Was Kylo Ren supposed to be bald? This exclusive Star Wars: The Last Jedi concept art is giving us questions

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A fantastic film like Star Wars: The Last Jedi doesn't just pop into existence - it's the product of months of dedicated work by a team of hundreds. The beautiful shots and landscapes you see framed onscreen all started out as concept art created by talented artists, much of which is collected in The Art of Star Wars: The Last Jedi by Phil Szostak, from Lucasfilm Ltd. and Abrams Books. We've got two exclusive images from the art book that shed some light on the earliest stages of The Last Jedi - just bear in mind that they could be considered minor spoilers, so we've embedded them below our spoiler-free video review of the film you see below. If you've already seen the movie, then full steam ahead! 

Star Wars: The Last Jedi spoiler-free review

First up is a full-body shot of Kylo Ren in his new, Empire-approved attire. It's not uncommon for concept artists to focus solely on the task at hand - in this case, the costume - but it's mildly shocking to see Kylo without his trademark head of jet black hair. That's definitely Adam Driver's unmistakable face, and it's not like the artist just ignored Kylo's noggin altogether - there's clearly the fuzz of a freshly shaven scalp up there. Perhaps at one point in the film's production, Kylo Ren was going to shave his head as an act of disgraced transformation. In place of the classic hood, a heavy cape's been added, and we get a closer look at Kylo's subtly altered, stitch-quilted suit (which looks a heck of a lot more breathable). 

"KYLO REN WITH CAPE VERSION 07" by Zonjić (click to enlarge)

We've also got a shot of the destruction caused by the stampeding Fathiers (colloquially known by audiences as 'space horses') that run wild all over the casino planet of Canto Bight. This art has essentially been brought to life in the film - though if that rich Rodian was amidst the chaos, I must've missed him in the excitement of the scene. Sorry about your speeders, you wealthy Bight socialites, but that's what you get for callously exploiting these animals for gambling sport!   

"STAMPEDE EXTERIOR" by Kim Frederiksen and Fernández Castro (click to enlarge) 
Lucas Sullivan
Lucas Sullivan

Lucas Sullivan is the former US Managing Editor of GamesRadar+. Lucas spent seven years working for GR, starting as an Associate Editor in 2012 before climbing the ranks. He left us in 2019 to pursue a career path on the other side of the fence, joining 2K Games as a Global Content Manager. Lucas doesn't get to write about games like Borderlands and Mafia anymore, but he does get to help make and market them.