Star Wars: Legacy of Vader #5
REIGN OF KYLO REN PART 5
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 a harrowing excursion exploring his grandfather’s past on Tatooine, Kylo journeyed to Naboo, where his grandparents, Padmé Amidala and Anakin Skywalker, were married. Upon learning the complex history of the planet and its people, an unimpressed Kylo issued an ultimatum to the Naboo, learn to defend their planet, or be destroyed….
Writer: Charles Soule
Artist: Stefano Raffaele
Letterer: Joe Caramagna
Colorist: Nolan Woodward
Cover artist: Derrick Chew
Editor: Mark Pannicia
Publication date: June 25 2025
We open the fifth issue of Legacy of Vader with a familiar sight over the skies of Naboo, that of an invading force coming to take control of the planet. Rather than the Trade Federation, this is the First Order, and we cut to General Hux and Supreme Leader Ren conversing about the invasion, Hux suggesting (after the recent losses at Starkiller Base and Crait) they steer their efforts towards more useful targets like Corellia rather than Naboo. Ren only asks whether the people of Naboo are rebelling, but when Hux says no we cut to the surface and see the groundtroops and their commander making it very clear what their intentions are; should there be any opposition, kill it with extreme prejudice, but suddenly we see the opposition in the form of one man who starts to cut through the First Orders forces, taking down all the troops, their armour and their commander. The people of Naboo are bemused, not knowing who the man is, and we see him take them into the tunnels where they stop to talk.
They’ve all heard of the Resistance victories against the First Order, and wonder whether siding with Kylo Ren might not be a bad idea. The mysterious man tells them that Kylo Ren would take everything they have, and we see the Naboo fight back, using narrow streets as killboxes and taking down walkers. We then cut to Hux and a hologram of Ren, as the Supreme Leader asks how the occupation is going and how he will deal with it. With a Dreadnought sat high above, Hux suggests wiping Spinnaker city off the map, a plan Ren approves of.
Back on Naboo, the mysterious man tells the Naboo of the Dreadnought, and how their only optin is to continue fighting and destroy it. Some want to surrender, but the man believes it’s gone too far; the First Order now wouldn’t accept surrender, and as the Dreadnought arrives above Spinnaker, a rag tag fleet of many vessels takes to the skies, a fleet made of multiple parts that tears towards the destroyer, much to the amusement of Hux who orders his crew to take out the fighters before bombarding the city.
As the fighters tear in, Vaneé approaches the mysterious man, confirming that it is indeed Kylo Ren himself. Ren explains that he is giving the people of Naboo a catalyst to evolve beyond their staid state and move forward, and we then see Hux call for reinforcements as the attackers aim for the ventral side of the Dreadnought. Vaneé chides Ren, telling him how his grandfather Vader also hated himself, and as Ren bistles at his impertinence he explains himself. Ren attacks the First Order out of self-hate, as it’s the closest he can get to hurting himself, and Ren knocks his mechanical body over with the Force.
Vaneé is fearful of Rens power, and when Ren angrily tells him all he’s offered are words, he tells Kylo of Vaders base on Mustafar, a place that holds all the power he could need. However, he refuses to give such power to someone not worthy and would rather die than pass it on, and we see the First Order TIE Fighter reinforcements swoop in and Hux lose patience and order the Dreadnought to fire on the city below as Vaneé tells Ren to find someone worthy of focusing his hate upon. Just as the Dreadnought is about to fire, Ren orders them to stand down and retreat, much to the chagrin of Hux, and we see Ren – face coverings off – with the grateful people of Naboo, who believe they’ve driven the First Order off. They tell him they’ll never forget him, and we turn the page to a room full of slain Naboo and Vaneé telling Ren he has just the thing for him as the issue ends.
Another fascinating issue as Ren continues his rampage of hate throughout the galaxy, and while this issues focus may seem to be somewhat weird (assisting the Naboo in their fight against the First Order) it actually does a great job of illustrating exactly what Vaneé points out; how Ren hates himself as much as anything else in his life, how his speech to his father Han Solo on the bridge on Starkiller Base makes more sense as the years pass, and why the only way to save himself and the galaxy is to fond something to focus that hate on. Issue #6 promises us a meeting with one of the survivors of Order 66, a moment in history long before the birth of Kylo, but one that very much lies at the heart of his heritage. With Charles Soule steering the story, it’s sure to be another evocative tale.
