7 Best Star Wars Book Villains Better Than Kylo Ren

Published Oct 19, 2026, 8:45 PM EDT Dani Kessel Odom (they/them) is an autistic lead writer and TV critic who covers sci-fi shows like Doctor Who and Pluribus, fantasy shows like The Magicians and Percy Jackson, and horror of all kinds. They also cover Marvel and DC TV shows and movies, with a robust knowledge of comic books. Their TV reviews can be found on Rotten Tomatoes. Dani is also part of ScreenRant's books team, using their fiction writing and literature studies as the backbone for their book analyses. They have covered events, such as the Denver Fan Expo. Professionals in the field, such as Damien Leone and Lucy Hale, have shared their articles. Their review of Ponies was quoted in the show's TV trailer. In university, they majored in English Writing with a minor in psychology. They have always had a passion for analyzing TV and movies, even taking filmography and scriptwriting classes in university. They also studied and participated in onstage and onscreen acting extensively from the ages of 7 to 18. Aside from working at Screen Rant, Dani has worked as a freelance editor and writer over the past decade, often in a ghostwriting capacity. Sign in to your ScreenRant account While Kylo Ren takes center stage as the Star Wars sequel trilogy’s villain, he cannot hold a candle to these seven book villains who are more threatening and enjoyable than the young Solo. Star Wars has developed from a single movie into a sprawling franchise that touches virtually every medium. Between trilogies, the Star Wars Legends books, previously called the expanded universe, continued the stories in exciting new ways. As with other Star Wars media, the Legends stories have always had iconic villains. Some have even been so popular that they've transitioned into the canon. When Disney wanted to make a new trilogy, they had a pick of epic antagonists. This made it all the more disappointing when the Star Wars sequel trilogy introduced Kylo Ren, the child of Han Solo and Leia Organa, as the central villain. While I enjoy Adam Driver as an actor, I thought Kylo had extremely poor character development and writing. Aside from being insufferably angsty, the character lacked originality and had unclear motivations and backstory. The Star Wars comics have fleshed Kylo Ren out a little bit. However, comparing movie Kylo Ren to the book characters, seven villains are better and more compelling, and most could beat him without much of a fight. Darth Bane Darth Bane is one of the most influential Star Wars villains, reshaping the Sith Order thanks to his intense focus and clear goal. He strives to strengthen the organization and remove the infighting, leading to the Rule of Two. In comparison, Kylo Ren’s ineffectiveness as a villain comes from his lack of conviction and motivation. He frequently seems torn between the light and dark sides, so his actions come across as half-hearted. Much of his evil behavior also boils down to lashing out at his parents, which isn’t a particularly compelling goal. On top of that, Darth Bane could easily beat Kylo Ren if pitted against each other. The Legends character is a top-tier fighter because he has raw power, mastered the lightsaber, studied Sith lore, and learned rarer Force abilities. Kylo Ren has powerful, raw Force abilities, and I think he’s a decent fighter for someone who didn’t complete training. However, his abilities are unrefined and rely on brute force, which puts him at a severe disadvantage to Bane. Lord Shadowspawn Lord Shadowspawn is a completely unsympathetic, sadistic villain who never wavers from his 100% nefarious persona. He’s an irredeemable monster, unlike Kylo Ren, which makes him much more enjoyable to hate. There’s no waffling back and forth with angst. On top of that, Lord Shadowspawn has a deeply philosophical belief driving him, which sets him apart from the movie villain. He fervently believes the galaxy will achieve true balance when everything in the universe is destroyed, and all his actions work toward his goal of seeing that moment. Shadowspawn creates a network of pawns he uses as proxies, and he tries to steal bodies from powerful people who use the Force, like Luke Skywalker. He learns ancient Sith alchemy to figure out the secret to immortality. Conversely, Kylo Ren goes in so many different story directions that he feels aimless. Lord Shadowspawn is also beyond the league of most normal Star Wars characters because of his unique powers, such as darksight and mechu-deru. Kylo Ren cannot match that. Ysanne Isard Like Kylo Ren, Ysanne Isard is a villain who initially gains power through the bureaucracy, then overthrows things when she finally has the chance. However, Isard works internally for much longer before taking drastic measures. She understands how to rise through the government, framing and manipulating others to get ahead. When she murders, she does it secretly until Thyferra. In terms of leading, Isard also has a more sinister approach. The movie character uses armies and fits of rage to induce fear in others, while Isard uses biological warfare, torture, and political assassination. As such, she feels more like a warlord than Kylo Ren, who focuses on his personal demons instead of external goals. When Ysanne Isard gets power, she holds onto it at any cost, while the movie villain quickly gives up his title as Supreme Leader. In the end, she also never seeks a redemption arc, while Kylo eventually decides to go back to the light side. Grand Admiral Gilad Pellaeon Though he later appeared in the animated and live-action Star Wars canon, Grand Admiral Gilad