Knights of Ren

"Even you, Master of the Knights of Ren, have never faced such a test."

- Supreme Leader Snoke, to Kylo Ren

The Knights of Ren was a mysterious order of elite warriors who followed the dark side of the Force. They operated under the command of Supreme Leader Snoke&mdash;a master in the ways of the Force and ruler of the First Order&mdash;in the years following the destruction of the Sith and the fall of the Galactic Empire. Among their ranks was the Force warrior Kylo Ren; the lineal descendant of the fallen Sith Lord Darth Vader, Kylo became the Supreme Leader's apprentice after renouncing both his family and Jedi heritage. In addition, he assumed the title Master of the Knights of Ren as well as "Jedi Killer" due to his role in the second fall of the Jedi Order.

In the waning days of the cold war, Kylo personally oversaw the First Order's quest to hunt and kill Jedi Master Luke Skywalker. A chain of events ensued, conspiring to force a reunion between Kylo and his estranged father, Han Solo. Knowing the challenge that lay ahead for his oft-conflicted apprentice, Snoke advised the young knight to prepare for his greatest test yet&mdash;the murder of his own father. Prior to his confrontation with Solo, Kylo captured the Jakku scavenger Rey, who saw the dark warlord and the Knights of Ren through a Force vision she received from the Jedi lightsaber that once belonged to Kylo's grandfather.

Organization
The Knights of Ren included Kylo Ren, whom Supreme Leader Snoke&mdash;the leader of these forces of dark side users &mdash;referred to as the Master of the Knights of Ren. As a member of the Knights of Ren, Kylo was not part of the formal hierarchy of the First Order but nonetheless operated with freedom among the military command, who tolerated his presence with some hesitation as his agenda trumped their own. Kylo wore a black and silver combat helmet based on the battle gear worn by the Knights of Ren. Though Ren served the First Order, the rest of the Knights of Ren were not aligned to the Order, as Kylo and Snoke were the only two Force-users in that hermit state.

History
The Knights of Ren operated in the decades following the Galactic Civil War. Although the Sith ended with the death of Darth Sidious and Darth Vader, Kylo Ren's grandfather, the dark side of the Force was strong with Kylo and Snoke, who used the Knights of Ren as a tool of the dark side alongside the First Order. Rey, a Force-sensitive scavenger who hailed from Jakku, saw the Knights of Ren in a vision. After the galaxy fell into a state of war between the First Order and the Resistance in 34 ABY, Kylo assassinated Snoke and claimed his throne as the new Supreme Leader.

Behind the scenes
The Knights of Ren were created for the 2015 film Star Wars: Episode VII The Force Awakens and appear in one of Rey's visions on Takodana. They were based on rejected designs for Kylo Ren.

Though the backstory of the Knights of Ren has yet to be revealed, The Force Awakens director J.J. Abrams noted in the film's Director commentary that they have a backstory, but the details have not been shared.

According to Rian Johnson, writer and director of the 2017 film Star Wars: Episode VIII The Last Jedi, the reason why the group do not appear in the film is that the movie was already full and there was no room for them. Johnson mused that they could have been used in place of Snoke's Elite Praetorian Guards, but it would have been a waste because all the guards had to die and Kylo's connection to the Knights would have added unwanted complications to the scene.

Non-canon appearances

 * LEGO Star Wars: The Force Awakens
 * Star Wars: Galaxy of Heroes