#at first hes afraid because when snoke does it he brings him pain but rey is just sort of sniffing around

[like-sands-of-time]

Idk this is just personal but Rey being light itself, the balance to bens darkness, etc etc doesn't have to mean she believes the Jedi code? Like,,,, at all? It's actually kind of irrelevant really. If either of them holds any weight on Jedi beliefs it's Ben who studied them for ten years.

This is a girl who for her entire childhood survived. Not like Ben did, but Survived. She went hungry. She went without. She survived it, and came through with the instincts and skills to back her up.

A girl like that, Light and Good as I believe she is, is gonna be a bit less *gasp* *faint* about the concepts surrounding "darkness" and even the concept of death in general. All of them, really.

I don't believe she'd like the Jedi code at all frankly, and find it ridiculously stifling and judgemental and very hypocritical.

I also don't think she'd cry herself to sleep at night about the concept of killing someone. Not someone dying that she cares about but that she killed someone by her own hands. Perhaps that is entirely just me, but her will to survive would be strong. I think that when people throw in her not having etiquette or eating like a pig or not having a formal education in fics it's accurate but done in a sweet way. It's cute. Anything they do is cute, but it's an easy fix type situation.

But how about a Rey who has her own moral code that she sticks to (just like Ben that's familiar !!) And they're both morally grey, one leaning dark and the other leaning light, but definitely meeting in the middle. None of this Rey is a pure maiden saint stuff though you can use those concepts.

She was already a badass with a staff and it's hardly like she had sparring buddies. She Survived. We of course have to assume what that means but I assume that means she's a badass main character who isn't going to pull her punches when it comes to eliminating evil in the galaxy. She's not gonna let rapists or murderers go just because "it wouldn't be right to kill" she's gonna do it herself. I see her and her Light as Mother and vengeance.. willing and able to protect all those she cares for. Which includes Ben btw

[dalekofchaos]

The complete lack of Anakin Skywalker in the Sequel Trilogy is an insult to the story of Star Wars, Anakin’s story and in the end they destroyed Anakin’s fall and redemption

The fact that Anakin is never mentioned by name, let alone shows up as a force ghost. Just shows how much Disney, JJ Abrams, Rian Johnson and Kathleen Kennedy were so afraid of the Prequels and couldn’t even bother to have the man who is the main focus of Star Wars to be featured in the sequel trilogy period. The Star Wars Saga was about Anakin and his family. I will forever be bitter and disgusted that Disney went out of their way to erase his presence.

Disney did everything to show what Anakin trained for, struggled for, went to the dark side for and sacrificed everything for was pointless. They introduced force healing, force resurrection, Rey taking the prophecy for herself, his family was tormented by Palpatine until his bloodline became extinct and now we know people can communicate with Tusken raiders. If all of this existed in the prequels, Anakin would’ve never even become Darth Vader. They made Anakin’s entire fall and redemption completely pointless.

I don’t know what it is with Disney, but apparently they get off with backhandedly disrespecting Anakin at every opportunity they get.

I do love Rey, but I agree with this YouTube comment I found a year ago “Rey single handedly destroyed Anakin's entire legacy, and made his whole life a joke. - you don't need to train to be stupidly powerful with the lightsaber or the force. Training isn't necessary anymore, as Rey proves in TFA and TLJ, and in some ways in TROS since I doubt Leia taught her force heal, force skype or force lightning. Thus, Anakin's tough decision to leave his mother in slavery while training to be a Jedi powerful enough to one day save her is made pointless. - you don't need to be in control of your powers. Hell, fits of unexplained anger are encouraged and other characters love you for it. Rey can be rude, destructive and irrational all she wants, and everyone supports her, while Anakin was always taught to obey orders and not think for himself, furthering his feeling of being enslaved and controlled. But nah, he was just wrong I guess. - the path to the dark side is no longer the easy and fast one. Everyone can just decide freely, flip flop between allegiances and do whatever the fuck they want to. I don't know what Anakin was tempted by, Rey is angry all the time, uses force lightning, a power only the most powerful sith can do, and is never tempted in the slightest, always making the morally perfect decisions and never giving in to any temptations. Just be incorruptible, Anakin! - You can force heal easily at no cost. Anakin's mother died for nothing, as did Padme. Anakin's whole turn to the dark side was made utterly ridiculous by this movie. Anakin trained for years, mastering everything he could, striving for more knowledge and wisdom to be powerful enough to save and protect those around him, when he could have just done everything he wanted by closing his eyes. Fucking hell Rey, is there anything you aren't perfect at. - He didn't even kill Palpatine. He didn't redeem himself. He didn't bring peace to the galaxy. He did bring order though, the First Order. Fucking hell, did he actually do anything right or did Rey seriously outclass him in every _single thing he ever did This trilogy just shits on everything that came before. Everyone in Star Wars sucks because Rey is just perfect at everything she does, and all the other characters, with their flaws, struggles and problems they have to overcome just look stupid compared to her and her god powers. I hate this trilogy so much omg words can't describe it”

Let’s look at how much damage was done by not showing Anakin and how much the Sequels destroyed Anakin’s story and legacy

Anakin never warns his children about Snokeatine preying over his grandson, just think if Anakin told them a powerful and ancient dark side user was targeting Ben, Han, Lando, Chewie, Luke and Leia all would’ve gotten together and killed Snoke and by doing that, killing the First/Final Order in the crib.

Anakin never tells his children Palpatine himself is alive. If Anakin told them the truth, he could’ve directed Luke and Leia to his wayfinder, then Orchi’s ship and the stupid knife map. They would find both wayfinders and Luke and Leia would’ve killed Palpatine on Exegol. 

Anakin doesn't warn Leia that visions are not all they seem or how he lost himself because of a vision and tells her not to fall for the same trap he did. 

Anakin never once visits his grandson during his Jedi training or his time as Kylo Ren and tell him his story, Anakin appearing before his grandson and telling him HIS SIDE of HIS STORY could’ve prevented Ben’s fall

Anakin by name is never mentioned

Rey, someone who believed Luke was only a myth. Suddenly knows that Luke redeemed Darth Vader(again, Anakin is never mentioned by name)

Anakin does not appear before his son in his time of need. Instead Yoda does. Anakin knew all there is about failure and what happens when you fall to the dark side.  “failure, the greatest teacher is,” is bullshit. Yoda never learned this lesson to begin with. Yoda is the last person who should be saying anything like this to Luke. Anakin should have went to Luke, not Yoda. You know who would have been the perfect person to tell Luke that failure is the greatest teacher? His father, Anakin Skywalker. If anyone deserved that moment, it was Anakin Skywalker. Both because this should have been his chance to speak with his son AND because when someone is the embodiment of the failures of the Jedi Order, they’re really the one best qualified to call out the bullshit of that organization. Anakin would’ve been the best person to tell Luke to confront Kylo, his grandson. He knows failure more than anyone. Failing to save his mother, failing to save Padme, his failure into giving into the dark side and his fall. Anakin would’ve told him. “It wasn’t your fault what happened to Ben, I’m asking you to come back and save your sister, my daughter. Leia needs you. You never gave up on me. Don’t give up on your friends, your sister or even yourself. You saved me when I thought all was lost, there is still time to make things right. Remember you are a Jedi, like me. Not the last of the old Jedi, Luke. The first of the new.“

Anakin died to save his son. He does not attempt to save him.

The fact that Anakin didn’t even show up to speak to his son when he was at his lowest or when his son was literally dying , was just proof that Disney Lucasfilm didn’t care about him as a character or his story. Anakin’s redemption was saving his son, yet for some reason he just didn’t give a shit about him. There is not even a reason given as to why he didn’t show up.  

Anakin does not appear before his grandson in his turning point. It should have been Anakin who met with Ben, not Han. No one knows more about Palpatine and the dark side than Anakin and revealing the truth could have destroyed the dark side’s hold over his grandson and brought him back to the light and unlike Harrison, Hayden actually wanted to be there. We needed the one moment between Anakin and his grandson. All they did with Han was make little to no sense and just repeat lines from TFA. Harrison is clearly there to collect that sweet Disney money lol he doesn’t like Star Wars or Han Solo, he returned to have Han killed off. Hayden Christensen, however loved Star Wars despite the hate that was directed towards him. He wanted to return to play Anakin one last time. and the perfect way for him to return and to guide his grandson back to the light was Anakin. Anakin knows more than anyone what the dark side can do and what Palpatine is capable of and how much pain he has inflicted. Kylo has always admired Vader, and Anakin can show the truth of how he was manipulated into betraying everything he loved and why the dark side is not the path he should be taking.  I really hate to toot my own horn, but I wrote out a scene where Anakin’s force ghost visits his grandson and helped along his redemption.  “I never wanted you to repeat my mistakes. That pull to the light you were feeling was always me. I wanted you to be better than I was, who I could have been” and showing Ben his memories and what he had to go through. His life as a slave, meeting Padme, meeting Obi-Wan, becoming a Jedi, losing his mother, Order 66, losing Padme and being saved by Luke and finally destroying Palpatine(lol but not really). And telling Ben “Let the light in. You still have a chance, no one is ever really gone“  Ben would then tell his grandfather “I know what I have to do, but I don’t know if I have the strength to do it.” Anakin puts his hand on his grandson and says “this time we’ll do it together.”

Anakin does not play a role in the defeat of the monster who destroyed his life. Anakin’s redemption, victory and the fulfillment of the Chosen One Prophecy  is now meaningless. He doesn’t even return to face Palpatine or to even power up Ben and Rey.  When Rey says "be with me" in the final fight. What should've happened is the force hears her pleas for help and sends Anakin to confront Sidious. Just imagine Palpatine:It cannot be....Lord Vader? Anakin:That name no longer has any meaning for me No, I am Anakin Skywalker, Jedi Master and the chosen one. Palpatine:So be it, "Jedi" Anakin with the help of Luke, Leia, Obi-Wan, Qui-Gon and Yoda help Ben rise and empower Ben and Rey. Rey and Ben rise. Ben with his Grandfather’s lightsaber and Rey with Leia’s lightsaber deflecting Palpatine’s Lightning Palpatine"I AM ALL THE SITH! Rey and Ben:And we are the Skywalkers And together they deflect it back at Sidious. Once and for all, Anakin fulfills the prophecy, while not doing it directly, he guided his grandson and Rey and together they destroy the SIth and brings balance to the force. Then Anakin brings back Rey, and bids farewell to his grandson and fades in peace knowing that balance has been brought back and the force is in the safe hands of Rey and Ben.

The entire Skywalker Family goes extinct and everything Anakin fought and sacrificed for is completely meaningless

Anakin's Lightsaber is not recognized as his lightsaber, it is recognized as Luke's Lightsaber and Rey's Lightsaber. Luke has a Lightsaber of his own. He even used it for most of his life after the war as a Jedi master, yet it never makes it into the Sequel Trilogy outside of flashbacks. Where is it????? NO SERIOUSLY WHERE THE FUCK IS IT??????? Rey has a lightsaber of her own as well, but for SOME REASON, they needed Rey to have the Skywalker lightsaber and Leia’s Lightsaber throughout the whole movie. Rey cannot be defined on her own. She needs the Skywalker Lightsaber, she needs the falcon, she needs to be related to be Palpatine and she needed to take the Skywalker name in the end. Anakin doesn’t even get to be acknowledged as the master of his own lightsaber.

Rey steals Anakin's legacy as the chosen one. A PALPATINE STEALS THE SKYWALKER PROPHECY

Anakin’s Lightsaber was buried on Tatooine. Make all the “I don’t like sand” jokes you want. But this is like burying a possession of a freed slave in the remains of a slave plantation. Anakin and Shmi were slaves on this planet, his mother was brutally tortured and murdered, his step-brother and sister and Luke’s aunt and uncle were brutally murdered and his daughter was a Hutt’s sex slave. This is the absolute last place he’d ever want his Lightsaber to be buried. Every Skywalker and Solo hated Tatooine. Anakin wanted to escape a life of slavery and see the stars. Luke looks at that double sunset, longing to escape his mundane life, wanting to travel the galaxy to fight the good fight. Rey looks at the double sunset because it's supposed to pander to the OT fans. Bury Anakin’s Lightsaber in his wife’s mausoleum and his spirit would be at peace. But oh no, we can’t have that, the money needs it’s OT nostalgia and we can’t legitimize the prequels because this movie was made by a prequel hating asshole.  I don’t understand why Luke’s Green Lightsaber was never used again. Could’ve been given to Finn and when he’s done, Rey helps him build a Lightsaber of his own. Then Rey can bury Luke, Leia, and Anakin’s Lightsabers in Padme’s mausoleum with Rey, Finn and Ben looking on as the force ghosts of Anakin, Luke and Leia looks on them in peace and it would be a fitting way to end the Skywalker Saga.

Anakin does not appear as a force ghost. He doesn’t see his grandson. He doesn’t see Rey. He doesn’t appear with Luke and Leia at the end of the movie. It’s like JJ Abrams has some sort of vendetta against the Prequels. This is what happens when an OT purist is given power.

Ben Solo dies and is not given a chance to earn his redemption and thus the Skywalker family dies out. He did terrible things as Kylo Ren, but if you want him to redeem himself, actually give him a redemption arc. When he feels his mother die, let him truly feel remorse for his actions Let him see the force ghosts of Luke and Anakin. They set him on the path to make things right. Ben and Rey stop Palpatine together, they kiss and Ben goes on a path of atonement. Ben gets in the falcon and takes Leia’s lightsaber and goes to every known First Order base with the intention of righting his wrongs and making things right. When he returns to Rey, they go to Naboo to place Anakin, Luke and Leia’s Lightsaber’s in Padme’s mausoleum and it ends with Rey and Ben holding hands as the Skywalker family looks on proud and happily that the future is in good hands. Like....Anakin, Leia and Luke would’ve wanted their family to live on and wanted Ben to live. It isn’t rocket science, Anakin would’ve wanted Ben to be given the chance he wasn’t given to redeem himself and live to tell the tale.

Bringing back Palpatine back destroyed Anakin’s entire arc. I don’t care if it happened in Legends. It was fucking stupid then and it was stupid now. The impact of Order 66? The Sequel Trilogy ruined it. I hate how the Sequel Trilogy really shat on this moment. Order 66 was a tragedy for the Clones, Jedi, Separatists, Mandalorians, Night Sisiters and even Maul. Everyone lost except Sidious. When Darth Vader threw him over the railing he was avenging basically everyone. But the Sequel Trilogy rewrites that moment and makes it redundant. In my book, the series timeline ends at the Mandalorian. The Prophecy of The Chosen One? It’s no longer about Anakin. He is no longer the one to destroy The Sith and to bring Balance to the Force. His fall and redemption? It’s now pointless, Palpatine’s clone body was the one that got destroyed, not Palpatine himself and he returned and built up the Empire stronger than ever. Anakin saving Luke and finally killing Palpatine was beautiful. Something that really makes Darth Vader/Anakin Skywalker saving Luke beautiful in my mind is actually Anakin/Vader’s perspective.  Qui-Gon was killed, his mother died a senseless death that he couldn't prevent, the Jedi Council was always wary of him and  never took him seriously, Padme spurned him after he became Vader -- which he only did to protect her from dying -- and died anyway, his best friend hacked off all his limbs and left him to burn to death and Sidious manipulated and lied to him from the time he was a kid, only wanted him for his force powers to use as a glorified hitman and openly contemplated replacing him constantly after he lost his duel to Kenobi on Mustafar and was maimed. The dude either lost or was (in his mind) betrayed by basically everyone he ever knew and cared about, except his son, who even to the end never lost faith in him. He was beaten and helpless and Luke had just severed his hand. Sidious then goaded Luke to finish Vader off and become his new apprentice, but Luke refused to turn on his father. The minute he realized Luke was the only person who hadn't betrayed, used, abandoned or left him was the minute Vader died and Anakin returned. This, in a nut shell, is the story of Star Wars. It is the story of a child from Tattooine who was finally able to save someone he loved.  Anakin has been manipulated by Palpatine since the moment he became a Jedi. Palpatine put visions of Padme’s death in his head until it was a reality. He went to the dark side to save his wife and children. He manipulated him into destroying the Jedi. He turned Anakin into Darth Vader and used Darth Vader as his enforcer. Until a moment of hope. His children lived. He thought all was lost until his son believed in him. In his final moments, his life, he saved his son and fulfilled the prophecy. Darth Vader is the ultimate villain deconstruction. He started out as a faceless monster to be defeated, a demon to be slain so peace would be restored. But Luke managed to look beneath the mask of intimidation and saw his father for what he truly was; a broken man who had been a slave his whole life and had lost all hope of redeeming himself. In the end Luke brought Anakin Skywalker back not because he convinced Vader to love him, because Anakin loved Luke since the moment he knew he would be born and never stopped loving him. And the decision to reveal that Palpatine didn’t really die and manipulated his grandson to kill Luke, that honestly cheapens Anakin’s arc. Just think with how he was brought back. They didn’t have an explanation. He is just there in the opening crawl. We didn’t hear his message in the movie, we heard it in fucking fortnite. And Poe’s line. “Somehow, Palpatine has returned” plays like a line from some kind of parody to Hollywood franchises. It’s actually... insulting. Like they are basically slapping us with “this is happening, we don’t have an explanation, just watch the damn movie and get us paid” without even the decency of trying to hide it. That line didn’t have to be in there. It revealed nothing, it provided no character development... it was literally just there to admit that the film really is as bad as you think. And of course, it’s something we HAVE to read in a book to figure out. If it’s not in your fucking movie, don’t fucking bother having it. Bringing back Palpatine made the first 6 movies entirely pointless. Palpatine outliving Anakin, Obi-Wan, Padme, Han Luke and Leia is the ultimate desecration of Star Wars. “it was always the plan to bring Palpatine back” and that is the problem. Its actually amazing how little the folks at Lucasfilm, Bad Reboot and Disney “get” Star Wars. Having the ultimate bad guy of the first 6 films live to see Episode 9 when the heroes who supposedly defeated him are long dead. It literally destroys the core mythology of the Star Wars universe and makes the selfless choices our characters made unrewarding. That’s just depressing. Their sacrifices and triumphs are ultimately undermined, devalued and utterly pointless. Moral of the story, nothing you did mattered, let the new generation clean up your mess because the money says so. And making Rey Palpatine’s granddaughter, killing EVERY LIVING Skywalker and having a Palpatine steal the legacy of the Skywalkers is desecration of Star Wars. Rey isn’t related to the Skywalkers it’s so creepy that she stole everything from them. She stole the falcon, she stole Luke’s lightsaber, she stole their family name. She stole Anakin and Luke’s ultimate victory over Palpatine. Their legacy. Palpatine won…..This is disgusting. The Skywalkers all dying and Rey taking the name is an exact summation of this trilogy. Tearing down all the old heroes and everything they did just for the new ones to do the same exact thing. Just to prop Rey up? You CAN build up new characters without tearing down the old characters and their legacy. Everything in this trilogy was done to break down and humiliate the characters we cared about and imitate something that was done in the past and has no substance. 

Rey didn’t need to be a Palpatine or take the Skywalker name. This isn’t me hating on Rey. Rey can be a great character by standing on her own. Rey being related to NO ONE was powerful and shows us that even someone who came from Jakku can be a powerful Jedi. She doesn’t earn anything on her own. She downloaded all of Kylo’s abilities. She took the Falcon, she made Chewbacca her personal uber, she took BB-8 from Poe and buried Anakin and Leia’s lightsaber on the literal symbolic oppression of the Skywalker family instead of something peaceful like Naboo or Ach-To. She has her own Lightsaber, but never uses it. Rey being a Palpatine and taking the Skywalker name undoes the beautiful story the revelation TLJ had does. She didn’t need to be a Palpatine and she didn’t need to take the Skywalker name or even their relics.  Rey Nobody works. Here’s why. Rey’s story is her own, it is not her parents, it is not about where she came from, it’s about where she is going, and who she decides to become. Maz Kanata said “The belonging you seek is not behind you. It is in front of you.” Rey in the TFA trailers said “I’m no one” Rey never thought or wanted her parents to be important in TFA, she was literally going to pass up adventure and being important to stay on Jakku because what she wanted was her family to finally come home. She didn't want to be important or wanted her parents to be important. The audience wanted that. Any more lingering discussion of the possibility of Rey’s parents being ‘somebody’ only is distracting you from the actually beautiful story that is being told. Rey is a story of a girl who raised herself, who held onto hope for people who didn’t deserve it, she is a story of how light can be born from darkness, and Rey is story of someone who was scared of her own truth—but then finally faced it. Rey being a Nobody is the story I was skeptical of at first, but grew to love, the story that gives me more hope than any Rey Skywalker or Rey Solo story ever would. Rey calling herself "Rey Skywalker" was so forced and unnecessary because all the whiny pissants did not like that a girl was skilled and powerful in her own right and because Rey did not have a good relationship with Luke in the first place. JJ was so set in just making Rey a Luke clone that it just undoes character development. If Rey had to take a name, Solo or Organa would make the most sense since she actually had a relationship with Han, Leia and Ben. Say what you want about how RIan Johnson handled Rey in TLJ. At least he treated Rey like her own person, with her own journey, and her own desires and fears, rather than consigning her to be a vessel for OT nostalgia. And at least he allowed her to actually have a new outfit and new hair style. At least he let her change. Like him or not, Rian Johnson treated Rey with more respect and identity than JJ Abrams ever did. It means more than making her related to anyone because Rey was every lonely girl who wanted to be a part of something but didn't feel like they belonged. Every woman who learned to make her way in the world alone. Every person who clung to hope when they had nothing left. She is so many things to so many people. Rey Nobody can be fierce, angry and powerful without it connecting to a man or evil bloodline. She can love, be curious and emotional without being weak. She is a scavenger, a Jedi, and one half of a powerful Dyad. She is Rey of Jakku and that's all we needed. Rey calling herself a Skywalker denied her every last inch of who she was. Her character arc was ruined to please men that thought her power needed to be connected to a man for it to make sense. All we needed her arc to be was Rey accepting that she needs to be her own hero and loving herself for who she is, rather than who she wanted her hypothetical parents to be. And honestly Rey in TROS was a huge disappointment. Her entire character arc was regressed, she's back to wearing the buns and dressed all in white and sticks to the glorification of the Jedi. It's like everything she learned in the last movie never happened. And honestly her character in TROS  is what men think a "strong female character" is She fights, but they don’t have to deal with her processing internal pain. She loves, but they don’t have to deal with her fully exploring her desires. She’s a “badass,” & for them that is enough. When I say "A Palpatine is left and steals the legacy of the Skywalkers" I am not suggesting she doesn't deserve the title. I am saying that essentially, Palpatine won. Anakin, Padme, Luke, Han, Leia and Ben are all dead. Leia died for nothing. Leia deserved to see her son come home, and to see the end of the monster who ruined her family. She didn’t deserve to feel her child die. The entire line of the family is now extinct. The wiki even says "the extinction of the family name" what kind of depressing garbage is this? JJ Abrams ended the entire Skywalker saga on Palpatine successfully using love to manipulate, corrupt, hurt or kill every single Skywalker across three generations, ultimately resulting in the total eradication of the Skywalker, Solo and Amidala bloodlines, whilst Palpatine's heir lives on and claims the Skywalker name and legacy. Rey calling herself "Rey Skywalker" was patronizing and insulting and demeans what Rey's journey meant in the first two movies to everyone who loved her. Rey coming from Jakku and nothing but rising up as a heroic Jedi means more than "you have his power...you are a Palpatine" or "Rey Rey Skywalker" ever will. Women Of The Galaxy author Amy Ratcliffe says it best. “Even beyond the trappings of the Star Wars saga — the First Order, the Resistance, the Force — Rey’s story is inspiring, familiar, and timeless. Just because you come from nothing doesn’t mean you’re not part of the story. You’re not no one, because anybody can save the galaxy. Anybody.“

If anyone still cannot understand my problem with bringing back Palpatine and why I find it narratively offensive. Just imagine this. What if Harry discovered that Dumbledore was wrong and Voldemort had far more than 7 horcruxes? Ashamed and afraid, he hides Ginny and the Potter children among the muggles. A defeated Ron returns to the burrow, while Hermione spends her days searching for Horcruxes. Years later, a 17 year old, Rachel Marvela Riddle, begins discovering her new powers, despite never receiving her Hogwart’s letter. Her magic is incredibly strong, but she is everything Tom was not. With the help of some friends, she tracks down the remaining Horcruxes and finally destroys the true Voldemort, for good and realsies this time! Also she starts calling herself the Girl Who Lived. This is the plot of Disney’s Star Wars Sequel Trilogy.. What if Harry didn’t actually destroy Voldemort? What if The One Ring survived Mt. Doom? Interesting concepts, but they would devalue everything that came before. The entire point of the Sequel Trilogy is disregarding generations of storytelling because no one behind this trilogy had any original or creative stories to tell. This is how Star Wars dies, with uncreativity and greed.