Pellaeon began in the books as an Imperial military officer who became Thrawn’s right-hand man. He may seem tame compared to other villains, including Kylo Ren, but the “good Imperial” image is exactly what makes him so dangerous. There’s a lot of cognitive dissonance when it comes to Pallaeon. He doesn’t rule with volatility and unrestrained Force power like the young Solo. Instead, Gilad comes across as pragmatic and well-intentioned, creating a false sense of security. The fact that Star Wars readers still defend him shows he’s the ultimate Trojan Horse. In reality, Pellaeon is cunning and tactically skilled. He looks away from genocide and tyranny, as if they’re an acceptable means to an end. The officer willingly participates in a corrupt, xenophobic government, rather than defect, and he eventually becomes the dictator of that fascist regime. Grand Admiral Thrawn Thrawn started on the page and eventually appeared in the Star Wars TV shows, and he’s frequently cited as a fan-favorite character. Books about Thrawn exist in Legends and canon. Like early Kylo Ren, he isn’t a Sith Lord, but he’s a significantly better villain than the movie character. Kylo is by no means unintelligent, but he lacks impulse control and emotional regulation, which leads to extremely foolish decisions. In contrast, Grand Admiral Thrawn’s biggest appeal as a villain is that his key weapon is his mind. To understand his enemies, he creates a psychological profile by studying their art, culture, and history. This is much more interesting than the almost-magical Force-bond Kylo Ren shares with Rey. On top of that, the Grand Admiral is multiple steps ahead of his enemies, and he’s not afraid to take the “L” if it means he will win later, which is a level of strategy that Kylo could only aspire to. Darth Plagueis Palpatine’s master, Darth Plagueis, is mentioned once in Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith, and he makes a cameo in The Acolyte. However, Legends explores and fleshes out everything else about the non-canon version of the character. When it comes to power, it’s pretty clear-cut why Darth Plagueis is a better villain than Kylo Ren. Darth Plagueis can reverse death and cause weather anomalies just from existing in a space. He has studied the science of the Force, allowing him to manipulate it. Meanwhile, Kylo didn’t even finish his Jedi or Sith training. From an intrigue perspective, Plagueis still edges out the competition. Kylo is front and center in the sequel trilogy, but he doesn’t feel menacing or scary. His threat level is very low, and he seems more like a First Order figurehead than a villainous leader. In comparison, the older character exists in the shadows, torturing others in the name of science, ordering assassinations, and manipulating galactic politics. He feels like a true threat in the Star Wars universe. Jacen Solo/Darth Caedus Jacen Solo, aka Darth Caedus, shares many traits with Kylo Ren but is a better character and villain in every way. Also the son of Han and Leia, Jacen Solo goes from the light side to the dark side like Kylo. However, his transition is more gradual, whereas we never get to see the movie character’s transformation. Jacen actually has a crystal-clear motive for becoming a Sith, making him a more compelling villain. As previously mentioned, Kylo Ren doesn’t have a driving goal, unless you count killing the past. From a power perspective, the book character has just as much raw potential, but he actually trains to master multiple Force techniques. He also can consistently stand toe-to-toe with Luke. Meanwhile, Kylo Ren’s power is emotion-driven and inconsistent, which probably comes from a lack of complete training. Adding to that, Jacen psychologically manipulates and betrays his family to destroy remaining connections, and he’s willing to kill his own twin. While the Star Wars movie character shows that willingness to kill a family member, leading to Han Solo’s death, his harm to his family mostly occurs from a distance. Ultimately, the movies would have been better off using Kylo Ren’s book counterpart. TV Show(s) The Mandalorian, Andor, Obi-Wan Kenobi, The Book of Boba Fett, Ahsoka, The Acolyte, Star Wars: Skeleton Crew, Lando, Star Wars: The Clone Wars, Star Wars Rebels, Star Wars: The Bad Batch, Star Wars: Resistance, Star Wars: Young Jedi Adventures, Star Wars: Visions Video Game(s) Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic, Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic II - The Sith Lords, Star Wars Battlefront (2015), Star Wars: Battlefront 2 (2005), Star Wars: The Force Unleashed , Star Wars: The Force Unleashed II, Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order, Star Wars Jedi: Survivor First Film Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope Cast Mark Hamill, James Earl Jones, David Prowse, Carrie Fisher, Harrison Ford, Daisy Ridley, Adam Driver, Ian McDiarmid, Ewan McGregor, Rosario Dawson, Lars Mikkelsen, Rupert Friend, Moses Ingram, Frank Oz, Pedro Pascal Created by George Lucas Movie(s) Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace, Star Wars: Episode II - Attack of the Clones, Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith, Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope, Star Wars: Episode V - The Empire Strikes Back, Star Wars: Episode VI - Return of the Jedi, Star Wars: Episode VII - The Force Awakens, Star Wars: Episode VIII - The Last Jedi, Star Wars: Episode IX- The Rise of Skywalker, Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, Solo: A Star Wars Story, Star Wars: The Clone Wars, Star Wars: Dawn of the Jedi, Star Wars: New Jedi Order