Thanks! Of course, having a decent track record of being right (which I do in no small part because I myself listened to people whose interpretations I have reason to trust) doesn’t mean that one can’t be wrong. But barring abysmally bad writing, I think we can expect a movie that a) is not stagnant and static character-wise (so no Kylo starting and ending as a villain, no Rey starting and ending being disillusioned by him, etc.) and b) provides satisfying emotional closure to this journey, which includes Kylo’s arc and his dynamic with Rey.
I’ll be the first to say don’t get too attached to specific headcanons (whether it’s my own Rey unmasking Kylo scenario, a reylo kiss, Kylo definitely surviving, or else) but I genuinely see no reason to worry that the trilogy will suddenly pivot on itself and turn into a narrative that prioritizes retribution over compassion, grimdark acceptance that “some people can’t be saved” over hope and redemption, and punishes both Rey and Kylo for developing feelings for each other—feelings that, so far, have only inspired them to do heroic, compassionate, selfless things (crossing the galaxy to try to bring Ben back / comforting and nurturing Rey in her moment of despair and later killing Snoke to save her).
As long as we expect these few things in broad strokes, and remain open to the fact that the details and specific context will vary and probably subvert your expectations in some aspects, I think we’ll be fine.
You are the best pilot in the entire RESISTANCE, and you know it. But you know it enough to actually have a HEART OF GOLD underneath. This HEART OF GOLD was cultivated by your loving and not traumatized family of LEGENDARY HEROES. You have various interests including LIGHTSABER TRICKS, BADASS ONE LINERS, EXTROVERTED COMPANIONSHIP, and LOOKING CONVENTIONALLY ATTRACTIVE enough to be shipped with every character no matter the circumstances. You are a literal BLANK SLATE for the audience to project onto and fulfill their fantasies. Your actor’s name is probably CHRIS. You have a special ability known as THE UNPROBLEMATIC FAVORITE. You have never made a single mistake and you just really want to find your LONG LOST BABY SISTER who was stolen by your Caine like twin brother, DARTH KYLO REN.
Although “The Jedi Path” is largely considered non-canon (Luke’s annotations in it mention Mara Jade and Ben Skywalker), it’s fascinating that Rian admitted on Twitter to using a few elements from that book when he wove notable scenes in “The Last Jedi.” Below are more connections between “The Jedi Path” book and “The Last Jedi” Visual Dictionary:
The Force has a plan for Kylo Ren and Rey. We already know that their connection is not a mere coincidence. They share a common destiny.
“The Unifying Force is the stars and galaxies, the rippling surface of space and time. It is the voice that whispers of your destiny, and make no mistake – the Force does have a will. To commune with the Unifying Force is to temporarily leave your body behind, allowing you to walk in the past or see the future.”
– The Jedi Path
“As Rey’s abilities increase, so does a strange and seemingly unprecedented connection in the Force that spans across the galaxy to unite Kylo Ren and Rey.”
– TLJ Visual Dictionary
“… to walk in the past or see the future.” Kylo saw Rey’s past, that her parents were filthy junk traders. Rey and Kylo saw a future together, a future where they are next to each other. That gave Rey the confidence to fly to the Supremacy all by herself and recruit Ben. Kylo held on to that vision and rose up against Snoke.
The Force Bond was sparked during the interrogation scene in TFA, but Kylo’s meditation on the Supremacy may have cleared the path for the Forcetime to activate.
“Rescued from the Starkiller disaster, Kylo returns to his quarters aboard the Supremacy… Here, Kylo’s isolation allows him to meditate on the Force.”
– TLJ Visual Dictionary
“Meditation is the key to aligning your mind and body with the spirit and will of the Force… The Force will rejuvenate your body and sharpen your mind, even in brief moments.”
– The Jedi Path
This is the part that’s driving me nuts. In the first Forcetime session, Kylo DID NOT attack Rey despite everything that transpired on Starkiller Base. Theory: Kylo knows the flavor of Rey’s life signature. It is warm, despite her initial hostile reaction.
“You may even discover that life signatures have unique flavors, with colleagues and friendly locals giving off a warm, reassuring glow that is instantly distinguishable from the anger of an enemy.”
– The Jedi Path
“The fate of the mysterious scavenger from Jakku is inextricably connected to his, and Kylo cannot deny the bond they share in the Force.”
OKAY SO, those of you know I was never big on the whole ‘Ben Solo’ thing – I liked imagining who he WAS, but I didn’t like the idea that once redeemed he’d just be Ben Solo again. I was on the side of ‘he’s Kylo Ren and whomever he evolves into he’ll never go back to being Ben Solo so stop calling him that’ – but my goodness the movie changed that stance thoroughly.
I think…Ben Solo is quiet, but traumatized and emotionally unstable just like Kylo Ren, meaning he still carries that darkness, those outbursts. We see it in TFA when he attacks inanimate objects instead of people – that’s a really important distinction that they made in his ‘tantrums’.
I think he’s troubled, but kind. Honest and blunt, definitely a little awkward around people.
Desperate to fit in – throws himself into the hunt for Jedi relics, writes and muses about the philosophy, all in an attempt to fit what he thinks Luke and his mother/parents want. Because he knows, has always known, that deep down inside he’s not Luke – there’s something inside of him that’s dark, and scary. And it’s not just Snoke, who was trying to get to him even in Leia’s womb, it’s the Force in general – he has such a great power, a prodigy like Rey, but the Force is both Light and Dark and when you have great capacity for one you have it with the other. And so I think he sees Luke as this great, mythical, pure Jedi and wonders – angrily, probably – why he can’t be more like him.
So I think he also has cultivated a superiority complex based on that, his parents, his upbringing (nobility), his ‘rightful’ place in a destiny that the Force has shown him, etc. and this is all stoked and turned into flames by Snoke.
I think he’s always been alone, if not physically then emotionally separated from those who were supposed to care for him.
I think Kylo Ren is…all those things, but suppressed through years of abuse, manipulation, dark side use, emotional trauma, etc. by Snoke & religious (FO) fervor. He found someone – Snoke – who gave him a place, told him a grand story about how he was the next coming of Vader – a LEGEND in the galaxy. And Kylo found a place where his skills were to be applauded rather than feared, where he could ascend to rightfully rule, yadda yadda.
So when we see Kylo Ren ‘turn’ or become Ben Solo, we’re not so much seeing a new person – but we’re seeing the persona lift up. We see it with Rey. Ben’s curiosity, studious nature, he’s very calm with her, his honesty – and we see his compassion for her. He listens to her worries, really listens. To what she needs: to not feel alone in this effort, with this Force power. And he gives it to her freely, no strings. That’s Ben Solo.
darth-tantrum 