Anakin Skywalker’s story and family was destroyed, belittled, insulted and stolen by a Palpatine. Hell, even from a certain point of view PALPATINE WON! AGAIN!

[justmyimagination92]

Why Kylo Ren/Ben Solo and Theon Greyjoy are similar, beautifully grey and real characters that represent overcoming abuse and manipulation and it makes no sense to love one but hate the other, a thread:

*Disclaimer* I have only watched the GoT series & SW movies, I have not read the books or comics for either series but I have done research into both so anything I’m pulling that’s not from the movies or show has been taken from research/information I have gathered from others who have used these sources for their own opinions/arguments/statements as well as from a GoT class I took my senior year of college

Life of Mental/Physical Abuse:

They both had mentally abusive upbringings which is obvious to say has a huge effect on your development and how you perceive the world around you. Theon was the youngest of 4, known to cling more to his mother and not care as much about the ironborn mentality of piracy and raiding as his older brothers did. He was constantly tormented and bullied by them for it as well as feeling neglected by his father for “showing weakness” which made him feel like he didn’t belong and wasn’t accepted in his home. He was then sent off to be Ned Stark’s ward (prisoner) and would be executed if Balon tried to rebel against the throne again. This knowledge is constantly hanging over his head and threatening him even though he makes the best of the situation, especially by finding a brother in Robb. The North and most of the Stark family don’t accept him despite his best efforts in trying to do his best while also missing the Iron Islands and not being able to fulfill his right as the heir to the salt throne

Ben has been mentally abused since he was in his mother’s womb. Palpatine has been in his head since he was conceived, trying to seduce him to the dark because he knew the power Ben would possess from his family. Now were his parents abusive towards him like Balon, Maron, and Rodrik were to Theon? No. But they were afraid of who he could become which definitely drove him towards becoming what they were afraid of to begin with. He felt isolated and alone. Aside from questioning why his parents were afraid of him with no explanation (making him feel like he was some sort of monster), Han was gone the majority of his upbringing and Leia was building the New Republic. He was often left with droids to watch him, further developing his isolation. There’s also apparently an instance where a droid fantasized about killing him and how they’d be able to cover it up? Eventually, L&H sent him off to be trained by Luke due to their growing fear of him becoming like Vader, but he didn’t know because they never told him Vader was his grandfather. He ended up finding out later on when it was announced at a senate meeting that was broadcasted on the holonet. (Keep in mind he’s consistently being mentally tormented and tempted by the dark but fighting it off)

Loss of Identity:

I think you can argue that Theon and Ben have struggled with their identity their entire lives. Before Theon was taken to Winterfell he already felt like he didn’t belong. Then he does his duty as Ned’s ward, placing him in the midst of the rest of the Starks and trying to figure out his place without stepping out of line but also wanting to fit in as best as he can. After Ned dies and he’s at war with Robb he is able to return home to persuade Balon in lending his fleet to help Robb. Balon refuses and now Theon is stuck in deciding if he should help Robb or win over his father and take back his place as a Greyjoy. He leads an attack at Winterfell, betraying his loyalty to Robb, killing two farm boys that all of Westeros believes is Brand and Rickon, which leads to him getting overthrown by the Boltons taking Winterfell back, putting him in the hands of Ramsay who tortures him mentally, physically, and spiritually to the point where he takes on the persona of Reek and truly believes that’s who he is, who he was meant to be and who he deserves to be

Ben has also had this lifelong struggle. He’s tried to follow what his parents have taught him while fighting everything going on in his head. He looked up to his dad and wanted to be a pilot like him despite Han being gone a majority of the time. Not to mention just the pressure he faced with being Han & Leia’s son as well as Luke Skywalker’s nephew. But he could sense and sometimes hear his parents discuss their fear of who he is/who he will be. He was under the impression that they thought he was or could become some sort of monster and gave him no explanation on why they would think that and then was sent off to train with Luke (when there’s no real indication that he wanted that, he just voiced how he wanted to be a pilot) Luke could sense the same darkness in him as H&L but instead of helping him and having a conversation about it he decided to sneak into Ben’s tent one night and kill him before his fears came true. Ben awoke to his own uncle standing over him with an ignited lightsaber about to strike him down. Yes, Luke regretted it the minute he ignited it but it was too late, Ben was awake and betrayed. What he didn’t do (but the galaxy thought he did) was destroy the Jedi temple and the rest of the padawans, a higher power (most likely Palpatine) did and Ben was upset about it and he didn’t want them all to die. He felt like he had nowhere else to go and succumbed to the voice that had been tormenting him for 23 years (but in a way was the only consistent thing in his life) and went to Snoke. He felt unwanted, untrusted, and doomed to become this awful being everyone around him thought he would. He took on the persona Kylo Ren and allowed Snoke to continue to torture him mentally and now physically and spiritually to ultimately turn him into Snoke's chess piece to take over the galaxy

Path of bad decisions driven by the need to please their abuser who gives false hope of a home:

Parts of this are redundant but they both have made some terrible decisions that were heavily influenced by the manipulation of their abusers and a need for a sense of acceptance and belonging. Theon wanted to please Balon and later Ramsay, Kylo wanted to please Snoke and his grandfather (who we later find out was all Palpatine). The majority of deaths that Kylo is blamed for were under Snoke’s orders and Kylo was either unaware they were happening or tried to prevent them and resort to other solutions to get whatever it is they wanted. He killed his father because he was convinced it would make him stronger and reach his potential on “who he’s destined to be” when really it tore him apart and destroyed him, 

similarly to how Theon felt after he killed those farm boys and saw what his actions had created for Winterfell and Westeros 

Acceptance of “who they truly are” through self-hatred and regret:

Through this they come to terms with their actions and the destruction that has followed from those actions. They believe they deserve the pain and suffering they’ve had their whole lives. Theon is constantly saying how Theon is dead, he’s Reek and he deserves to be. Ben states how Ben is dead, he’s only Kylo now and that he deserves to be seen as a monster.  

Needing help to be pulled back to their true selves:

Their inner conflict is clear through both of their journeys and it’s clear that others can see that. They need help to be pulled in the right direction and reminded that they’re not the person they think they are. Yara comes for Theon when everyone else has given up on him. He’s her brother and regardless of what he’s done she still cares for him and believes in him. However, even the love of his sister can’t persuade him or break the abusive turmoil he’s been suffering and he stays with Ramsay as Reek. 

Then Sansa comes, someone he has grown up with and cares for. She learns the truth that he didn’t kill Bran and Rickon. She knows who Theon really is and she brings him back, she needs him back and gives him the strength to do it. 

Similarly, we see Han trying to bring Ben back in TFA, and like with Yara and Theon, it doesn’t work. He believes Ben is dead, that his family gave up on him and he did too so he can only be Kylo now. And as we see later on, the act of killing Han only made it worse and caused a deeper pain and regret to Ben as well as the conflict on where he lies in the force. In TLJ we see this and how Kylo seems to be chipping away from coming to terms with everything he’s done. 

(I would also like to point out that in TLJ Ben couldn’t kill his mother and it’s stated that had he noticed quick enough he would’ve stopped the blasters from hitting the bridge) He gets a connection with Rey, who at first wants nothing to do with him and sees him as the monster he thinks he is. But similarly to Sansa, she finds out the story Luke told her about him destroying the Jedi Temple was a lie and from then on they’re able to console in one another and understand the pain and isolation they’ve both felt their whole lives. 

When Luke refuses to go back and help Rey and the resistance she takes it upon herself to go and fight to bring Ben back to the light because she can see that he’s still there.

Taking a stand against their abusers, specifically to help save someone they love:

They both go against their abusers and take a huge leap towards taking back their true selves. Theon wants to help Sansa and she gives him a few chances too, for example with the candle but he ends up telling Ramsay. However when Ramsay is gone Sansa is crossed by Miranda and even though he’s still filled with fear and conflict, he throws Miranda off the ledge to save Sansa and finally defies his tormentor and everything that he’s done.

Kylo retrieves Rey when she lands on the capital ship and takes her to see Snoke. In the elevator they both state how they’ve had a vision of seeing them by each other’s sides. Kylo takes it as Rey joining him in the dark but Rey sees it as him reclaiming who he was supposed to be and even refers to him as Ben which he responds to. 

(for the majority of knowing him she called him Kylo, monster, etc but since they touched hands and she saw the conflict she now sees him as a real person and more importantly Ben) Snoke wants Kylo to kill her in order to reach is full potential since killing Han only made him question the path he was going down even more. However, he tricks Snoke and instead kills him instead of Rey, destroying his abuser and saving Rey who is the only one he’s ever been able to connect to.

Reclaiming their identity:

Even though they have someone in their corner, believing in them and helping them to come back to who they are, it takes time. Theon stays with Sansa until they cross paths with Brienne and Podrick and knows she’ll be safe with them. He then heads back to the Iron Islands to join Yara and help her however he can. He still feels as though he’s Reek and doesn’t deserve any redemption or to be trusted/loved. 

Overtime those who still believe in him and given time to heal he reclaims himself as Theon Greyjoy, not even the one from before, but a better and stronger man because it’s who he chooses and wants to be. He saves Yara from Euron and goes back to Winterfell to help fight against the dead. He protects Bran at the Weirwood tree bringing it back and trying to rewrite his wrong when he took Winterfell from Bran and caused him to abandon his home. Even though Arya is the one to ultimately save Bran by killing the Night King, she wouldn’t have been able to without Theon and his sacrifice.

Now Kylo’s is a little different and his journey back to Ben takes a few more steps. Killing Snoke was supposed to be him reclaiming himself and finally getting rid of the demons that have been haunting him his entire life. But now we’re aware that Palpatine created Snoke and was the one who has been in his head the whole time so really those voices are still there, abusing and tormenting him to do what they want. Except now he has something more to fight for. He knows Rey believes in him and they have a bond, a force dyad, that hasn’t been seen for centuries. We don’t get to see much of how Supreme Leader Kylo Ren deals with First Order affairs but I would assume it would be different from how Snoke handled it considering (as stated earlier) Kylo tried to get what they needed in the easiest way, preventing as much unnecessary harm or death. (I also would like to point out that at the beginning of TROS we see Kylo in Mustafar and all of the people he’s killing are Vader cultists so they were bad beings) He then travels to Palpatine who reveals it’s been him all along in his head and Kylo threatens to kill him, but then palp shows his army he’s been creating, how it could be Kylo’s, and reveals who Rey truly is. Palp wants him to kill her and he tricks him into thinking he will when really he chases her around to tell her this information as well as see if it’s true and to prevent her from getting killed. They fight a lot but it’s always Rey initiating it and Ben defending himself when he needs to. He gets distracted during one of their fights because Leia is reaching out to him and in the process, Rey stabs him with his own lightsaber (death of Kylo Ren) but ends up healing him and tells him that she did want him, the real him

He then has a vision of Han and basically reenacts what happened in TFA but has it play out how he wished it did the first time. He is now truly Ben Solo and goes to Exogal to help Rey and defeat Palpatine. After Rey kills Palpatine she dies and Ben comes back (he was thrown down deep pit) and transfers his life force to her to save her. Like the situation with Theon, if Ben wasn’t there Rey wouldn’t have been able to defeat Palpatine and save the galaxy.

Only got to live in peace with themselves for like 2 minutes:

They both get complex, intriguing, and beautiful arcs of redemption that represent realistic struggles of life and grey morality that people face throughout their lives. But they both end with a terrible message that the only way to fully redeem yourself from past mistakes, bad decisions (even if it was influenced by a life of mental/physical abuse) is to sacrifice yourself.

Theon sacrificed himself to save Bran and the fate of Westeros and was only able to be at peace with himself for about the last 20 seconds of his life because Bran forgave him, told him he was a good man and confirmed the type of person Theon really is and always wanted to be.

he deserved to feel this way for a MUCH longer time and continue to heal and grow and live a life that gave him much more peace and happiness (preferably with Sansa 😏) but instead he only gets to feel good about himself for the first time in his life and have it only last for a moment.

Once Rey defeated Palpatine it’s safe to say that the voices stopped in Ben’s head. There’s no more tormenting, persuading, or taunting. He climbs out of the pit to find Rey dead (his literal other half) and channels the rest of his energy to bring her back and it works. Similar to Bran, Rey confirms her joy and acceptance of Ben being back 

and he would’ve been fully content with that, but Rey kisses him and he smiles for the first fucking time we’ve ever seen. His mind is at peace, Rey is alive in his arms and for the first time he is truly happy. And then he DIES. 

Who knows what would’ve happened to him and how the resistance would’ve reacted, but he deserved the opportunity to atone for the mistakes he made, live life with a clear mind, as well as continue to be the other half of Rey that brought balance to the force and galaxy.

Bonus:

They both deserve to be with the only person that fully understands them and their pain and can grow, heal, and live in peace together.

[twoidiotwriters1]

Home- Chapter 7 (Kylo Ren/Ben Solo x F!Oc)

A/N: School: Must do a two page essay. 

Me: I can’t do iiiiit 

Also me: Write a fanfic of 2,491 words. WUUUUUUU

Words: 2,491

Masterlist

Chapter 6

"Enough!"

I breathe hard and open my eyes. I'm back in the black room, on my knees near the bathroom door. I turn back and Kylo is also on the ground. His face is covered in sweat

"What was that?" I say in a whisper. "Did you see it too?”

Kylo doesn't take his eyes off me and nods slowly. Then he shakes his head, stands up, and leaves the room without saying anything.

I stay on the floor for a moment, but my leg starts to hurt, so I get up and go to the bathroom. I don't understand what just happened and it's even more confusing that it connected with Kylo. I shake my head and bring my hands to my hair pushing it away from my face, I look around.

"Is everything black?" I whisper when I see the shower, I snort at the color selection.

On the far wall is the sink and above it is a mirror, I bite my lip. I dare not go closer and see my reflection, I know that my face is disgusting. I go to the shower and press a button so that the water begins to come out, I wait for the temperature to regulate while I take off my clothes very carefully and enter the jet of water, luckily the patches that cover my wounds are waterproof, or I hope so, because I didn't think about it before.

After a few minutes, I leave the bathroom wrapped in a towel and walk to the closet, from which I take some light pants, a simple blouse and some shoes... all black. I look at some drawers and grab underwear, ignoring the thought that want to enter my brain about Kylo choosing those clothes.

After getting dressed, I sit in the middle of the bed, my eyes fixed on the door.

That memory, back at the temple… I was 8 years old, I had only been training for a couple of months. The only other person besides Luke I was talking to was Ben, even though we weren't close friends yet, we actually got together to avoid the other students.

A lot of time has passed. We are not the same people. Is he also thinking the same? It was strange…

I haven't been in connection with the force in a while, maybe the return to the forest caused this, maybe everything is out of control inside me and Kylo was close, so he could see the same as me. An accidental connection.

I growl, I don't like being lost in all this Jedi and Sith stuff, strength, balance, I feel like the first days of training.

The hours pass and without realizing it, my body falls into the comfort of the bed and I fall asleep. All the weight of the days of torture, the "chat" with Snoke, the connection disappears for a few hours.

What wakes me up is the door being opened by a little droid. I sit down and rub my eyes as I yawn. The droid checks my wounds and leaves a tray of food and water. I watch all its movements in silence until it finishes and it approaches the door, but before leaving, it raises a robotic arm towards a box and it lights up.

I frown, hadn't noticed there was a datapad. The machine presses buttons and the door opens and closes when you are outside. An idea crosses my head.

But before I can do something, I eat what it has brought me, I can’t waste any food. I put everything in its place and walk slowly towards the datapad, I slide my finger on the screen from one side to the other, but it only allows me to enter the options to ask for food, clothes or help the droids. I groan. Sure, it shouldn't be easy to get out of this stupid and boring room, but there must be some way.

I look down and see some hope, I sit on the floor, stretching my injured leg. On the wall, there is a protruding box, most likely behind it are the operating connections for the entire room. I touch the edges and apply pressure, but it’s sealed.

For the next hour I try to open the box with everything in my power: I started with a hook, then I broke a hose that was in the shower (the bathroom is a mess), then I took one of the drawers out of a nightstand and threw it against the wall, but nothing worked.

I sigh in frustration, sitting down again against the wall.

"Damn it," I growl and punch the center of the box, causing the panel to open. I look at the small door in surprise and smile.

But my celebration doesn't last long as I see so many different colored cables intertwined, I sigh and move closer. I pull one to the other, I press buttons, causing the room to go crazy, suddenly the lights turn on and off like the air conditioning, but my biggest surprise is to see that the image of the window changes to different landscapes.

“Brilliant…" I keep trying until the door opens.

"Yes!" I shout in victory raising my arms and standing as fast as my leg allows, but my emotion is interrupted by another presence. I look up and Kylo looks at me with a raised eyebrow.

"What are you supposed to be doing?” He frowns and checks the room "What the fuck?" he mutters, walks through the bathroom and realizes the mess, then turns around ready to scold me, but his attention drifts to the wall panel and he gets it.

His sight now focuses on me, I smile innocently and he touches the bridge of his nose closing his eyes for a few seconds, when he opens them, I put my arms behind my back.

"Someone came and destroyed everything,” He shakes his head and I'm sure he struggles not to laugh, he moves his mouth and clears his throat.

"Come with me, I’ll show you the training room," He turns his back to me and leaves the room.

I walk slowly and find two stormtroopers on either side of the door, I wince. Even if I could have opened the door, the watchdogs wouldn't let me go that easy.

"Did you think it would be that simple?" Kylo says looking sideways at me.

"Of course not," I sigh.

It was stupid, but I had nothing else to do anyway.

We continue down the corridors, I stay behind him without paying attention, some soldiers salute at Kylo with fear and politeness. Being distracted I don’t realize the moment we arrived, so I collide with his body, he stops in front of a door.

"Sorry," I whisper.

He touches a screen and the door opens and we both enter.

The area is huge and has several sections for training, like in the Jedi temple. I shiver at the memory.

"You know, I can't move that much," Kylo walks away and takes off the huge black cape.

"We'll start with meditation," He reaches a corner where there’s a mat and sits down crossing his long legs. I imitate him and sit in front of him, stretching my injured leg. We’re watching each other for a few minutes.

"It hurts?" I say pointing to the wound on his face.

"You must remember how to connect with the force,” He ignores me, I roll my eyes.

"Rey has a good arm, I'm surprised you still have a nose," He inhales and exhales calmly, containing his anger. "And she doesn't even workout. That must bother you,” I continue smiling.

"You must feel around you-"

"You know this is useless, I won’t go to the dark side.” His features harden.

"Do you think you have any other choice? You can’t escape, you’re hurt and if you can get out of here, you have nowhere to go. You’ll die in less than a week.” I raise an eyebrow.

"I can take care of myself, I did it for a long time…” I mutter and he smiles.

His eyes analyze me carefully.

"You weren't completely alone," He approaches my body. "Your weakness… Han Solo” I frown.

"How dare you?" His legs manage to touch mine.

"I can see your memories, you let your guard down when I said his name,” Shit. I close my mind again to any intruder and he laughs.

I bite the inside of my cheek when I listen to his laugh I can notice that now's more serious, although it sounds different, what it causes in me has not changed and that bothers me.

"What will happen if you fail?" His wolfish smile disappears.

"Failures must be punished,” He raises an eyebrow.

"Okay, if I don't finish the super effective Sith training,” I say rolling my eyes. "Why am I so important? Why does Snoke need me to be on his side? If you fail, he’ll hurt you or may even kill you. Don't you worry?”

He thinks his answer carefully.

"You must not question your supreme leader" I roll my eyes. Now I get closer.

"I know you well,” My face reaches his chin. "You want to know, but you are afraid.” His body tenses.

"Don't continue something that you know will end badly," I shake my head.

“You’re just a lost boy. A stupid one,”It seems that he wants to say something, but he stops and closes his eyes, I look at him confused.

When he opens them again, he forces himself to relax.

“You must avoid these emotions. Han Solo's death, the abandonment of your family, the temple incident–”

“Temple's attack," I correct.

“If you want to finish the training, you must suppress them or put them in your favor. All that anger and helplessness can serve you–“

“You're impossible!" I cover my face with both hands.

The pain in my temple returns and everything around me disappears.

"Come on, Ben, at this point we can see the whole island" I say walking.

“We have been here a long time. We must go back!” He answers behind me.

"You were the one with the idea, genius" I hear his growl.

"I thought you didn't want to miss dinner"

"Just a little more…“

We walk among the trees and find a hill. We go to a part where the trees end and the sunlight is bright. We share an excited look and rush to where the terrain ends, a flat space and then a cliff. Very carefully, we approach the shore.

I’m surprised to see the beautiful landscape before my eyes.

“Great…” the wind and the breeze crash against my body.

"It was worth skipping dinner," Ben whispers next to me and I laugh.

The sun is slowly setting. We were silent for a long time. “

I think we should go back now,” his voice interrupts the moment, I understand his concern, there are only a few minutes left so that everything is in complete darkness, but I just don't want to leave.

"Just a few more minutes…”

“Kiara," I roll my eyes and watch him.

“Come on, Ben. Just a little more!” He looks around indecisively. "Don't be boring.” He frowns.

"I'm not boring.”

"Then stop complaining."

"You should stop throwing a tantrum, we can come back tomorrow.”

"Ben, this is beautiful. How do you not want to stay here?"

"Sure, I forgot that your home is a garbage can, you have never seen anything like this" Now I look at him annoyed.

"Hey, quit that tone, I just want to see-"

"Yes yes, whatever…”

"Stop acting like this!” He raises his eyebrows and his annoyance is replaced by a mocking smile.

"Act as..?”

"Like a fool.” He laughs.

"Good insult. Now let's go back."

"I see why the other children can't stand you.”

"They can't stand that I'm better, they’re jealous"

"And what do you do about it? Instead of helping them, you just humiliate them”

"They don't matter to me.”

“Obviously…”

"Wait," He shakes his head, these changes are very fast. "I don't have to discuss this with a girl like you.”

He turns his back on me and I look down and pick up a small rock from the floor and throw it right at his head. He stops at the blow and turns to face me.

“What– You want to play with this way?"

It happens too fast: our bodies collide and the fight begins; I pull his hair and he pulls mine. I hit his stomach, he twists my arm, we scream in pain. At one point we’re both on the ground, very close to shore and before anyone can do anything, part of the ground falls under our weight.

I feel the lack of floor in my legs and my body falls, but Ben's arms manage to pull me back up. I fall onto my shoulder and the last thing I see is how my friend's body falls off the cliff.

“Ben!”

I crawl to avoid falling and look down. I let out a sigh of relief, which doesn't last long.

A part of the cliff protrudes a few meters from where I am, this prevented Ben from falling into the sea. My breathing is very fast and my heart is going a thousand per hour. I walk away again and look around, the darkness now reigns throughout the place, making the forest darker.

“Ok... ok..." I try to focus. "Ben fell... he's unconscious, I must– I must ask for help!” I get up and turn to the forest.

I can't do it, I can’t see anything and it will take too long.

"Oh no, no, no" I walk back and forth in despair.

Maybe if I scream too loud– no, that won't work. I can't waste time. I have no ropes to pull it with, if I also fall, it’ll be our downfall, no one can find us and we’ll die.

"Agh!" Finally, an idea arrives. I hope it works. I bite my lower lip.

I walk over to the shore again and cross my legs, control my breathing and close my eyes.

I feel the earth below me, I hear the birds singing, nocturnal animals, trees, the water hitting the rocks… With each breath it’s an effort, until I slowly open my eyes.

Ben's body levitates a short distance from me. The force breaks and before his body falls again, I take his arm and with all my effort I pull him as far as I can from the cliff.

“Ben…” a line of blood runs down his forehead to his cheek.

"We must take him to a healer.” The voice startles me and I turn to meet Luke.

“Wh– Were you here the whole time?”

“There's no time, his body’s weak." He approaches and takes Ben in his arms.

Taglist: @oopsiedoopsie23​

@blackheartedspider​

@fandomshit6000​

[hail-the-supreme-leader-kylo-ren]

Kylo/Ben is the main focus of the saga. To prove this, here’s every scene he’s mentioned/spoken about in.

