No.
Absolutely not.
I see fools comparing them side by side, usually over their superficial similarities (i.e. their scars, hair… yes, I’m serious) or their “daddy issues” or once “prodigal status”. The worst offender is how they’re so alike because they’re “young” and soooo “edgy”.
Just, wrong, wrong, wrong, wrong.
Prince Zuko of the Fire Nation and Kylo Ren (born Ben Solo) of the Knights of Ren are nothing alike.
Why?
For one, Kylo is past the stage of redemption, a line Zuko never crossed. Kylo saw to it personally that his father Han Solo died to his own hand. That’s right, Kylo Ren committed patricide. He killed a member of his family.
What does he do after that? Does he kill his mother too? Complete his transformation into the Dark Side?
No, Kylo hesitated and let his co-workers blow up the bridge his mother was on instead. Then we bar over a few hours later to him rushing furiously towards his uncle - the man who trained him to become talented with his raw connection to the Force - and attempt to slice him in half. Murder him in cold blood.
Of course, Luke not physically being there is a problem in and of itself, but the point still stands: Kylo Ren has no problem in murdering his own family for a stronger connection to the Dark Side.
Then we have Zuko.
Zuko might have been a dickhead at the beginning of ATLA. Was he the equivalent of a mass murdering space military junta head like Kylo Ren was at the start of Episode VII? Not at all. We see only a few episodes in that Zuko is not a heartless killer being corrupted by a seedy, rusty pipe built teacher. Zuko is on a quest to retrieve his honor, and he clearly deludes himself that he would do anything to obtain it.
We see Zuko feel an extreme amount of guilt over betraying his uncle, longs to know of his mother - who simply vanished from his life one day - to an extent, loves his genocidal father, and refused to kill his sister Azula, who was fully contempt in killing both him, and Katara during the finale.
Even though Zuko is an anti-hero, he has standards. As fucked as his family is, he isn’t nearly depraved enough to kill anyone within his bloodline for any sort of gain.
Meanwhile, we have Kylo Ren out here stabbing his iconic dad on a catwalk inside the Death Star III with little hesitation.
So Zuko is a family guy, isn’t a mass murdering asshole and treats his friends - once his enemies - with respect, even those who once hated him with a passion. Ahem, Katara.
Kylo Ren belittles his high ranking officers, often humiliates them, intimidates them and treats them like utter garbage. The worst case is his relationship with General Hux, who essentially turns into Kylo’s lap dog after Snoke is murdered by Kylo. You should’ve whipped that pistol out faster, Hux.
He also calls Rey worthless, and is likely lying about her parents just to have her as a personal tool for his conquest of the Galaxy. And some of you guys ship them together.
Zuko’s whole story arc is kicked off after he objects to sending recruit level Fire Nation infantry to their unknowing, guaranteed deaths during a high level officer meeting.
Zuko is far, far from a saint, but compared to Kylo Ren, he might as well be a fucking snowflake next to a genocidal blizzard who kills the clouds that made him.
That all being said, Kylo Ren IS an amazing character in his own right. He’s flawed, complex, conflicted. He’s an excellent villain and a very welcome addition to Star Wars (sorry Darth Revan). He has the potential to gain the icon status his grandfather before him achieved both in-universe, and in our world as a memorable villain.
But is he another Zuko? No, he’s not.
Zuko is undoubtedly a way more sympathetic and relateable character than Kylo Ren will ever be at this point. Zuko himself, and with the aid of others, sees that what he does is wrong, and works towards fixing it. Then we have Kylo Ren, who just commits mistake, after mistake and seeks no help in escaping the Dark Side, and just chooses to lavish in it, with little guilt to cloud his mind.
The only thing that ever kept him up at night was the glow of his uncle’s lightsaber years ago, it seems.
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