Can we talk about this Ben Solo thing?

Hello friends 🙂

I don’t usually do “Star Wars News” posts, at least not in a separate post, but I have a few thoughts about this latest news. If you haven’t already heard, Adam Driver recently stated in an interview that he and director Steven Soderbergh had developed a script about Ben Solo that takes place after The Rise of Skywalker called “The Hunt for Ben Solo.”

Whaaaa????

As a sequel trilogy fan, a Kylo/Ben fan, and an Adam Driver fan, this is hugely exciting. The two brought the script to Kathleen Kennedy and Lucasfilm and got a green light there. But when they brought it to Bob Iger (head of Disney) he said no. His reason? He can’t see how Ben Solo is still alive after TROS. End of story.

Excuse me? Disney Star Wars, where somehow…Palpatine returned? Not to mention Maul, Asajj Ventress, and Boba Fett all made miraculous returns after death? Adam freaking Driver, perhaps one of the best actors of his generation, and who brought his considerable acting chops to Star Wars, wants to do a movie, which was greenlit by Kathy Kennedy and Lucasfilm, and you’re just like, “Nah” ????

I know that the sequel trilogy wasn’t perfect. It was, in fact, Adam Driver’s Kylo Ren who carried a lot if it with his performance. And one of the things that hugely disappointed me was Ben Solo’s death. Yes, I get it, he’d been a monster as Kylo and even though he turned back to the light, how would the galaxy ever forgive him, blah blah blah. Easier to just kill him off, like most redemption stories in Star Wars. Crosshair in The Bad Batch was a great exception to this rule, as he has to live with his sins and try to atone for them somehow. We need to see more of this.

But Ben’s death left a huge hole in my heart. We only got a short, tantalizing glimpse of Ben Solo, a few amazing scenes in which he says nothing at all (and yes, actions speak louder than words, but his last word was “Ow.” Come on, man!) I NEED more Ben Solo in my life, please, yes, please. And I was content to maybe get some books or comics about him; lately all we’ve been getting are comics about Kylo Ren. I’m not complaining, exactly, I just want more Ben. But to have Adam Driver actually want to reprise the role in some way and bring him back to the big screen–dreams do come true! I was under the impression the guy was done with Star Wars and Kylo, but no, it looks like Driver had some unfinished business with Ben himself. And that’s just amazing to me!

But Bob “I’m an idiot” Iger said no. Now, there is a question as to how Ben would come back. As we don’t have access to the actual script, we can’t really know what Driver had in mind. But based on all the other characters who have been raised from the dead, in a sci-fi fantasy story, no less, there are endless possibilities.

At the end of TROS, Ben disappeared into the Force. Maybe he’s in the World Between Worlds and needs to learn some lessons there? Maybe it’s about young Ben Solo and his childhood and Driver isn’t in it at all, he just has the idea for the character and wants to executive produce? I don’t know. But I’m sure there’s an answer there.

He’s a complicated man. Sorry, he WAS a complicated man.

Anyway, I’m very disappointed and a bit flummoxed as to why it was shot down. It seems to be a huge missed opportunity. I’m sure there are other fans out there who feel “He died, end of story. He sacrificed himself for Rey, and if he comes back that would cheapen it, blah blah blah.” I get it. As someone who is a big Bad Batch fan and has been embroiled in the whole #TechLives thing on social media, I get it. The point is valid. The thing is, I don’t care, lol. If I can’t have Tech back, give me Ben Solo. I’d forfeit Maul, Ventress, and Boba Fett, all of them, in an instant to get either one back. Anyway, that’s my rant on the whole Ben Solo thing.

What do you think? Should Iger have agreed to this? Or did he do the right thing? Let me know how you feel about #thehuntforbensolo in the comments and we’ll talk about it!

Star Wars Chat Pack: What if Ben Solo never turned to the dark side?

Welcome to Day 25 of my NaBloPoMo Challenge, where I randomly pick a card from the Star Wars Chat Pack.

Today’s question is: What if Ben Solo never turned to the dark side? Would he still have a connection to Rey? Would the destiny of the galaxy-at-large be affected differently?