Rey may get more screen time, but throughout TFA and TLJ Kylo/Ben is mentioned/spoken about in many more scenes showing his importance to the saga’s story. Interestingly, in quite a few of these scenes he is actually not present when other characters are talking about him. (Yes, in some of these scene he is talking about himself). 

Let’s start with The Force Awakens: 

One:

Lor San Tekka to Kylo: “Something far worse has happened to you.”  Kylo: “You know what I've come for.” Lor San Tekka: “I know where you come from. Before you called yourself Kylo Ren.” “The First Order rose from the dark side... you did not.” Kylo: “I'll show you the dark side.” Lor San Tekka: “You may try, but you cannot deny the truth that is your family.“

Two:

Finn to the Troopers: “Ren wants the prisoner.”

Three:

Hux to Kylo: “Careful, Ren. That your "personal interests" not interfere with orders from Leader Snoke.“

Four:

Snoke to Kylo: “The droid we seek is aboard the Millennium Falcon. In the hands of your father, Han Solo.” “Even you, master of the Knights of Ren, have never faced such a test.” Kylo: “By the grace of your training, I will not be seduced.” Snoke: “We shall see. We shall see.”

Five:

Han to Finn/Rey: “He was training a new generation of Jedi. One boy, an apprentice turned against him, destroyed it all. Luke felt responsible... He walked away from everything.”

Six:

Kylo to Vader: “Forgive me. I feel it again. The pull to the light." “Show me again, the power of the darkness, and I will let nothing stand in our way. Show me, Grandfather, and I will finish what you started.”

Seven: (This one is technically only visual not a verbal mention, but I think it’s important that when Rey touches the lightsaber, the visions the Force shows her are mainly comprised of Kylo)

Eight:

Finn to Han: “He took her! Did you see that? He took her. She's gone!” Han: “Yeah, yeah, I know...”

Nine: 

Han to Leia: “...I saw him. Leia, I saw our son. He was here”

Ten: 

Han to Leia: “I know every time you... every time you look at me, you're reminded of him.” Leia: “You think I want to forget him? I want him back!” Han: “There was nothing we could've done. There was too much Vader in him.” Leia: “That's why I wanted him to train with Luke. I just never should have           sent him away. That's when I lost him. That's when I lost you both.” Han: “We lost our son, forever.” Leia: “No. It was Snoke. He seduced our son to the dark side. But we can still save him. Me. You.” Han: “If Luke couldn't reach him, how could I?” Leia: “Luke is a Jedi... you're his father. There's still light in him. I know it.”

Eleven: 

Rey to Kylo: “That happens when you're being hunted by a creature in a mask.” Kylo: “You know I can take whatever I want.” Rey: “I'm not giving you anything.” Rey: “... You... you're afraid... that you will never be as strong as... Darth Vader!”

Twelve: 

Snoke to Kylo: “The scavenger, resisted you?” Hux to Snoke: “Ren believed it [the droid] was no longer valuable to us.”

Thirteen: 

Leia to Han: “If you see our son again, bring him home.”

Fourteen:

Finn to Rey: “What happened -- did he hurt you?”

Fifteen:

Han to Kylo: “Ben! Take off that mask. You don't need it.” Kylo: “What do you think you'll see if I do?” Han: “The face of my son.” Kylo: “Your son is gone. He was weak and foolish, like his father. So I destroyed him.” Han: “That's what Snoke wants you to believe but it's not true. My son is alive.” “Snoke is using you for your power. When he gets what he wants, he'll crush you -- you know it's true.“ Kylo: “It’s too late.” Han: "No it's not. Leave here with me. Come home. We miss you.” Kylo: “I'm being torn apart. I want to be free of this pain.” “I know what I have to do, but I don't know if I have the strength to do it. Will you help me?” Han: “Yes. Anything.”

Sixteen: 

Rey to Kylo: “You're a monster!”

Seventeen:

Kylo to Rey: “You need a teacher! I can show you the ways of the Force!”

Eighteen:

Snoke to Hux: “Leave the base at once and come to me with Kylo Ren. It is time to complete his training.”

Now, let’s move onto The Last Jedi.

Nineteen:

Snoke to Kylo: “How's your wound?”  Kylo: “It's nothing.” Snoke: “The mighty Kylo Ren. When I found you... I saw what all masters live to see. Raw, untamed power. And beyond that, something truly special. The potential of your bloodline. A new Vader. Now I fear... I was mistaken.”  Kylo: “I’ve given everything I have to you. To the dark side. “ Snoke: “Take that ridiculous thing off. Yes, there it is. You have too much of your father's heart in you, young Solo.” Kylo: “I killed Han Solo. When the moment came I didn't hesitate.” Snoke: “And look at you, the deed split your spirit to the bone. You were unbalanced... Bested by a girl who had never held a lightsaber! You failed!” “Hope lives in the galaxy. I thought you would be the one to snuff it out. Alas, you're no Vader. You're just a child... in a mask.“

Twenty: 

Rey to Luke: “There is no light left in Kylo Ren. He's only getting stronger.”

Twenty-one:

Hux to Kylo: “Ren, the Resistance have pulled out of reach. We can't cover you at this distance. Return to the fleet.”

Twenty-two:

Rey to Kylo: “You are going to pay for what you did!”

Twenty-three:

Rey to Luke: “Master Skywalker, we need you to bring the Jedi back because Kylo Ren is strong with the dark side of the Force. Without the Jedi, we won't stand a chance against him.” Luke: “I've seen this raw strength only once before, in Ben Solo. It didn't scare me enough then. It does now.”

Twenty-four:

Kylo to Rey: “Why is the Force connecting us? You and I.”  Rey: “Murderous snake. You're too late. You lost. I found Skywalker.” Kylo: “Did he tell you what happened? The night I destroyed his temple, did he tell you why?”  Rey: “I know everything I need to know about you.”  Kylo: “You have that look in your eyes. From the forest. When you called me a monster.”  Rey: “You are a monster.”  Kylo: “Yes, I am.”

Twenty-five:

Luke to Rey: “For many years, there was balance.... and then I saw Ben. My nephew with that mighty Skywalker blood. And in my hubris, I thought I could train him, I could pass on my strengths. Han was Han about it, but Leia trusted me with her son. I took him, and a dozen students, and began a training temple. By the time I realized I was no match for the darkness rising in him, it was too late.” “I went to confront him. And he turned on me. He must have thought I was dead. When I came to, the temple was burning. He had vanished with a handful of my students. And slaughtered the rest.” Rey: “And you didn't fail Kylo. Kylo failed you. I won't.”

Twenty-six:

Rey to Kylo: “Why did you hate your father? Give me an honest answer. You had a father who loved you, he gave a damn about you.” Kylo: “I didn't hate him.”  Rey: “Why did you... Why did you kill him? I don't understand.”  Kylo: “Did he tell you what happened that night?”... “He had sensed my power, as he senses yours. And he feared it.” “Let the past die. Kill it if you have to. That's the only way to become what you were meant to be.” [I included this line, because this is Kylo sharing his personal mantra with Rey].

Twenty-seven:

Kylo to Rey: “You're not alone.” Rey: “Neither are you.”

Twenty-eight:

Rey to Luke: “Did you do it? Did you create Kylo Ren?” Luke: “I saw darkness. I'd sensed it building in him. I'd see it at moments during his training. But then I looked inside... and it was beyond what I ever imagined. Snoke had already turned his heart. He would bring destruction, and pain, and death... and the end of everything I love because of what he will become.” “And the last thing I saw... were the eyes of a frightened boy whose master had failed him.” Rey: “You failed him by thinking his choice was made. It wasn't. There is still conflict in him If he turned from the dark side, that could shift the tide. This could be how we win.” “Just now, when we touched hands... I saw his future. As solid as I'm seeing you. If I go to him, Ben Solo will turn.” Luke: “Rey... don't do this.” Rey: “Then he is our last hope.”

Twenty-nine:

Yoda to Luke: “Lost Ben Solo, you did. Lose Rey, we must not.”

Thirty:

Rey to Ben: “You don't have to do this. I feel the conflict in you. It's tearing you apart. Ben, when we touched hands, I saw your future.” ... “You will not bow before Snoke. You will turn. I'll help you. I saw it.”  Ben: “I saw something, too. Because of what I saw, I know when the moment comes, you'll be the one to turn. You'll stand with me.”

Thirty-one:

Snoke to Rey: “I warned my young apprentice that as he grew stronger, his equal in the light would rise.”  Rey: “You underestimate Skywalker, and Ben Solo, and me. It will be your downfall.” Snoke: “Oh... have you seen something? A weakness in my apprentice. Is that why you came?” “It was I who bridged your minds. I stoked Ren's conflicted soul. I knew he was not strong enough to hide it from you. And you were not wise enough to resist the bait.”

Thirty-two: 

Snoke to Ben: “My worthy apprentice, son of darkness, heir apparent to Lord Vader. Where there was conflict, I now sense resolve. Where there was weakness, strength. Complete your training, and fulfil your destiny.”  Ben: “I know what I have to do.”  Rey: “Ben.”  Snoke: “You think you can turn him?” “I see his mind, I see his every intent. Yes. I see him turning the lightsaber to strike true. And now, foolish child, he ignites it, and kills his true enemy!“

Thirty-three:

Rey: “Ben! The fleet. Order them to stop firing. There's still time to save the fleet. Ben?”  Ben: “It's time to let old things die. Snoke, Skywalker. The Sith, the Jedi, the Rebels.... let it all die. Rey. I want you to join me. We can rule together and bring a new order to the galaxy.” Rey: “Don't do this, Ben. Please don't go this way.” Ben: “You're still holding on! Let go!” ...  “You're nothing. But not to me. Join me. Please.”

Thirty-four:

Hux to Kylo: “Finish this? Who do you think you're talking to? You presumed to command my army? Our Supreme Leader is dead! We have no ruler!” Kylo: “The Supreme Leader is dead.” Hux: “Long live the Supreme Leader [Kylo].”

Thirty-five:

Luke to Leia: “I came to face him, Leia. And I can't save him.” Leia: “I held out hope for so long, but I know my son is gone.” Luke: “No one's ever really gone.” 

Thirty-six:

Kylo to the First Order: “Stop! I want every gun we have to fire on that man." Hux: “That's enough! Do you think you got him?" Kylo: “Bring me down to him [Luke].”  Hux: “Supreme Leader, don't get distracted, our goal...”

Thirty-seven:

Poe to Finn/Reistance: “It's Kylo Ren. Luke's facing him alone.”

Thirty-eight:

Ben to Luke: “Did you come back to say you forgive me? To save my soul?” Luke: “No.” Luke: “I failed you, Ben. I'm sorry.” Ben: “I'm sure you are!” “And when I kill you, I will have killed the last Jedi.” Luke: “Every word of what you just said was wrong.” Ben: “I'll destroy her, and you, and all of it.” Luke: “No. Strike me down in anger and I'll always be with you. Just like your father.” “See you around, kid.” Analysis: In TFA, Kylo/Ben is mostly mentioned as “Ren” by the First Order members (Hux, Snoke) and former members (Finn – who also refers to him as “he”). The exception to this is, his parents calling him “our son” — with Han once referring to him as “Ben”. So the only people in the narrative that really talk about Kylo/Ben, and reveal things about him, are the First Order, his parents, and his parents’ friend Lor San Tekka.  TLJ is very different. Kylo/Ben is still mentioned in the same number of scenes in this film, however the dialogue regarding him is far larger and is mostly coming from ‘the light side’ not ‘the dark side’ characters. Rey and Luke’s Force discussions on Ahch-To predominately mention or extensively focus on Kylo/Ben. This is because Rey’s Force journey is tied to Kylo/Ben. Similarly, Luke’s past and future redemption are also linked to Kylo/Ben. Everything in TLJ actually pivots around Kylo/Ben. In this film, Luke and Rey refer to him as “Ben Solo” and interestingly so does Yoda, and even Snoke. 

With the next film being named “The Rise of Skywalker” it seems very obvious that, Kylo/Ben (who is a Skywalker by blood) has been the main character all along, and will continue to be the story’s central focus in this final episode. Due to this, I hope that in TROS we’ll get to see a lot more screen time of Kylo/Ben, instead of characters discussing him while he’s not present. 

[elmidol]

Of the Stars, There Are So Many (NSFW)

Three Blind Tooke Part Two Precarious Harmony

Read on AO3

Warnings: sex, vaginal sex, oral, anal sex

Three Blind Tooke

Part Two: Precarious Harmony

Chapter Thirty-Seven: Of the Stars, There Are So Many

Being that the wedding ceremony was, as the new Supreme Leader of the First Order had declared, a small affair, and one that would take place so soon, you had been aware of the fact that there would be little time to select a gown. Naboo was known for its fashion. Dresses were readily available at any rate, and you had shoved aside the notion of wearing white. This was not due to the fact that you believed in the honored tradition of virgins being the ones allowed to wear that pure color. After all, you reasoned, there were other planets that used alternatives to white, such as Corellia’s favoritism of green. The red you selected was the same shade as had been your uniform when you had been a Resistance LDS. This was not an explanation that you offered to those gathered for the ceremony. All the same, you could see it in Kylo Ren’s eyes that he understood the reasoning. His mouth pulled into a frown for a split-second before his lips parted and he accepted the beauty of the dress. The gold trimmings had been an inside joke with yourself. There had been a different red gown with silver designs, and it had been gorgeous. Yet this gown gave off a more royal appearance. Perfect for the wife of the First Order’s Supreme Leader, who was also the descendant of former-Queen Amidala.

 Your mind wandered as you dressed in the gown. Had Ip remained alive, he would not have been there; his face, nonetheless, was an image you clung to in a desperate attempt to live out a fantasy wedding. Given that the pair of you had never explored a romantic relationship you did not know if things would ever have led to marriage. You liked to think he could have loved you in that way. It was difficult for you to fully bury him in the same way you failed to relinquish your father. Those two men had largely influenced the woman you had become, albeit not in an antagonistic manner as Ren had been. For your wedding, you borrowed their confidence in you. It was this that allowed you to hold your head up high, and it was also why Kylo had been forced to break eye contact with you. You wouldn’t yield.

 The marriage held minimal sentimentality for you. It was a means for you to gain power over your enemies. General Hux was a great threat to your mother, as was Captain Phasma. While you were aware of a necessity to play a more submissive role to the Supreme Leader when in the presence of the officers and stormtroopers, ultimately it was nothing more than a facade. Here and now, by holding his gaze, you communicated this fact. That he did yield to you offered a sense of comfort and power. Unlike in the past, however, you knew to read between the lines. Kylo was not entirely pleased with your behavior—he was afraid of it, of the looming sense of future betrayal on your part. The Force user was desperate for your affection. You could offer him only so much of it.

 You reached for his hand when he lifted the gloved limb. His fingers curled around you, his gaze once more meeting yours. Your expression had softened as you thought of the memory, or perhaps a mere dream, of when the two of you had been children. In some respects it pained you to think of that innocent being and what he had grown to become. The ache of knowing that he had at some point become twisted was outweighed by the relief of knowing he had streaks of mercy within him. He was selfish, without a doubt, however Kylo Ren had saved your mother.

 That minimal amount of sentimentality felt suddenly as though it weighed more than everything else in the galaxy combined.

 You are yielding to him, your mind supplied. You did not recoil from this blow to your pride, this chip to your defenses. It was a mental wound you had shouldered in the past. Back then, you had never fully realized how much you were playing into his hand. Ren had used your body against you; more than that, he had used your mind against you. Isolating you. Making you desperate for him and his company. You had formed your Resistance career around him, which had resulted in your entire life revolving around him. The difference now was that you knew what sort of being you were facing.

 No mere monster. No mere man. Your husband would be your enemy and ally at the same time. The rule of two. One day you would use the power he was offering with this union as a means to defeat him.

 Do I plan to still kill him?

 It was agonizing that you had no straight answer. The Supreme Leader had once more met your gaze. His eyes bore into yours, searching. You did not know what it was that he looked for. Your humanity? Your desire to become a monster so that you could bring down the First Order? He knew you. And it was because he knew you that his eyes darted away to Rey. The female Force user ran her tongue along her lips. The taste of power. That phrase lodged itself in your head. An impression sent to you through the bond. You heeded her warning.

 Rey had toed that line several times. On Starkiller Base and in the throne room most of all. A monster did not have to remain a monster; and monsters did not have to relinquish their humanity, not completely.

 The presence of your mother also served to ground you. Anchored to the memories of your childhood—the lessons from your father and mother alike—you viewed before yourself the man who was General Organa’s son. You had previously fallen victim to the corrosive relationship Kylo Ren had ensnared you inside of when he had taken you from your deceased allies. Obsession with one’s enemy was dangerous. Make believe with a monster who was also a man could be equally so.

 I could have loved you.

 Had things been different, you could have fallen in love with this man you were marrying. Completely head over heels in love. You would have adored him. Perhaps that was the ulterior motive. He did not wish to belong to anyone else, to have a bond—nevermind how twisted—such as the one he had with you. And you doubted anyone else would ever know you as he did. What a simple thing it would be, after the war ended, to allow yourself to live a lie. Simple, but painful.

 I could grow used to the pain.

 What a wretched thought; those who had lectured you against masturbation would have admonished you once more to hear such words. This was no lie. You tilted back your head to gaze into the eyes of the man you were marrying. The eyes of the monster who had murdered countless comrades. He was your death. He had saved you from death. Your life had wrapped around his existence. He was your life. Sometimes you just wanted to die. On other occasions, you enjoyed remaining in the land of the living.

 You’ve complicated me.

 There was a surge of envy that coursed through your veins. Tears welled up in your eyes; your subconscious stored this fact away to later pose the question as to what your mother believed you were weeping for. In the present, you fought against your quivering lip. Jealousy was hot, warming your blood. You wanted so desperately to know the thoughts running through Kylo Ren’s head at that moment. The anchor that was Rey’s presence began to fade. She was pushed to the edge of your thoughts. Not for the first time, you became tunnel visioned with Kylo as your focal point.

 The red of your attire melded together with his. Those lips, so familiar, descended. When, oh when, had the words of acceptance spilled from you? What was this weight of a ring on your finger? It led directly to your heart. A shackle that reinforced what the tattoos had previously stated: you were his. Only this time you had said as much. The kiss was gentle in comparison to the ones you had shared in the past. Brief. A seal.

 The Knights of Ren were adorned in their armor. You saw this sea of blackness when Kylo Ren pulled back and you searched for your mother’s face. Her eyelids descended repeatedly. This reminded you of times in your childhood when she had attempted to blink away the remnants of dreams when you woke her in the morning. There would be no waking up from this for her. You curled a hand towards your chest when the blackness shifted. Two of the Knights parted away from one another to allow a third a clear path forward. He, along with Rey, would be signing the document as witnesses of your union.

 Your mother pressed her lips into a thin frown, her nostrils flaring as she turned and began to walk away. You did not chase after her, opting instead to brace yourself on your father’s headstone. It had to say something, that the members of your family always left one another. You. Your father dying. You once more. Your mother not remaining any longer, and not due to the looming threat of Phasma or Hux’s presence either.

 The Supreme Leader of the First Order—your husband—drew up beside you. “I’m letting you win,” you said in a voice softer than a normal whisper. You knew by the shift of his body that he heard you. Leather cupped your cheek. You closed your eyes as Kylo turned your face towards his, and kept them closed as the tip of his nose touched against yours. “Right now I… I need your power.” He already knew this, which is precisely why he had laid it on the table for you to grab.

 “My little tooke,” he purred in that deep voice that did not veil his desires. You shuddered. Trembling, you opened your eyes and swallowed thickly against the saliva that had gathered in your mouth. “What does it taste like to you?”

 This newly found hunger for power. An unquenchable thirst for the time being; even when you had been a frustrated captive, a prisoner, you had not experienced this torture. Then, you had needed him dead. You had been able to commit yourself to fulfilling your duty. Now you did need him. Alive and well and with this power he had obtained by using Rey in his plot to kill Snoke and become Supreme Leader. You required his help to keep the forces of the First Order at bay. Without him, you doubted that you would be capable of getting into your hands the weapons necessary to kill General Hux, who remained a great threat to the remnants of the Resistance and your mother. You needed all his power could offer you.

 Kylo Ren dangled that power in front of you. Toying with you like a loth-cat with a...a tooke.

 “It’s… It’s bitter and sweet and hot and sour and it makes my stomach churn.” You almost felt like a little girl. Your hands shifted off of your father’s grave. Kylo’s eyes pinched in the corners as he grinned in amusement. Grin was not the correct term, you decided. He was smirking, self-content. He had you exactly where he wanted you at long last—in the palm of his hand. Just as on that fateful day when you had been captured. Him disappearing, turning the tables so that you were the prey and he the predator. Playing. Making you crawl backwards as he positioned you where he wanted before going in for the kill. You had started to believe that Snoke was the puppetmaster toying with your strings. He wasn’t. This man was.

 Husband.

 It did not make you feel weak as you had feared. You felt the power offered by the position of his wife. The First Order, all of those officers would be on their toes when it came to you. Kylo Ren’s mood had always been volatile. You had been his when Snoke was alive, yet an officer had struck you all the same. No one had moved to kill you. Water-boarded you and groped you until he had ordered them to not. His power over them now could not be questioned by Snoke. There was no buffer. If someone touched you…

 That power, after all of your defenselessness and being forced to live as a prisoner of the First Order, it was addicting. Kylo knew it. From his own experience of falling from the Light, he was familiar with how one sip of what he was offering could turn you. Ren enjoyed giving you tastes of power. Your mind flashed to the times he had allowed you to play lead in the bedroom. At any moment, he could turn the tides.

 I can’t let his darkness swallow me. One of the parts of you that had been so complicated by his influenced wondered what would happen if you did allow it to consume you. If Rey, at any point, fell to the dark, what would you do?

 “Hux will not be kept for long,” the Force user said, breaking you away from your thoughts. Your mind took several seconds to process the meaning behind those words. You would, for the sake of your future missions, be forced to act as though your injuries were once more getting the better of you. This was also Kylo Ren’s wedding night. He would not be able to indulge of the redhead was in the vicinity. It would crush any acting on your part. “This will allow Rey time to become better acquainted with the Knights.”

 No words escaped from you as one hand was placed on your lower back to steer you away from your father’s grave. You walked without protesting the nonverbal directions given to you by Kylo. Your eyes were on the ground. Your mind buzzing with a static-like noise. This was disrupted when Kylo Ren scooped you up into is arms. Your stomach swooped. One hand clasped the material of Kylo’s cape as you recovered from being startled. He said only a single thing to you as he walked. It was a question, him asking you which room you would prefer.

 You did not have an immediate answer for him. This was your childhood home. He had taken so much of your life from you. Had glimpsed who you had been once upon a time. Did you allow him to consummate the marriage in your bed? Would it change things if you asked him to instead have his way with you in the living room? Not the study, that was your father’s. Not the kitchen nor the library. The mental repetition of where, where, where started to drive you mad. So similar to when he had held the tattoo gun. Him asking you where you wanted it done, and you having no response. Just the same as then, Kylo Ren took matters into his own hands and chose for you.

 Using the Force to prevent a necessity to alter how he held you, Kylo opened the door to the house and began to carry you up the stairs towards your bedroom. You stared with wide eyes at each step, at your bedroom door, and at your bed. He deposited you onto the bed more gently than you had anticipated. You scooted backwards on the mattress until your rear met your pillow. Ren had not moved to undress. His eyes were freely traveling along your body and face in alteration.

 It took several seconds more before you realized he was taking in the dress again. Your wedding dress. How surreal, you thought for what felt like the hundredth time. You knew now where you would be consummating your marriage, but not how. You wondered if he would be gentle. Was that same train of thought running through his head? He had hesitated the first time, before he had had you impale yourself on—No! The scream inside of your head was your own. You pressed the heel of your hand to your temple.

 “You’re not supposed to be nervous. We’ve done it before,” you said through clenched teeth.

 With the war going on, you had not given serious thought to marriage. He likely hadn’t either. Here both of you were. Kylo Ren staring at your wedding dress. When was it that he had first known things were getting to this point? Before or after you had died? Before or after Starkiller Base had been destroyed? Before or after he had accepted that he was both man and monster? In complicating you, he had complicated himself, albeit in a less painful manner. His pain was regret. You knew by the way he was looking at you that he regretted the past. He regretted the things he had done to you, though you were doubtful he would fully admit to this aloud.

 This would have been your first time having sex if he hadn’t taken whatever he wanted whenever he wanted it. You had been raised in a manner that had left you believing you would not have sex until marriage. Here you were.

