Star Wars might have looked very different if Ben Solo had never become Kylo Ren. Throughout the Star Wars sequel trilogy, it became clear that Han and Leia’s son had been manipulated into turning to the dark side. Palpatine had used his grandfather’s legacy against Ben and molded him into his next apprentice, providing the First Order with a powerful dark side Force user, and pitting a son against his own family. Though Kylo Ren finally reclaimed his identity as Ben Solo in Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker, the story of the sequel movies might have turned out very differently if Ben Solo had never been manipulated towards the dark side at all.
In Star Wars: The Rise of Kylo Ren, a comic series written by Charles Soule, it became clear that Palpatine, through Snoke, had been grooming Ben Solo from a young age. Though Ben had gone to train with his uncle, Luke Skywalker, Snoke kept a close eye on him, invading his thoughts whenever Ben doubted his own abilities or Luke’s trust in him. Because of this manipulation, when Luke finally doubted his own nephew, all of Ben’s worst fears came true. With a man like Snoke in his ear, whispering how his own family never understood or appreciated his power, it’s little wonder that Ben turned to the dark side, eventually taking on the moniker Kylo Ren.
That moment turned the tide of Star Wars history. Kylo Ren became a prominent player in the First Order, even rising to the rank of Supreme Leader. Some of Star Wars‘ most beloved heroes died, and newer heroes on the side of the light nearly turned to the dark as well. Palpatine set his entire plan into motion the day Ben Solo turned, but suppose that Ben had been able to resist Snoke’s machinations. The Star Wars sequel trilogy could have looked very different from what exists today.
The First Order Would Have Needed A Different Leader
Kylo Ren became a prominent figure in the First Order because of his affinity for the dark side, and his proximity to Snoke. In Kylo Ren, Palpatine hoped that he would find another Darth Vader, a puppet who would do his bidding and terrorize those who dared oppose him. If Ben had been able to resist Snoke’s manipulation, however, the First Order would have needed a different dark side Force user to carry out Snoke’s thankless orders. The question then is who that person might have been. At the time of the sequel trilogy, it seems there are no other dark side Force users left beside Palpatine, already a clone of himself, and Kylo. Vader is gone, his Inquisitors along with him, Maul and Dooku both dead. Palpatine preyed on Kylo specifically because of his lineage, as well as Ben’s feelings of loneliness. It might not have worked as well on any other unsuspecting Jedi-in-training. Without Kylo Ren, the First Order might never have been as powerful as they were throughout the Star Wars sequel trilogy.
Luke, Leia & Han Might Still Be Alive
The Star Wars sequel trilogy sadly ended with all three of the original trio members dead. Princess Leia’s death unfortunately couldn’t be avoided, due to the devastating passing of Carrie Fisher. All three characters’ deaths, however, are all linked to Kylo Ren, their love for Ben Solo, and their wish to protect him from falling to the dark side further. Han Solo tried to reason with his son, and remind him that he was still loved, but Snoke had already prepared Kylo for such a moment and made him believe that killing his father would finalize his turn to the dark side. Luke Skywalker used every last bit of his strength to Force-project himself halfway across the galaxy so that Kylo wouldn’t be forced to strike his uncle down as well. Leia, in her final moments, reached out to Ben through the Force, and her passing finally made him realize all that he’d missed and all that he could have had.
Combined, their sacrifices eventually brought Kylo Ren back to the light. If he’d remained Ben Solo in the first place, however, if he’d stayed at Luke’s academy and fixed his relationship with his parents, none of them would have needed to die as they did. Though their passing could have come about in other ways – the Star Wars sequel trilogy does take place during a war, of course – it wouldn’t have been necessary to save Ben from himself.
There Would Be More Jedi
The true moment Ben Solo first turned to the dark side happened at Luke’s Jedi academy. The dark thoughts that had encroached on Ben’s mind and been encouraged by Snoke frightened Luke to such an extent that he nearly became what he’d always eschewed. This near-betrayal by Luke set Ben off on a dangerous path, one that led him straight to Snoke and Palpatine, and straight to the dark side. Without this confrontation, however, Luke’s Jedi academy likely would have thrived. More trained Jedi would be scattered across the galaxy, fighting against the First Order’s domination. Younglings could have been found and nurtured from a young age. Luke wouldn’t have felt the need to go into hiding, either. His failure to protect his nephew from the dark side made him believe he was unworthy of being a teacher.
Ben Could Have Been One Of The Galaxy’s Greatest Jedi
Ben Solo’s power as Jedi would have been difficult for anyone to match. Considering his lineage, this is hard to refute. His mother was a powerful Force-sensitive, Luke Skywalker was a near self-taught Jedi Master, and his grandfather was the infamous Anakin Skywalker, who later became one of the most terrifying and powerful dark side Force users in Star Wars history. Throughout his training at Luke’s Jedi academy, Ben was hailed as the “prize student” by his fellow trainee Voe (who was tragically killed during Ben’s initial turn to the dark side), and he was also incredibly proficient and talented with a lightsaber, second only to Luke himself. In The Rise of Skywalker, audiences are even provided with a glimpse of what Ben was capable of when affiliated with the light side, as he took on all the Knights of Ren by himself. As part of a dyad in the Force, Ben also had the ability to use Force-healing. As a Jedi, there would have been no limit to the good that Ben could have done in the galaxy. There’s little doubt that Palpatine was aware of this, and just as he slowly turned Anakin Skywalker, one of the most naturally gifted Jedi, he slowly turned Ben Solo as well.
Ben And Rey Might Never Have Met
If Ben hadn’t been turned by Snoke’s machinations, Luke would never have considered attacking his nephew. As a result, Luke would never have felt the need to go into hiding, a map of his whereabouts would never have needed to be made, and the raid on Jakku, with Kylo Ren at the helm, would never have taken place. That moment in Star Wars: The Force Awakens was when Kylo’s and Rey’s paths began to cross, a dyad in the Force drawn towards one another. Without that moment, they might never have met.
It’s also possible, of course, that Ben and Rey might have met under completely different circumstances. If Luke’s Jedi academy had survived, Rey could have been identified as a Force-user early on. They might have met during training, and learned to understand their role as a dyad in the Force much sooner.
Palpatine Might Have Groomed Rey Instead
After realizing that Snoke’s manipulations on Ben weren’t working, Palpatine could have found another way to enforce his plans for the First Order. He might have turned to his granddaughter instead, as a dark side lineage just as strong as Ben’s resides within her as well. Ben and Rey suffered from the same sense of abandonment and loneliness from an early age, an emotion that Snoke obviously used to his advantage when grooming Ben. Rey was desperate for a family – there’s no telling what she might have done if she hadn’t eventually had the positive influences of Finn, Poe, Leia, Luke, and Han to guide her. Flashes of her dark side persona are provided in The Rise of Skywalker. Rey could have been the one to lead the First Order in Kylo’s absence. Palpatine could have enacted his will through his own flesh and blood. There are few bonds stronger than that.
Imagining what the Star Wars sequel trilogy might have looked like if a Jedi Ben Solo had been able to fight off Snoke’s voice in his head can spawn dozens of different theories. The movies could have had an entirely different premise or a very different antagonist. The parallels between Palpatine’s manipulation of Anakin and his grooming of Ben are undoubtedly intriguing, however, forcing the audience to ask themselves how much power their family’s past might have to influence the future. It’s a shame, however, that Ben Solo’s return only came moments before his death. Who knows what he might have accomplished within Star Wars had he been given the chance to further redeem himself.
