Kylo Ren Needs This Rumored TIE Fighter in ‘Episode VIII'

Kylo Ren will stop at nothing to be exactly like his grandfather Darth Vader, including, it seems, driving around his own custom-made TIE Fighter.

On the surface, virtually nothing is known about Star Wars: Episode VIII other than its release date, the fact that the talented cast — including Daisy Ridley, John Boyega, and Adam Driver — will be back for more, and that writer director Rian Johnson is on board to make sure it’s more Empire Strikes Back than Attack of the Clones. And with tons of rumors swirling around until we get a title announcement and a teaser trailer, one rumor in particular should have fans excited for how Driver’s villainous Darth Vader wannabe, Kylo Ren, buzzes around the galaxy to do Supreme Leader Snoke’s evil bidding.

The normally reliable Making Star Wars reports that Kylo is rumored to be getting his very own personal TIE fighter design in the upcoming episodic continuation of the galaxy far, far away, and it’ll be like his granddad’s personal TIE fighter seen in A New Hope.

Vader tried to upset the Rebellion’s little surprise attack on the Death Star in that movie by swooping in behind the controls of a TIE Advanced fighter only to have his plans ruined by Han Solo suddenly gaining a conscience and helping Luke destroy the Empire’s superweapon.

Vader’s ship, with its crooked three-winged panel design, was unlike the other TIE fighter craft flown by Imperial pilots presumably because Vader wanted people to definitely know it was him blowing them up. Because Kylo is obsessed with his grandfather’s whole aesthetic, it makes sense that he would want to copy him once again with his own personal fighter. Kylo basically took the mask, black cloak, red lightsaber, and following the evil whims of a shadowy and decrepit old person, so why not take the whole unique ship thing too?

He already has a First Order shuttle to ferry him around, so as far as Kylo is concerned in Episode VIII it seems like he’ll want to — to paraphrase Vader — deal with Rey and Finn himself.