 “You’ve thought about this,” you said, earning his attention. Brown darted upwards, locking with yours. You pushed yourself off the bed. Kylo was forced to take a step backwards. You held up one hand, its back towards him. Ren furrowed his brow before realization visibly dawned on him. “My mother left before we could.” The first dance as a wedded couple. Kylo Ren placed the back of his hand against yours, the both of you shifting into the correct stance. From there, you allowed him to take the lead.

 One step forward, him first and then you. Your shoulders nearly touched. A step to the left, next the right. Kylo Ren twisted his wrist as he turned, and you followed suit. Now palm to palm, the two of you continuing to face one another. The tips of his fingers started to trail down to your wrist as you turned your back to him. Here he executed a part of the dance he hadn’t during the other occasions the two of you had done this. It was a step both of you had skipped over. Ren brought his chest against you while shifting his hand upwards. Your left hand in his. Your wedding ring and his both visible. In the past, he had allowed you to maneuver yourself so that you were chest to chest as the dance demanded. Now he did his part in spinning you outwards then in. Your heart pounded in your ribcage, and you were certain he could feel it when you were pressed up against him.

 Any hesitation he had been harboring before was now eliminated. Kylo Ren hungrily claimed your lips with his whilst pinning you down against the bed. He rocked his hips forward, pressing the evidence of his arousal into your hip. You whimpered into the kiss. He had been nibbling on your bottom lip, seeking entrance, and wasted no time in dominating your mouth more thoroughly. Goosebumps began to pimple along your flesh under the red and gold material. It contrasted with the heat that coursed through your body. You strained to listen for something to rip. You were waiting for him to tear open your dress, however he did not.

 It occured to you why he had hesitated. It was precisely the how that had caused him as much pause as it had you. Since arriving on Naboo, there had been discussions regarding playing make-believe. That could have taken part, the pair of you pretending that it was your first time. That was a pain you were grateful you did not have to endure. You did not believe it was something you would have been able to recover from.

 You shoved at the Supreme Leader’s chest simultaneous to turning your head. The need for air had become too great for you. Above you, Ren grunted. His mouth moved instead to your jawline. Yours, meanwhile, hung open as you gasped for breath. The goosebumps faded in full, replaced entirely by the heat. The mattress under you squeaked, the bedframe giving a groan. There was the phantom sensation of his flesh on yours, which contrasted with the equally powerful feel of your dress rubbing on your skin with each shift of his body.

 Kylo Ren set his knees on the bed, your hips between them and placed his hands on either side of your head. His back was arched enough to where he could dip his chin and inspect your dress. His expression mirrored the one he had worn back when you had been a prisoner of the First Order and forced to wear Naboo clothes. Hunger tinged with admiration. You averted your gaze from his face to look instead at the ring her wore. Over his glove, though you knew that would change once this was finished. He would permit you to place the ring on his naked finger while the two of you were alone.

 The Force user twisted the wrist of his left hand, his long fingers in an arc with their tips meeting your cheek. “Do you know what I called you?” A tease, bringing up the secret term of endearment he had not spoken aloud in your presence, if at all. Your eyelids drifted downwards, pausing halfway. You failed to meet his gaze. Instead you stared at his lips. Now that they had your attention, they started to move again. “When I would think of you…. When I saw the tooke hairclip, the book, the virtual pet…”

 “Did you call me pet?” you questioned, unable to remember if he had referred to you as such during any one of your numerous conversations or arguments. Those lips of his twisted upwards, curving into an amused grin. And it was a grin this time, not a smirk. He mouthed the single syllable no then said nothing more. He would not tell you, at least not now.

 The color of his irises had seemed to darken with hunger, which was fast shoving aside the admiration he held for your dress. You touched the front of the gown. A part of you did not care if it tore, while another did. You did not understand this latter portion. You were not generally materialistic, were you? Had being a captive who owned so little changed you this drastically? Above you, Kylo hummed in thought. A flick of his finger and the zipper of the gown was tugged downwards three inches by an invisible force. A fresh set of goosebumps enveloped your skin.

 Ren rose from the bed. One hand on your shoulder, he pulled you along with him. Kylo positioned you on your knees before him. Your teeth chattered together momentarily, adrenaline pumping through you as anticipation mounted. You had been expecting him to go full force. Not take his time this way. In the past, after days of no physical contact, he had been insatiably drawn to entering you as quickly as he could. It was what you had been prepared for, which now had your body reacting to the neglect.

 Your nipples were hardened buds, pressing on your bra pad. Uncomfortable. You wanted to be naked. You needed to be exposed. Blood pulsed in your ears as you tried to figure out how you felt about these emotions, these desires. His darkness was swallowing you. Desire. Passion. You seized your bottom lip between your teeth and lifted your hands to cup him through his pants. Palming him, you accepted that you were seeking out something familiar to cling to before life again thrust you towards a path with an unknown outcome. You could fail in your goals to kill General Hux and stop the First Order, or you could succeed. Only time would tell.

 This, the weight of his cock, heavy through his clothing, that was a surety.

 Ren released a sigh at your touch. His left hand met the side of your head. A gentle caress, his fingers hooking behind your head in a promise that he would only be so patient. He wanted the warmth you had to offer. He wanted to be inside of you. You opened the front of his pants, bunched up the end of his shirt and pushed it to one side, and eyed the limb that moved to assist you. Kylo pushed his pants down so that they settled mid-thigh, his erection now fully freed. You gripped his shaft, thumb skimming the spongey head of his cock and smearing the precum that had started to bead out.

 Leaning forward, you pursed your lips and let saliva slip past them, wetting his sensitive flesh. You used your hand to smear the spit along his shaft. “Such a filthy, tooke,” he growled, his hips starting to snap forward before he could fully catch himself. The fingers in your hair caught on some of your strands. The light tug had you glancing up. “Open.” A demand, one you didn’t mind fulfilling.

 You sealed your lips around the first inch, tongue thrust against him, undulating as you hollowed your cheeks and pulled back. You were allowed but a single breath before the hand that had been threatening to take control did just that. Kylo Ren tugged you forward, his cock hitting near the back of your throat as your hands shot up to brace against his thighs. You arched your back, your legs sliding behind you a fraction. Kylo had started to fuck your mouth in slow, lazy thrusts. Shallow. You rolled your tongue again. A swear left him.

 His other hand now met your head. You had less than a second to prepare yourself for the deeper thrust, for the way he made you gag before you were able to better control your natural reflexes. Tears gathered in your eyes at the pressure. Kylo straightened his arms an inch on either side to aid in tilting your head back. The new angle lessened the strain on your throat. You grunted your approval, and his cock twitched in response to the vibrations.

 The next time he pushed forward, fully sheathing himself within your orifice, Kylo Ren held you firmly in place. Your eyes bulged, panic bubbling in your chest. The intensity of his gaze on your face conflicted with how he was panting. The former in control, the latter displaying how quickly that control could crumble. One shove, and you bounced gently into the side of your mattress. He ran one, lone digit up the length of his shaft. The seam of the leather providing enough stimulation that more precum presented itself. All the while his eyes explored the colors of your dress. It was one of those rare occasions in which you did know what he was thinking. A perverted, borderline twisted, thought: he could easily make you wear white on your wedding day. Heat filled your face, a different sort than what was swirling around your abdomen.

 You felt self-conscious, virginal even. You were not with him as an enemy; this was not his quarters aboard a starship or a military base. This was your homeworld, your bedroom. He was your husband. It was intimate. Filthy but intimate. You were vulnerable. This man could easily take advantage of you, dirty you, but he held himself back.

 “Get up.” Spoken sharply. He remained in control yet was losing his patience. He wanted you. You stood up, your movements shaky, your legs wobbly. Without needing to be asked, you turned to expose your back to him. His hand yanked the zipper down the remainder of the way, though not in too harsh of a gesture. There was no threat of him tearing the gown even now. He had settled on not ruining it. You stepped out of the red and gold material, allowing him to use the Force to move the dress off to the side. Hands on you once more.

 Your undergarments did not have the same luxury of being admired. Leather gloved hands ripped the straps of your slip. The torn pieces flopped forward. Now the material reminded you of the cloth that you had been forced to wear when you had been captured. That pathetic excuse for a dress. As if it reminded him of it as well, Ren yanked down the front to expose the strapless bra. Here you had more layers on than in the past.

 “N...not like this.” It was a surprise that it bothered you. You almost fully naked. Him clothed. Ren did not force you to repeat yourself nor elaborate. He removed his gloves first. His wedding band stay on the leather finger until you removed it in unison with him unclasping his cape. Kylo Ren was bare before you were. His thumbs hooked into your panties. You stopped him from continuing by catching his left wrist and working the ring back into place.

 Kylo Ren dropped down onto one knee, genuflecting before you while also pulling your panties down to your feet. He was fast, you thought as your ass met the mattress. Your jaw dropped. His face was buried between your legs, nose nudging your clitoris and tongue flicking back and forth against your inner lips. Shoving them right then left then right. Your inner walls tightened around nothing, wetness slipping from them. You had one hand on the edge of the bed and the other on the back of his head. Kylo shouldered open your legs further. Your right leg was bent at the knee, draped over his arm, and your toes curled.

 The heat of his mouth offered such promise, one that was left unfulfilled. Hands firm on your hips, he twisted you around while pulling you down. His cock skimmed your outer lips as you were made to sit on his lap with your back to him. He had spread your legs, pushing at your inner thighs and forcing you to straddle him. One of those hands, bare and warm, made a path from your belly to your throat.

 “You have to watch, tooke. That’s what you like.” If nothing else, it was what your body enjoyed. It was what caused you to grow all the more slick. Your eyes darted down of their own accord. You observed the way he rolled his hips, his erection teasing you. Nudging your outer lips without fully parting them. Your juices smeared, and each subsequent thrust produced a wet-sounding shift as your pliant body opened to him in want. Kylo raised himself a little, angling his body and entering you as you watched your body swallow him inch by inch. “You’re mine, tooke.” There was no denying it anymore. “I’ll let you pull the trigger.”

 Not to kill him, no. To eliminate threats that would ruin the Resistance and First Order alike. That was the deal.

 He splayed his left hand palm-down on your stomach. You eyed the wedding band, and words tumbled from your mouth before you had time to think on them. “You’re mine, Ren.” A hissed yes as he bucked his hips, his hand diving down to where he was able to pinch your clit between the sides of his index and middle finger. Your legs twitched, jerking and making you pitch forward against the mattress.

 As soon as you recovered, you raised yourself up then shifted backwards, meeting his thrust. Your belly swam in delight, pleasure fogging your mind. This was so familiar, this taste of his darkness. The Darkside fed on passion, and there were times that you did see its allure. You threw back your head, cupping your own breasts through your bra. Ren’s free hand unsnapped it. You lifted your limbs long enough for it to fall away then returned to kneading yourself. His mouth was at your ear. “I’m going to fuck you on every surface in this room.”

 That was the warning he gave you before standing, his arms hooked under your legs, lifting you along with him. You were thrown forward onto the bed, landing face-first into your pillow. It muffled the startled scream at the sensation of being filled. He no longer cared if you could see. That was just as well; you were too far gone to focus on the sight. You turned your head, sucking in air between moans. Kylo’s hands were on your ass cheeks, parting them, pressing them together. Your cunt opened and tightened in alteration, tugging at him. One of the times he had you parted, you felt a glob of spit hit your entrance. It slipped downwards onto his cock. You could feel its descent as well as how it mingled with your juices, serving as a means of further lubricating you for him. His cum filled you, drawing your own orgasm from you.

 I might not have to fake anything, you thought a little while later as your husband fucked you for a second time. This was directly beside your dresser. It was this time he also located a substance that served as lube. His fingers toying with you then slipping inside of you in a new way. You sputtered out nonsensical strings of words that could not correctly be referred to as sentences.

 “Don’t worry, tooke, you’ll like it,” he promised.

 And that third time he had you shuddering as your mind tried to process whether this was pleasurable or painful or both. No… Not painful, you settled. It was so much pressure. You were on your hands and knees, and he was guiding you back towards him. Helping you forward. Drawing you back. Commenting on how tight you were, how he was finally taking the rest of your virginity. Your eyes widened, your mind buzzing. No reaction. A swirl of feelings, none taking root.

 It would be so kriffing easy to drown in his darkness, you thought. You wanted to kill him. You didn’t. You wanted to live in this moment forever, where there was no death, only physical pleasure. His fingers inside of your cunt as he jerked his hips forward again, giving you the strangest sensation you had yet experienced. His fingers ghosting over the back of your vaginal wall while his cock pressed into them from the other side. You felt so full. You were cumming again. Kylo Ren groaned, swearing and picking up his pace, chasing orgasm. You felt more full, as though there was no room left, as his seed emptied into you.

 The two of you collapsed together on the ground after he pulled out. You were a panting mess, and he was there right along with you. Less winded, maybe not quite as tired. Your eyes searched his face, darting along the scar and then finding every other familiar quality. The beauty marks. The lips. The expressive eyes.

 Sometimes you wanted to die because you had failed in your mission to kill him. That had also put you into a position of power, into a position that had allowed you to witness Snoke’s death. General Hux, the destroyer of worlds, was another whose death you wanted to watch. Kylo Ren gave you a reason to live in that. A lot of the time, you did focus on the eventual demise of Kylo Ren. Other times…

 ...there were certain kinds of pain that people learned to love. You could be dark like him. You could kill the things you loved if it came down to it...one day. You were too frightened to do that just yet. Having no other reason to live. Wanting to die but wanting to survive. You reached for Kylo Ren’s hand, clasping it and staring at both your wedding band and his.

 “I called you Fate,” he whispered. It could mean countless different things. Some loved their fate, others hated it. Some believed in fate, others did not. You tried to make your own fate. He had, by compromising you, made his own fate with you. Except you did not know what it was, that ultimate fate of this complicated life with him. Was it sadness and misery? Was it closure? “Had I remained in the Light, working alongside General Organa, perhaps I would have been you. Hunting down the greatest threats from the First Order. You were my alternate fate.” Then, by destroying what you had been, he could prove to himself that he had been right in his decision.

 One could easily love the fate they had chosen and the one they had rejected with equal fervor. In destroying you, he was destroying himself. Thus, he would forever lose that battle. The two of you were far too much alike.

 The hush that had filled the room remained a little while longer. It was broken by your snort. Kylo looked at you. “You signed your Fate.” It made more sense to you now why he had obliged in including Ben Solo. You twisted your ring back and forth. “You know, it’s strange. I changed my name, signing both it and my birth name on a form to leave this planet. To join the Resistance. That led me to you. You sign something, saying that you understand it’s permanent but not really knowing the depth of that. You and I, we made mistakes in our old names and in our new ones. It’s just a name. It doesn’t tell us who we or who we will become.

 “I...slay...monsters…” You spoke those words slowly. “I pretended it made killing easier, but it did not. I hated you when you started to tell me of the officers’ families. In another life, I could have been you. Looking at the Resistance members as monsters. War is so ugly—what happens to us when it ends? What is our fate?”

 The man you had married did not speak of his promise to your mother to return you home to her. He did not bring up the possibility that one or both of you could die. His chest rose and fell heavily.

 “The sky is clear here at night. All the stars visible. Do you look up at them?” You murmured sometimes. “There is no point in asking the fate of stars. We move onto the next group when one fades away.”

 “Some stars are not easily forgotten like that, Ren. People pick favorite stars for themselves. They name them. They matter. It isn’t easy to lose something so meaningful and not wonder what happened to it. They find the evidence, and then...” Kylo lifted his arm and touched his knuckles gently to your cheek, caressing back and forth.

 You had to live life to discover your fate. You impacted those around you without always realizing it. Your mind flashed to the moment directly before your father had released your hand. Kylo Ren’s fury, his pain over your death. If you had died, whose fate would have suffered? Who else may have died? Who else may have lived? Your mother would be dead. Knowing this caused your lips to quiver.

 “I don’t want to die.”

 That was terrifying when, before, you hadn’t fully cared one way or the other.

[defiantbird]

Top 5 Ben Solo moments that made him a significant part of the history of popular culture

Aw now I wish I gave you a more interesting question lol

Hm. This is gonna be an essay. Like so much so I’m going to put it under a read more because I don’t think I’ll be able to shut myself up. I apologize in advance. Talks of abuse, radicalization etc. ahead

1. His first scene in the The Last Jedi. It’s not often we see emotional and physical abuse of a man depicted in movies, especially in a way that leaves him so fucked up. Usually when a man takes abuse in a story he’s sort of quiet about it, toughs it out, all stoic and such. Ben TRIES to do that but, similarly to every time other he tries to pretend he’s not falling apart at the seams, he fails. He’s visibly close to tears. When Snoke hits him with lightning, he looks terrified when he sits up (and if you read the newer comics, this is far from the first time Snoke has done something like this). 

The scene brings it up yet another level when it shows how insidious abuse is; how it makes him hate himself for caring and feeling guilty, how it tries to isolate him further from his family and his conscience. This is what abuse looks like, and it’s what radicalization looks like--something that’s a big problem in young men right now. Ben is a representative of a male abuse survivor, but also a victim of the kind of indoctrination that instills this toxicity in vulnerable young men.

2. And now for something completely different--the hand touch with Rey, because Female Gaze Fuck Yeah. Honestly all of TLJ is this, but this scene I think is where it particularly started.

(Before I go on, please note that I am looking at “the female gaze” in comparison to “the male gaze”, not getting into gender and sexuality here because that’s an entire other essay)

It’s rare that we get to see a male character from a woman’s point of view WHILE still ensuring that he’s his own person and, y’know, has a separate personality that’s not just being in love with the heroine. A big part of indulging the “female gaze” is the generation of a power fantasy many women enjoy. The power she’s given? A man who listens to her, who cares about her enough to start questioning himself and his behavior, who relates to her, who isn’t afraid to be vulnerable with her. Later on, he does become a better person for her, so much better that he makes the single greatest sacrifice you can make for another person. It’s rare that we get a male character like that that isn’t just a cardboard cutout--Ben is delicious female gaze material, but he still has goals and a history and motivations of his own.

3. Killing Han Solo. The obvious reason is that Han Solo himself is a huge pop culture figure. Killing him was a BIG DEAL. Also, this one is gonna be less deep because honestly, the scene stands out mostly for the chemistry between Adam and Harrison, and how devastating it is. Ben ALMOST turns, he’s so close, and at the last moment he pulls the trigger, committing this act that he thinks is going to free him from his emotional attachment, but instead it absolutely destroys him inside. The scene is just iconic, no one could deny how powerful it was.

4. The fight on Starkiller Base. This was the moment I connected with him as a character...because I think it’s the moment when we realize (if you’re familiar with the subject) that he has a mental illness. And again...the way mental illness is usually portrayed in men? It’s usually only outwardly harmful. And while Ben’s illness is outwardly harmful as well, the fact that it’s incredibly self-destructive is something new. He beats his wounds, self-harming, using pain to try to distract himself from what he’s feeling. His over-the-top hatred of Finn is something I read as more self-loathing...Finn escaped. Finn easily did the right thing. Ben can’t escape. Ben makes the wrong decision over and over and over again, and he build on his own hurt constantly.

I know several people with all different backgrounds that relate to Ben on this level. For me, he was exactly like how I was as a kid when my depression started manifesting: lashing out due to unbearable depression, trying to cover up sadness with anger, self-harming partly as a distraction and partly as self-loathing, feeling like my parents saw me as dangerous. Ben represents SO many people and their pain. Just a few I’ve seen were others with depression, people with BPD, people with bipolar disorder, people with PTSD, abuse survivors, people who feel rejected by their parents. This is a huge part of what makes Ben such an important character.

5. The interrogation scene, and generally the way he is so not Vader. We’re right with Rey when he takes off the mask for the first time and instead of some disfigured beast, it’s this tried, sad looking young man...who is also Han and Leia’s son so, y’know, he’s a beautiful prince. The gradual reveal of who he is--this sad, lonely person hiding under a false persona and consistently failing to be something he’s not--some people saw this as a flaw. “He’s just a whiny emo brat”. But many saw this as exactly what made him great. This contrast between him and one of the most iconic villains of all time--a villain he is desperately trying to be--is what makes Ben stand out. He’s not a cold soulless monster. He has to hide his face because his face isn’t fucking scary, it’s boyish and a little awkward and very sad. That’s a big part of what fascinated me about him from the get go. You only see his bravado the entire movie up until then, and it makes you ask, “Ok, how did THIS GUY get here?”

The fact that he’s a “reverse Anakin” makes his character iconic because he’s not what we expected. He breaks the mold of the typical macho male character.  

So uh. Ahem. Yeah. I hope that wasn’t a mess to read.

[ariainstars]

Balance in the Force

“Don’t lecture me, Obi-Wan! I see through the lies of the Jedi. I do not fear the Dark Side as you do.” (Anakin Skywalker in Revenge of the Sith)

„If once you start go down the dark path, forever it will dominate your destiny.” (Jedi Master Yoda in The Empire Strikes Back)

Did anyone ever suspect that even Grand Master Yoda might not be quite right?

Are the Jedi entirely good? Is the Light Side meant to be “virtue”?

The Jedi we get to know in the prequel trilogy are neither free from flaws nor are they perfectly wise. They like to believe they are so, but looking at the facts they often don’t see what’s going on under their very noses. As Luke himself pointed out many years later, it was their hubris that led to their downfall.

We are speaking of a Council that had a Sith Lord among them for decades without realizing it.

Yoda wanted to preserve peace, but by teaching Jedi adepts for centuries to choose the Light Side, he unwittingly created an unbalance which favored the ascent of the Dark Side users, the Sith.

Besides, what was it with taking small children from their families, forcing them to become Jedi (i.e. having to live a life of sacrifice) whether they wanted it or not? And why did they equip children with a deadly weapon?

Both Obi-Wan and Yoda wanted to push Luke to commit patricide, Obi-Wan even telling him an obvious lie (that Vader had been Anakin’s murderer) for the purpose. In the Mos Eisley cantina, Obi-Wan cut off the arm of an importune although he had not attacked him, displaying an unnecessary cruelty. When he still was Anakin’s teacher he suppressed him, belittled his ideas and his need for approval, even denied him the right to worry about his own mother. Yoda did not take Anakin’s fears seriously either. The Jedi’s code of non-attachment was fatal because it made their commitment to compassion hollow. They were so far off from “mortal” issues in their ivory tower (it literally looks like one) that they no longer saw what was really important.

Are the Sith entirely evil? Is the Dark Side meant to be “evil”? 

We are led to think that the Dark Side is all evil, but looking closer, it’s not: while Obi-Wan and Yoda try to manipulate Luke, Vader is always brutally honest. 

Anakin never was in denial. He got married despite the Jedi code. He decided to embrace his feelings, including his sexuality. Not only was he obviously calm and serene (balanced and strong) after his marriage;

had he not married Padmé the children who would later bring down Palpatine’s Empire would not have been born. These children always reached out to others, no matter what they went through. 

Palpatine himself had encouraged the Jedi Council to set Anakin at Padmés side to protect her, most probably speculating that the two young people would fall in love and thus Anakin would have another weak spot; he assuredly did not imagine the role the children of this couple would play, as little as he imagined that Luke, lured to the Death Star by compassion for his father, would in the end refuse to turn, pushing Vader to redemption. 

It was Snoke who bridged Ben’s and Rey’s minds, with the purpose of manipulating Rey to come to him; he did not count with the strong connection that would arise between the two, and that this would finally mean his end. 

I remember that I was initially irritated when Han seduced Leia - I thought he was giving Luke, who was his best friend, a backhanded turn making a move on the girl they were both crushing on as soon as Luke was not around. But eventually this turned out to be the right thing, because Luke’s crush on Leia faded before he found out that she actually is his long-lost twin sister. 

Luke briefly considered killing Ben because he was afraid of losing everything he loved, yet in doing so he pushed his nephew to the Dark Side, which on the long run caused the death of Han Solo, who had been Luke’s dearest friend. 

So, from something that is or may seem bad, good can come, and vice versa. Dark and Light are not intrinsically separated from one another as Jedi and Sith like to believe. Ironically, they are very alike in this fundamental mistake. 

Looking back, I believe that Anakin was not “consumed by the Dark Side” as was said by Obi-Wan and Yoda. Half of his descent to darkness began with his training as a Jedi; when we see him again in Attack of the Clones he is already teetering on the edge, he is no longer the pure and idealistic boy he used to be. Palpatine manipulates his weakness, but that weakness was - albeit not consciously - caused by Jedi’s efforts to stunt him emotionally. They wanted to force him to make a choice, but Anakin couldn’t; he instinctively felt that it was wrong and that the Force is naturally made of both sides. He was told over and over that it is wrong to care for others, but that was the one sacrifice he was not willing to make in order to become a Jedi. 

