SPECULATION Putting the pieces together . . . The villains of The Force Awakens and beyond.

I think it would be really cool if Rey and Kylo Ren are brother and sister if at the end of the movie Rey and Ren each recite "The Code" of the Jedi and sith going back and forth with each line pledging to their masters (luke and Serkis) to set the stage for the story in the next two films.

 

The bottom photo reminds me of the Yorrick scene in Hamlet. Instead of holding a skull, he is holding Vader's helmet.

Kylo holding Vader's helmet talking to Darth Plagueis:

"Alas poor Vader
I knew him Lord Plagueis
A man of infinite jest
Of most excellent fancy......"

 

firstly, i don't think that business with Plaugeis and Maul is canon anymore. furthermore, i think the vision was of Anakin becoming Darth Vader, not someone else along the line.

secondly, i like the idea of Kylo getting his ass handed to him, galvanizing him and accidentally creating another Vader-like character. maybe "Uber" gets knocked out first round and Kylo takes the lead as baddest baddy. or maybe Kylo is Rey/Finn's baddy while Uber and Luke duke it out in their own way.

 

My main concern with Kylo is that they want a faceless "Vader" character too badly (if the rumors and concept art are true). If I were to have a choice, I would want a completely original character that makes me forget about Darth Vader for as long as I'm watching TFA for the first time.

For me, it's all about the nature of the dark side. I would think someone freely exploring the dark path would be too self-absorbed (completely narcissistic) to reduce him/herself to the status of a "wannabe". If this is indeed the drive (no pun intended) of Kylo, then perhaps he/she isn't the main villain...?

Give me a villain in the ST that goes so far as to say "Vader was weak!".

 

I think that given that Driver amy be in the X-wing flight suit (again I stress may) it is possible that he is acting covertly. Just as Palpatine did. He was senator by day and Darth Sidious when he needed to be creepy. So he might have a day job flying x-wings and so on but when he needs to cut up people with a crazy lightsaber puts on a mask.

 

Let's assume he is Han & Leia's son and secretly pro-Imperial Sith wannabe then we see Kylo always masked, collecting Vader's mask on Endor, leading the Stormtroopers on 'Tatooine', talking with his Inquisitor mentor (Serkis who sends him out in search of what has awakened -> Uber) and unmasked with Han, Leia, alliance people and then a big 3rd act reveal where he takes the mask off. The helmet not only references Vader but becomes part of the Jekyl&Hyde story at the centre of the plot. I'd add that I sense a whole series of confusing/contradictory rumours being deliberately leaked over the finale any rumours need to be treated with a high degree of caution. One thing I remember hearing, I think it was George Lucas, was that Anakin/Vader never lived up to Palpatine's hopes for him because he was so damaged, more machine than human, and the force of course is all about life. A Sith Skywalker that isn't 'damaged' has a lot of potential, something greater than Vader.

 

The other leaked tiny image of the character with the reimagined vader type helmet, bares a lightsaber with a single beam.
So it could be we're looking at another villian here?

 

I am trying my hardest to believe in Kylo Ren, but if he isn't trained in dark side powers by a very strong Sith...this either means one of two things... We are getting less than powerful Luke or dude is a goner...

It's like superhero movies when we say "well why can't Thor just kill all of these Chitauri by himself?" Because his powers are toned down cinematically to show a viable threat for the avengers.

So...by introducing a new villain like Kylo Ren...you either need a big bad from the past that's very strong, Luke must be weaker than we would expect, or Luke must be neutralized in some way while Kylo goes on his Sith fun times.


I agree with OP that Driver is Ren because Edgerton kinda gave it away a long time ago

 

Spoiler

Also has a cape, unlike Kylo in the teaser... and no hood over the shoulders.

 

Kylo isn't wearing a cape in the teaser?

 

I

This might be from the rumored Lightsaber duel near a flame-surrounded Falcon that we've seen.

http://images.search.yahoo.com/imag...I&fr=iphone&fr2=sa-gp-images.search.yahoo.com

 

Honestly, now that I'm looking at that concept again, it really doesn't give the overt impression that the Falcon is on fire or even surrounded by fire.

I do know I've read about this piece and heard people speculate about it being on fire... I don't know where. Funny how something I probably read months ago has stuck with me and kind of informed my opinion of the Kylo Ren(?) artwork.

Edit: Sorry for the double post

 

Concept art changes. Here is another pic with the helmet. You will see the same lines around the eyes and the crazy saber. This one was floating around in October.

 

Kylo in the trailer isn't wearing a cape of that length in that leaked image.

Also from the SWU image, the helmet clearly has a silver plate with engraved lines while the mounth piece is smoothed, whilst in the TS image, they're actually gold engravings with a detailed mouth gaurd.

Either it's more than one villian with a light saber, or as you said, it changed from the concept art. Regardless, the SWU sith (Teaser) is someone else from the last two leaked images.

 

Also the cape in the trailer looks torn . . . possibly burned like they stood near a volcano.