Star Wars: How Old Ben Solo Was When He Became Kylo Ren

By the time viewers met Kylo Ren in Star Wars, the figure was already deep into the dark side of the Force. The character, played by Adam Driver, was first introduced in Star Wars: The Force Awakens, launching the prequel trilogy. Across his presence in the films, more insight into his transformation came into focus, including when he abandoned his identity as Ben Solo and became a prominent figure in the First Order.

Kylo, or Ben as he was born, was the son of Leia Organa and Han Solo. In his early life, Ben trained with his uncle, Luke Skywalker, as a student at the Jedi Academy. While learning the ways of the Force, Ben came into contact with Supreme Leader who corrupted the young boy and pulled him to the dark side. Ben then abandoned his loved ones, took on a new identity, and emerged as a leader in the First Order.

Kylo was born in 5 ABY (After the Battle of Yavin). The battle occurred at the end of Star Wars: A New Hope and marked the destruction of the first Death Star. The Force Awakens was said to have taken place in 34 ABY, making Kylo 29 years old when he made his onscreen Star Wars debut. By this point, he was a few years into his transition as Kylo. The sequel trilogy, as well as other Star Wars canon material, stated that the character’s turn to the dark side occurred in 28 ABY, making Ben 23 years old when he became Kylo Ren.

Not only did Snoke help pull Ben to the First Order, but it was also the revelation of his bloodline that helped do the convincing. The truth about the Skywalker heritage and connection to Darth Vader was unearthed. Ben, who was unaware of his relation to Vader, was heavily affected by the news. As a young impressionable man in his early twenties, he felt betrayed by the secrets. He also was dealing with an internal struggle with the pull to the dark side. When he thought his uncle had tried to kill him in the middle of the night, he flipped. Ben killed several of his fellow students while fleeing with Palpatine after the temple’s destruction, and afterwards claimed the name Kylo Ren. In doing so, he also denounced his heritage as both a member of the Solo and Skywalker family.

The Star Wars sequel trilogy spanned just one year, beginning in 34 ABY and closing out before the end of 35 ABYafter the return of Emperor Palpatine which became the focus of Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker. Kylo’s internal struggle continued but this time, he was pulled to the light side of the Force. After influence from his mother, father, and Rey, Kylo gave in and went back to being Ben. After Rey died while killing Palpatine, Ben transferred his own life essence into her, sacrificing himself in the process so she can have another chance at living. Ben would have been 30 years old at the time of his death in the Star Wars franchise.

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Kara Hedash
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Kara Hedash is a features editor and writer for Screen Rant. From time to time, she dives into the world’s most popular franchises but Kara primarily focuses on evergreen topics. The fact that she gets to write about The Office regularly is like a dream come true. Before joining Screen Rant, Kara served as a contributor for Movie Pilot and had work published on The Mary Sue and Reel Honey. After graduating college, writing began as a part-time hobby for Kara but it quickly turned into a career. She loves binging a new series and watching movies ranging from Hollywood blockbusters to hidden indie gems. She also has a soft spot for horror ever since she started watching it at too young of an age. Her favorite Avenger is Thor and her favorite Disney princess is Leia Organa. When Kara’s not busy writing, you can find her doing yoga or hanging out with Gritty.

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