Trial of ascendancy

Unbeknownst to Ben, he carried out a Sith trial of ascendancy by killing his father, Han Solo.

A trial of ascendancy was a Sith trial. One trial required the sacrifice of a loved one to unlock newfound depths of dark power. In 34 ABY, unbeknownst to him, the dark warrior Kylo Ren carried out the trial by killing his father, Han Solo. Instead of making him more powerful, though, the act of patricide weakened Ren on a spiritual level, and he became haunted by what he had done.

Behind the scenes

"He will strengthen himself through sacrifice.
He will ruin those who deny justice.
He will immortalize his love."

―Prophecy of the Sith, foretold in tassel artifact

Trial of ascendancy was first mentioned in the new Star Wars canon in Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker: The Visual Dictionary, a reference book published on December 20, 2019 and serving as a companion for the film Star Wars: Episode IX The Rise of Skywalker.

The trial originated in the Star Wars Legends continuity, where it was first mentioned as part of the Lorrd Artifact in Legacy of the Force: Betrayal, a novel written by Aaron Allston and published on May 30, 2006. It was first identified as the Prophecy of the Sith in Legacy of the Force: Bloodlines novel, written by Karen Traviss and published on August 29, 2006.

Appearances

• Star Wars: Episode VII The Force Awakens (First appearance)
• Star Wars: The Force Awakens novelization (and audiobook)
• Star Wars: The Force Awakens: A Junior Novel (and audiobook)

Sources

• Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker: The Visual Dictionary (First identified as trial of ascendancy)