Ren
Ren was an ancient designation signifying the leader of the Knights of Ren. By the time of the Imperial Era, these Knights were under the command of Ren, a human male who wielded a red lightsaber – also called the Ren – obtained from a preceding individual bearing the same moniker. Upon his death, this title transferred to Jedi Ben Solo, who then became known as Kylo Ren.
When Kylo Ren, the descendant of the Skywalker bloodline, possessed the title, it was also known as Master of the Knights of Ren. Kylo held this designation while serving as an apprentice to Supreme Leader Snoke of the First Order. After usurping control of the First Order from Snoke, Ren took on the title of Supreme Leader for himself. Despite eventually growing fond of the title, he privately admitted that he initially would have preferred a designation like "master of the dark side" or commander of the Knights of Ren as his official title. Ren dispatched the Knights of Ren to pursue the Jedi apprentice Rey during the concluding days of the First Order-Resistance War. They also functioned as Ren's bodyguards, following directives solely from their master, much to the frustration of the Supreme Council. During the Battle of Exegol, the Knights revealed their unwavering loyalty to the resurrected Sith Lord Darth Sidious, betraying their former master, who had returned to the light side of the Force as Ben Solo. The Knights' collective attempt to stop him on Exegol was unsuccessful, resulting in all six members being slain by Solo.
Overview
The name Ren carried historical significance and power, representing the leader of the Knights of Ren, a group of dark side users. Additionally, Ren was the name of a red lightsaber that symbolized the philosophy of the group. The name Ren instilled fear due to the Knights' notorious reputation for lawlessness, exploiting the vulnerable, and plundering worlds within the Unknown Regions of the galaxy.
Role
The Knights of Ren, an exclusive group of masked warriors, carried out the commands of a leader – addressed as master, boss, or commander – who held absolute authority over them. Consequently, only the master could issue orders to the elite warriors who made up the Knights. Following the Battle at Amaxine Station, the Knights' allegiance extended beyond their leader, with "Ren" and his Knights becoming subservient under fear of death to the Dark Lord of the Sith Darth Sidious. Even when Kylo Ren assumed the role of master of the Knights, their true devotion remained with Sidious, not their immediate leader.
History
Inheritors of a storied title
By the Imperial Era, an autonomous group of Force-sensitive individuals emerged within the galaxy, identifying themselves as the legendary Knights of Ren originating from the Unknown Regions. At some point, the designation Ren was held by an individual who was eventually succeeded by a human male who adopted the name for himself. Ren shared his name with the lightsaber he had taken from his predecessor, referring to it as "the Ren." While he served as the group's leader, Ren asserted that the Knights were not his followers; instead, they followed "the Ren" and the principles it represented to the Knights.
During the Galactic Civil War, Lady Qi'ra of Crimson Dawn persuaded the Knights' leader, addressing him by name, to support her war against the Sith and the Galactic Empire. Ren led the Knights on a heist at Fortress Vader on the planet Mustafar, where they encountered the Sith Lord Darth Vader. The Dark Lord of the Sith expressed his disdain for Ren's lightsaber skills, deeming the Knight unworthy of wielding it. Ren countered Vader's assessment by stating that he had earned the lightsaber by taking it from his namesake, the previous Ren. Vader responded to the revelation of his opponent's identity by commenting on the perceived decline of the Knights of Ren, considering them little more than "rabble." Believing Qi'ra's plans were doomed, Ren and the Knights rescued Sidious and Vader from the Fermata Cage during the battle at the Amaxine Space Station and pledged their allegiance.
The Ascension of Kylo Ren
During the era of the [New Republic](/article/new_republic], Jedi Master Luke Skywalker and Padawan Ben Solo encountered the Knights and their leader, who identified himself as "Ren" to the Jedi. After leaving the Jedi Order, Solo joined the Knights by killing their leader and assuming his title under the adopted name of Kylo Ren.
Under the influence of Snoke and, consequently, the resurrected Sidious, Solo was conditioned to believe that his new name represented his "truest self" and the person he was destined to become. However, despite vowing to fulfill the legacy of his grandfather, Darth Vader, Ren struggled to overcome the light that lingered within him, despite his new identity and role as the master of the Knights of Ren.