Ooh, this is a good one, and another Sequel question! But hard, because I’ve never been good with What If scenarios. Everything in the stories seem so pre-ordained, it’s hard for me to imagine if something was different. I see them a lot on Youtube and such: What if Anakin never turned to the dark side? What if Luke was brought up on Alderaan and Leia went to Tatooine? What if Padme didn’t die? What if, what if, what if….well, I dunno, lol. We’d have a completely different story, that’s for sure.

But this one intrigues me. I’m not sure why; maybe because I find Kylo Ren so fascinating; maybe because we never got to know Ben Solo; maybe because the concept of the dyad is so interesting to me. Whatever the reason, I’ll give it a go.

So first of all, if Ben never turned–if, for whatever reason, Palps never whispered poison into his ear–then I think perhaps his parents would have stayed together. It’s the pain of losing Ben that caused them to separate. I think Leia still would have become involved in the Resistance. She did that before Ben burned down Luke’s school and went in search of Snoke. Not much before that, but she did.

I think the Resistance would still be needed because the First Order would still rise. I’m getting a lot of this from the book Bloodline, by Claudia Gray, and it outlines how the First Order rose from the ashes of the Empire. So Leia would be a General still. What about Han? In the book Bloodline, he was involved in racing. Maybe he would have stayed with racing, or maybe he would have helped his wife in the Resistance, but I don’t think he would have gone back to smuggling. That was a knee-jerk reaction to losing his family.

So, Ben–he would have gone to Luke’s school. He never would have burned it down. He never would have caused Luke to question his loyalties. The school would have gone on, producing more Jedi to help in the fight against the First Order. Luke certainly wouldn’t have exiled himself to Ach-To. He wouldn’t be all “I failed my nephew and the Jedi Order sucks and needs to die,” etc.

So if Luke is not on Ach-To, then Poe would never have to go looking for a map to him, would never have gone to Jakku, would never have met a psycho named Kylo Ren and become his prisoner; Finn would never have been on Jakku, although he still might have had a change of heart somewhere else with some other atrocity.

So, no map in BB-8 going down to Jakku, no Finn or Poe crashing there. The Millenium Falcon would not be on Jakku, and Rey certainly would never have met Han. Rey would have just gone on with her awful life there, scavenging and waiting for a family that would never show. Or would she?

The other part of this question is, would Ben and Rey still have the dyad connection? I think so. Snoke claims he caused the connection between them, but I don’t think I believe him. Also, Palpatine was surprised by the dyad connection in TROS, but speaks of it as if it’s a thing. “Not seen for generations,” he says.

So they would still have the dyad connection, and because Ben never turned to the dark side, it would be truly what it was meant to be, a profound connection in the Force that makes them one. They get a glimpse of this at the end of TROS, when Ben goes to Exegol to help Rey. The whole lightsaber hand-off is rather mind-blowing, and probably just hints at what they might be capable of.

I think they would have found each other somehow. The connection is too strong and profound for them not to. Perhaps Ben senses it and goes in search of her. Can you imagine what they could do against the First Order, with other Jedi beside them?

But of course, that’s too easy. Our heroes need obstacles, things have to go terribly wrong, tragedy must strike, the odds must ever be against them–at least for a good story. It makes the triumph at the end that much sweeter. Maybe Ben would still die at the end, sacrificing himself to save Rey or something, I don’t know. But I believe they would definitely defeat Palpatine, just as they did in TROS.

Although it pains me that Han and Leia’s love child was manipulated and twisted to the dark side, it does bring more drama to the table (and borrows from Legends, as well, as one of their sons–Jacen–fell to the dark side). And Kylo/Ben’s redemption arc was satisfying.

What do you think about all this? How do you think it would have played out if Ben Solo never turned? Let me know in the comments and we’ll talk about it!

