{"id":171047,"date":"2026-02-10T00:01:15","date_gmt":"2026-02-10T00:01:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/171047\/"},"modified":"2026-02-10T00:01:15","modified_gmt":"2026-02-10T00:01:15","slug":"why-disneyland-can-leave-kylo-rens-ship-parked-in-galaxys-edge-san-gabriel-valley-tribune","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/171047\/","title":{"rendered":"Why Disneyland can leave Kylo Ren\u2019s ship parked in Galaxy\u2019s Edge \u2013 San Gabriel Valley Tribune"},"content":{"rendered":"

Walt Disney Imagineering and Lucasfilm have come up with a clever storytelling twist to explain why Darth Vader will be standing in front of Kylo Ren\u2019s TIE fighter when the Star Wars timeline expands in Disneyland\u2019s Galaxy\u2019s Edge to include the original trilogy of movies.<\/p>\n

Darth Vader, Luke Skywalker, Han Solo and Princess Leia meet-and-greet characters will make appearances in Star Wars: Galaxy\u2019s Edge<\/a> at the Anaheim theme park starting on April 29 when Imagineering introduces storylines<\/a> from the \u201cEmpire Strikes Back\u201d and \u201cReturn of the Jedi\u201d eras of the sweeping space opera.<\/p>\n

ALSO SEE: Disneyland brings Darth Vader, Han Solo and Princess Leia to Galaxy\u2019s Edge<\/a><\/p>\n

The storytelling shift moves the Star Wars timeline in Galaxy\u2019s Edge back three decades before the birth of Kylo Ren \u2014 who has been the central villain of the unfolding story in Black Spire Outpost on the Star Wars planet of Batuu ever since Galaxy\u2019s Edge debuted at Disneyland in 2019.<\/p>\n

Imagineering and Lucasfilm knew that Darth Vader and Kylo Ren could never appear side by side in Galaxy\u2019s Edge at Disneyland since the two Star Wars villains were never alive at the same time during the sweeping epic.<\/p>\n

Darth Vader dies a year before the birth of Kylo Ren in the Star Wars saga.<\/p>\n

\"DarthDarth Vader and a squadron of Imperial Stormtroopers are heading to Star Wars: Galaxy\u2019s Edge at Disneyland. (Courtesy of Disneyland)<\/p>\n

Darth Vader (born Anakin Skywalker) is the grandfather of Kylo Ren (born Ben Solo). Anakin Skywalker was the father of Leia Organa and Luke Skywalker. Leia Organa and Han Solo are the parents of Ben Solo, who becomes Kylo Ren.<\/p>\n

Starting on April 29, the Kylo Ren meet-and-greet character will leave Galaxy\u2019s Edge and head over to Star Wars Launch Bay in Tomorrowland for photo ops \u2014 replacing Darth Vader once he moves to Black Spire Outpost.<\/p>\n

\"GregGreg Daniels is questioned by Kylo Ren and stormtroopers in Black Spire Outpost on opening day at Star Wars: Galaxy\u2019s Edge at Disneyland in Anaheim, CA, on Friday, May 31, 2019. (Photo by Jeff Gritchen, Orange County Register\/SCNG)<\/p>\n

Darth Vader and a pair of Imperial Stormtroopers will make appearances near the TIE Echelon with a show moment before roaming Galaxy\u2019s Edge.<\/p>\n

The only problem: Imagineering has always described the menacing starfighter in Galaxy\u2019s Edge as Kylo Ren\u2019s TIE Echelon.<\/p>\n

\"KyloKylo Ren greets visitors from a TIE Echillion fighter in Star Wars: Galaxy\u2019s Edge at Disneyland in Anaheim, CA, on Wednesday, May 29, 2019. (Photo by Jeff Gritchen, Orange County Register\/SCNG)<\/p>\n

How can Darth Vader be standing in front of Kylo Ren\u2019s ship if Darth died before Kylo was ever born?<\/p>\n

The answer is simple: It wasn\u2019t always Kylo Ren\u2019s TIE Echelon. The starfighter was built during the Imperial era that preceded the First Order era in the Star Wars canon.<\/p>\n

\u201cOne of the lesser-known facts about the TIE Echelon is that it\u2019s actually an Imperial-era ship,\u201d Imagineering Executive Vice President Asa Kalama told the official Star Wars website<\/a>. \u201cIt carries the same color and markings of all the TIEs from that era.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"StormStorm Troopers guard an TIE Echillion fighter in Star Wars: Galaxy\u2019s Edge at Disneyland in Anaheim, CA, on Wednesday, May 29, 2019. (Photo by Jeff Gritchen, Orange County Register\/SCNG)<\/p>\n

The First Order TIE Echelon was manufactured by Sienar Fleet Systems, one of the Empire\u2019s foremost military manufacturers, according to StarWars.com.<\/p>\n

The ion engine-powered TIE Echelon is equipped with a cockpit turret, heavy laser cannons, shield generator and advanced communications sensors, according to the official Star Wars website. The assault shuttle is used mainly for troop and cargo transport.<\/p>\n

ALSO SEE: Disneyland drops strict Star Wars timeline in Galaxy\u2019s Edge<\/a><\/p>\n

That makes Kylo Ren\u2019s TIE Echelon \u201csort of like a vintage car,\u201d Kalama told StarWars.com.<\/p>\n

\u201cSo canonically, it aligns with the new, updated timeline we\u2019re celebrating now,\u201d Kalama told the official Star Wars website.<\/p>\n

\"TheThe Luke Skywalker meet-and-greet character in Star Wars: Galaxy\u2019s Edge at Disneyland. (Courtesy of Disneyland)<\/p>\n

Will Darth Vader be running into Luke, Leia or Han in Batuu?<\/p>\n

Disneyland isn\u2019t saying just yet \u2014 but here\u2019s what we do know.<\/p>\n

Luke Skywalker will roam Black Spire Outpost seeking knowledge of the Force and kyber crystals that power lightsabers. Han Solo will linger near the Millennium Falcon and Oga\u2019s Cantina. Leia Organa will also show up near the Falcon recruiting travelers and locals to help keep Luke safe. And Darth Vader will make appearances with a pair of Imperial Stormtroopers near the TIE Echelon.<\/p>\n

ALSO SEE: Disneyland\u2019s Napa Rose: What you get with the $188 tasting menu<\/a><\/p>\n

Disneyland promises to share more details about Galaxy\u2019s Edge character interactions before the April timeline reset.<\/p>\n

The Star Wars storyline expansion is only coming to the West Coast version of Galaxy\u2019s Edge at Disneyland. The Batuu East version of Galaxy\u2019s Edge at Disney\u2019s Hollywood Studios in Florida will maintain its current experience and Star Wars timeframe.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Walt Disney Imagineering and Lucasfilm have come up with a clever storytelling twist to explain why Darth Vader…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":165398,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[36],"tags":[2223,163,165,164,7,2222,1341,611,420],"class_list":["post-171047","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-anaheim","tag-amusement-parks","tag-anaheim","tag-anaheim-headlines","tag-anaheim-news","tag-california","tag-disney-california-adventure","tag-disneyland","tag-orange-county","tag-things-to-do"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/171047","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=171047"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/171047\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/165398"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=171047"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=171047"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=171047"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}