Star Wars 7: Kylo Ren not a Sith and Nazis inspired the villains, hints JJ Abrams
New Star Wars villain Kylo Ren might not be what fans are expecting, The Force Awakens director JJ Abrams has hinted.
Adam Driver will star as the next big baddie but instead of being aligned with the Sith following that Darth Vader and Emperor were members of, he serves a different, even more terrifying leader.
"Kylo Ren is not a Sith," Abrams told Empire magazine. "He works under Supreme Leader Snoke, who is a powerful figure on the Dark Side of the Force."
Kylo Ren will likely admire Vader but it will be Andy Serkis' character Snoke who most inspires his evil. Little is known about Snoke as yet, but Serkis will be using his famous motion capture skills to play him, suggesting that this enemy may not be human.
Abrams also teased Kylo Ren and Snoke's gang The First Order, comparing it to Nazis who fled Germany after Hitler's downfall and suggesting that there could be a resurgence.
"That all came out of conversations about what would have happened if the Nazis all went to Argentina but then started working together again," he said. "Could The First Order exist as a group that actually admired The Empire? Could Vader be a martyr? Could there be a need to see through what didn't get done?"
Star Wars has long been drawing visual inspiration from the Nazis but by the sounds of things, Abrams' movie is going to get even more twisted.
Catch Star Wars: The Force Awakens in UK cinemas from 18 December.