What I’d like to see in a Star Wars sequel to the Sequels

I’ve been reading Shadow of the Sith by Adam Christopher, and it’s about Luke and Lando trying to help Rey and her parents escape Ochi of Bestoon. It’s put me in a sequel sort of mood, and I’ve been thinking about what I’d like to see in a sequel to the Sequels. It could be a movie, a TV show, a book, I don’t care; I just want to know what happens with Rey, Finn, Poe, etc. after The Rise of Skywalker! Here are some of the things I’d like to see or questions to be answered:

Rey training Finn/A new Jedi Order. In The Rise of Skywalker we learned that Finn is Force-sensitive. It only makes sense that Rey trains him, even though she didn’t have too much training herself. They’re going to have to figure it out themselves. I’m curious to see how strong Finn is in the Force–Jedi-level, or just Force-sensitive? At any rate, I’d love to see Rey seek out Force-sensitives and continue the Jedi tradition.

How will the galaxy be governed? What happens after the defeat of the First/Final Order? Who will lead? Or will the galaxy’s planets and peoples rule themselves? It’s clear both Republic and Empire models have failed, so something new may be required.

I want a Poe romance. The question is, with who? Zorii has made it clear she’s not interested anymore. There are fans who ship him with Finn, and I’m not against it, but honestly I’d like to see him with Rey. In the original Colin Treverow script for the third movie in the sequel trilogy, Poe and Rey begin a romance, and I kind of like the idea. But I don’t know, Rey seems like a loner in that regard. I think it’s best if maybe the three just remain good friends. Maybe it could be someone completely new. Just give that man a love interest!

Please, for the love of God, give me some more Ben Solo! Clearly, he would have to be a Force ghost, and I’d love it if Ben appeared to Rey, either to help her with her Jedi Order training, to give advice, to keep her company, I don’t care. The dyad is a rare, powerful bond, and I can’t imagine even death would break it. Right?? I have doubts Adam Driver would be interested in reprising the role, so it would need to be in a book (please, no comics–I need a novel, lol).

Naturally, there needs to be a new antagonist. I’m not sure what form that antagonist should take. The Sith are done, but that doesn’t mean there aren’t any dark Force users out there. Or it could just be a new bully trying to run things. I’m just curious as to what the writers would come up with.

So yes, yes, I know the powers-that-be said the Skywalker saga is done. And Rey has named herself a Skywalker, but I don’t care. I want more. I love all the new stuff Star Wars is putting out, but I still need something familiar, too. And I don’t care, to hell with the haters, I love these characters, and I need to know what happens to them. I would be very happy with a book or a series of books. A trilogy of books! Maybe someday. A girl can dream.

My Five Favorite Things About The Rise of Skywalker

So we’ve come to the last film of the sequel trilogy (and of the Skywalker Saga) and I had to pick out my five favorite moments of The Rise of Skywalker. (Solo and Rogue One will come next, as I forgot to put them in the proper timeline, lol). Here are my picks:

Favorite Scene

“Dad..”” I know.” This scene was incredible in several different ways. First, I never thought Han Solo would make any kind of reappearance in Star Wars again, and yet here he is. And it wasn’t just for nostalgia’s sake; it was a very important thread of Ben Solo’s redemption. I’ve seen some fans comment that it should have been Anakin’s ghost he talked to–No. No, no, no. That WOULD have just been for nostalgia’s sake. It had to be his father. Ben never knew Anakin, and misguidedly worshipped Vader. The conflict and crux of his dilemma had always been his father, and it needed resolution. One of the other ways this scene is amazing is the way it was done. Obviously, Han is not a Force ghost. It’s a projection of Ben’s memory of his father. Maybe it’s so vivid because of his connection to the Force, I don’t know, but it was a way for Ben to seek his father’s forgiveness so he could do what he had to do next. It was also a clever reverse on the dialogue between the two when Kylo killed Han. Maybe it’s Ben’s way of “correcting” that scene. That’s my take on it, anyway. However you interpret it, it’s a powerful scene, possibly the most moving scene (for me) in all of Star Wars.

