Star Wars as we know it may be over following the release of The Rise of Skywalker back in December. But despite the movie now being nearly three months old, many fans are still talking about it. And one of the hottest topics of conversation is Kylo Ren, who became Ben Solo again shortly before passing towards the end of the blockbuster.
We now take a look at the character’s highs and lows from his appearances in The Force Awakens, The Last Jedi and The Rise of Skywalker – giving our verdict as we go along.
Best: Killing Han Solo
What better way to establish yourself as a formidable villain than killing a character beloved by everybody? Not too many were surprised that Han Solo died in The Force Awakens – but many were stunned that Kylo Ren, his own son, was the one to do the deed.
It’s a scene of pure intensity as Han tries to talk Kylo into turning his back on the villainous First Order and joining the fight for the Resistance instead. And it’s truly heartbreaking when Adam Driver’s character sheds a tear before impaling his father and allowing his corpse to fall into a bottomless pit.
Worst: His Temper Tantrums
It certainly took a while for many fans to warm up to the character of Kylo Ren. And that was partly because of the way he threw tantrums aplenty in The Force Awakens.
This is why, when Supreme Leader Snoke labels him ‘just a child in a mask’ in The Last Jedi, we have few complaints. He had certainly been acting childlike to this point and his confrontation with his master actually sparks a pretty big and significant change – one that sees him become alot more formidable going forward.
Best: Killing Supreme Leader Snoke
At the beginning of The Last Jedi, Kylo Ren is pushed around by Supreme Leader Snoke. Ben Solo is mocked for wearing a mask similar to Darth Vader’s – and is hit with a blast of strong force lightning when he attempts to fight back.
And that’s what makes his murder of Snoke all that bit more satisfying. He’s charged with the task of killing Rey but stuns Snoke by using Luke and Anakin Skywalker’s old lightsaber to strike the villain down. There were audible gasps at this moment when the movie played in theatres back in 2017.
Worst: Being Bullied
Kylo’s lowest moment is certainly his words with Snoke that we’ve already mentioned above.
We’d been told that Andy Serkis’ character was the strongest dark side user in Star Wars history, and Kylo, in these moments, certainly looks dwarfed by his evil master. While we feel sympathy for him, it’s also something we recognize to be of his own making. And it begs the all-important question: Just why would Ben Solo turn his back of Han Solo and Leia Organa in order to side with this big, ugly bully?
Best: Sensing His Mother’s Death
In The Rise of Skywalker, Kylo Ren and Rey are locked in a duel to the death on board of the remains of the second Death Star. However, in a shock twist, Kylo stops when he senses the death of his mother Leia Organa – which then allows Rey a split second to stab him with her lightsaber.
What makes this scene so brilliant is the acting from Adam Driver in the aftermath. You genuinely feel sympathy for the character which, given how bad he is, is quite a feat. It’s emotional as Rey heals him, reaches out to him and then leaves him to mull over his thoughts – which leads to a surprising cameo from Han Solo.
Worst: Being Tricked By Luke Skywalker
Kylo Ren seems a man on the up following the death of Supreme Leader Snoke. Now he’s in charge he doesn’t have to put up with constant siping from General Hux and uses the Force to choke the First Order heavyweight almost right away. Shortly afterward, on the planet of Crait, Kylo engages Luke Skywalker in lightsaber combat.
Or at least he thinks he does. Luke tricks him, Force projecting himself from the planet of Ach To and allowing the Resistance to escape from the planet in the process. It makes Kylo look weak that Luke’s able to humiliate him so much – and certainly sees him lose some of his fear factor.
Best: Killing The Knights Of Ren
We never got to see much of the Knights of Ren, which in our view, is a crying shame. However, they’re still involved in one of the best scenes in the movie right towards the end, after Kylo Ren has shed his villainous alter ego and become Ben Solo once again.
Ben is given a beating by his old companions but is saved when, through their unique force bond, Rey passes him the iconic Skywalker lightsaber. Driver’s character then performs a Han Solo-esque little action before taking the fight to the Knights, picking them off one by one before standing alongside Rey ready to fight the back-from-the-dead Emperor Palpatine.
Worst: Not Killing Palpatine
When we next see Kylo Ren, very early into The Rise of Skywalker, he travels to the dark and broody planet of Exegol. Once there he comes across Emperor Palpatine, who offers him ‘a new Empire’ and raises hundreds of Imperial Star Destroyer from right below the planet’s surface.
But Kylo doesn’t exactly need a new Empire. Palpatine can offer him nothing new when he’s already got an armada of his own. It, therefore, doesn’t make sense that Ben Solo doesn’t strike the Sith Lord down where he sits. Especially when Palpatine is the man responsible for the suffering that Darth Vader, Kylo’s idol, had to endure.
Best: Saving Rey
It’s a divisive scene, sure. And there will no doubt be some who disagree.
But it actually makes perfect sense that Kylo Ren chose to give up his life for Rey. He was a man whose emotions were clear, and it was common knowledge that he regretted the killing of his father – never mind the rest of the bad things he did. He chose to sacrifice himself because, as a Skywalker, he had love and good in him. And that’s why we have no qualms about Disney’s decision.
Worst: Having His Mask Repaired
We nearly went with Kylo throwing his lightsaber away as a moment we didn’t like. After all, given he knows he still has to face Palpatine at this point, it’s a weapon he certainly requires. But, instead, we’ve chosen to include the moment where he fixes his mask instead.
Just what’s the point? When the galaxy is at war, and you’re at the heart of things, it seems foolish to go and get his mask repaired. It’s something General Hux clearly thinks shortly before his death. And we can’t help but agree. Kylo didn’t need his mask and it seemed like this was a pointless retcon of what Rian Johnson did in The Last Jedi.
