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During the course of The Force Awakens we learn that Kylo Ren is the son of Han Solo and Leia.

My question is, by the end of the film which characters know this fact? It is plainly obvious that in addition to his parents, people involved in Kylo Ren/Ben Solo's upbringing and training will know, such as Luke, Chewbacca, Threepio, Artoo and Snoke etc. and through them this information could be communicated to other members of the resistance such as Poe and Admiral Ackbar. It also seems that Lor San Tekka knows.

However, I can't seem to remember this information ever being communicated to Rey, Finn or General Hux, amongst others. So I was wondering if I missed part of a scene, or there is another canon source, where the characters mentioned find out this information?

When I first saw the scene where Rey calls Kylo Ren a 'Monster' I got a feeling she meant because of the whole patricide thing but I have nothing else to back this up other than the hunch I got in the cinema chair. Additionally Finn could've found out from his time in the FO, as well as General Hux for that matter.

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    Good catch! I also assumed "Monster" thing was because of that, but now that you said it, there's no guarantee she didn't simply base that on what she saw, not extra info.
    – DVK-on-Ahch-To
    Jan 13, 2016 at 14:23
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    Hopefully everyone in the theater.
    – PiousVenom
    Jan 13, 2016 at 15:34
  • Not me. I haven't seen it yet 😢
    – user46509
    Jan 13, 2016 at 16:34
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    @AncalagonTheBlack This might not be the right tag for you to be reading, then.
    – fluffy
    Jan 23, 2016 at 5:19

3 Answers 3

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Rey (and Finn) definitely knew (all quotes from WGA leaked script).

  • Rey and Finn witness father and son discussion, including the fact they both agree on parentage - and the script explicitly notes they can hear:

    HAN
    Ben!
    The name ECHOES as Kylo Ren STOPS, far across the vast catwalk. He turns.

    KYLO REN
    Han Solo. I've been waiting for this day for a long time.

    Finn and Rey make their way into the space, opening a HATCH that allows A BEAM OF PRECIOUS SUNLIGHT to stream down like a spotlight on Han and his son. Finn and Rey get to a railing and look down. They can SEE and HEAR Han and Kylo Ren on the catwalk below.

    KYLO REN
    What do you think you'll see if I do? Han moves toward Kylo Ren.
    HAN
    The face of my son.

  • Apparently, stormtroopers may have heard that too - which doesn't matter, the Starkiller explosion means they don't know it for too long:

    UP ABOVE, Finn, Chewie and Rey watch, rapt.
    Stormtroopers dot the perimeter of the structure, watching the scene.

  • Most people in First Order do NOT know. Visual Dictionary explicitly stated that it was forbidden to mention Kylo Ren's birth name.

  • Additionally, Rey got the whole disappointment lecture from Ren when he tried to mind-read her:

    KYLO REN (CONT'D)
    And Han Solo. You feel like he's the father you never had. He would've disappointed you.

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    Two good points, seeing it for the second time last night I also thought about the mind reading moment, when he never seems to explicitly say 'Oh yeah he's my dad', but then I forgot that she also looks into his mind and sees his Darth Vader Grandpa problems, that will explain it! And yes, in the Father and Son discussion there is that rather explicit line about being his son, as long as Rey and Finn can hear it from where they are standing
    – Smiff Lord
    Jan 13, 2016 at 14:35
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    @SmiffLord - the Disney movie script (which is about as canon as you can get) explicitly says they can hear, I will bold that part
    – DVK-on-Ahch-To
    Jan 13, 2016 at 14:37
  • Thanks for the clarification there, and also for the information in the visual dictionary about the lockdown on his birth name, this has cleared up my question nicely, and it sources the script (in my eyes one up from the novel), so unless someone comes in with anything better than this in the next few hours I will accept it.
    – Smiff Lord
    Jan 13, 2016 at 14:45
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Based on the novelization, it's not 100% clear if Rey and Finn could hear the conversation on the catwalk, but Leia's conversation with Rey makes it clear that Rey knows.

“I’m proud of what you’re about to do,” she told the girl.

Rey replied in all seriousness. “But you’re also afraid. In sending me away, you’re— reminded.”

Leia straightened. “You won’t share the fate of our son.”

“I know what we’re doing is right. This is how it has to be. This is how it should be.”

Leia smiled gently, reassuringly. “I know it, too. May the Force be with you.”

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  • I was hoping there'd be something in the novelization to explain it a bit more, if there was any point in the film where it could have been brought up to Rey then this seemed the most natural!
    – Smiff Lord
    Jan 13, 2016 at 14:39
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Logically, any characters who were familiar with Han, Leia, and Ben before he became Kylo would have at least some idea of what happened. Also, it seems to be fairly commonly known among anyone who knew or worked with Luke that he disappeared after one of his trainees turned to the dark side, and it probably wouldn't take a huge logical leap to connect that to Ren. So while it isn't clearly defined how many people know for sure, it seems logical that many people on both sides would have some suspicion. As for Rey's reaction, she doesn't necessarily have to know that Han was Kylo father; she still just saw Kylo kill him in cold blood. Not only that, but virtually all her interaction with him and the First Order has involved the First Order attacking relatively defenseless people, so she would be inclined to hate him and view him as a monster whether she knows his parentage or not.

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