Kylo Ren and Darth Vader: 5 Similarities Between the Greatest 'Star Wars' Villains

Just when you thought Darth Vader was evil, Star Wars: The Force Awakens introduces a worse villain in Kylo Ren (Adam Driver). The tormented son of Princess Leia and Han Solo is revealed to have turned to the Dark Side and intends to be better than his own grandfather. However, his fate seems to bear some similarities to the life of Anakin Skywalker.

How is Ben Solo similar to Vader? Here are a few key points where the grandson mirrors the Sith Lord's actions.

1. Great Expectations

When Qui-Gon Jin presented young Anakin to the Jedi Council, the Jedi Master announced that the boy is the Chosen One. Although Yoda was against his training, Obi-Wan Kenobi ended up training Anakin when Qui-Gon was killed.

Similarly, everyone expected a lot from the nephew of Luke Skywalker, who trained Ben a few years after the Battle of Endor.

2. The Force is Strong in This One

The main reason why Qui-Gon wanted to train Anakin was because he was extremely strong with the Force.

Ben undoubtedly displayed the same natural talent as his grandfather, a power that eventually gets exploited by the Dark Side.

3. The Dark Seduction

Emperor Palpatine managed to convince Anakin to join the Dark Side by claiming that he could save Padme Amidala from imminent death.

Although it is unclear how Supreme Leader Snoke brought Ren into the Darkness, the mysterious villain may have brainwashed the young Jedi into believing that he could be more powerful than Vader as long as he does exactly what he is told.

4. The First Task

The first thing that Palpatine tells Vader to do is to attack the Jedi Temple and kill every Jedi he could find.

In Rey's flashback/dream sequence in The Force Awakens, Ren's crossguard lightsaber is seen tearing into someone before he is shown surrounded by dead Jedi. It is possible that Snoke ordered Ren to do the same thing his grandfather did to eliminate all living Jedi.

5. The Light

In Return of the Jedi, Vader decides to kill Darth Sidius rather than murder his own son.

In Ren's point of view, this may have appeared as a sign of weakness and vows not to make the same mistake. However, it proves to be quite difficult for him, as he confesses to his father that he is being torn apart in perhaps the biggest moment in The Force Awakens. As Leia tells Han in the film, there is still light in him.

Verdict: Is Ren Better Than Vader?

Although he manages to drive his lightsaber into Han, Ren still struggles to defeat Rey (possibly because he was already injured and was letting his emotions get the better of him). However, Ren is currently one of the most hated characters in pop culture because The Force Awakens director J.J. Abrams managed to make him that way.

"We knew we needed to do something f*cking bold," he explained in creating a truly despicable villain. "The only reason why Kylo Ren has any hope of being a worthy successor is because we lose one of the most beloved characters."

The loss of everyone's favorite stuck up, half-witted, scruffy-looking Nerfherder was indeed tragic for fans and has sent Ren well on his way to taking on his final test to prove that he is better than Vader.

Overall, Ren has the full potential to be even greater than Vader. He has already achieved it by killing not just his father but also a character everyone wishes could stay throughout the new trilogy, and the lightsaber temper tantrums have proven that he could snap any time. Hopefully, he'll get a new helmet in Episode VIII and keep slaughtering more important characters to prove he is the deadliest Star Wars villain in history.