Will Kylo Ren Be Redeemed in ‘The Last Jedi’?

Xela French
Star Wars
Star Wars

Star Wars: The Force Awakens took no small steps in proving who the villain of the series would be. Kylo Ren is a moody, brooding, almost child-like caricature of unchecked anger. He tortures two beloved characters and murders his father.

With the looming release of Star Wars: The Last Jedi, prepare to rethink what we can expect from Kylo. Yes, you may still be upset over Kylo killing Han, and that is to be expected because it is intentional. Kylo is a character built for the path of redemption, and one that will unfold much slower than that of his hero, Darth Vader. But what will the next films need to do to redeem Kylo Ren?

Kylo the Afflicted

For audiences to accept Kylo’s redemption, we must first sympathize with him as a character. As a child, Kylo’s father abandoned him and his mother neglected him. This is all clear in The Force Awakens, but we learn even more in the novelization of the movie. Leia reveals that she lied to Kylo about his grandfather being Darth Vader, hoping to keep him from the dark side. She also reveals that Snoke had been watching and manipulating young Ben from afar ever since his conception.

It’s likely that in The Last Jedi, we will see a scene (possibly between Kylo and Leia) where this information comes out, and triggering the audience’s first sympathetic response toward Kylo.

Killing Han Pushed Him Away From the Dark Side

“The act ought to have made him stronger, a part of him believed. Instead, he found himself weakened.” This was Kylo’s narration from The Force Awakens novel after killing Han. When Kylo asked for his father’s help before killing him, he believed that avenging his childhood would give him the push he needed to fully embrace the dark side. But the excerpt from the novel presents the opposite effect. Committing an act so irredeemable that it triggers his path to redemption. This would also make Han’s sacrifice meaningful.

Kylo Will Save Leia

Misleading trailers are the bread and butter of building suspense for new installments. Kylo lends Rey his hand? Not so fast! Although the lighting of their faces matches up great, there is more than meets the eye. Other scenes show Kylo marching into the Resistance base with flame troopers and Leia walking through the same base. As Kylo lends his hand, flames and ash are falling from the ceiling.

This makes it look like he is actually saving Leia. This would resonate well with Leia telling Han in The Force Awakens that the two of them have the power to turn him back. Whatever happens in that moment between mother and son will be critical in the redemption of Kylo Ren.

Snoke Will Spurn Kylo Ren

“Bring her to me.” Snoke clearly has his eyes set on Rey now, but what does this mean for Kylo? If we are to believe that Kylo smashes his helmet in anger at Snoke’s request, then we can only assume two things: either Kylo is afraid of being replaced, or he wants to protect Rey for some yet unknown reason.

Regardless, both would point to Kylo feeling dejected from Snoke and the dark side. It is also likely that by this point in the movie, Kylo has failed to kill Leia, thus becoming less favorable in Snoke’s eyes.

Kylo’s Bond With Rey Will Bring Him Back

On the official Star Wars Databank, both Rey and Kylo’s biography pages note that they share a “strange” or “mysterious” connection. This bond is clear in The Force Awakens, as seen when Kylo attempts to probe Rey’s mind but she can read his mind in turn. It’s also apparent in their lightsaber duel when Rey seems to feed off of his energy as she pauses to focus. Not to mention, Kylo appears multiple times in Rey’s force vision.

Whatever this force-bond may be, it could be the key to sealing Kylo’s redemption. Although we may have to wait until the third movie for the analog to Vader saving Luke, The Last Jedi will likely tie up some of our questions about the two.

The Last Jedi is drawing closer to answering the questions posed two years ago with The Force Awakens. While Kylo following his “pull to the light” is uncertain, it would add depth to the plot and develop his character. The only twist that would make it richer would be Rey flipping to the dark in tandem. This would echo the common theory that came up when the studio revealed the film’s title, The Last Jedi. The theory predicts that Rey and Kylo will be the first of a new order of force users, one that embraces both the dark and the light.

Xela French