misstep by Luke Skywalker ultimately left Ben feeling he had no choice but to embrace the dark side, and he became Kylo Ren, a key figure in the First Order. Kylo Ren’s heart remained deeply divided, however, even after he ascended to become Supreme Leader of the First Order. He was ultimately redeemed by Rey, with whom he shared a remarkable Force bond, and by the love of his parents.
