Star Wars' Original Kylo Ren Plan Explains A Sequel Era Sith Mystery
Star Wars' original plan for Kylo Ren explains a mystery from the sequel trilogy era. In 2015, Disney and Lucasfilm launched the sequel trilogy. The year also saw Lucasfilm Publishing release the first book in a series setting up the sequels, Chuck Wendig's Aftermath trilogy. These were set shortly after the events of Return of the Jedi, and attempted to establish the groundwork for the sequels. In general, they have dated fairly well, with a number of Wendig concepts becoming major parts of the established canon. But there's one notable exception; a Force cult known as the Acolytes of the Beyond.
The Acolytes of the Beyond venerated the Sith, and they traveled the galaxy hunting Sith relics, destroying them because they believed doing so would unite them with their masters in the Beyond. They were founded by a Sith cultist named Yupe Tashu who served under Palpatine himself, although the group he had established seemed rather more loyal to Darth Vader, scrawling graffiti reading "VADER LIVES" on walls on Corellia during an uprising there. The Acolytes of the Beyond clearly possessed genuine Sith artifacts, including ancient Sith masks they wore — imbued with the power of the dark side, transforming their wearers into creatures of rage and hatred. Readers naturally assumed the Acolytes of the Beyond would somehow be connected to Kylo Ren and his veneration for Darth Vader's mask, but instead they became a loose thread as Lucasfilm's plans changed.
Related: Star Wars: One Palpatine Quote Perfectly Explains The Fall Of The Jedi
Concept art for Star Wars: The Force Awakens hints at the original plan for Kylo Ren, and suggests there was indeed supposed to be a connection between the Acolytes of the Beyond and Kylo Ren.
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