'Star Wars: The Force Awakens' Visual Guide Reveals Kylo Founded The Knights Of Ren, So What's Snoke Good For?

A new Lucasfilm magazine, Star Wars: The Force Awakens, The Official Visual Story Guide, gives us new insight into the formation of the Knights of Ren, very nearly justifying the existence of a magazine that retells the movie we just saw.

One of the early revelations about Kylo Ren - months before the release of The Force Awakens - was that his name was not a birth name, but a title indicating his membership in the Knights of Ren. While the movie did little to further illuminate the Knights of Ren, the new Visual Story Guide has more information.

According to a photo caption on the page about Rey’s Force visions (prompted when she touches Anakin Skywalker’s lightsaber in the basement of Maz Kanata’s castle), the Knights of Ren were founded not by Supreme Leader Snoke, but Kylo Ren himself.

Here’s the passage:

“Rey is bombarded with Force-related sounds, such as the voices of Master Yoda and Obi-Wan Kenobi and visions of the fearsome Knights of Ren, led by Kylo Ren, who founded the order after falling from the light.”

This means that the Knights of Ren are not some heretofore hidden ancient order. Previous Sith, including Palpatine, have nothing to do with the history of the Knights of Ren.

This might make the Knights of Ren feel less consequential, but it’s counterbalanced by Kylo Ren’s agency in the order’s creation. The Knights of Ren are more than Supreme Leader Snoke’s personal honor guard.

Since it was Snoke who targeted Ben Organa/Solo for Dark Side seduction, the Supreme Leader probably had a hand in the order’s founding. Our new understanding of Kylo Ren’s role as the order’s founder leaves us with even more unanswered questions about Supreme Leader Snoke’s role in the First Order. Is he more than a high-ranking military officer with a penchant for Dark Side Force shenanigans?

Hopefully Star Wars: Episode 8 will give us more insight into Snoke and his plans. And while Rian Johnson’s at it, why not let us know what happened to the rest of the Knights of Ren?