With Star Wars: Episode VII – The Force Awakens now officially less than a year away from its worldwide theatrical release, we can safely expect a gradual acceleration in leaked images from the numerous licensed products that are already well into development and heading toward production in mid-2015. These leaks often provide Star Wars: The Force Awakens spoilers and this report is no different, so please proceed at your own risk.
First let’s take a couple steps back. The official Star Wars: The Force Awakens teaser trailer offered us our first official look at presumably the film’s main Sith villain. Outfitted in a hooded black cloak and carrying a red crossguard lightsaber, this villain looked more like a throwback to a bygone era of Sith rule than an evolution of the religion into modern times.
A short time after the Star Wars: The Force Awakens trailer landed we learned via EW that the name of this villain is Kylo Ren. Or at least that’s his first name as Sith are known to take on names of “Darth [new surname here]” once they’ve completed their journey to the Dark Side of the Force. It looks like Kylo has already chosen his path based on the trailer so I wouldn’t be surprised if he becomes Darth somebody or the other through the course of the film’s events.
That brings us tot today and a pair of new Star Wars: The Force Awakens spoiler images that have hit the Internet. Both of them involve Kylo Ren, though the first also pulls in the rest of the main cast.
This morning Rebelscum published an image from a Chinese message board featuring five Star Wars: The Force Awakens action figure prototypes from Hasbro. These figures appear to be either hard copies or test shots given their raw form, but it’s hard to tell for certain based off one image.
From left to right are presumably Kylo Ren with his hood down, Finn, Rey, BB-8, and Chewbacca. Rey is wearing the same outfit as he saw her in the trailer while Finn dons attire similar in appearance to that worn by Han Solo in the original trilogy. I would expect these figures in their final painted form to be shown to select partners at Toy Fair 2015 in February.
The big reveal in the image is that of Kylo Ren’s mask and the similarities it shares with the mask worn by Darth Vader, especially in the flared rear portion. As you’re wondering what the mask might look like close-up, Indie Revolver drops a piece of production concept art that makes your wish come true.
You can more clearly see the Darth Vader helmet influence in this artwork, though Indie Revolver is quick to point out that their sources tell them the scribed lines are not colored yellow in the production helmet. Either way Kylo Ren’s helmet design is quite striking and should fantastic in live-action. Whether his character lives up to the legacy of Darth Vader and the Sith before him remains to be seen.
