Do we like them?

Do we like Kylo Ren?

A character from Star Wars: The Force Awakens (2015–2019)

Our score: 4 out of 10. He does terrible things and throws tantrums while doing them, but he is torn and capable of change. We'd back him on a good day and keep our distance on a bad one.

Kylo Ren is the black-clad enforcer of the First Order, the militarised remnant of the fallen Empire. He wears a mask, wields a crackling crossguard lightsaber and idolises Darth Vader. He's powerful in the Force but emotionally unsteady, and his rage often gets ahead of his discipline.

Across the sequel trilogy, he hunts the Resistance and the young scavenger Rey, and fights a pull toward the light that he calls a weakness. That conflict is what makes him interesting. He isn't a calm villain. He's a messy, angry young man with a heavy family legacy, and Adam Driver plays him with intensity and a hint of wounded charm. Critics generally rank him as the best character of the trilogy, even though they disagree about how his arc ends.

We give him a 4 because the harm he does is serious and deliberate, and his tantrums don't excuse it. The score stays above the bottom because he's conflicted, not cold. He is one of the few characters in the saga who can truly surprise us.

Under his mask is Ben Solo, the son of Han Solo and Leia Organa. He commits a terrible act against his own family, and his story later turns toward redemption. Driver has said that redemption wasn't part of the original plan. Fans still argue over whether it was earned or rushed.