The Most Epic Fantasy and Sci-Fi Website

The Reasons Why Kylo Ren Could Be Luke Skywalker, and Why He's Not


SPOILER ALERT WARNING! The rumor that Luke Skywalker is Kylo Ren has been circulating over the internet for the past few days. Yes, it was announced that Adam Driver will be Kylo Ren, but there are some interesting theories regarding that as well. We also have our own theory you can read at the end.

First lets start with reasons why Luke Skywalker wouldn’t be Kylo Ren.

 - Kylo Ren is already confirmed to be played by Adam Driver.

- We have pictures of Adam Driver as Kylo Ren.

- In the movie trailer, Kylo Ren’s body shape looks just like Adam Driver and NOT Mark Hamill.

- It would be very unrealistic for an old Luke Skywalker/Mark Hamill to be CGI/edited onto a lean Kylo Ren body shape. 

- Adam Driver has done multiple interviews with his fellow Star Wars cast to promote The Force Awakens.

Pictured Above: Adam Driver as Kylo Ren in a Vanity FairPhotoshoot. Photo by Annie Leibovitz

Now that we know the reason’s why Luke wouldn’t be Kylo, lets look at some reasons why people think otherwise.

Since the official Star Wars official poster was revealed, there was one blaring omission. Where is Luke Skywalker? 

As we can see, many minor characters are pictured, but not Luke Skywalker. This is intriguing because Luke narrates one of the teaser trailers, and we see a brief scene where Luke’s hand appears to be resting on R2-D2. Mark Hamill is also the second credit for actors on the poster. This begs the question, why do we see R2-D2 on the poster and not Luke Skywalker?

If we go to StarWars.com and look for character information, Luke Skywalker is not included. We do, however, see Kylo Ren pictured with the description, “A dark warrior strong with the Force, Kylo Ren commands First Order missions with a temper as fiery as his unconventional lightsaber.” 

Other details from the teasers have also compelled conspirators to believe Kylo Ren is Luke Skywalker. The way Ren picks up and admires Vader’s helmet as he expresses his desire to finish what the iconic villain started, makes people speculate that he's Luke. There is also the fact that we never see Luke’s face in the trailers. We see Luke’s hand, but never his face. Could it be because he is Ren?

In an amazing coincidence, the A.V. Club managed to dig up a 10-year-old interview where Mark Hamill is literally speaking with J.J. Abrams about how he envisions Luke turning to the Dark Side and killing a major character, like Han Solo. Skip ahead to the 11:52 mark in the video below to see Hamill’s comments: 

After hearing Hamill's thoughts about Luke's possible fate, is it so hard to imagine that J.J. would get on board with Hamill’s thoughts on Luke, and convert him to the Dark Side of the Force? Wouldn’t that also explain the lack of Luke in the trailer? Perhaps his outfit and face would give away a hidden plot point with the character?

Now, many conspiracy theorists, who believe Ren is Luke, have acknowledged that Adam Driver was “officially” cast for the part of Kylo Ren. Some people have said that this is merely a rouse, or could be a body actor, like David Prowse was for Darth Vader. Revealing that Kylo is played by Hamill would be too huge a plot twist to reveal before the movie came out, so in order to keep it a secret, could they have named Driver to the part? It has also been mentioned that J.J. has tricked viewers in the past in order to stop spoilers. When he cast Benedict Cumberbatch as Khan for Star Trek, the character was called John Harrison for the promotional materials.

So there you have it. The pros and cons of the Kylo Ren/Luke Skywalker theory.

With all the evidence analyzed, here's our verdict: 

Although it's puzzling that Skywalker is missing from the poster, not fully revealed in the trailer, and has compelling reasons to join the Dark Side, we believe that Skywalker is NOT Kylo Ren. The main reason is Kylo’s body shape doesn’t look at all like the old Jedi, and looks just like Adam Driver, who was cast for the part. If Kylo was secretly Luke, why not hire a body type that resembles Hamill? It seems like they would be going way overboard to CGI Luke’s face onto a skinnier Driver like body.

So what is our theory? It is interesting that Luke is largely ignored so far in the promotional material. My bet is that there is strong potential for Luke to be on the Dark Side. He may be wearing an outfit and wielding a lightsaber that doesn’t resemble the goody two-shoes from episode Episode IV, which could unveil a huge plot twist. 

Another interesting bit during the interview is when Hamill told J.J. Abrams that he imagined Luke killing Han Solo or another major character. In an exclusive report earlier this year, we were tipped off by an actor that either Han Solo or Chewbacca dies. This seems to be confirmed in the trailer, as Rey is crying profusely over another character, which many believe to be Chewbacca and/or Han's jacket. We also catch a glimpse of Leia looking highly distressed with Han Solo.

Could Luke Skywalker kill Chewbacca and/or Han? It's entirely possible, but there is no way to be certain until the movie is released.It would definitely make an interesting plot point if Luke becomes a Palpatine-like character in the film, playing the strings of Kylo Ren, and potentially setting himself up to be the major antagonist of Episode VIII, where he and Poe are the only confirmed characters according to IMDB

Do you think Luke Skywalker is Kylo Ren or has he fallen to the Dark Side? Share your thoughts in the comments section below. 

For more articles like this, take a look at our Fandoms page.