New Star Wars Comic Sees Kylo Ren and Luke Battling the Knights of Ren

The Knights of Ren first appeared in Star Wars: The Force Awakens and are set to make a return in Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker, with a new comic book cover igniting speculation about their connection to Kylo Ren and Luke Skywalker, as they are depicted as being locked in combat with the iconic characters. With this merely being a cover image, which is oftentimes an artistic representation of what a book contains, it's unclear how this scene could tie into the events of Star Wars: The Rise of Kylo Ren, but it has us excited for what we could learn about the mysterious characters.

In Star Wars: The Rise of Kylo Ren #2:

• With the new Jedi school in ruins and fellow students hot on his trail for the murder of their master, Ben Solo flees to the only friend he has left in the galaxy…a man named Snoke. But Snoke has plans for Ben…and ideas about the Force that are as dangerous as they are intriguing for the troubled young Jedi.
• If Ben wishes to be truly free…the answers might lie with the Dark Side. And with the Knights of Ren!
• But it won't be the first time he's tangled with the Knights. In the past, Jedi Master Luke Skywalker journeys to the Unknown Regions and brings young Ben along for the mission. Can even Luke Skywalker stand against the fabled Knights of Ren?!

Given their name and the lack of explanation of the characters, some audiences have assumed that the Knights of Ren have only ever been connected to Kylo, with this upcoming comic book series clearly confirming that this isn't the case.

The issue won't be hitting shelves until January, so with The Rise of Skywalker set to feature the characters, this cover image could make more sense, but with months to go until its release, this image has fans excited.

Following their tease in The Force Awakens, some fans expected to learn more about them in Star Wars: The Last Jedi, though writer/director Rian Johnson previously confirmed that, were he to have explored those characters, it would have resulted in a crowded narrative.

"We have a very full movie already there literally was just not room for another element...I guess I could've used them in place of the Praetorian guards but then it would feel like wasting them because all those guards had to die," Johnson told the Empire podcast. "And if Kylo had some kind of connection to them it would've added a complication that wouldn't have helped the scene...truth is I just didn't see a place for them in the movie."

Star Wars: The Rise of Kylo Ren #2 hits shelves on January 15, 2020. Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker lands in theaters on December 20th.

Are you looking forward to the comic book? Let us know in the comments below or hit up @TheWolfman on Twitter to talk all things Star Wars and horror!