Favorite Duel

Kylo vs. Rey on Kef Bir. Kylo and Rey had a confrontation on Kijimi, which was interesting in its own way (Kylo doesn’t want to kill her; he’s still trying to lure her in), but this one on the Endor moon is epic. At this point, Kylo is trying to kill her, as she’s proving quite stubborn in not joining him. That makes him, well, mad. She’s also furious at him for destroying the Wayfinder they all worked so hard to find. They battle out their rage at each other on the wreckage of the second Death Star, with huge swells of water crashing down around them. They’re both equally skilled, but Kylo is obviously physically stronger, and Rey is still a bit drained from healing the Vexis. It comes down to Kylo nearly killing Rey, until Leia reaches out to Ben. He hesitates, and Rey takes the opportunity to stab him with his own lightsaber. She then heals him, when she could have left him for dead. The water imagery really comes into play here, as it serves as a kind of baptism for Kylo: he’s reborn as Ben Solo again, all the hate and anger and bitterness is washed away, leading up to the scene with Han. The whole thing is quite visually stunning, as well as emotionally satisfying.

Favorite Line

“I am all the Jedi.” This is a great line as a counter to Palpatine’s claim that he is all the Sith; it also happens to be true, as all the prior Jedi spoke to Rey and gave her the strength to get up and face Palpatine again. They’re with her. It’s also the culmination of Rey’s character arc, as she accepts who she is, gains confidence from that, and defeats Palpy once and for all.

Funniest Moment

C-3PO: They fly now! Finn: They fly now?! Poe: They fly now!

Most Impactful Character

Rey Skywalker. Yes, Rey Skywalker. Some people took issue with her choosing the Skywalker name, but those people are the ones who generally dislike the sequels, and Rey in particular. I don’t really care which name she chose (Skywalker, Palpatine, Solo, Organa); it’s the fact that she chose it. Throughout the entire sequel trilogy, Rey is on a mission of identity–we don’t know who she is, or where she comes from, and neither does she. It agonizes her. “Who are you?” Luke queries her on Ach-To, and the question burns in her. Everyone wants to put labels on her: Kylo claims they are a dyad, and she’s meant to join him in the dark side, even though she’s “nothing”; Palpatine claims her as his granddaughter and heir, the Empress; even Finn, her good friend, thinks he knows her: “Rey, that doesn’t sound like you.” To which she replies angrily, “Everyone thinks they know me. I’m afraid no one does.” This is after she learns of her Palpatine heritage, and now, after finally learning who she is and where she comes from, it’s almost worse than not knowing. By the end of the film, however, after claiming “I am all the Jedi,” she’s come to accept who she is: she is all of these things. Part of a dyad, a Jedi, a friend, a Palpatine (though she ultimately rejects it), and someone who chooses her own destiny. And her own name. You can’t choose your blood family, but you can choose who you identify with, who you honor, and who you love. For Rey, that’s the Skywalker family. And oh yeah, she saved the galaxy and stuff.

What are your favorite moments of The Rise of Skywalker? Comment below and we’ll talk about it!

Star Wars Fan Art: Kylo Ren/Ben Solo

Kylo Ren is one of those characters from Star Wars that really hit a nerve with a LOT of people. There’s something about his tortured, divided soul that calls to so many. I scrolled through a ton of Kylo fan art. A vast amount illustrated Reylo, and though I’m not against Reylo and recognize his deep connection with Rey, I wanted this to be just about Kylo/Ben.

There’s a lot of great stuff (and a lot of weird stuff, lol), but the following images stood out to me in some way:

I loved this windblown kind of look to a contemplative Kylo. The blood on his hands speaks volumes.

This is the Ben Solo who would have existed if Kylo Ren had not had a chance to take root. Total “Son of Han Solo” look going on here. I notice he still has his lightsaber, though. A blue one?

I thought this one was really interesting: Ben in death and arranged the way his grandmother, Padme, had been at her funeral. The flowers in the hair, and the dice entwined in his fingers the way her necklace from Anakin had been in hers. Shivers.

I love the use of light and shadow in this one, and how Kylo is in both, torn between the two.

“Torn Apart” by Veronika-Art on deviantart.com

I don’t usually care for images of Kylo with his mask on–it’s a bit boring for me. I like to see his expressive face. But something about this one haunts me. He looks like a Nazgul or something, a dark, shadowy thing.

I like this one of Kylo contemplating Vader’s mask, while bathed in the light. The calendar in the background with the Death Star on it is a nice touch, too, lol.

Trystan Pease on twiggymcbones.tumblr.com

What do you think of these Kylo/Ben images? Do you have any favorites? Comment below and we’ll talk about it!

Feature image above by Shuploc on redbubble.com.