Darth Vader’s “creation” visually illustrates this, too. Anakin is almost killed by Obi-Wan, the Jedi, and Palpatine the Sith creates Vader from his miserable remainders. 

My impression is that, being the strongest Jedi of all and the central figure in the conflict, he got between both sides and was crushed. The fact that beneath all of his power he was indeed physically and psychically broken would emphasize this.

Also, it would explain why Palpatine did not immediately contaminate Anakin’s mind but left him to the Jedi first: he needed both Forces in him. Vader’s enormous power did not come from the Dark Side, but from the conflict raging inside of him. 

In A New Hope, Vader is still mostly Tarkin’s lackey; in Return of the Jedi he is oppressed by Palpatine, his master. He is at the height of his power in The Empire Strikes Back, where he is on the hunt for his son! Which means he is yearning for the Light. (See also the symbolism of “animus” hunting for “anima”, a common trope in fables and myths.) Vader did come back from the Dark Side in Return of the Jedi; and his son could feel the conflict inside of him. But if there was a conflict, this obviously means that Vader had not chosen one side once and for all. 

Luke said to Palpatine “I will never turn to the Dark Side.” However he did so, if briefly, when he contemplated killing his own nephew. A further proof of the fact that with the Force, one cannot make a decision and pretend to stick to it for the rest of one’s life. Temptation can come at any time. 

Luke’s / Anakin’s blue light sabre, the one that calls to Rey, is commonly seen as a symbol of hope and justice. In his time as a Jedi, Anakin indeed often used it in order to help others. However he also used it when he raided the Jedi Temple and killed everybody, including the padawans. 

Kylo felt so torn apart by the conflict that he was willing to commit patricide to finally join the Dark Side for good. To no avail; he was traumatized, regretful and deeply hurt, proving that there still was good in him despite the horrible deed.

His power, too, came from the fact that he grew up with a good (at least well-meaning) family but was secretly influenced by Snoke all of the time. Like his grandfather, he was at his strongest while on the hunt for his equal in the Force: in this case, Rey in The Force Awakens. 

And both of them are never so impressive as while they fight the Praetorian Guards together as one.

The Force As the Human Psyche?

From the psychological point of view, one might say that the Light Side represents human conscience (Superego) and the Dark Side the impulse (Id). Now the Id is not “evil”; aggression and sexuality stem from the Id, which often leads to believe that it is. But the Id also means impulse, creativity, belonging. In other words, the Superego alone without the Id cannot know love. Without love, an individual cannot reach out to others, and who does not reach out to others is not evil but also not really good. For evil things to happen, not only the active participants are responsible but also the ones who do not see it, or see it too late to do something against it. The Jedi are a tragic example of this. 

Though we get to know the Jedi as the “good ones”, one of their major faults is that they live in denial. Anakin / Vader never is in denial, and neither is Ben / Kylo: both are brutally honest, to themselves as well as to others. Which is often painful for their surroundings, but both Luke and Rey need them to tell them the truth, and to force them to look at it. Luke was traumatized learning the truth about his father, but afterwards he finally became the last and strongest of all Jedi; Rey was deeply hurt when she had to accept that her parents not only were dead but had indeed not wanted her, yet later on we saw her so grounded in the Force that she could make massive rocks float. 

It may seem the most natural thing to do, and also a great honor, to become a Jedi (or a Sith) if one has the Force; but so far, we have never seen any Force user, Skywalker or not, finding happiness with this choice, whether he made it himself or whether it was thrust upon him. 

I assume there must be a way that someone can learn to use the Force without having to choose to be a Jedi or a Sith. Both of these extremes do not ensure peace and happiness, neither for the Force user nor for the ones around them. Only a balanced Force user can find happiness, and bring fulfilment to others, too. 

Leia would be a very good example for this: she always used her power for knowledge and defense, and she embraced her desire for belonging and her sexuality, too. She is very rightly paired off with Han, who used to be a small criminal but never was actually evil, and later used his shrewdness, earned through his many adventures, to help others.

So, what does this mean for Episode IX, the ending and culmination of the saga? Since the classic trilogy ended with the victory of the Light Side and the prequel trilogy told us the victory of the Dark Side, it can only end with Balance.

However, I am not sure that Ben Solo and Rey will “bring Balance to the galaxy” with their union. They must first and foremost find balance within themselves, and thus be the first of a new kind of Force users.

Rey was not tempted by the Dark Side yet; I am positive however that it is an important experience she must make, and her approaching the ruins of the old Death Star, where Palpatine is most probably lying in waiting, would hint at something like that.

 Ben Solo, on the other hand, must prove that he has overcome the resentment in his heart. He needs to be an example for the fact that someone can go down the dark path, come back to the light and survive, and still want to reach out to other people. He needs to find forgiveness and new life despite his sins, not to be punished for them and forgotten. 

Ben and Rey need to show the galaxy at large that Balance is possible; that a Force user, whether he is a Skywalker or an absolute nobody, needs not choose one side but that they can very well use the best from both sides; and that to preserve peace and justice one does not need to become a Jedi, but that anyone can do so who is balanced inside. 

Because in the end, the Force is neither simply Light and Dark, nor is it grey; it creates diversity and binds everything and everyone together.

“You refer to the prophecy of The One who will bring balance to the Force. You believe it’s this boy…?” (Mace Windu to Qui-Gon Jinn in The Phantom Menace) 

It is largely believed in the fandom that Darth Vader ultimately brought the much-needed balance by killing Palpatine. However, that act meant the destruction of the Dark Side and the victory of the Light Side of the Force: and if one side remains stronger than the other, that does not mean balance. Which could explain why, when we see our heroes again about 30 years after their “happy ending”, they do not look happy at all and we learn about a lot of disappointment and disillusion which they had to live through. 

Nevertheless, I do believe that when all will be said and done, we will realize that Anakin Skywalker was indeed the Chosen One. 

“Fear leads to anger, anger leads to hate, hate leads to suffering.” (Yoda in The Phantom Menace) 

Logically this must also mean that trust leads to serenity, serenity leads to love, and love leads to happiness. The old school Jedi may have been wise, but we never saw them display affection for anyone. Their fear of the Dark Side and philosophy of detachment was literally their doom; they feared Anakin Skywalker too much to show him the love and offer him the belonging he so desperately wanted. 

It is true that fear and anger lead to the Dark Side, but the quickest way to fall prey to fear and anger is to deny that one feels them in the first place. Denial was the Jedi’s first step down the path that led to their doom, and plunged the whole galaxy into darkness. That he never denied the truth of his own emotions, nor of anyone else’s, was perhaps Anakin’s greatest strength of all. 

To value love enough that he was willing to die for someone he cared for was perhaps the hardest, but most important lesson the Chosen One had to learn, and which he passed on to his successors.

[chiclet-go-boom]

waxing philosophical about star wars on main because i don’t do side blogs

There’s a meta post from @symptomofconvalescence going around this morning about Kylo Ren/Ben Solo that crossed my dash a couple of times, stating that the base of his character is wanting to be loved and valued and seen. I don’t normally involve myself with meta discourse but I quietly disagree with most of the opening statements although I’m in general agreement with the tone of the conclusions, so I’m going to take a minute to talk about why. I’ll quote the relevant passage below: 

Fundamentally, he wants to be loved, he wants to be valued, he wants to be seen. But he isn’t getting that love or understanding. Very early on in his life, he becomes convinced that his family betrayed him- justly and unjustly at the same time. His family loved him but they did make mistakes, grave mistakes, and Snoke was there to take advantage of that immediately. Understandably, he turns to Snoke who promised to make the pain go away, to make him a new person. But at some point he realizes that Snoke never cared for him either, and his heart and loyalties complete their shift to Rey. When Rey leaves him, he feels that he truly has no one left he can care for and no one who can care for him, so he spirals out of control into despair and anger.

Some quick notes on this:

Kylo’s had love and rejected it.

Kylo knows he has value - he’s had both sides of the sith/jedi line fighting over him his entire life after all and they’re still fighting. His entire life is a smoking battleground because of it.

Kylo doesn’t turn to Snoke because he thinks his mentor cares about him or is offering him less pain or an easier path. The Dark path is notoriously hard to walk. He doesn’t turn from Snoke to Rey because Rey cares more or that he wants someone to care about. Caring isn’t the problem here. 

What Snoke promised and what he killed Snoke for, was acceptance.

A statement to start with. Ben Solo is an extremely powerful Force user and part of his skill set includes both defensive and offensive telepathy, empathy and mental manipulation (along with incredibly fine-grained telekinesis and battle precognition but while I could absolutely get into that, it’s irrelevant to this post). He has the ability to break minds and extract information with ease and in movie-canon he appears to be Snoke’s chief torturer in that respect, sent to interrogate both Poe Dameron and Rey with the implication that this is just part of what he does for the First Order. 

Kylo knows he’s loved because he’s empathetic. He is also not unaware of what Snoke feels about him which isn’t going to be any kind of tender emotion like caring, except in the possible sense of how one might care for a pet - some amalgamation of possessiveness and pride and control for owning something rare and unique. When Han tells Kylo that he’s being used and will be discarded, that isn’t any sort of revelation; he knows that Snoke is trying to break him, trying to sift out the pieces that Snoke doesn’t want.

What Snoke offered to Ben was acceptance of who he was. Snoke wasn’t afraid of Ben’s anger - in fact, he praised him for it, elevated him for it, told him to embrace it, told him he could use it. Growing up with every adult in his life afraid of him on some level, that had to have been a very tempting feeling, to be wanted for exactly the flaw that everybody else wants you to carve out of yourself. Did Snoke stoke that feeling? Absolutely. Did he poison all of Ben’s interactions to make that crevasse, that disconnect wider and wider? You know he did. But it was still there to start with, Snoke just made it deeper and darker. 

That’s how the Dark works and what the Dark promises. That it’s possible to be self-contained, beyond all reproach, beyond all judgement if you’re willing to do whatever it takes to get there. Self above everything, above all things — everything else, every one else irrelevant. Ben felt (and for practical purposes was) betrayed by everyone in his life and Kylo is on a quest to amass enough power now — secular, mystical, emotional — that he can’t be judged and found wanting by anyone anymore. 

He wants to stop feeling bad about who he is. Wants desperately to stop caring what other people think of him because for all this power, all this potential, he’s been told over and over again that his essential nature is wrong and always has been.

Circling back, there is no way Kylo’s unaware of what his mother and his father feel for him - he’s right in front of Han after all, who I will remind everybody has nothing in the way of Force defenses, while they talk on the bridge in that pivotal scene in The Force Awakens. Han is pouring out likely megatons of emotion at his son in those few minutes - love, regret, guilt, compassion, determination, desperation - along with his verbal words begging his son to please come home, that he is loved and that he is wanted. Han’s not lying. And notably neither is Kylo which is why the whole thing is so terrible. 

For while Kylo verbalizes his conflict, acknowledges that he still feels, still cares, he still sacrifices his father because what Kylo wants in that moment is more important than his father’s actual life. That’s a quintessential Dark side move even if the aftermath didn’t necessarily accomplish all that it was supposed to. In that moment, Kylo chose himself while looking love right in the face.

So love isn’t what Kylo wants because he’s got that and it so very clearly isn’t enough. 

(As an aside, he’s in communication on some level with Leia in The Last Jedi when he’s targeting the command deck of the Raddus, although whether its empathic or telepathic isn’t stated nor what specifically passes between them. Simple awareness? Actual conversation? It does, however, turn Kylo back from matricide so the question there is - why? Love didn’t stop him before so why does it stop him now? You could argue that since killing Han didn’t bring him what he wanted, he’s reluctant to sacrifice his mother for the same net zero gain. There’s a ton of nuance here, it’s not going to be a single, clean answer for this. Did he blame his father more? Does he blame his mother less? Anyways.)

As for the question of value, Ben Solo has been in the middle of a vicious tug of war since he was in the womb and he knows it. Yet neither side wants him as he is. He’s got too much Dark for the Light to trust him - hence Luke’s betrayal, Han and Leia’s abandonment. He’s got too much Light for the Dark to be able to use him easily - hence Snoke’s escalating (and calculated) disgust and ridicule, keeping Kylo unstable. Snoke is Dark but not Sith; it’s fairly obvious from the outside perspective that he’s not teaching his apprentice to surpass him, as a Sith master should, but to make him strong in the Force while keeping him emotionally weak and manipulatable. 

The Jedi espouse that there is no emotion, except in the abstract. The Sith espouse that the only feelings that count are the ones that aggrandize the self. Ben didn’t fit into the first and Kylo can’t fit into the second no matter how hard he tries.

So what Kylo is truly looking for is acceptance for who he is and how he is, which is why Snoke ended up dead on his throne because in that moment after touching hands through the Force bond with Rey, Kylo thought he’d finally, finally found it. 

Which bring us to Rey.

Rey is uniquely positioned to understand both Ben Solo and Kylo Ren. First, the Force Bond has made her confront her own prejudices as Kylo makes her question the lies she was told and the truths she wasn’t and she can feel what he feels, all that swirling rage and hurt. She’s also grown up alone and rejected and carries her own scars because of it, even as she managed to hang onto both hope and compassion when Ben couldn’t. Rey is angry over what was done to her. But better, Rey is furious over what was done to him. 

That isn’t abstract emotion. That isn’t generic Jedi compassion for all living things. That’s Rey, willing to confront the legendary Luke Skywalker over what he did to Ben specifically and then completely abandon her mission to recruit the Jedi back to the Resistance because of it. 

Rey is the only one who could look at Kylo Ren and see all that he is and accept it because fundamentally that’s who she is too. Look at Rey when she fights. She’s not in the least passive about it, she’s channeling nearly as much rage as Kylo does. She’s not trained in the Dark, she doesn’t accept the mandates of the Dark but she’s not Jedi either. She feels too much, just like Kylo does. 

But… she doesn’t accept him. In the home stretch in the throne room, Kylo planted his feet on all the choices that got him this far and chose himself, chose to consolidate personal power regardless of everything and everyone else — and Rey chose the good of the many over the needs of the one. They were both right. And they were both wrong.

But the crux of it is that it’s not about love or value at all, that’s not the essential problem. Rey and Kylo can love each other to the ends of the universe and back if they want to, see themselves mirrored in each other, understand each other, and it’s still not going to change anything.

They have to accept each other, as they are, without trying to change each other’s essential nature. Rey wanted Ben and refused Kylo and that’s where it all blew up and we ended up with a kyber crystal that split itself in half rather than decide.   

[blarfkey]

Armistice -- Reylo ficlet

So I’m spending part of my quarantine digging up old fics and polishing them. I wrote this down right after TROS as a way to let some of the Reylo out of my system. I never intended on publishing, but I’ve grown more proud of it. Tell me if I should throw up on AO3.

