New STAR WARS: THE RISE OF SKYWALKER Images Show Knights of Ren and More

Just who are the Knights of Ren and just what the heck are their purpose? We may finally know the reason in the upcoming Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker. First revealed in The Force Awakens, the mysterious warriors have been lingering on the outskirts of the new saga. Now we have one of our first looks at them thanks to Empire.

While we haven’t been able to learn anything new about them, we get a better look at their costumes. It’s notable that the ones closest in the image both seem to be wielding guns. There’s been a long running fan theory that the knights are former students at Luke Skywalker’s (Mark Hamill) Jedi school that fled with Kylo Ren (Adam Driver). If this were the case, why don’t they have lightsabers themselves? Another thing of interest is that they appear to be a room with swirling smoke. Just adds to their mystery, doesn’t it? Can’t wait to see what they’ve been up to while Kylo has been glued to The First Order.

Speaking of the Master of the Knights of Ren, we also got a new image of Kylo thanks again to Empire. From the image we can see First Order Troopers being blasted back while Ren stands his ground, glaring at whatever (or whoever) is leaving. We can see him holding his reforged helmet but not wearing it. As for whatever is leaving – if I were to guess with the large presence of the troopers and Kylo without his helmet on, it could be Rey (Daisy Ridley) leaving in the Millennium Falcon. That color just looks all too familiar and only Rey could prompt him to take his helmet off.

We know that Rey brings another side out of Ren even more thanks to Episode IX writer Chris Terrio who told Empire about how they’ve developed their relationship even further after The Last Jedi. “We’ve tried to pick up that complicated relationship that really has been present ever since the interrogation in Episode VII. When Ren takes off his mask, there’s a nakedness about him with Rey that he doesn’t express to anyone else. Rian (Johnson) developed that in fascinating ways and we’ve been able to develop it even further.”

With Ren’s complicated feelings towards Rey, what will he do in their final confrontation? Just what are the Knights of Ren doing? Are they actually going to do something this time? The answers will be coming soon (but not soon enough).

What do you think of the images (and magazine cover images) below? What do you make of the Knights and who do you think is leaving The First Order hanger? Let us know! Be sure to come back to Geek Girl Authority for more Star Wars news.

Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker is directed by J.J. Abrams and written by Abrams and Chris Terrio. The film stars Daisy Ridley, Adam Driver, John Boyega, Oscar Isaac, Lupita Nyong’o, Domhnall Gleeson, Kelly Marie Tran, Joonas Suotamo, Billie Lord, Naomi Ackie, Keri Russell, Dominic Monaghan, Richard E. Grant, Mark Hamill, Billy Dee Williams, and Anthony Daniels with the late Carrie Fisher.