Whatever Wednesday: The Many Faces of Kylo/Ben

Even with the same character, Adam Driver is a chameleon.

Adam Driver as Kylo Ren / Ben Solo in Star Wars - TFA 2015. — Emo kid in The Force Awakens

ADAM REN - the-apple-is-the-fruit: Rey and Kylo ready to... — Sad/resentful Kylo in The Last Jedi

Kylo Ren during the Throne Room battle — Messy hair warrior Kylo in The Last Jedi

Ben Solo - The Rise of SKywalker — Determined desert Kylo in The Rise of Skywalker

"in this moment he’s not kylo anymore. he’s ben solo in kylo ren’s clothes — Regretful son Ben in The Rise of Skywalker

𝐛 𝐫 𝐢 loves ben solo on Twitter: "REDEEMED BEN SOLO SAID IM KYLO REN BUT 10x HOTTER AND 10x SOFTER… " — Supportive Ben in The Rise of Skywalker

𝓮𝓵𝓲𝓪𝓷𝓪 🌸 on Twitter: "The Last Skywalker #BenSolo… " — Happy savior Ben in The Rise of Skywalker.

The man is an amazing actor with a putty face.

Oh, and we musn’t forget:

VIDEO: Adam Driver Channels Kylo Ren (in a Wig!) for SNL's Hilarious Undercover Boss Spoof — Undercover Boss Kylo

Tuesday Tidbit: Ben's Scar

Fun facts for you on a Tuesday.

You cannot tell me that she felt "Bad" for him that why she healed him. Our girl wanted to have her whole babe back. #Reylo #Bensolo #Reysoloskywalker #TRoSspoilers

How did I not notice this?!

Monday Musings: Should Ben Solo Have Died?

liz (tros spoilers) on Twitter: "TFA: "The belonging you seek it is not behind you. It is ahead. Whoever you were waiting for on Jakku, they're never coming back. But there's someone who still could." TLJ: "You are not alone.", "Neither are you." "They would never have to be alone again." TROS: — No one is ever really gone?

In The Rise of Skywalker, Kylo Ren’s turn from the Dark Side back to the light and becoming Ben Solo again–“Bendemption”–is one of the highlights of the film, and one of the things I looked forward to the most.

That it would happen seemed pre-ordained. Even after I watched the first film, I had the vague sense that his arc would lead to eventual redemption. But I also knew that it would lead to his probable death. At the time of The Force Awakens, I wanted him to die, to pay for his murder of Han Solo. I hated him.

By the time of TROS, I didn’t want him to die. Every fiber of my being longed for him to live. But the writer in me knew that it was impossible. Why, you ask?

Well, let’s back up a bit. What, exactly, does “redemption” mean, anyway? You know what’s coming: a dictionary definition. Here it is from Dictionary.com:

Redemption:

1. An act of redeeming or atoning for a fault or mistake, or the state of being redeemed.

2. Deliverance; rescue.

3. Theology. Deliverance from sin; salvation; atonement for guilt.

So how is Ben Solo redeemed?

In several ways. He throws Kylo’s lightsaber away. He rushes to Exegol to help Rey against the Emperor. And most importantly, he sacrifices his own life to bring Rey back from the dead.

It’s that last one that we need to look at closely. When he finds Rey on the floor and realizes she’s dead, he’s devastated. But you can see in his face the moment he realizes what he must do. He knows he can bring her back. And he knows that he must exchange his own life for hers. He mulls this over for about two seconds, and then willingly, without hesitation or regret, brings her back. They have a few precious moments together, and then–he dies.

Login on Twitter #startv (9) Home / Twitter — Ben realizes what he must do.

So, I think it’s important to remember here that Ben chooses to give his life for Rey’s. It’s not like he wasn’t sure what would happen, but tried it anyway, and then died. That would have been his life being taken away from him, and kind of unfair. No–he knew. His life wasn’t taken away from him; he gave it away, for the sake of Rey. It’s an important distinction. It makes any notion of fairness moot.

It makes sense that to bring a life back from the dead, a life must be given. It’s all about balance, in the Force, in the Galaxy, in life and death.