BTW -- this is only been lightly beta’d lol. 

~~~~~~~~~~~

Ever since Crait, that last look Rey sees on Kylo’s—on Ben’s face—haunts her. As she stared him down from the ramp of the Millennium Falcon, she expected to see anger reflected back at her. Or hatred, jealousy, murderous intent. Especially after hearing how vicious and unhinged his fight was with Luke, how he ordered everyone in the base killed on sight.

Instead she just sees . . .

Grief.

But what haunts her the most is how easily it settles around him, like a second cloak. It’s not a fresh and angry wound, it’s a scar that aches in the middle of the night, that signals the weather, that looks back at you in every mirror.

It’s an old friend.

She knows grief like that.

In the desert, there was always wind whistling through the gaps in her makeshift home. On the Falcon, the ship sang to her in various groans and beeps and whistles. Now, settled on Ajan Kloss, they have to sleep with ear plugs to block out the deafening noise of the jungle.

But nothing is louder than the silence that triggers the Force Bond. It’s her only warning, that sudden dampening, as if someone opened the airlock on a ship. The lack of noise is worse than the noise.

Rey braces herself. So fast—so unpredictably—does he flicker between Kylo and Ben—she never knows what to prepare for. At least on Ahch-to, she had her own anger, her own grief, to guide her. But now boundary lines between friend and enemy have muddled, colors running together to create something she has no idea how to quantify.

He could scream at her or beg for her and she doesn’t know which one is worse. Or how she would react to either.

Instead, only the silence greets her.

Rey turns around and finds him on her bed, laid out on his back, one arm bent against his chest, the other nestled against his side.

He looks dead.

Fear—sharp and surprising—rises in her throat and she takes careful, silent steps towards him. Close enough to see his chest fall ever so slightly. Her own chest rises and falls with her relief, and then she chastises herself for being ridiculous. Of course he’s not dead. She would know— instantly—

He snorts softly in his sleep. Rey freezes, both dreading and hoping for the moment he wakes up. His head drops to its side and does not stir again.

She hears nothing but the sound of his breathing, deep and even. The first time he took off his mask struck her speechless. The monster she had feared looked so young. So impossibly human.

And that’s the way he looks now, in the dim light of her room. He sleeps with the depth of the exhausted and it has eased the furrow in his brow, the drag of his lips, hidden the ferocity of his eyes. He looks like a vision of another person, another Ben, someone who didn’t turn, someone whose hand she could take.

It’s that thought that carries her to the edge of the bed. She hesitates a moment before slowly lowering herself to perch on the edge.

Still he does not wake.

Her hand reaches out and nudges a lock of his hair from his forehead. He has a mole, buried in the hairline by his temple. The urge to kiss it rises up in her, fueled by the knowledge that she could probably get away with it in his current state. Rey swallows, brings her hand down to his chest, and clasps his hand—the one she could not take -- in her own. Her palm rests whisper-light against the back of his hand, her fingers barely skimming the sides of his own.

She sits like this for a long moment, watching him breathe, tracing the lines of his profile. Trying to remind herself of who he could be, if she could just reach him. Any moment now, the connection will break and this moment will become just a memory, but right now, it’s real and it’s hers. It’s one moment of peace between them after so much fighting, so much pain and bitterness and betrayal.

The press of his thumb jolts her from her thoughts. She stares as it brushes, almost reverently, across her knuckles. Her heart leaps in her throat, forcing her to take long, deep breaths. She drags her gaze to his face precisely because of how afraid she is to do it.

His eyes are heavy-lidded from sleep and look at her with such yearning, it hits her like a sucker punch. She hardly dares to breathe as he lifts her hand slowly, gently, to his lips.

His mouth is hot like a brand.

And then he’s gone.

When he saw Rey at his bedside, he thought he had dreamed her. He had been awake for days, the sting of their loss on Crait sending the rest of the First Order scrambling. There was no way she could be real. After all they put each other through, he expects nothing more than her rage.

Such raw power, such feral anger—she reminds him so much of himself. She walks the knife’s edge; if he thought he could just reach her, he could tip her over into the abyss with himself.

But that was Snoke’s desire. He doesn’t want her to turn, to lose that brightness within her, he just wanted—wants—her near. He wants to not be alone. He wants someone who understands him, who looks at him full of hope, and kindness—like she did in the elevator.

And for a moment, his weak, stupid self thought he could have it.

So when he felt her fingers ever so carefully latch onto his, he knew it was a trick of the mind—a fresh way to torture himself. He kissed her hand the way he would have done if she had taken it—and then he woke up.

Now he stares down at her prone form, her knees tucked into her chest, breathing deep and even, and realizes it was not a dream at all.

Rey of Jakku sleeps the rest of the exhausted. She does not stir at his sudden presence. His lightsaber hangs from his belt. He could kill her before she could take her next breath.

Even lost in the depths of his anger, he never had the will to act on such a thought. And he doesn’t think he ever shall, even if her own blade sits at his throat.

In sleep, her hair drapes in disarray. It spills over her shoulder, dangerously close to catching in the small, open-mouthed snores that tumble from her lips.

He remembers—suddenly—vividly—her fingers brushing back a lock of his hair from his brow. In his dream state, it had felt like his mother.

In that moment, she could have done herself the favor of killing him.

(If she had turned like he thought he wanted, she would have.)

Slowly, on the verge of chastising himself, he kneels at the side of her bed and reaches out.

Instantly, he recoils at the stark contrast of his dark leather gloves against the paleness of her cheek. It reminds him too much of the interrogation chamber, of how deeply he tried to frighten her— precisely because she unsettled him so much.

Of how terribly that backfired on him.

Finger by finger, he tugs off his glove before reaching for her again. The wavy strands of her hair feel glossy against his finger tips. He keeps his touch feather-light as he tucks her hair behind her ear, hardly daring to believe his own audacity. A lock of her hair slips back like water down her cheek. His thumb brushes against the shell of her ear as he brushes it back.

She mumbles something too garbled and faint to understand, her hand drifting to wrap softly around his. He freezes when her eyes start to flutter open, struggling to drag herself from sleep. He needs to step away—he needs distance—what is she going to think when she wakes to him touching her—

Frozen in place, he watches helplessly as the fog of sleep clears from her gaze. He sees the exact moment clarity appears, when reality crystallizes behind those eyes.

His breath lies trapped in his lungs, bracing for her reaction.

She tenses beneath him, muscles coiled and ready—a wariness that tries hard not to tumble into fear flashing in her eyes.

It shames him. When he saw her at his bedside, even as a dream, her presence never struck him as anything but welcome.

He hovers over hers like a nightmare.

He pulls his hand back, but she only grips it tighter, her eyes searching his with an intensity that makes him feel horrifically exposed.

“Hello, Ben,” she murmurs, voice soft with sleep.

He swallows against the lump in his throat. The name doesn’t hurt like it used to.

“I thought it was a dream,” he whispers to her. “But it was you, wasn’t it?”

Maybe that’s why he’s here, hand clutched in hers, to confirm for himself the moment that has haunted him.

“Yes.” Her gaze dips away from his with faint embarrassment. “I’m . . . sorry.”

Sorry . . . to offer him mercy, kindness, comfort . . . when he deserves nothing but her all-consuming rage.

He shakes his head. “Look at what I’m doing.”

His hand is still buried in her hairline, thumb still resting against her ear.

It’s not so much a smile as the possibility of one that softens her mouth. Memories from the elevator flash across his mind. It’s as hard to look away from her lips then as it is now.

If she hadn’t disappeared, he doesn’t know what he would have done.

The first thing Leia taught her in her training was how to sense and block others with the Force. Knowing how Rey’s interrogation went with Kylo Ren, keeping him from discovering the base becomes a matter of the greatest priority. Especially since there are so few of them left.

Rey expected the bond to die along with Snoke, not to become stronger. When they touched hands on Ach-to, it felt nothing as solid as the lips on her fingers, that first night in her room. And the touch of his hand in her hair, beneath her fingers—it took a long moment of panic before she could convince herself that he hadn’t physically broken into the base.

When they come together, it feels too real. What would happen if they started seeing each other’s surroundings? What if he hears Leia in the background?

The risk is too great. So Rey spends weeks building up her walls until she can’t feel him anymore. Each time it feels like a betrayal, an abandonment.

Each time does not get easier.

That agility course will be the death of her. She knows it. It’s impossible. If Luke finished it, then he’s a goddamn liar.

Oh, but she came so close today.

She collapses on her pallet in the Falcon, utterly drained. In fact, as the pull of sleep grows heavier, she nearly misses the sudden density of silence, a pleasant weight beside her, another warm breath near her ear.

Rey’s hand flops to the side and it hits something—someone—solid.

She turns sluggishly to face him. He lies next to her, on his side, dark circles haunting his eyes.

It has been months and months since she has seen him or felt him. What does it say about her that she missed these stolen moments of peace?

His eyes track hers with a dark intensity that was not present in their previous interactions. A thread of unease runs through her. Rey swallows and burrows her head into her pillow.

“I’m too tired for a fight,” she murmurs to him.

“I don’t want one.”

But his eyes say differently. They bear down on her, as fathomless as space, only made sharper by the dark circles that lie underneath.

Tentatively, Rey reaches out and brushes her hand against his cheek. She has much more experience in provocation than comfort, especially with him, but she doesn’t like the hard edge of that look in his eyes. Something has changed between then and now, despite them not having a formal confrontation since Crait.

Are you alright? she wants to ask. What happened? What did I do?

Ridiculous questions, each one. As if he would answer. As if she doesn’t already know the answer.

Her thumb swipes delicately across his cheekbone as her fingers trace the stark line of his jaw. His eyes flutter closed. He feels so warm, solid, and alive underneath her touch. It is almost impossible to believe that he isn’t in this very room with her.

The dip of his scar brushes against her thumb and she flinches, jerking her hand away. His eyes snap open, his gaze sharpening with—not condemnation, exactly . . .

Acknowledgment.

“You should admire your handiwork,” he murmurs, pressing her hand with his against the scar.

Rey swallows. Presses her palm down the ridge of his scar as if she could erase it with her touch. In that moment, she had been feral with rage. If the earth had not shattered in half, she might have very well killed him. In fact, as she boarded the Falcon while his reinforcements were out of sight, she believed she had.

The first time she saw it, his scar—blackened with stitches—she felt a surge of pride. The great and fearsome Kylo Ren, taken down by a scavenger with a borrowed lightsaber she had never used before

Now the sight of it makes her sick.

“I’m sorry,” she whispers.

“Don’t,” he bites back.

Don’t start, his eyes say to her. Don’t say things you can’t take back.

So far, there has been an unspoken rule—do not mention the past. They are skirting dangerously close to breaking it.

“Okay,” she says, tracing the edge of his hairline, whispering over the mole she discovered. “Okay.”

For a long moment, they do nothing but gaze at each other. Rey catalogs the freckles and beauty marks dotting along on his cheeks and forehead, the slope of his nose; the faint shadow of stubble above his lips. An unwelcome truth struck her,  as it did that moment on their way to see Snoke: how could someone mired in so much darkness be so beautiful?

Because he had so much light just waiting to be uncovered—or so she thought. As if Rey, a nobody, could have ever been enough to reach him in such inky darkness.

What thoughts must he have for her, she has no idea, as his gaze skates from her brow, to her nose, to her lips. Whatever they may be, his gaze sharpens with sudden resolve. His hand bridges the distance to cups her cheek, her jaw, the broad span of his palm a warm, comfortable weight.

She leans into hit.

“I’m coming for you, Rey,” he says. “I won’t stop until I find you.”

She swallows.

Something surges in her core, crackling underneath her skin.

It’s not fear.

Anticipation.

“And what exactly is going to happen to me when you do?” she finds herself whispering back.

“You’ll find out when I get to you.”

She swallows, her eyes dipping down to his mouth. “That’s if you catch me first.”

He mirrors her gaze, eyes locking on her lips, much like they did in the elevator.

“I guess we shall see,” he says.

He leans into her, thumb dragging across the corner of her mouth—

For a wild moment, she thinks he is going to kiss her.

For a wild moment, she is going to let him.

And then he’s gone.

[aeternallis]

A rant against the “Reylo In Depth” video on Youtube -- Mini Meta on Ben Solo’s Redemption

So I was watching the newest "Reylo In Depth" video on Youtube that the Den of Nerds had released about a week ago. I have to admit, while it was fun and somewhat interesting listening to both Vincent and Josh talk, there's this one idea of theirs near the end of the video that I just...totally and completely and fundamentally disagree with, to the point that I now feel compelled to ramble into the void that is this hellsite.

But before I get into that, let me just say right now that I'm honestly surprised that the video is called "in-depth," as the content of what they talk about in regards to the pairing is pretty much a surface level rehash of the beautiful and incredible metas written on here, and may I just add, but not nearly as eloquent. Lol

But for what it's worth, it was an interesting watch to pass the time while I ate my dinner and washed the dishes afterwards.  

Anyhow, this idea of theirs that I have decided (on a whim, mind you) to wholeheartedly fight against until the release of EP IX is the notion that, and I quote:

"...it would be super unfair if A, Kylo gets to rule the galaxy and then B, gets to be redeemed without dying, like--who is this guy? Y'know what I mean? He gets to do the Anakin without the Anakin."

First off, I do understand why these guys would think it's unfair for Ben to live after all this drama with the First Order and the Resistance is over and done with, I do. Ben has killed many people, whether by his own hands or by his direct orders, there is undoubtedly blood in his hands, least of all Han Solo's.

However, be that as it may, I don't really think Josh and Vincent understand the fact that redemption isn't done overnight, or even two or three years down the line of someone's life. More often than not, fictional characters who go through a personal redemption arc usually spend the rest of their lives atoning for the crimes they've committed.

We don't know at this point if JJ Abrams will redeem Ben's character or if he will be killed off as the main villain of this franchise, but I can say without a doubt that should Ben Solo return by the end of the sequel trilogy, his "happy" ending will not be what most people consider in the truest sense of the word.

For the rest of his life, Ben will have to bear the painful memories of what he's committed, and without a doubt, there will be more than his fair share of individuals who would be more than justified in hurling their grudges against him. Because for all the unseen atrocities he's done so far and during his tenure as Kylo Ren, he does still have a conscience.

We see glimpses of it throughout TFA: choosing unconsciously to spare Finn when the latter hesitated in participating in the mass murder of the village, his gentleness with Rey during the interrogation scene, and his unwillingness to kill her during their fight in the forest.

Hell, even with his act of patricide against Han, we see his conscience coming into play when he thanked his father after plunging the lightsaber through his chest. If anything, the crime of killing his father wasn't done out of hate or bitterness, but rather out of desperation.  

In TLJ, we see the after effects of his mind tearing itself apart from what he'd just done. We see it again when he couldn't pull the trigger against his mother, and once more when he, without hesitation, chose to save Rey from Snoke rather than "fulfill his destiny."

And, forgive me for going off on a bit of a tangent here, but personally, Ben Solo's trajectory towards redemption reminds me a lot of a character from an anime/manga series called Rurouni Kenshin.

Just as a quick summary, RK is a series about a fictional character named Himura Kenshin in his late twenties who murdered hundreds of people during the end of the Bakumatsu Period in pre-Meiji Japan. He bears a cross-shaped scar on his face, which in essence is the metaphor and visible reminder of his bloody past. After the war ended and the country began to westernize, he disappears from historical records, and for ten long years, atones for his past as the "Battousai" (his nickname when he was an assassin during the war).

How does he atone, you ask? He wandered the countryside all over Japan (in the series, he calls himself a "rurouni", meaning a vagabond or wanderer, hence the title of the series) helping and protecting people. He does this by wielding a reversed-blade sword (meaning, the sharp end of his sword is faced away from his opponent), with a vow never to kill again. 

It isn't until he meets a young woman, a kendo instructor by the name of Kamiya Kaoru and other new friends that he begins to value his own life once more (because he had killed so many people before, this subsequently caused him to no longer care about his own life), all the while still continuing to repent for his crimes.

Throughout the series, Kenshin reflects about his past crimes a number of times, as well as the life lessons he's learned during his ten years of wandering and helping people. However, one particular line from the series specifically jumps out at me, and I believe, totally and completely applies to Ben Solo, if/when he is redeemed:

"You can die at any time, but it's living that takes true courage."  

If we're talking about what Ben Solo deserves and what's fair or unfair in his course to return, then on the contrary, he doesn't at all deserve to die at the end. For him to die would be the easy way out, and quite frankly, lazy storytelling, imo. Rather, his repentance would come in the form of atoning for what he's done, in whatever way that may be and living for the people he had killed, for his family who had sacrificed their own lives for him.

In essence, to bear the pain of living.

Of course, just because he has to endure this for the rest of his life it doesn't mean that he has to be alone in doing it. Loving Rey--and having Rey by his side won't ever erase the crimes he's committed, nor is it her job to atone with and/or for him--but what she can be is his pillar of strength, his beloved whom can lend him her support, loyalty, and her love (as she's already shown in TLJ), his rock, his inspiration to become a better person.

How beautiful would it be if in essence, through Reylo's love story, Disney sends out the message that you can make so many mistakes in your life, but don't ever be afraid to take a second chance to atone for those said mistakes, and more than anything else, take strength and inspiration from someone you love in order to accomplish just that?

From a storytelling perspective, Ben Solo’s death would accomplish nothing. His death wouldn’t bring back the people he’s killed, nor will it bring Luke and Han back to life. It wouldn’t move the story forward, and perhaps I’m being too arrogant in saying this, but it would be detrimental to the overall plot. 

So to conclude this mini-rant and go full circle in going against what Josh and Vincent said: no, it's not that Ben Solo will "get to do an Anakin without the Anakin," that's not it at all. 

Rather, Ben Solo will get the chance to do what Anakin Skywalker couldn't: atone for his mistakes.    

[storytellerren]

Reflections

A thorough examination of Rey and Kylo Ren and their scenes together in the Sequel Trilogy

This whole meta came about as a way to understand why Kylo Ren’s hunger for honesty in The Last Jedi was so goddamn sexy to me. Apart from the pornography that is Ben Swolo, why did the way he demanded Rey be honest with him and with herself feel so tense and sexual? Pondering an answer has led me to insights about their characters that I’m sharing here. It won’t be brief--I’m afraid I’m in over my head--but it is what it is. So let’s go!

DISCLAIMER:

A lot of the ideas I will mention have already been discussed within the fandom, but I couldn’t even begin to remember where I heard some of it or know who to give the credit to. Dissecting these characters is a collaborative effort. So building on the brilliance of others, let me add some of my thoughts--from a background in literature, creative writing and film--to the conversation.

Also, I will only be using the movies as a foundation for my claims. I realize that there’s tons of other canon material, but I think I can make my points using just The Force Awakens and The Last Jedi.

Before a writer even begins putting words on paper they must first do some foundational character work. Following those steps, I’m going to take Rey and Kylo and whittle them down to their cores, and I’m going to use the first half of The Force Awakens to do it. What follows that will be a detailed breakdown of every scene they’ve shared so far in the Sequel Trilogy. Oh man, my typing fingers are already trembling!

WHAT REY AND KYLO WANT

I am a big fan of Lisa Cron and her books Story Genius and Wired for Story. Cron is known for her discussion of the storytelling elements that are hardwired into our brains. Among them is giving your characters the proper start. Cron says that a protagonist must begin the story with two things:

In each movie Rey and Kylo have specific desires. In TFA Kylo wants to find Luke and Rey wants to get BB-8 back to the Resistance. In TLJ Kylo wants to get rid of Snoke and Rey wants to bring Luke back to the Resistance. (Is Rey the freaking errand girl for the Resistance?) But this is a trilogy which means that what they really want is much bigger and their specific goals are just steps towards achieving their ultimate desires. So here’s what I’ve decided are Rey and Kylo’s deep-seated desires the first time we see them in TFA.

REY WANTS A DESTINY

KYLO WANTS FREE WILL

Don’t worry, we’ll talk a lot more about their desires, but for now we must move on to misbeliefs. Cron compares the misbelief to the “fatal flaw” or “the wound the protagonist enters with.” She calls it a misbelief because the audience knows it is wrong, but the protagonist doesn’t. In fact, the protagonist must believe in it with all his heart. How he overcomes his misbelief is what the story is about.

Now for Rey and Kylo’s defining misbeliefs:

REY BELIEVES HER PARENTS WILL RETURN AND BESTOW HER WITH A DESTINY IF SHE IS PATIENT AND HOPEFUL

KYLO BELIEVES THAT HE MUST LET GO OF OR CONCEAL HIS PAST IN ORDER TO WRITE HIS OWN FUTURE

So let’s put it all together…

Rey believes that when her parents return for her, she will finally understand her place in the galaxy. They will give her a family name and a group to belong to--bequeathing her a destiny. Kylo believes that if he sheds the Skywalker/Solo name, then he can finally choose who he is and where he belongs--writing his own destiny. You’re starting to see where I’m going, aren’t you?

Since the Star Wars movies are always coming of age stories, Rey and Kylo are essentially seeking identity, but they’re going about it in opposite ways. It’s because these two characters are reflections of one another, created to strengthen the other’s arc. That’s what good writing strives to do, and you can bet that Disney knows this. He might not look it, but the Mouse is a master storyteller.

The very first time we see Kylo Ren he is decked out from head to toe in the costume he created to conceal his true identity. He goes by a different name, a name that recognizes him as the leader of a new kind of family, and this time it is a family of his choosing: the Knights of Ren.

Kylo’s first interaction is with Lor San Tekka who, with almost every line of dialogue, attempts to remind Kylo of his origin. “You may try but you cannot deny the truth that is your family,” San Tekka says, to which Kylo replies, “You’re so right,” and cuts him down.

Kylo is obviously referring to Darth Vader being part of his bloodline too. After all, in an act of rebellion against his family, Ben Solo created Kylo Ren--with Snoke’s guidance--as a sort of second Vader. (Note: Vader, not Jedi Anakin Skywalker). And let’s not forget that “Kylo” comes from SKYwalker and SoLO. So you could argue that part of Kylo doesn’t want to let go of his past, and at the very beginning of the story I would probably agree. But I would also argue that Kylo only wants to hold onto the parts of his past that suit him. He wants to choose which parts of it will define him and hide the rest under the mask of Kylo Ren.

The first time we see Rey she is alone in the hollow belly of a crashed Star Destroyer. The Destroyer is a literal remnant of the light’s triumph over darkness, as is the fallen AT-AT in which she lives. Even the Rebel helmet she puts on when she eats serves as evidence that good things happen if one remembers to keep hope alive. And that’s what Rey is busy doing from the very first moment we see her.

Rey’s life, as it’s presented to the audience, is built around the lie she created because the truth was too painful to face. Believing in the myth of her returning parents is easier than deciding who she wants to be in a whole galaxy of possibilities. Keeping her appearance the way her parents knew it and the wall of never-ending tally marks are just two of the visual representations of Rey’s misbelief. It’s almost as if Rey has put her life on hold waiting for their return. And perhaps this is why some fans infantilize her. She is a woman, but one that keeps everything as it was when she was a child.

As TFA goes on Kylo is continuously forced to confront his past. Characters like Hux and Snoke relish the opportunity to remind him of where he comes from like it’s a weakness Kylo must overcome. And he’s really trying. But the funny thing about Kylo is that the constant reminders keep him focused. Because he craves the truth. He needs it. As a child he listened in the shadows while his parents argued about his destiny. He was never told in brutal, stark honesty where he comes from. From Darth frickin’ Vader! Ben Solo believed that Snoke was honest with him when his family wasn’t--that’s why he sided with Snoke when everything fell apart. And that’s why Kylo invades people’s minds: because he doesn’t trust them to be honest with him. And why would he? Having a reliable route to the truth is a useful tool for a man who feels it was always kept from him. And while Kylo might not like the truth--which I think is made apparent by his frequent outbursts--he always demands it. It’s almost masochistic, but that’s our dark, beautiful space prince.

On the other side of things, we see Rey embark on a journey towards a destiny, but it’s not the one she imagined so she rejects it at every turn--from constantly telling Finn she has to get back to Jakku to turning down Han Solo’s job offer. She goes along with things for as long as she does because she is intrigued by the myth of the Jedi and Luke Skywalker. And we already know Rey prefers a good story to reality. It’s only when Rey becomes a part of this story, when she touches the legacy lightsaber, that problems arise. She experiences an incredible vision--one part troubling past and one part chilling future--but what it doesn’t show her is who she is or how she fits into everything. And that frightens her. So she runs.

Before I move on I want to point out how good of a foil Finn is for Rey and Kylo. Because Finn doesn’t want any kind of role. It’s no coincidence that all three are shown for the first time wearing masks. Finn’s is not a mask of his choosing, but Kylo’s is. And Rey’s is a mask of necessity. I could analyze Finn’s place in all of this, but that would probably tack on an extra thousand words, and I still haven’t gotten to The Last Jedi which, if you’re still with me, is where all of this is headed.

So there are our protagonists. True mirror opposites. Now let’s put them together, starting with the moment they meet. Or, actually, just before.

WHAT GIRL?

For many, the birth of Reylo occurred when Kylo laid into Lieutenant Mitaka. “What girl?” he growls. Kylo has felt an awakening in the Force and I think his curiosity has to do with that, but the question itself is meaningful. It’s as if he’s saying, “Who is this person? I’ve never heard of her before. She must not belong to a famous family.” This girl is already intriguing to him because she’s nobody. There’s no way he’s not exploring this further.

THE TAKODANA FOREST

The first time Rey sees Kylo for real, he is looming towards her--this scary creature from her vision. Oh no, the vision is coming true! She fires her blaster and he deflects, but he keeps coming, like the truth, persistent and undeniable. Kylo decides pretty quickly to take her with him and he even carries her in his arms. She is a curiosity, something to be handled with care.

THE INTERROGATION

When Rey awakens, she is restrained, but Kylo is kneeling before her, watching. Not looking inside her mind… just watching. Who is this girl? This scene has probably been analyzed more than any other, so I’ll try to keep my thoughts brief.

“You still want to kill me?” Kylo asks. “That’s what happens when you’re being hunted by a creature in a mask,” Rey responds. Kylo wants her to see what this creature she imagines really looks like--he wants her to see the truth--so he takes off his helmet. But he is not what Rey expects. Her perception doesn’t match what she’s seeing with her own eyes and it makes her uncomfortable. It’s no mistake that this is the first time the audience sees Kylo Ren unmasked too. Our reaction is supposed to mirror Rey’s. Mine sure as hell did.

Kylo sizes her up as well, this scavenger, this nobody. Why is she important? He asks her to tell him about the droid, giving her the chance to avoid his mind probe. When she doesn’t play along, he peeks inside her head. But instead of finding the information he needs, he looks first for what her life is like. He looks for her pain. And, surprisingly, it’s something he recognizes. Why did he seek this information first? We all know it’s because, at this point, he is more interested in “the girl” than in finding Luke. And here’s why…

Kylo is envious of Rey

She comes from no great family. She has no baggage, nothing holding her back from her destiny--or so he thinks. And he soon discovers just how strong with the Force she really is. She is a blank slate. She could be anything, achieve anything. She is what he wants to be.

And Rey’s confidence grows as the Force inside her grows, and she is able to push back and see inside Kylo’s mind. When she does, she sees through the pretense of Kylo Ren to the scared young man beneath: Ben Solo. Kylo is shocked and chagrined. For all his respect for objective truth, he keeps his own personal, subjective truth closely guarded. But tit for tat, Kylo. Now two can play that game.

