As many Star Wars fans have suspected, there's more to Adam Driver's Kylo Ren than meets the eye. While speaking to Entertainment Weekly, director J.J. Abrams confirmed that Ren is someone who's aware of the events of the Original Trilogy and that his aesthetic is an intentional nod to Darth Vader by Ren. Furthermore, Abrams revealed that Kylo, as a member of the Empire remnant group, The First Order, is also a member of a smaller sect inside The First Order known as The Knights of Ren. “He is a character who came to the name Kylo Ren when he joined a group called the Knights of Ren".
Apparently "Ren" is a title that one earns, much the way Sith Lords earn the title of "Darth". Screenwriter Lawrence Kasdan also weighs in on Kylo Ren and touts Adam Driver's exceptional performance. "I’ve written four Star Wars movies now, and there’s never been a character quite like the one that Adam plays. I think you’re going to see something that’s brand new to the saga. He’s full of emotion. No matter how we express ourselves in the world, whether we hide it and act very calm or whether we’re very out there and demonstrative, everybody’s roiling with emotion. And you want your characters to be that way, too. Then they have to deal with their emotions as best they can, with what they are. (Kasdan pauses as if he is on the verge of saying too much)... I’d say that is as far as I’d go".
Star Wars: The Force Awakens arrives in North American theaters on December 18, 2015.