But supposing the writers decided he didn’t have to die to bring her back. What then?

Could Ben Solo really ride off into the sunset with Rey to live happily ever after? Should he?

Not to get too Crime and Punishment here, but does his act of bringing Rey back to life warrant complete forgiveness? Yes, he did have a hand in helping Rey defeat the Emperor, which saved the galaxy. Does it erase all the terrible things he did as Kylo Ren? Maybe. What kind of atonement can account for all that?

I'm just an empty void waiting to be filled... #movietimes Star Wars | Adam Driver | Animation | — Bringing her back

Perhaps he could spend the rest of his days doing Good Works, bringing the Jedi back, working for the good of the galaxy. That’s supposing he’s accepted back into the fold after all he’s done, which is not guaranteed. He could very well be tried for crimes against humanity. Just because we the audience see his complete turnaround to the Light–and perhaps Rey’s testimony to it as well–doesn’t mean the rest of the Galaxy would forgive him. Kylo, Ben, what does it matter? To them, he’s the same dude who did a lot of bad stuff.

And finally, Ben’s death just makes sense from a storytelling standpoint. There needs to be an emotional wallop in the third act. Not just Kylo turning back to the Light, not even Ben saving Rey’s life. There has to be some poignancy, a sense of loss to complement the victory. Freedom isn’t free, as they say. Something has to be offered, sacrificed, to bring it to fruition. And in TROS, that something was Ben’s life.

Am I happy about it? No. I’m devastated. But that’s the mark of a good story: it moves you, leaves a mark on you, haunts you in some way. It offers some bitter to the sweet.

That’s my take on it, anyway.

What are your thoughts? Do you think Ben should have lived? Comment below and we’ll talk about it!

My Compassion Awakens: Kylo/Ben

Adam Driver as Kylo Ren in Star Wars The Rise of Skywalker (2019)

When The Force Awakens premiered in 2015, I was pretty excited. I’d been a huge fan of the originals when I was a kid, but not so much the prequels when I was older. This new series looked promising, exciting, something new.

Sitting in the theater, I watched, enthralled, as the beloved original characters–Han, Chewie, Leia–came back into my life after so long an absence. We were all older, wiser, a bit battered from life. I could see that both Han and Leia harbored some great wound that had forced them apart. What could it be? What was their story?

Many years ago I’d read a little bit of the Star Wars novels that came out a few years after Return of the Jedi, the Thrawn series. In them, Han and Leia had two children, twins: Jaina and Jacen. I wondered, with this new trilogy, if that would be the case here.

Hardly. Turns out, that angry, reactionary villain, Kylo Ren, was their kid. Whaa? I’ve missed something here. How the hell…?

Well, I told myself, let’s see what’s going on here. There’s an interesting story here, I just wish I knew what it was. And this Kylo Ren…he’s a puling kid, really. Impatient, selfish, violent. A crybaby. How did these two stellar heroes produce such a disappointing child?

Adam Driver Talks About Working With JJ Abrams and Rian Johnson — Angry Kylo

I’d loved the whole Han/Leia love story in the originals. For years I dreamed of their future together after Return of the Jedi. They’d have amazing children. Yes, they’d have awesome Jedi powers, and they’d be beacons of light in the universe. To say my heart sank when I realized this Vader-wannabe was Han and Leia’s child is an understatement.

And then, the kicker: this damaged, twisted boy kills his own father. No, he murders him in cold blood. My favorite character in all of Star Wars, my childhood screen idol, slain and pushed off a catwalk like so much meat. A father, torn up by his son’s fate, wanting, needing, to help him–only to be betrayed by his own child.

God, I hated this guy Kylo Ren.

On some level, I knew this character’s arc would lead him to eventual change and possible redemption. This was the obvious question posed by the character, even in the first film. His conflict between light and dark was plain.

Did I care? Nope.

I’ll never forgive him, I told myself. No matter what happens in these films, no matter what he does from here on out, I’ll never forgive this little shit. Killing your own father. Killing Han frickin’ Solo. It’s insupportable. Unforgivable.

Well.