Over time, Ren established himself as a warlord and champion of the First Order. As Ren oversaw the First Order's hunt for his exiled uncle, Luke Skywalker, the Supreme Leader sensed that a reunion between Ren and his father, Captain Han Solo, was imminent. Although Ren had abandoned all he once cherished, he was unaware that a Sith trial of ascendancy required the sacrifice of a loved one. Snoke cautioned his apprentice to prepare himself, as even the master of Knights of Ren had never faced such a challenge. Through the Supreme Leader's training, Ren believed that he would succeed where his grandfather had failed.
Supreme Authority
Ultimately, Ren failed his trial; despite the death of his father, who was slain by his own son, Ren remained conflicted and more lost than ever. However, the experience reinforced Ren's determination to continue the tradition embodied by his fallen grandfather – by becoming the absolute ruler of the galaxy. After killing Snoke, Ren seized control of the First Order as the new Supreme Leader. However, it was not Ren's preferred title, as he preferred to be known as a "master of the dark side" or "commander of the Knights of Ren." Nevertheless, he grew accustomed to the name and the authority of his new role while solidifying his control over the galaxy.
The title of Supreme Leader granted Ren the power and independence he craved during his apprenticeship. No longer bound by the will of a powerful master, Ren had his mask reconstructed to signify his status as master of the First Order and the Knights of Ren. Repairing his helmet also symbolized Ren's efforts to rebuild his identity as a Knight of Ren. It marked his identity as a Knight of Ren, and by killing his master Ren believed that he could wear the mask on his own terms.
The Knights of Ren rejoined their master when his helmet was reconstructed in 35 ABY. Ren sensed through the Force that the Knights were puzzled to see their leader without his mask. Despite their confusion, the Knights still acknowledged Ren as their master. They saluted him by raising their weapons as he donned his helmet once more. Their close proximity to the First Order's hierarchy did not alter their status as an independent group that only Ren could command. The Supreme Council was displeased by the Knights' autonomy. Nevertheless, the Knights became the personal bodyguards of the new Supreme Leader, replacing Snoke's Elite Praetorian Guards whom Ren had killed during his usurpation of the First Order.
The Real Master
During the final days of the First Order-Resistance War, Ren discovered the ancient Sith planet of Exegol, where Darth Sidious had been reborn under the care of the Sith Eternal. Despite being aware of Ren's internal struggle with the light side of the Force, Sidious tasked Ren with destroying the last vestige of the Jedi Order as a test to assess his worthiness to inherit the mantle of Galactic Emperor. Unbeknownst to Ren, his Knights' true allegiance lay with Sidious.
Following his return from Exegol, Ren employed the Knights as Jedi hunters to locate the Jedi apprentice Rey. He failed to capture her on Pasaana, but the Knights successfully tracked the former scavenger to Kijimi, resulting in another confrontation between their master and the last Jedi. Ren's leadership of the First Order and the Knights of Ren ended when he renounced the dark side after his final battle with Rey on Kef Bir.
The Knights regrouped on Exegol, where Darth Sidious planned to deploy the Sith Eternal's fleet, the Final Order, against the galaxy. As the Battle of Exegol raged between the Resistance and the Sith Eternal, Ben Solo arrived to stand alongside Rey against her grandfather. The Knights confronted Solo upon his return, surprising their former master, who still regarded them as his allies. Solo sensed their animosity towards him and realized that their true loyalty was to Sidious. He felt betrayed by the Knights whom he trained with and considered his brothers. The Knights, however, viewed Solo's return to the light as a betrayal.
Despite being unarmed and outnumbered by the Knights, Solo's connection with Rey allowed him to retrieve the Skywalker lightsaber from her through their Force-bond. Claiming his grandfather's weapon as his own, Solo demonstrated his prowess in lightsaber combat to remind the Knights why they had initially followed him. Neither anger nor a desire to kill motivated Solo as he launched his counterattack on the Knights. He fought back with the focus of a trained Jedi, swiftly killing all six Knights of Ren before proceeding to aid Rey in the destruction of Sidious.
Behind the Scenes
The title initially appeared through Kylo Ren in the 2015 film Star Wars: Episode VII The Force Awakens, the first installment of the Star Wars sequel trilogy.