Episode VIII: The Last Jedi

In Star Wars: Episode VIII - The Last Jedi, Kylo Ren enters Supreme Leader Snoke's throne room aboard the Mega-class Star Dreadnought Supremacy. Snoke berates him for his defeat on Starkiller Base against Rey, stating he has too much of Han Solo's heart in him and calling him 'a child in a mask.' Humiliated and enraged after being struck by Force lightning, Kylo Ren violently smashes his signature helmet to pieces against an elevator wall. Launching in his personal TIE silencer, he attacks the Resistance fleet, destroying the Raddus hangar but hesitating to fire on the bridge upon sensing his mother, General Leia Organa. Later, after Rey is brought before Snoke, Kylo Ren turns on his master, using the Force to slice Snoke in half with Rey's lightsaber. Together with Rey, he defeats Snoke's Elite Praetorian Guards in a ferocious fight. Upon Rey's refusal to join his vision to let the past die, Kylo declares himself the new Supreme Leader of the First Order and leads the ground assault on Crait, culminating in a duel against Luke Skywalker's Force projection.

Kylo Ren's narrative arc in The Last Jedi marks his defining transition from a conflicted apprentice living in Darth Vader's shadow to the absolute ruler of the First Order. By destroying his mask and assassinating Supreme Leader Snoke, Kylo attempts to eradicate his reliance on past legacies, embodying his philosophy to 'let the old things die.' His complex Force bond with Rey establishes a pivotal connection that reshapes the galactic civil war, while his betrayal of Snoke completely upends the power structure of the First Order. His ascension to Supreme Leader positions him as the primary commander leading the First Order's galactic conquest, leaving him emotionally isolated despite gaining ultimate power. This pivotal storyline serves as the direct foundation for expanded canonical literature, including Jason Fry's novelization and Marvel's Legacy of Vader comic series.

Kylo Ren's visual aesthetic in Episode VIII: The Last Jedi reflects his raw vulnerability and shedding of his former identity. Unlike his heavily covered appearance in The Force Awakens, Kylo appears unmasked for the majority of the film, showcasing a prominent facial scar on the right side of his face inflicted by Rey on Starkiller Base. His costume consists of dark, tailored First Order tunic robes, black boots, trousers, and a long flowing black cape. His iconic silver and black helmet is destroyed early in the film when he smashes it against the elevator walls of the Supremacy. In combat, he continues to wield his signature crossguard red lightsaber featuring a crackling plasma blade, and pilots his custom black-and-red starfighter, the TIE silencer.