The perfect chance for Star Wars to clear up a sequel trilogy mystery has been missed. Ever since it debuted in the trailer for Star Wars: The Force Awakens, viewers have been wondering how the First Order got its hands on Darth Vader’s mask. The fire-blazed metal had somehow found its home with Kylo Ren, who used it as a symbol of finishing what his grandfather started. It never became clear how the First Order both found and retrieved the iconic mask from Vader’s funeral pyre on the forest moon of Endor.
The remains of Vader’s pyre haven’t been extensively discussed in any Star Wars media, aside from a brief moment when Leia fell upon it in Beth Revis’ novel The Princess and the Scoundrel. Still, she left the mask where it was, too filled with hatred towards her late father to do anything with it. That has left viewers with the mystery of how the mask made its way to the First Order and into the hands of Kylo Ren. Star Wars was recently given a chance to clear this up in From a Certain Point of View: Return of the Jedi, in which a sequel trilogy character falls upon the mask.
Star Wars Almost Explains How The First Order Got Vader’s Mask – But Not Quite
The story “The Steadfast Soldier” by Adam Christopher finds Enric Pryde, who would go on to become Allegiant General Pryde, trapped on Endor. In his effort to find an escape, he stumbles across the remnants of Vader’s funeral pyre. Pryde lingers at the sight, but rather than digging through the ashes and retrieving the mask, he leaves it right where he found it. This would’ve been the perfect opportunity for Star Wars to explain how Vader’s mask made its way to the First Order if only Pryde had taken it.
Star Wars Gives The Empire A Reason To Want Vader’s Mask
While Pryde leaves the mask behind, he does reflect upon it and recognizes that it would make for a powerful symbol amidst the rising of a new order. If Pryde shared what he found on Endor with his colleagues, then it’s likely they agreed and eventually sent someone out to retrieve the mask and preserve it for the Imperial remnants who would soon become the First Order. With Kylo Ren’s powerful influence within the Order, there’s no question as to how he was able to possess the valuable totem.
It would have been easy for Star Wars to answer the mask mystery in this way, but it still leaves room for other possibilities as to who came across the mask to arise. Since it’s not known exactly when the Empire retrieved Vader’s mask, viewers might even be able to see or read some other characters finding it and sharing their own reflections on how Vader and the Empire affected them. It could even come down to Kylo Ren himself retrieving it in honor of his fallen grandfather. Either way, the explanation of Vader’s mask making its way to the First Order will continue to remain a mystery for now.
