One detail in Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker hints that Kylo Ren might still return in the future. Kylo Ren’s story in the Star Wars sequel trilogy ultimately became a tragedy. He was preyed upon during his youth by Palpatine, manipulated into believing his family had abandoned him, and ultimately lost himself to the dark side. Though many of the choices Kylo made before and during the sequel trilogy might have made him irredeemable – and there is still some debate about whether he should have been redeemed at all – he ultimately found peace by helping Rey defeat Palpatine and sacrificing his life to save hers.
Kylo Ren became Ben Solo once again just before he died, ending the Skywalker family lineage once and for all. Though Kylo’s story had a conclusion, there is still a lot left unsaid about his character. While Kylo could return in some Star Wars media, like Star Wars: Tales of the Jedi, for instance, or in certain comic books and novels that look towards the past, there’s more to be said about his life as an adult, too. Does that mean he’ll come back in the future? Not necessarily – though there is one glaring hint in The Rise of Skywalker that may indicate Kylo Ren’s story isn’t over just yet.
Kylo Ren’s Story Parallels Darth Vader’s
Kylo Ren’s story in the Star Wars franchise is clearly meant to parallel that of his grandfather. Darth Vader, too, was manipulated by Palpatine while he was a young and impressionable Jedi, the future Emperor preying upon Anakin Skywalker’s fears and insecurities until Anakin was blinded to the truth and Palpatine’s sinister motives. Both Anakin and Kylo were naturally gifted with the Force, loved more deeply than the Jedi ever allowed, and hurt those that meant the most to them. In the end, Darth Vader became Palpatine’s second in command, while Kylo Ren became the First Order’s most brutal enforcer, rising to the rank of Supreme Leader.
Eventually, both Kylo Ren and Darth Vader are shown the error of their ways by those who care most about them. Luke Skywalker believed that his father could find his way back to the light, refusing to kill him until Vader sacrificed himself to murder Palpatine. Rey believed for so long that Ben Solo was still inside Kylo Ren, and Ben finally came to his senses when he realized just how much his mother and father truly loved him. Though it’s hard to forgive either antagonist for their actions, they both redeemed themselves in death, saving their loved ones and the galaxy in the process.
Unlike Darth Vader, There’s No Hint Of Kylo Ren’s Force Ghost
And yet, despite all these obvious similarities, it was never confirmed whether Kylo Ren returned as a Force ghost or not. While Anakin Skywalker made an appearance as a Force ghost at the end of Return of the Jedi and has since returned in Ahsoka as well, Kylo Ren’s fate is unclear. This must have been a deliberate choice. If Kylo’s story is meant to resemble his grandfather’s, wouldn’t he get the chance to return as a Force ghost as well? The absence of Kylo Ren’s Force ghost is especially obvious when Rey sees both Luke and Leia’s apparitions on Tatooine as she buries their lightsabers in the sand. There seems to be no reason for Ben not to have been there, as well.
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Rise Of Skywalker Subtly Left Kylo Ren’s Fate Ambiguous
By not including Kylo Ren’s Force ghost in The Rise of Skywalker, his fate is left intentionally ambiguous. Though it’s possible that he simply never had the knowledge to become a Force ghost – Star Wars: The Clone Wars and Obi-Wan Kenobi proved that retaining one’s identity and consciousness after death was no easy task – it’s equally possible that Kylo Ren could still return as a Force ghost, or as something else entirely, later down the line. Perhaps Rey will one day access the World Between Worlds as well, just as Ahsoka Tano did, and she’ll meet Ben Solo there, just like Ahsoka reunited with Clone Wars-era Anakin.
Given Rey and Kylo Ren’s Force dyad bond, a new concept introduced by the sequel trilogy, anything seems possible. If The Rise of Skywalker had chosen not to include Kylo Ren’s redemption, his story would be over by now and his being unable to return as a Force ghost would make sense. But Star Wars chose to redeem him – they chose to emphasize the similarities between him and Darth Vader even more by giving him a chance to make up for his mistakes. Ben Solo not returning as a Force ghost might have been a deliberate choice, so hopefully, he’ll still be able to return in some capacity after the events of Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker.