Then The Last Jedi came along, and there I was, ready to ward my heart against any possible melting in that regard. And the ridiculously talented Adam Driver returned with his sad, puppy dog eyes…his tender Force connection with Rey…his version of what happened with Uncle Luke when he was young and vulnerable…his very obvious emotional and psychic pain. His admission to Rey that he didn’t hate his father. And the shirtless scene, to say the least, was a low blow.

complicated enemies. Kylo Ren and Rey. Reylo. Such a beautiful face. Those lips. - Ideas of Star Wars Kylo Ren #kyloren #sith #starwars - complicated enemies. Kylo Ren and Rey. Reylo. Such a beautiful face. Those lips. — Sad Kylo

And, tellingly, he couldn’t bring himself to kill his mother Leia when he clearly had the chance. All of these things, taken together, began to work on my hardened heart, loosen the chains of implacability.

Ah geez, I’m starting to feel sorry for this guy.

And then, a spark of hope: He and Rey fight together against Snoke’s guards in the Throne Room. A spectacular scene, and my heart soared for a moment. He killed Snoke, saved Rey, look at them together, they’re magnificent, maybe, just maybe…

But no. I knew there was a whole other movie to go, and his refusal to help the Resistance fleet was no surprise. But his heartfelt plea to Rey, that she came from nothing, but she was not nothing to him–the vulnerability in his face was touching. He held out his hand to her. He even said Please. Part of me almost wanted her to take his hand. Clearly he’s in love with you, woman, take his hand and help this poor guy somehow, for God’s sake–but no. It’s wrong at this moment, not meant to be. Yet.

reygirloflight I needed to see this so I made it on my drawing app merging the - Ideas of Star Wars Kylo Ren #kyloren #sith #starwars - reygirloflight I needed to see this so I made it on my drawing app merging the two images together. — Pleading Kylo

Rey’s rejection of him hardened him again for the first two acts of The Rise of Skywalker. He’s back to his cold, violent, Dark Side tricks. He’s still trying to get Rey to join him in the Dark side. He believes he can’t go back to the Light, so she must come to him. At this point, though, I know the flip-flop is coming, and–despite my earlier vow–I’m rooting for it. It’s all I’ve been waiting for, in fact.

At the very beginning of The Rise of Skywalker, we get an illuminating tidbit that turns out to be the key to the puzzle that is Kylo Ren. When he confronts the Emperor at Exegol, Palpie’s disembodied voice says, “I have been every voice that has ever been inside your head.”

To me, that’s like learning the devil has been whispering in your ear since birth. Ah, now it makes sense–why young Ben Solo abandoned his family and turned to the Dark Side. I get it now. And it’s a terrible revelation. I’m angry on his behalf. How dare he steal the heart and mind of Han and Leia’s son for his own twisted ends? Monster!

But we knew that.

It can be argued that Ben Solo had choices, as we all do in the face of evil. But really, if he’d been influenced since he was a young boy, what choice did he really have? He’d been shaped and molded by evil. He was the rope between the tug of war between the Light and the Dark, and the Dark won. Initially.

At any rate, an extraordinary confluence of events occured to affect the change from Kylo Ren to Ben Solo.

The first: his mother Leia calling out to him from across the galaxy, expending her last bit of life force to do so (and when Mom calls, you better answer!).

The second: Rey heals the fatal wound she gave him with his own lightsaber, and the words, “I wanted to take your hand. Ben’s hand.”

And the third: possibly the most touching scene in all of Star Wars, Ben’s conversation with his dead father, Han. Now, I don’t care what Han’s appearance may signify. Whether it’s Leia somehow projecting the image (she still hasn’t disappeared into the Force, mind you), or Ben’s memory, or a ghost or the boogeyman. The point is, it doesn’t matter. Ben is finally confronting the pain and guilt of killing his father. And when Han forgives him, we do, too.

And there I was in the theater, near tears, and eating a heck of a lot of crow. But you know what? It’s okay to hate Kylo Ren. I just wish I could have seen more of Ben Solo to love.

In all honesty, I find Kylo/Ben to be the most fascinating character in Star Wars, and I’ll be posting more of my thoughts on him in the future, including on “Bendemption” and “Reylo”.

In the meantime, how do you feel about Kylo/Ben? Post your thoughts below and we’ll talk about it!