HAN AND BEN

This was the scene that caused me to leap with wild abandon onto the Kylo Ren pain train, and it catapulted Adam Driver to the top of my list of favorite actors. How layered this scene is. How tragic!

“Take off that mask. You don’t need it,” Han says. “And what do you think you’ll see if I do?” Ben asks, curious. “The face of my son,” Han replies. Like he did earlier with Rey, Kylo removes his mask, letting his father see what he has become. We all know how the rest of the scene goes. They squabble, Han implores him to see the truth: Snoke is using him for his power. Kylo knows his father is right and he’s a hair’s breadth from returning home with him… then he remembers his misbelief. Forget the past. But this time forgetting isn’t enough. Now he must kill the past.

As Rey watches this play out, she is seeing a parent return for his child and the child rejecting that love. It floors her. It goes against everything she has ever wanted for herself. Ben Solo had parents who loved him, he had a name, a destiny. And he threw it all away. Okay, it should be obvious by now what I’m going to say…

Rey is envious of Ben Solo

Rey and Kylo are reflections of one another, plain and simple. If you don’t believe me, perhaps Adam Driver will convince you.

THE DARK FOREST

There’s one aspect of this scene that I absolutely love but never felt like I understood completely. Reexamining Kylo as I have for this meta, I think I get it now. And it makes so much sense. As Kylo faces off against Finn and Rey, he keeps hitting his wounded side, spattering the white snow with blood. Why would he do that? He’s showing the enemy his weakness and perhaps making the injury worse. Here’s my take…

Kylo hits his side in an effort to stay focused on reality, on truth. He’s fucking delirious right now. He just killed his father and it hurt, it messed him up bad. But that pain is a reminder of what he is capable of if he lets his misbelief guide him. Perhaps it is also a kind of flagellation or punishment for his deed. If I could ask Adam Driver one question it might be will you whisper something dirty in my ear why he chose to have Kylo repeatedly beat his wound. I feel the answer would reveal a lot.

Now let’s move on to “the look.” You know what I’m talking about. It’s the moment right after Rey summons the Skywalker lightsaber, the moment that many Reylos believe Kylo falls head over heels in love with her. Perhaps they’re right, but I think there’s more to it. In this moment the Force has chosen Rey. A nobody, a scavenger! And Kylo is in complete awe. He is shocked, he is enthralled, he is jealous. Who is this girl?

But Kylo’s shock is Rey’s call to action. When she ignites that lightsaber, she is essentially accepting the destiny it showed her, whatever it may be. And as they fight, her new power becomes undeniable to them both. Kylo offers to be her teacher because she needs training, but also because he needs to know more about her. And as the Force awakens inside of her, Kylo stares in total wonderment. Something earth-shattering is happening here and I’m not talking about the ground splitting open.

At the end of TFA, Rey and Kylo’s deep-seated desires are still the same, but their misbeliefs have changed a bit. Understanding why she has the Force becomes more important to Rey than going back to Jakku. She may no longer believe her parents will return for her, but what she believes now is that in order to accept her destiny, she must know exactly who she is and where she comes from. And it is no longer good enough to forget or conceal the past for Kylo. Now the past must be completely eradicated.

So with these things in mind, let’s dive into The Last Jedi and talk specifically about the ways in which Rey and Kylo react to truth. And maybe along the way we’ll figure out why the whole thing feels so unbearably sexy.

As far as Rey and Kylo go, Rian Johnson wrote the perfect movie. The Last Jedi is perfection. Per-fec-tion! *kisses fingertips* Rian understood just from reading the TFA script that Kylo and Rey are reflections of one another and he built on that in an incredibly profound way. He is a brilliant human being and I love him.

At the beginning of TLJ we find Rey attempting to bring Luke Skywalker back to the Resistance. She says “we” when referring to the Rebels so in a way she has accepted them as her new family. But there’s another reason why she sought out Luke. We know that Rey’s deep-seated desire is to uncover her destiny, and she thinks Luke can help her. “I need someone to show me my place in all this,” she says, but Luke isn’t all that interested in the job. While he does eventually start training her, Rey becomes more attracted to what the Force itself--both light and dark--has to show her. Luke’s disapproval of her dark-side curiosity only compounds Rey’s loneliness. Cue the Force Bond! But not yet. First we have to talk about Kylo.

When we first see him, Kylo is trying to save face with Supreme Leader Snoke. But it’s not going well. Snoke berates Kylo and zaps him with his dark lightning all while, once again, bringing up Kylo’s past. “The mighty Kylo Ren,” Snoke says. “When I found you I saw … something truly special. The potential of your bloodline. A new Vader. Now I fear I was mistaken.” Even if Snoke was just trying to piss off Kylo because he’d connected his mind to Rey’s and blah blah blah… it worked a little too well. In this moment, Kylo digs his heels into his new misbelief. Kill the past. And guess who just became part of it? Kylo knows when he leaves that throne room that he will never be able to write his own destiny with a wrinkled old perv telling him what to do. Snoke is a goner and doesn’t even know it.

Now Kylo goes off and smashes his helmet. If he’s going to truly kill the past then the Vader costume has to go. The guise of Kylo Ren is already dissolving. And the great irony is that, like Rey, Ben Solo also concocted a lie to hide an uncomfortable truth. He created Kylo Ren to cover up his true identity and all the baggage that came with it. That’s why he must now destroy Kylo Ren. Not only does the dishonesty of it disgust him, but it’s no longer enough to simply conceal the past. Now he must completely obliterate it. He must become something new.

Even though it may not seem like it, Kylo’s outburst has left him laser-focused. “Prepare my ship,” he barks when the elevator opens. It’s time to blow up some Rebels! And he does blow up a few when he hits the hangar, but when it comes to killing his mother, unsurprisingly, he can’t seem to do it. Still, he is lost and in pain and lonely as hell. Now cue the Force Bond!

FORCE BOND #1

The first time they connect it is a surprise for both of them. Rey reacts with her gut, pulling a blaster on Kylo, but Kylo just stares in awe... again. He follows her when she runs and after an embarrassing attempt to control her with the Force he says, “You’re not doing this. The effort would kill you. Can you see my surroundings?” He is like a scientist, eager to discover how and why such a thing has happened. Rey interrupts him to scream, “You’re gonna pay for what you did!” Rey is less interested in the how-and-why and more interested in the way the story is going to play out. A bad man killed his father, so justice should be served. Kylo continues, “I can’t see yours [surroundings]… just you. No, this is something else.” While this strange new connection is a curiosity for Kylo, for Rey it is something to be wary of. Earlier, when the Uneti tree called to her, she fell to her knees, unable to deny the power of the Force. But what does the Force mean by this?

FORCE BOND #2

The second Bond starts with Kylo asking, “Why is the Force connecting us? You and I?” to which Rey replies, “Murderous snake! You’re too late. You lost. I found Skywalker.” Rey has already made up her mind about Kylo, so the Bond is a waste of her time. But Kylo wants her to have the truth, he needs her to see him as he really is. Because nobody else does. “Did he tell you what happened? The night I destroyed his temple, did he tell you why?” he asks. “I know everything I need to know about you,” Rey snaps and I think she says it out loud, to hear it, because she’s afraid she might be wrong. Right now things are pretty black and white. No need to visit the gray area between.

“You do?” Kylo says. Then comes the liquid sex, “Ahh, you do.” Can a voice induce an orgasm? Asking for a friend. Kylo studies her closely. “You have that look in your eyes… from the forest. When you called me a monster.” “You are a monster,” Rey affirms. Then Kylo does something that throws her way off. He looks into her eyes, into her soul, and says, “Yes, I am.” This is another moment like when Kylo removed his helmet for Rey back in TFA, only this time her perception doesn’t match what she’s hearing. He agrees? Why would he do that?

After the second Force Bond, Rey is more curious about the truth. Myth is no longer enough to satisfy her. So she asks Luke about the night Ben Solo destroyed his temple and Luke gives his version of the story. What I might not have mentioned before, but you already know, is that Rey is a very trusting person. She believed Finn’s lie about being in the Resistance and now she believes Luke’s story. They’re the good guys, so that means they’re honest. By that logic, Kylo is a bad guy and also a liar. The truth, of course, is that Kylo is the only person who has ever been completely honest with her. But Rey isn’t ready to confront that yet.

I should also point out that Rey is beginning to think about the way that Luke became a legend: by believing there was still good in Darth Vader and refusing to give up on him. Luke tries to tell her that it’s not that simple, but Rey trusts in the power of myths. “The galaxy may need a legend,” she tells Luke. She still believes it’s that easy. That’s why it’s no surprise when she decides to run off and save Ben Solo just a few hours later. But I’m getting ahead of myself.

FORCE BOND #3

Here it is… the most candid exchange in the whole movie. It’s open, it’s naked, it’s raw and it’s vulnerable. And it spurs a series of monumentally important events. All because Rey saw Kylo shirtless. Of course I’m kidding about that last part, but I do think the nudity has something to do with it.

“I’d rather not do this now,” Rey says and we hear Kylo respond, softly, “Yeah, me too.” But they’re gonna do it. They’re gonna do it till it’s good and done. “Why did you hate your father,” Rey asks and turns to see that Kylo is shirtless. Immediately she wants him to put on a cowl, but she just asked him a very personal question and, symbolically, to put on a cowl would be to answer dishonestly. Kylo’s beautiful, broad, glistening chest is the embodiment of naked truth here.

“Why did you hate your father? Give me an honest answer,” she says--as if he’s ever lied to her before. Kylo moves closer, ready to lay it on her. “You had a father who loved you, who gave a damn about you,” Rey says, speaking from a place of sadness and envy. Remember Ben Solo had a life she would have cherished. Why did he throw it away? “I didn’t hate him,” Kylo says, getting to the core of what she means. “Then why?” Rey demands. “Why what?” Kylo retorts. Even though he already knows what she means, he’s going to make her say it. It’s important to hear it out loud. “Why did you… why did you kill him? I don’t understand,” Rey says, sobbing. Kylo answers, “No? Your parents threw you away like garbage.” Kylo feels that his parents threw him away too, but Rey doesn’t quite understand that about him yet. “They didn’t!” she snaps, still clinging to the myth of parents that loved her. Justifiably, it’s difficult for her to let go of the lie that comforted her for more than a decade. “They did, but you can’t stop needing them. It’s your greatest weakness. Looking for them everywhere, in Han Solo, now in Skywalker,” Kylo says. Rey assumed that Kylo killed Han Solo because he hated him, but what Kylo is essentially admitting is that he killed his father because he loved him… loved him so much that it made him weak. It’s another contradiction, another clash between perception and reality.

“Did he tell you what happened that night?” Kylo asks. He’s still curious because he wants Rey to really see him, to understand him. “Yes,” she barks, teeth bared. But Kylo can tell by her vehemence that she doesn’t have all the information. “No,” he says and proceeds to tell her about that night, the way he experienced it. “He had sensed my power as he senses yours. And he feared it.” Luke admitted as much just a few scenes ago, but Rey likes to resist. “Liar,” she says in what comes across as the most unconvincing retort ever. Of course it was supposed to feel inauthentic. At this point Rey knows in her heart that Kylo is telling her the truth, has always told her the truth. But he’s a bad guy, so it doesn’t add up.

Kylo advances on Rey, going in for the kill. His eyes bore into hers as the light gleams against his hot, oily chest. Dear Jesus, help me! “Let the past die. Kill it if you have to. It’s the only way to become what you’re meant to be,” he says. There it is: his mantra. It’s his deep-seated desire AND his misbelief all rolled into one. It’s the revelation that fuels him and he’s decided to share it with Rey--because he thinks she needs to hear it. He was envious of her “nobody” status before he understood that she was clinging to her past too. And now he wants to help her become something new, as he is becoming something new.

When the connection breaks, Rey is all stirred up. She finally sees him--not the façade of Kylo Ren or the abandoned Ben Solo, but Kylo as he is right damn now. The tension and intimacy of it is too much for me her, so she takes immediate action.

While this meta isn’t about story structure, I do want to point out that this scene occurs halfway through the movie. I know from years of screenwriting classes and dozens of books on the subject that all well-written films have a plot reversal midway through. Take a look at the halfway mark of any film you love and I can almost guarantee you’ll find that the story turns. Remarkably, around The Last Jedi’s halfway mark, not only does Rey’s story turn, but everyone else’s does too. This is no coincidence. It’s just good writing.

THE MIRROR CAVE

I love Rey for a lot of reasons, one of them being her passion-fueled bursts of fearlessness. After Kylo’s truth bomb, she could’ve gone back to Luke and demanded to know what really happened. She could’ve probed the gray area a little more. But that’s not how Rey works. Her life is changing and it’s changing fast. There’s no time for gray. The darkness offered her something she needs and, dammit, she’s going to take it. The only change I’d make to this sequence would be to have her swan dive into that dark mossy hole. I’m assuming Rian decided against this only because Rey probably doesn’t know how to dive. Anyway, Kylo’s advice--and his nakedness--has driven Rey to confront her misbelief, and now she must find out who her parents are.

There’s something I want to get out of the way before I jump into (heh) this scene. And it’s the notion of Rey’s parentage. Full disclosure, I was a Rey Kenobi stan after TFA. In fact, I took it a step further and believed she was the reincarnation of Obi-Wan, but I am so relieved to be wrong. One of the reasons I think people still cling to Rey’s parentage is because TFA set it up in such an exciting and mysterious way. Like Kylo, we all wanted to know, Who is this girl? But Rian is smarter than me and ReySkys and everyone else. Rian knew what Rey required in order to grow. Okay, moving on.

Ah, the mirror cave! How rife with symbolism this scene is. Water, for instance, almost always signifies rebirth, especially when a character is submerged in it. And of course when Rey emerges from this symbolic baptism, her hair is down for the first time. Like Kylo destroying his helmet, Rey lets her look morph into something different. It’s almost as if she’s allowing herself to finally become a woman. I don’t think I have to say it, but I will: every single shred of symbolism here is intentional. Remember this.

The first thing the mirror shows Rey is a seemingly infinite line of Reys. And they copy her actions with a slight delay. What does it mean? Well, it seems to mean that Rey’s future is hers to write. She can be any one of these Reys, depending upon the decisions she makes. But there is more. A female voice speaks to her. Is it Mom? Rey approaches a mirror-like wall and says, “Mirror, mirror on the wall, who’s the fairest of them all?” No, that’s not it. “Show me the Beast.” Not right either. “Let me see them. My parents. Please.” That’s it!

It’s funny that the cave is supposed to be Ahch-To’s place of darkness because it gives Rey the truth. It doesn’t dance around her request, offering her a perplexing Jedi aphorism. It shows her the reality of her situation: she is alone. Rey wants to see her parents, but the mirror doesn’t show them because they don’t exist anymore. They’re dead. So in lieu of sending two hobbling skeletons, the Force presents Rey with two shadowy figures. Mom and Dad, right? Sure, they’re probably supposed to represent her parents, but even the notion that it could be Rey and Kylo is enough to give that idea merit. And the fact that the two figures merge together could represent the union of Rey’s parents to create Rey or it could be Rey and Kylo merging to balance the Force. It’s all there. No interpretation is wrong. Many fans think they see Kylo in the lone figure--I see him too!--and we know from the concept art that they toyed with the idea of Kylo being in her reflection. But I’m getting a little sidetracked. The point, of course, is that when the image clears and Rey sees herself, she understands that she doesn’t have parents anymore. The female voice she heard before wasn’t her mother’s, it was hers. I know she goes on to tell Kylo, “I thought I’d find answers here. I was wrong,” but it’s only because she can’t yet admit what she already knows. We’re talking about Rey’s misbelief. If it were easy for her to move past, then she would’ve done it a long time ago.

One final thought about the mirror cave. I wonder what Kylo would’ve seen if he had been there? Personally, I think he would’ve seen his parents clear as day.

FORCE BOND #4 / THE HUT

Now I want to present this scene to you a little differently than you’re probably used to thinking about it. I don’t want to talk about the romance and the beauty and the intimacy. I want to talk about the eeriness. Yep, I want to tell you why this scene has a creepy edge to it. Because it definitely does. Don’t be afraid… it’ll be fun.

Okay, okay, I know I said earlier this meta wasn’t about story structure--and it isn’t--but I want to really break this scene down in order to study it more closely. Shawn Coyne’s book The Story Grid describes the scene as a “mini-story,” meaning it must have a beginning, middle and end, a protagonist and antagonist, but overall it must have conflict. Coyne says the easiest way to add conflict to a scene is to make sure the value state changes as the scene progresses. It can go from a positive value expression (like love) to a negative one (like hate) or vice versa, but it cannot stay static. If nothing changes, you don’t have a scene. So keeping the creepy angle and the scene components in mind, let’s talk through the hut scene, perhaps the most important scene in all three movies (yes, including Episode IX). Because I think that in two years’ time we’ll be able to say that this was the midpoint reversal of the whole trilogy. This was where everything started to change.

So the beginning of the hut scene is really the end of the mirror cave scene and it reveals that Rey has been talking to someone about her experience. “I’d never felt so alone,” she says, staring glassy-eyed at the fire. We wait with anticipation. Who’s going to answer her? Thunder sounds outside, the spatter of rain mingling with the crackling fire. The music here is quiet but creeps like a dark vine twisting around your ankle. Then we hear a voice, an oozing throaty whisper, “You’re not alone.” Rey looks up and finally we see who she’s talking to. Kylo sits in the shadows of his room on the Supremacy, untouched by the fire’s orange glow. He stares at Rey, intent and focused. So here’s the conflict… Rey is vulnerable and lonely, needing someone to lean on. Kylo is there, but he’s the villain, right? Now the scene becomes all about answering one very important question… What will happen when the good guy and the bad guy connect? What, indeed.

The middle of the scene has Rey making the decision to (literally) reach out to Kylo rather than pushing him away as she has always done before. “Neither are you,” she says, committing to her decision. The eeriness builds as we go out into the storm, to Luke. Lightning illuminates the dark clouds. Perhaps evil is coming for our heroes. Back inside the hut Rey says, “It isn’t too late.” The music is hesitant and unsure, uncommitted to a melody, just as we are unsure of what will happen. But Rey extends her hand to Kylo anyway. She doesn’t know if she can actually touch him through the Force Bond, but she knows that she must try. Kylo looks at her hand, curious, but moved by the honesty of her gesture. The only way that he can match her honesty is to remove his glove, but he is also dying to know if they can touch each other across light-years. Why is the Force connecting us? What does it all mean? A scene is a mini-story, remember? And this is the climax. Kylo’s hand slides into frame, moving towards Rey’s. The music swells, finding that note of tension and lingering on it. As their hands come together the firelight brightens Kylo’s face. Close on their fingers…

BOOOOOOOM! The whole universe explodes. Rey inhales sharply, stunned by the Force’s revelation. The scene’s question has been answered. What will happen when the good guy and the bad guy connect? I’ll tell you what will happen, the fucking Force Theme will play is what will happen. If the TLJ script is ever released, I bet my life savings the action line here will say “FORCE THEME BEGINS” because the song’s presence is more important than just about anything else. The Force Theme is the music of the good guys, of larger than life power, of destiny and goodness and love. I don’t think Rian would’ve left such a vital story point up to John Williams. Anyway, trembling and crying, Rey and Kylo both understand what they are experiencing: a genuine connection to another person. Have either of them ever lived a moment like this one? I highly doubt it. So, like Kylo, you might be wondering, What does it all mean? It means the Force connected them for a reason. Even when we find out later that Snoke bridged their minds, it was still the Force that brought their fingers together and it was the Force that showed them each a vision. This is where everything turns.

The hut scene ends with Luke (the scene’s antagonist) barging in and losing his mind. But he doesn’t understand--he can’t hear the Force Theme! Personally, I’m glad that Luke spoiled the fun because if he hadn’t, then Rey or Kylo would’ve had to. Luke being the scene’s antagonist means that Rey and Kylo both got to remain the protagonists. And honestly, we all know that if there’d been more time, Kylo probably would’ve said something kinda tone-deaf that would’ve made Rey second guess going after him. Breaking up their union leaves it unfinished, leaves more questions to be answered. It keeps the story moving. And for the record, the value state of this scene went from loneliness (-) to unity (+) to confusion (-)… or something like that.

After the connection is broken, Rey chases after Luke. “Did you do it? Did you create Kylo Ren? Tell me the truth!” she says. Girl is all about the truth now. She’s visited the light side and the dark side, but more importantly, she’s been to the area in between. She sees now that things are rarely black and white and the only way to understand what’s really going on is to demand the truth. She’s becoming more like Kylo. After Luke tells her the Jedi temple story again, she says, “You failed him by thinking his choice was made. It wasn’t.” She realizes that Ben Solo was never allowed to choose the person he wanted to become and that is the reason he turned into Kylo Ren. It’s funny that she seems to grasp this now because in just a few more lines she confidently explains to Luke that Kylo will choose to come back to the light. The Force showed her a vision (what the fuck did she see seriously I can’t get over this why couldn’t we see it we needed to see it Rian) and she believes in it. She believes in it so much that Kylo’s own free will is overshadowed. “If I go to him, Ben Solo will turn,” she says. As if it will be as easy as calling him “Ben” again. Han Solo tried that and it didn’t work out real great for him. But besides being all high on Force power, Rey is beginning to understand what she thinks is her destiny. Like Luke, she will turn the villain and end the war. It’s a good story, and this time it is Force-certified.

REY’S ARRIVAL

The first time I saw TLJ this was one of my favorite moments. It’s like Snow White being awakened by Prince Charming with true love’s kiss. Admittedly, I am a sucker for stories like that. But this one is better.

Clutching the legacy lightsaber--a kind of peace offering--Rey climbs inside the escape pod and launches toward the Supremacy. Luke didn’t want the saber or the hero’s title so Rey’s bringing them both to Ben Solo. She looks so pretty inside the coffin-like pod, her lips pink and full and her chest heaving. Fog clouds the air as the pod opens. Will Kylo be there? And then he is there and he looks just as beautiful as Rey. Her eyes widen. For all she knows he’s going to reach down and scoop her out, carry her like he did once before to a shuttle he has prepared for their departure. But stormtroopers stand behind him, and one opens a pair of binders, binders meant for her. “This is not going to go the way you think,” Luke said, but she hadn’t believed him. If you were afraid Kylo wouldn’t return to the Resistance with Rey, this was red flag number one.

THE ELEVATOR

I’m not going to say much about this scene because I already have in my first meta titled LET’S TALK ABOUT THE ELEVATOR SCENE. In it I analyze every line of dialogue and explain how they foreshadow what happens in the throne room. I wrote it sometime in January and shortly thereafter Rian answered a fan question that actually confirmed one of my points. If you want to read it, you can get to it by clicking on the link above.

But I do want to point out a few new revelations I’ve had about this scene. Rey calls Kylo “Ben” here because she thinks she’s appealing to his true nature, but remember that Kylo is changing. His misbelief is that he must kill the past. And Ben Solo is past. Also she says, “You will not bow before Snoke. You’ll turn. I’ll help you. I saw it.” When Rey saw Kylo’s future, did she see him standing up to Snoke? I’m going to go out on a limb here and say that she did because it would make sense as to why she would think they could end the war. Then Kylo tells Rey that he saw something too and what he saw means that she will be the one to switch sides. We all know that he saw her parents when they touched hands and he believes that knowing their identity will free her up to follow her destiny. It’s ironic that the Force showed them what the other wants. Why didn’t the Force show Rey the identity of her parents or show Kylo Snoke’s bisected corpse? It’s because the Force wants to bring them together. Their union is kinda the whole point. Rey has something Kylo wants and Kylo has something Rey wants. Make them work together to get it. And oh boy, do they ever work together!

THE THRONE ROOM

I don’t really want to talk much about Snoke because, well, he’s unimportant. Rian was right: Snoke was an obstacle in the path of Kylo’s transformation. He had to go. But we have to start at the beginning of the scene, so I’d better get going.

Kylo brings Rey to Snoke, playing the dutiful servant, but all along he’s looking for a way to overthrow the old man. Make no mistake, Kylo has already chosen Rey. She is precious to him because she is his reflection. There was never a question of allegiance. Kylo does let Snoke torture her a bit, but he doesn’t have much choice because he hasn’t figured out how he’s going to defeat Snoke yet. When Snoke confesses that he bridged their minds, Kylo’s head shoots up and his expression wilts. The question he’s been asking himself since the first Force Bond has just been answered. It was Snoke? But we touched across spacetime, the Force showed us visions. It was real! You know anger is building in Kylo to the point of exploding, but he does a remarkable job of staying calm. Our boy is growing up!

One bit of symbolism in this scene worth drawing attention to is the magnifying glass apparatus that Snoke uses to show Rey the Resistance fleet. Like a mirror, a magnifying glass is a tool to better help one see the truth. Rey doesn’t care much for this particular truth, so she Force grabs Kylo’s lightsaber to attack Snoke. Her attack is easily thwarted, but when Kylo’s lightsaber returns to him spinning at his feet he figures out exactly how to kill Snoke. The look in his eyes here is so hot resolved. The rest of the trio’s interaction just serves to pile on the suspense and, goddamn, it does a good job. When Kylo finally kills Snoke and brings the legacy saber to Rey, the Force Theme starts up again. Why does the Force Theme always play when these two join together? It’s amazing how many self-professed fans can’t even answer this question. Anyway, we all know what happens next… I lose my fucking mind when that red glow hits Kylo’s face and his lightsaber purrrrrrrrs

The fight that follows is a thing of beauty. It’s a painting in passionate reds and harsh shadows; it’s a dance; it’s lovemaking… it’s actually a whole lot of murder which, if you think about it, makes the sexiness of it feel a little wrong. But let’s not kid ourselves. When the fight was over, we all wanted them to tear off each other’s clothes and raw dog it in the middle of all those dead bodies, their sweat streaking the hard black floor, their moans echoing in the hot air as fire whirled down around them. Jesus… time out.

Okay, I’m back. Let’s move on. As much as we might like to fantasize about things going differently, the conclusion of the throne room scene is exactly what the story and characters demanded. Kylo is finally free. He has followed his misbelief and killed his past--well, not quite, but close enough. Now he has the freedom he’s always desired. Now he can decide who he wants to be. His transformation is almost complete. “It’s time to let old things die,” he says to Rey and to his credit he thinks it’s good advice, he thinks it will work for her because it has worked for him. Kylo goes on, listing all of the things they should let die, “Snoke, Skywalker, the Sith, the Jedi, the Rebels… Let it all die.” All of this is in keeping with his desire to become something new, something the galaxy has never seen before. And, of course, Rey is part of his new vision. Why wouldn’t she be? They are bound now and to tear apart that bond would only cause them both pain. “Rey, I want you to join me,” he says. “We can rule together and bring a new order to the galaxy.” You can almost see the boner in his pants as he considers this new life. And it’s so close to happening… so close! If Rey says yes, then he will have everything he wants.

But Rey knows that it’s not that simple. The past can never be erased. It will always be there. It will always matter. Even though she understands that her own parents are never returning, it’s okay because she has a new family now: the Resistance. And Kylo wants to let them blow up. “Don’t do this, Ben. Please don’t go this way,” Rey says. But, again, she’s not talking to Ben. I’m sorry, folks, but Ben Solo is gone. Even if he eventually reclaims the name--and I think he will--he’s been through too much to ever be that hopeful young man again. And if he’s to learn his lesson, then he won’t be able to conceal or kill his past anymore and that will include his past as Kylo Ren and Supreme Leader of the First Order. He’ll have to transform again. Perhaps into Ben Solo, but a new Ben Solo.

