Kylo Ren’s eventual return to the light side of the Force was set up perfectly in Star Wars: The Last Jedi. Even though he wasn’t a Sith Lord, Kylo Ren still served as the main antagonist of the sequel trilogy of Star Wars movies and the Supreme Leader of the First Order. As such, he committed several atrocities like overseeing the destruction of the Hosnian system at Starkiller Base, one of the most destructive superweapons in Star Wars. Kylo Ren terrorized the galaxy throughout the sequel trilogy, but he wasn’t a villain anymore at the end of his life.

Like one of the other members of the Skywalker family tree, Darth Vader, Kylo Ren eventually found redemption shortly before his death. Despite his legacy, though, his redemption in Star Wars: The Last Jedi came as a bit of a surprise when it was first released. He had killed his father, Han Solo, and seemed completely committed to the First Order and the dark side. Taking a look back at The Last Jedi reveals that Kylo Ren’s redemption was actually perfectly foreshadowed, and Ben Solo’s return was all but inevitable.

Kylo Ren Couldn’t Fire On Leia… Even After Han’s Death

A major part of Kylo Ren’s dark side journey was when he killed his father, Han Solo, in Star Wars: The Force Awakens. That was an extremely emotional moment for him, and he hesitated at first, but he was still able to do it, and it furthered him down the path of the dark side. When he got the opportunity to kill his mother, Leia Organa, in The Last Jedi, though, Kylo Ren couldn’t follow through. His devotion to the dark side wasn’t strong enough to overcome the hesitation he had at the moment.

• 

  Ben Solo/Kylo Ren

  The son of Han Solo and Leia Organa, Ben was manipulated by Palpatine through the Force for most of his life, influenced toward the dark side of the Force. A misstep by Luke Skywalker ultimately left Ben feeling he had no choice but to embrace the dark side, and he became Kylo Ren, a key figure in the First Order. Kylo Ren’s heart remained deeply divided, however, even after he ascended to become Supreme Leader of the First Order. He was ultimately redeemed by Rey, with whom he shared a remarkable Force bond, and by the love of his parents.

  Created By

  J.J. Abrams
  , Michael Arndt
  , Lawrence Kasdan

  Cast

  Adam Driver
  , Matthew Wood

  Died

  Star Wars: Episode IX- The Rise Of Skywalker

  Alliance

  Jedi, First Order

• 

  Leia Organa

  The daughter of Anakin Skywalker and Padmé Amidala, Leia inherited her mother’s political skills and her father’s Force power. She was raised on Alderaan as a member of the royal family, and followed in her father’s footsteps by becoming a senator who secretly worked alongside the Rebel Alliance. Alderaan’s destruction changed everything, and Leia became a leader in both the Rebel Alliance and its successor government, the New Republic. She served there for decades, eventually leaving to found the First Order when she sensed its darkness growing. Leia gave much for her ideals, but eventually gave her life to redeem her son Ben.

  Created By

  George Lucas

  Cast

  Carrie Fisher
  , Ingvild Deila
  , Vivien Lyra Blair

  Died

  Star Wars: Episode IX- The Rise Of Skywalker

  Alliance

  Rebel Alliance, New Republic, Resistance

Kylo Ren’s hesitation also speaks to just how much Leia meant to him, and how important she was to his redemption. He constantly struggled with and tried to maintain his connection to the dark side throughout the sequel trilogy, and much of the reason he had to work so hard to remain as Kylo Ren was because of his mother. The Last Jedi demonstrated that Leia was Kylo Ren’s weakness from the very beginning, as she was the most salient reminder of his connection to the light side.

Leia’s Death Became Ben Solo’s Redemption

Kylo Ren’s hesitation in The Last Jedi perfectly led to his redemption at the end of Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker. At a pivotal moment while fighting Rey, Leia used the last of her life force to make contact with Kylo Ren and tell him that she loved him. Shortly after, Kylo Ren decided to give up his title and return to his life as Ben Solo, meaning Leia’s death redeemed Kylo Ren. Since Leia was so weakened because of the injuries she sustained in The Last Jedi, it perfectly connects the two movies: Kylo Ren couldn’t kill Leia, and Leia’s death killed Kylo Ren.

The Last Jedi and The Rise of Skywalker are often criticized for not feeling very cohesive together, but they were rather well-connected in terms of Kylo Ren’s character arc. If The Last Jedi didn’t show Kly Ren’s hesitation to kill Leia, his later redemption would have come as a complete surprise, given how much he wanted to be with the dark side. The Last Jedi laid the groundwork for the finale of the Skywalker saga, and it showed that Kylo Ren never really buried Ben Solo as deep as he let on.