Son, Nephew, Apprentice, Knight of Ren, A Child in a Mask, Supreme Leader. Ben Solo has become one of the most complex and wildly complicated characters in the sequel trilogy and possibly the entire Star Wars franchise. Many have called his actions childish and whiney while others are aware of his immense talent and power making him a dangerous force of nature. In this edition of Road to Episode IX, we will explore Kylo Ren's mindset by looking at three of his main features: His lightsaber, his scar, and his repaired helmet that will appear in the upcoming film.
One of the most distinctive elements of Kylo Ren is his distinct lightsaber. Though it is already well known that the crossgaurd saber contains a cracked kybercrystal, it actually can be seen as a physical representation of his unstable state of being.
Ben Solo starts out The Force Awakens as a potentially powerful disciple of the dark side. But as the film goes on, we start to see cracks in his otherwise stoic and intimidating persona.
Once he is revealed to be the offspring of Han and Leia, the conflict and internal suffering start to show. His fear of being seduced by the light and his obsession with living up to the legacy of his late grandfather seem to create an unstable foundation within his soul.
His infamous outburst and hot headedness are further proof of his instability making his actions hard to predict keeping those around him on edge. His scene with Han is a perfect representation of his instability. His fear of not living up to his family legacy on both the light and dark becomes apparent. He assumes the act of killing his father is supposed to fix the problem but it only makes his state of being that much more complicated and torturous. In the end, he is scarred both physically and mentally making his spiral into darkness all the more tragic and brisk.
Scars can say a lot about a person. Some heal but others cut deep and are permanent. Ben's scar can be seen as a representation of his own soul being split in two.
Haunted by the legacy of his parents and uncle as well as his grandfather Darth Vader, Ben is tormented and being tortured by the notion that he will never be good enough for either side.
Ben's mindset is hell bent on making everyone around him suffer for his misguided antics but deep down his inability to escape the burden of legacy he feels he is supposed to live up to or rightfully belongs to him is what is causing him so much torment.
His connection to Rey is such an essential moment in his life because he believes he has found someone who is just as "lost" as he is. Unfortunately, unlike Ben, Rey manages to break free of her need for validation based on birthright and carve out her own path despite her own fear and uncertainty. Essentially, she basically let's the past die by letting go of the need for confirmation of loving parents and instead focuses on what is ahead of her.
In the end, his mentors and connections are gone and his isolationism becomes all the more pronounced as he slips further and further into darkness and despair. Despite being on top of the mountain, he is now more alone than he's ever been.
While little is known about Kylo Ren's motivation for repairing his old helmet, the helmet actually gives us clues to his current state of being in The Rise of Skywalker. From my view, it appears to be represtative of complete and utter brokenness. If we follow the path of his emotional journey, it appears that Kylo's helmet represents a shattered sense of self. The instability and scars finally breaking him to the point where he is bearly holding himself together. Given the circumstances, his biggest test may very break him or shape him into something stronger. For better or worse.
Ben Solo's journey has been one of torment, loss, and a lack of identity. With his story yet to conclude, the future of the now Supreme Leader remains a mystery. The road ahead for him is sure to push him to his emotional limit and shape his destiny in the light and dark.
Ben Solo's journey has been one of torment, loss, and a lack of identity. With his story yet to conclude, the future of the now Supreme Leader remains a mystery. The road ahead for him is sure to push him to his emotional limit and shape his destiny in the light and dark.
Coming Up Next In Part 4
We close things out before opening night with a rundown of some of the best moments of the Skywalker saga so far
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