There's a good reason why people fear Kylo Ren. In addition to his powers and temperament, he wears a mask that pays homage to the one worn by Darth Vader. However, it looks like Kylo was supposed to look downright terrifying while Star Wars: The Force Awakens was still in development. Lucasfilm creative art manager Phil Szostak has just shared an early concept design for Kylo that would have made him too scary even for the First Order.
Szostak posted the image on his official Twitter account along with some interesting details about the design. Check it out below.
Although the design was never used in The Force Awakens, it did inspire the final look of The Fifth Brother in Star Wars Rebels. For some reason, the contraption over the nose and mouth just makes him a lot scarier.
The picture was originally posted by Lucasfilm concept artist and design supervisor Christian Alzmann on Instagram.
Of course, this isn't the only Kylo Ren/Jedi Killer concept art that has been shared since the release of The Force Awakens. Other designs are actually closer to Vader's mask but were ultimately rejected. Although I'm glad that they opted for a more subtle tribute to Vader in the end, the design shared by Szostak and Alzmann may have been more effective in striking fear into the hearts of the Resistance fighters (or even the First Order).
Kylo's story is about to end in Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker. Still, it's great to see that his final look almost made just about every other Star Wars baddie look tame.
Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker hits theaters on December 20.
Related: Star Wars: Will Ray Park Return As Darth Maul In Obi-Wan Series?
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