Star Wars: Legacy of Vader #12
REIGN OF KYLO REN PART 12
Even after killing Snoke and taking the mantle of Supreme Leader, Kylo Ren still struggles with forging his own path in the shadow of his family’s legacy.
Kylo’s quest to kill the past led him to Darth Vader’s former home, where the young tyrant met the erstwhile aide of the Dark Lord, a man by the name of Vaneé.
After harrowing excursions on Tatooine, Naboo and Corellia and coming face-to-face with the new leader of the Knights of Ren, Kylo returned to Vader’s Castle, where he confronted frightening visions of his past. Making his way through this twisted crucible, Kylo killed Vaneé and is now on his way to the darkest depths of the mysterious fortress….
Writer: Charles Soule
Artist: Luke Ross
Letterer: Joe Caramagna
Colorist: Nolan Woodward
Cover artist: Derrick Chew
Editor: Mark Pannicia
Publication date: January 14th 2026
I’m writing this review right after reading, where usually I take a beat to let it sink in. However, the twelfth issue of Legacy of Vader was such a powerful pummelling of information, revelation, and action it felt right to dive right in and put onto ‘paper’ why this issue is so important and such an insightful distillation of the Kylo Ren character and what drove him through the sequel trilogy.
We’re in a dream realm, a dark world between worlds where only Vader and Kylo Ren exist, and it’s the elder darksider who leads the conversation, telling him that the only voices he will hear are those he brings with him, a statement that evokes Yodas words as Luke enters the cave on Dagobah. Kylo chases the figure of Vader, yelling that he was promised power but falls as Vader makes a telling statement; ‘never trust an offer of power. No one gives power away. Once it is acquired, it is kept‘. We see a giant image of Vader reach out for Kylo, his red eyelenses glowing as suddenly Ren is on the ground facing Vader, and sabers ignited they clash as Kylo tells Vader he is his equal, but Vader disagrees. He has no equal, but Ren is confused as they fight. Is this all there is he asks, but Vader tells him there is no destiny, only power, and speaks to Kylo about his grandfather in the third person. His greatest power was truth, and how he was strongest when he saw through the lies of those who sought to control him. How when he joined the Jedi he went against their rules and married Padmé, how when he dethroned Palpatine he saw himself, and the mask comes off to reveal….
….the face of Ben Solo, who tells Kylo there’s nothing for him in this castle, but Ren doesn’t want to hear it. Ben tells Kylo he needs to stop trying to kill the past, but Ren ignites his saber and attacks, and as they fight Ben tells Ren how he destroyed his relationships with everyone he loves, which meant the only relationship he could foster was with Vader. That saw Ren wreak destruction everywhere he went, but where Vader had reasons, Ren had none. Ben notes that the only original thing he did was allow Tava Ren to live, something he did himself rather than aping something Vader or his father might have done.
Ben continues, telling Ren how he has runed his present and his future, so that’s why he wants to kill the past, and tells Ren that maybe if he wasn’t who he is then the Jedi girl might have taken his hand. Ren lunges, but Ben catches the blade and moves in, a creepy grin on his face as he tells Ren he can see he is scared, and we cut to one of the most beautiful pages in modern Star Wars comics as Han and Leia cradle their infant son Ben, and see Ben and Ren face to face as Kylo tells Ben he wants to see something real, not these phantoms. Ben tells Kylo to stop looking backwards and ignore the voices in his head. He’ll find enemies if he wants to, and he snaps his fingers telling him to be careful what he wishes for, and we see Kylo falling from Vaders castle as the reign ends, the fall begins and the narrative box tells us Kylo Ren will return.
Wow, what an issue, crafted brilliantly by Luke Ross (the stark visual differences between the ravaged, battle-worn visage of Kylo and the fresh-faced Ben adding another layer to the drama) this is one of Charles Soule’s finest issue of Star Wars (and that’s a high, high bar) that – just like the recently completed Hunt for the Falcon – gives is insight into a Solo that the films hinted at but never fully unveiled. Indeed, while the Marvel output seems to be slowing down in 2026, we’ve had three series (Jedi Knights, Hunt for the Falcon and Legacy of Vader) that have all added valuable insight and motivation to their primary characters. If there’s less output, but the quality is as high as this then fine, because Marvel Star Wars readers are feeding well right now. As for this series (and with the promise of more to come), hats off to all involved for a dozen issues that not only reeked of quality but would make for an engrossing TV series.