Kylo understands what’s going on with Rey and seeks to remedy the problem. “No, no. You’re still holding on. Let go!” he shouts. You’ve gotta admit, it’s a sexy idea. To forget everything that has ever caused you pain, to fly off into the stars with a person who has looked into your soul and accepted that it is broken. To heal together. It’s all still possible because Kylo has one last card to play. “Do you want to know the truth about your parents? Or have you always known? And you’ve just hidden it away. You know the truth. Say it. Say it.” Kylo isn’t being manipulative or dishonest. He’s seen inside her head. He knows about her misbelief. And Rey does say it because she does know the truth. She’s always known the truth. “They were nobody,” she says. Yes, this is the hardest thing for Rey to hear; yes, it will help her character grow; yes, it means that anyone can be a Force user. But do you know the number one reason Rey’s parents had to be nobodies? Because Rey would not have been Kylo’s reflection otherwise. She would not have been his mirror opposite. If she were a Kenobi or a Skywalker, then the yin-yang wouldn’t balance. And if this trilogy isn’t about balance then just kill me now because I won’t survive Episode IX.

Anyway, Kylo lays it on thick. “You have no place in this story. You come from nothing. You’re nothing. But not to me.” He’s not the most suave conversationalist, but that’s because he speaks the truth. He doesn’t sugar coat it--that’s dishonest. The truth is the truth is the truth and now it’s time to move on. “Join me,” Kylo says, offering Rey his gloved hand. “Please.” If only he’d taken off his glove! It was a genuine appeal, so whipping off that glove should’ve occurred to him. But perhaps Rey would’ve seen that as a small manipulation. The real manipulation, of course, is when Rey reaches out to Kylo to throw him off. Look at his face here. The life he wants is so close to happening… it’s just within his grasp! But then Rey goes for the saber instead. It’s heart wrenching.

We all know that the lightsaber hovering between them means that they are equals now. There’s really no denying it. But the way it’s all shot is also quite enlightening. Remember in TFA when Kylo calls the legacy saber, but it flies past him to Rey. We didn’t see her reaching for the saber, we only saw her as its destination. It’s filmed in such a way that the audience shares Kylo’s surprise. In TLJ we have something similar. Rey reaches for the saber and it moves to her hand… but then it stops. The camera pans around and we learn why: Kylo has equal pull now. Like Kylo and Rey, these scenes are reflections of one another. Filmmaking is cool, huh? Of course, the riven Kyber crystal is significant too. Kylo and Rey (but mainly Rey) are bending the will of the Force, pulling against gravity, until the lightsaber splits in half. It’s considerate of the Force to separate them before the explosion. They definitely wouldn’t be “uniting” in the future if they were both missing half of their skin.

SUPREME LEADER

Here it is, friends: the big transformation scene. When Kylo wakes up in the throne room with Hux, he is no longer Kylo Ren or Ben Solo. He is Supreme Leader. He wanted Rey, but he didn’t get her, so whatever he might’ve transformed into before (Partner, Husband, Co-Supreme Leader) is lost. What’s left is Supreme Leader of the First Order and he accepts the title with breathless (heh) enthusiasm. He has followed his misbelief and achieved his deep-seated desire. His future is his to write. And, likewise, Rey has followed her own misbelief, discovered her origin and accepted her destiny. Her destiny, she thinks, is to help the Resistance (her new family) defeat the tyrannical First Order. Rey and Kylo have both gotten what they wanted and the only real sacrifice required was a potential future together. So what now? If the movie ended here, I might be worried.

THE BATTLE OF CRAIT

Lucky for us, TLJ has a final chapter, but it almost feels like the first chapter of a new movie. That’s because our two protagonists have achieved their goals and accepted their new roles. Now let’s see them in action!

The new Supreme Leader is a hot mess, but this is his chance to prove himself and end the Resistance once and for all. He’s set on doing just that until his uncle struts onto the battlefield. Of course Kylo takes the bait and uses an inordinate amount of firepower to finally end Luke’s life. Hmmm… he’s gotten what he wanted, so why does his past still bother him? When it turns out that Luke is alive, Kylo goes down to see what’s really going on, but also to face him. We all know how that goes. Lucky for Kylo, he doesn’t even have to kill Luke, but Luke’s presence as a Force projection really shakes Kylo’s foundation. For once the truth is more complicated than what his eyes can see or his hands can touch. Even though Kylo is free now to be the person he wants to be, something isn’t quite right.

And wouldn’t you know, even their transformations mirror each other. Rey’s transformation scene comes when she lifts the rocks to save the Resistance heroes. She is no longer Rey of Jakku, now she is Jedi Rey of the Resistance--the last Jedi. She has a destiny and a family. It’s time to fly off into the stars… but not so fast.

FORCE BOND #5

Aw shucks, the Resistance lived to see another day! But there’s only like twenty Rebels left. The new Supreme Leader really shouldn’t be all that worried. Why then, as he kneels down and scoops up his father’s golden dice, does he look so unsettled? Not a great time to connect with your ex-girlfriend. Rey stares down at Kylo with crushing disappointment, as if he has betrayed her. But she never really understood his misbelief. And he never fully understood hers. When Rey shuts the door of the Millennium Falcon on Kylo, she is essentially committing to her new role. She thinks that the Force will choose her path now. She did a better job than Kylo in the heat of the battle, so it seems like Rey is going to be okay. But, like Kylo, she’s arrived at her goal through her misbelief. Rey thought that she needed to know herself before she could act instead of acting first and letting those actions make her into the person she’s meant to be. If the end of a scene is supposed to answer a question, then the disappearing dice does a hell of a job at it. For both Kylo and Rey, there are still illusions left to conquer.

LOOKING AHEAD TO EPISODE IX

Kylo and Rey got what they wanted through a mistake in thinking. This is why they won’t be happy at the beginning of Episode IX. Their new lives will feel inauthentic and fruitless. And all they’ve really done is traded one set of misbeliefs for another.

Rey’s new desire is to fulfill her destiny and her new misbelief is that in order to do it she has to fill the role of Jedi Rey for the Resistance.

Kylo’s new desire is to fulfill his destiny and his new misbelief is that in order to do it he has to fill the role of Supreme Leader for the First Order.

They’ve got a lot to overcome. But it had to happen this way. If Rey had stayed with Kylo she would’ve always regretted not saving her friends. She would’ve resented Kylo for allowing this to happen and ultimately rejected him in favor of their untainted memory. If Kylo had gone back to the Resistance with Rey he would’ve become Ben Solo again, reverting back to a persona he had grown beyond. He would’ve always wondered what he could’ve been on his own two feet and eventually he would’ve resented Rey for luring him away from his destiny. Let’s all be glad it didn’t happen this way. The story that is left to tell will be much better.

I really hate to say it, guys, but Baldo Ren is a real possibility. It makes more sense than the Kylo Ren mask returning. Or any mask for that matter. Kylo has transformed and his look should reflect that. Personally, I think a leather, form-fitting Supreme Leader’s outfit will check this box just fine--no need to chop those lush black locks--but make no mistake, a new look won’t bolster Kylo’s mood for long. He’s going to discover that even with all the power in the galaxy, he can’t create the life he really wants. There has to be another way. Looking for another way, he’ll see the folly of his misbelief and move beyond it. To atone for trying to kill his past I think he’ll decide to safeguard the future and work with Rey to end the war. But if I’m not being clear enough, I’ll go ahead and spell it out: R-E-D-E-M-P-T-I-O-N. It��s going to happen, but it has to happen a certain way. If Kylo is redeemed but dies, then he isn’t Rey’s reflection. If Kylo lives but isn’t redeemed (which wouldn’t happen) then he isn’t Rey’s reflection. Their fate must be exactly the same. So the only two options I see are: Rey and Kylo achieve self-actualization and live, saving the galaxy in the process, or they achieve self-actualization and die, saving the galaxy in the process. Those are the only two ways to achieve true balance. Otherwise, the audience won’t feel right. We’ll leave the theater feeling that something was off. But I wouldn’t worry too much because, as I said before, the Mouse is a master storyteller. And if you’re wondering which of the two above options I think the Mouse will choose, just remember that Star Wars is about hope. (psst... they’re gonna live).

Like Kylo, Rey is also going to acquire something that indicates her new position. We all know what I’m talking about: she’s going to construct a lightsaber. Yep, she’s going to play the role of Jedi Rey even though it won’t feel right. I have a hunch that the Jedi texts she stole from Ahch-To will really emphasize balance, forcing her to make a few decisions that seem unconventional or against the will of the Force. She’ll meet resistance from the Resistance, but she will overcome her misbelief and choose right this time, even though her choices will be hard. And one of those choices will be saving what she loves instead of fighting what she hates. This is why Rey will be the one to initiate “the big kiss.” It has to be her. It’s her destiny because it’s this impossible union with Kylo that will redefine the Force forever. It’s the way they will achieve self-actualization and save the galaxy. I just hope Rey doesn’t mind Kylo’s bald head. ;)

WHY’S IT ALL SO SEXY?

Oh, Jesus… after 10,000 words I don’t really want to start psychoanalyzing myself. You don’t want it either. So let’s just say all the honest-talk is sexy because it’s basically seeing things as they really are and then admitting that you just don’t care… you still want to fuck the bad guy. I’ll add a picture to help you see my point.

IN CONCLUSION

Newton’s Third Law of Motion states that for every action in nature, there is an equal and opposite reaction. Doesn’t that sound like something one of the old Jedi texts would say? Some ancient, fundamental law that must be obeyed in order for the fabric of the universe to hold. Perhaps this is the missing piece, the key to finally balancing the Force. The battle between good and evil will never end so long as both sides keep fighting. If only they could cast aside their differences and accept that life is a quagmire of opposing forces. It is possible to feel love and hate at the very same time--and it happens often! How could this be? Sounds impossible, right? But to balance the Force, this impossible truth must be faced. And accepted.

Thanks for sticking with me for more than 10,000 words! If by some fluke you want to read more, you can check out my fanfic THE MIDDLE PLACE. It’s essentially my headcanon for Episode IX, but it also correlates with a lot of what I’ve discussed here. (And there’s some universe-altering sex, if that’s what you’re into). I’ve also written a companion meta to my fanfiction titled REY AND KYLO’S UNION WILL REDEFINE THE FORCE. And, of course, I’m always down to answer questions or chat with anyone about this stuff. It’s the air I breathe right now. But you guys know how it feels.

Peace!

[standard-muse]

If Rey kills Kylo

Here’s the thing. Let’s say Rey kills Kylo at the end of ep 9. Let’s just pull at this thread for a second. Say everybody gives up on Kylo, they assume he’s past redemption and he stays Supreme Leader Kylo Ren throughout the whole last movie -- ending with Rey killing him to bring victory to the resistance. What would actually be happening there?

Rey just killed the man she has a deep force connection with. The person that she shared some of her deepest thoughts and fears with. The man she’s seen a future with and reached out to and fought side by side with. The two of them have been in each others minds, seen each other’s thoughts, felt each other’s emotions. She would be killing the person she’s been closest to out of anybody in her life. That’s no small thing.

Rey just killed Kylo, saying it’s better to give up on people than to fight for them. Rey has already fought to help Kylo, she’s already tried to bring him home and save him from the darkness that’s had a grip on him. But if she leaves it where it does at the end of ep 8 then we’re basically sending the message that it’s better to just give up on our family and the people we love, ending them with brutal finality then to try and help them. Kylo has been manipulated and twisted by the dark side basically his entire life -- that’s not an easy thing to snap out of. It’s going to take some time. So for Rey to have like, two conversations with him about coming back to the light and then going, “Eh, he’s a lost cause let me just kill him instead” is a horrible message to send. Especially for anybody out there who relates to Kylo’s character and the struggles he’s up against. If Rey just kills him off because it’s easier, than anybody who relates to Kylo is going to feel like they’re a lost cause too, that they can’t come home if they’ve made mistakes as well. And let’s face it, there are a lot of people that identify with Kylo and his story. He’s not just a faceless villain, we as an audience, know him now. We relate to him.

Rey just killed Kylo, even though we’ve now seen his heart. Episode 8 really peeled away the mask of Kylo Ren. We’ve seen his heart. We’ve seen him as a kid, struggling with this manipulation by the dark side. We’ve see how he felt betrayed by his master. We’ve seen the people he loved be afraid of him because of his power. We seen how Snoke -- the man he looked to for hope -- treated him with such contempt and eventual disdain. We’ve seen his pain, we’ve seen his regret, we’ve seen his conflict, we’ve seen him fall in love. We’ve seen the most vulnerable side of him as he removes his glove to reach out to Rey -- to truly connect with somebody in the most innocent way possible. We’ve heard him say in the soften voice, “You’re not alone’. Now if Rey kills him, do you think the audience is going to feel joyful about this? Do you think we’ll shout in victory that the man who fought side by side with Rey, the man who understands Rey’s struggle with abandonment and connects with her, the man who killed his master because of what he was doing to Rey, the man who is conflicted with his desires, the man who whispered “Please” as he asked Rey to stay with him, is suddenly dead on the floor? Dead with no chance of redemption, no hope left for him, no hope for the Skywalkers building a better legacy as a family? I don’t think the audience is going to be joyful about that at all. Because we know Kylo now. We know his heart, and if he’s just killed by the end of this trilogy it kind of ruins the point of ever seeing behind the mask in the first place. They’ve just stirred compassion in our hearts for his character only to kill him and the idea of hope and redemption along with him. I don’t think anybody is going to be cheering in victory if Kylo dies -- not like when Snoke was taken out and the who theater cheered. Because we’ve seen the man behind the mask, and we want him to come home.

Rey just killed Kylo, becoming a murderer. Now I don’t think there is a single character in this franchise who hasn’t, at the very least, shot down as storm trooper and become a murder. But if Rey kills Kylo, it’s now PERSONAL. Her level of connection to Kylo runs deep -- as stated above. She literally has a force bond with him. She’s been inside his head. To kill him at this point she’d basically be damaging herself. If Rey kills him then she’s going to live with that for the rest of her life. Just like how Luke says to Kylo, “Strike me down and I’ll always be with you, just like your father”. Do you think Rey is going to skip off happy in the sunset if she kills Kylo? No, she’s going to carry that forever. It’s not going to be a joyful victory if she kills him, it’s going to destroy part of her. And she’ll have to live with the guilt that instead of fighting for him, fighting for his redemption, she just ended him. She gave up on hope. She killed the man she saw a future with. I don’t think it’s possible for her to kill him and not be completely shattered after it. She’d have to live with that pain for the rest of her life.

Rey just killed the last Skywalker. Since Leia will no longer be a part of ep 9, that makes Ben/Kylo the last of the Skywalkers. To kill Kylo means ending the legacy of this family. And yes with the new trilogy coming out we will be exploring new characters but at the of the day, as Kathleen Kennedy put it, Star Wars will always be about the Skywalkers. Even if we branch out to other parts of the galaxy we will always want to come back to this story line with these people. If Kylo is gone then that’s it. We’ll never have another Skywalker story. Which leads me to my next point...

Rey just killed the last Skywalker, leaving him as the villain -- what does that say about the Skywalker family? What does that say about, as Snoke put it, “The mighty Skywalker blood”? Well that aside from Luke and Leia the Skywalkers are pretty much the darkest characters in the galaxy. It suddenly takes the Skywalkers away from being the good guys to being the bad guys -- with the exception of Luke and Leia. Suddenly the Skywalkers are to be feared, suddenly the Skywalkers are an entity that we don’t want in the galaxy because they’re the worst dark side users ever. If Rey kills Kylo instead of encouraging him to come home then we’ve suddenly sealed the deal of the Skywalkers being a family to be feared by their evil intent and dark side affiliations (with Luke and Leia being an odd exception to the rule). Is that what we want? No not really. We want to see the Skywalkers as this epic family of force users, who fight for each other, who fight for hope against insurmountable odds -- as Luke did with Vader. A family of hero’s, of warriors -- we should walk out of the theater wanting to be a Skywalker. But if Kylo is left as the irredeemable villain then it tips the scale and suddenly the Skywalkers are the bad guys. Suddenly we don’t want to be Skywalkers, we want to end the Skywalkers. And that’s a horrible feeling.

[poeticandors]

I’ll Come Back For You Part 8

Poe Dameron x Reader

Summary: Y/N watches as her father confronts her brother.

Warnings: Curse words, death, violence

Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 Part 4 Part 5 Part 6 Part 7 

I do not own anything!!!

Tags are under the cut.

“Ben!”

You froze as you heard you father’s voice and looked down to see him standing on a walkway, staring ahead. Standing in front of him with his back turned, was your brother.

Pushing away from the column—paying no mind to any Stormtroopers that might have been there—you made your way towards Chewie, who lowly growled in worry. Despite being higher up, you could still feel the tension between your father and brother.

“Han Solo.” The tone in his voice was low—the way it would be if you were speaking to an enemy. “I’ve been waiting for this day a long time.” Your father’s boots heavily hit against the metal of the walkway.

Behind you, the sound of doors hissing opened alerted you. Cold air and flakes of snow rushed in, but you kept your gaze on the scene below you.

You really didn’t want to believe that Ben was gone. But after what you had witnessed—him killing Lor San Tekka and torturing you and Poe—you honestly didn’t know if there was any light left.

But your mother still believed. So the only reason you are trying to get him back is for her. Maybe he will see reason if he knows that we want him back, you thought.

“Take off that mask, you don’t need it.” Chewie nudged you with his elbow hard.

Glancing up at him, he nodded back towards the steps you used to climb up and noticed it was free of Stormtroopers. Looking over the edge of the railing, it was also clear and you knew you had to get down there. Handing Chewie the detonator, you quickly, but quietly, made your way down the steps.

“What do you think you’ll see if I do?”

“The face of my son.” Jumping down from the last step, you wiped your hands against your pants to rid them of the sweat that formed, and stood behind the railing.

Your brother was taking his mask off and you realized this was going to be the first time you’ve seen his face in so long. You walked slowly to the railing and gripped onto it.  From what you could make out, he still looked the same, just older.

His black hair was a little longer, and his eyes still held that same vulnerability like when you were children. He looked so much like your father—just with darker hair. In your eyes, he was still the same old Ben that would play with you. The same Ben who would always make sure you were safe, even during pretend.

“Your son is gone. He was weak and foolish like his father, so I destroyed him.” Tightening your grip onto railing, you leaned forward.

“Shut up, Ben!” Your father and brother both looked towards you. “You’re only saying that because that creepy Snoke told you that. We know there is still good in you, just come with us.” You stepped onto the walkway and stalked forward.

“Ah, Y/N.” This stopped you in your tracks. “I see you are just as foolish as Han Solo. No matter, I am glad you are here. The Supreme Leader has given me permission to begin your training with the Force.”

How did he—

“I can feel how strongly the Force surrounds you, Y/N.” Your mouth fell slightly open, but you quickly closed it as you scowled at Ben.

“You’re the foolish one if you think I am going to join you and that monster.” You took a cautious step forward. “Just please come home with us Ben—“

“Ben is dead!” Your father raised a hand to stop you in your tracks while he slowly made his way to your brother.

“That’s not true, my son is alive.”

“No, the Supreme Leader is wise.” Your body began to shake slightly—from the cold or the fact that your brother was truly defending this evil being, you did not know.

“Ben, you seriously can’t believe—“

The railing creaked underneath you as you took a step forward and your father shot you a look, warning you to stay back. Nodding, you watched as he turned back and walked closer towards your brother.

“Snoke is using you for your power and he will only use your sister too, if you let him. When he gets what he wants, he will crush you.” He stopped in front of your brother. “You know it’s true. You don’t have to follow them anymore; you don’t have to take your sister to them. All you have to do is come back with us.”

“It’s too late.” Your brother’s voice faltered.

Despite your father’s wishes, you took another few steps closer.

“No it’s not Ben.” Your voice shaking. “You can still turn back and come with us.”

“Leave here with us; come home.” Your father was now standing directly in front of Ben. “We miss you.”

“I’m being torn apart; I want to be free of this pain.” He paused and the Force around you became heavy. “I know what I have to do but I don’t know if I have the strength to do it. Will you help me?”      

“Yes, anything.” The loud slamming of your brother’s helmet landing onto the walk-way caused you to flinch.

You tried looking over your father’s shoulder, but couldn’t see what was going on. From what you could make out, your brother now held his lightsaber in his hand.

The light that was once shining quickly disappeared and you turned your head to see Rey and Finn also looking behind them as well. The planet killer was almost done charging. Praying to the Maker, you begged for Poe’s safety. Pleading that they would be successful in destroying this awful place.  

Turning back, you saw that Ben was now looking down but you were too afraid to move. The wait was agonizing—your heart beating profusely in your chest. Something suddenly entered into your mind and you furrowed your brows.

I’m sorry.

Ben ignited his lightsaber and you watched in horror as the pointed, red end came through your father’s back.

Rey’s scream was heard above, but you couldn’t do anything. You couldn’t move. You couldn’t speak. It was as if your muscles stopped functioning and all you wanted to do was run for your father.

Ben took another step forward and pushed the saber more into your father and that was when you were finally able to move—wincing harshly.

“Thank you.” Ben whispered and you whimpered as he finally switched his lightsaber off.

It was becoming hard for you to breathe. Your chest was tightening and no matter how deeply you were inhaling, it felt like no air was filling your lungs. Your vision was becoming blurry but you could clearly see your father raising his hand and placing it softly on Ben’s face.

Slowly, your father turned his head towards you and you felt yourself falling apart inside as he used his last breath to whisper your name.

And just like that, he began to fall and you pushed yourself to reach him before he fell over the precipice. But it was too late, just as your hand reached out for his, he fell back and you fell to your knees—watching as your father fell further down into an empty abyss.  

Knuckles turning white, you gripped the edge tightly as you finally looked up at your brother. Ben was watching as you broke down in front of him, but he clenched his jaw and averted his gaze from you.  

Breathing deeply, you stood up slowly and began to see red. All of your emotions hit you at once and you shoved him harshly.

“WHAT THE FUCK, BEN? HOW COULD YOU KILL OUR FATHER? HE WAS TRYING TO HELP YOU!” You began to hit him in the chest, not caring that he could kill you in that very moment.  

Tears were falling down your face and you continued screaming and pounding into his chest. Deciding he had finally had enough, he gripped onto your fists.

“Stop this, Y/N.” You fisted his shirt, bowing your head down so you wouldn’t have to look at him. “I had to do this. I had to do what was necessary in order to become more powerful.”

“No, no you didn’t have to kill him. He was just trying to help bring you back to the light.”

“No. The only way for me to be more powerful is if I destroy the past. Now you need to do so as well, Y/N. I can train you and the scavenger girl. Together, we could become so powerful, not even the Supreme Leader himself could defeat us. We can rule the galaxy as brother and sister.” Looking back up, you frowned as he looked at you with pleading eyes.

“Forget everything, Y/N. Let it all die. Forget about the Resistance. Forget that pilot. You can become powerful if you erase the past.” The fact that he decided to bring up Poe, especially after what he did to him, upset you.

Releasing his shirt, you stepped away from him. This wasn’t your Ben, the brother who would always play with you and was always there to brush the dirt off of you when you fell.

This wasn’t the same brother who stood up for you when other children began to bully you for being adopted.

Standing in front of you was someone whose lust for power overcame his love for his family. Your brother was truly gone.

“You are not my brother.” You hissed. “My brother would have never done this. He would have never killed our father and he most certainly would not have tried to force me to go to the Dark Side. You are foolish to think you will ever be as strong as Darth Vader!” Ben gazed up at you, inquiring how you knew his deepest fear—his entire demeanor shifting.

“Then what does that make you, Y/N? You don’t even belong to anyone. All you are is someone that our parents took pity over because your parents were killed. You. Are. Nothing.” He spoke through gritted teeth.

This struck a nerve. Yelling, you reached for your blaster and shot at him. Ben easily stopped the blast midair, all while pushing you backwards. The way you landed caused you to hit the back of your head all the while your legs hung over the edge—your weight suddenly being pulled down.

Groaning, you turned over onto your stomach just in time to grasp onto the metal walkway. From the corner of your eye, you could see Ben stalking towards you—causing you to whimper. Chewie roared above you, followed by a blaster going off, and you watched as Ben was hit, leaning forward in pain.

You took your chance and quickly pulled yourself up, running to the steps to join Rey and Finn, all while dodging blasts from Stormtroopers. As soon as you were reunited with your friends, the explosives went off and the three of you began to make your way out of the hangar.

The cold air blew harshly against your face and you tightened Poe’s jacket around you. You ran along with Rey and Finn until you came to a wall of rocks and watched as Rey began to climb up it. Finn had one hand laid on your back as he pushed you up to follow Rey.

You mustered all the strength that you could to pull yourself up the rocks and grabbed Rey’s hand as she pulled you up the rest of the way. Turning to help Finn, you caught sight of fire and smoke from the now damaged oscillator and smiled to yourself.

Now Poe and his team will be able to easily finish it off.

“The Falcon’s this way!” Finn yelled and you and Rey followed him.

Running through the forest, you could barely feel your fingers from the cold. Snowflakes were falling on your lashes and you tried blinking them away in annoyance.

The three of you slowed to a stop as you saw Ben, bleeding and injured, in front of you. How he beat you there, you did not know.  

“We’re not done yet.” He raised his lightsaber and pointed it towards the three of you.

“You’re a monster.” Rey hissed.

“It’s just us now, Han Solo can’t save you.” He began to punch his side and you watched as blood began to fall onto the snow.

You pushed past Finn and Rey, stopping only a couple of feet in front of Ben.

“Ben.” Your voice came out hoarse and you tried to clear your throat. “You need to stop this. Just let us leave.” Ben straightened but didn’t say anything.

This game was getting old. You knew what you had to do in order for your friends to safely make it back to the Resistance, for Poe to be safe. Sighing deeply, you took two more steps forward.

“If you let my friends leave, Ben, then I will go with you. I will not put up a fight and I will go willingly. That’s what you want right? To train me?  Just let them go and I will go with you, please.” Ben didn’t react and you began to shiver from the sudden gust of cold air, tugging on the edge of Poe’s jacket sleeves.  

No one dare spoke—only the sound of Ben’s lightsaber was heard—and Ben finally nodded, switching off his weapon. You slowly began to walk towards him but were stopped when you felt a hand tighten around your wrist. You didn’t turn to see who it was, instead putting your head down to look at the ground.

“Y/N.” It was Finn. “Please don’t do this. I can’t let you; I am supposed to be protecting you. What is Poe going to think when he sees us without you? And your mother?” Looking sideways at Finn, you gave him a sad smile. “Don’t do this, Y/N. Your father wouldn’t have wanted you to leave us and endanger yourself.”

“I have to do this Finn, it’s the only way that you and Rey can get back safely. Just tell Poe that I am sorry and that I love him.” Finn just stared at you with sorrowful eyes and you pulled gently from his grasp.

Looking at Rey, you glanced down to see her shakily holding onto a blaster. Taking a breath, you exchanged looks with Rey.

Shoot him, you thought, I am not going to go with him but please, shoot him.

Rey looked from you to Ben and through gritted teeth, raised her blaster. Before she could release the trigger, Ben Force pushed her up and you watched as Rey colliding hard with a tree.

“Rey!” As you turned to run after your unconscious friend, you were stopped in place—watching as Finn rushes to check on Rey.

The sound of snow crunching behind you made you want to turn your head, but you couldn’t. Instead, you watched Ben stalk next to you out of the corner of your eye.

“You should learn to close your mind off to wandering ears, Y/N. That is why you should have come with me when I offered.” He ignited his lightsaber once more and you struggled against the hold of the Force. “Now, you will have to watch me kill your friends. Once I am done with them, I will go after the pilot you seem to be infatuated with.” Huffing through your nose and glaring daggers, you struggled against the force holding you.

“Don’t you dare touch them, Ben!” Ignoring you, he stalked towards Finn—like a predator ready to pounce onto its prey— who was still comforting an unconscious Rey.

“TRAITOR!” You thrashed against the force, crying out his name as well as for Finn and Rey.

Gritting your teeth, you focused your mind solely on ridding of the invisible hold that Kylo had on you. Sweat trickled down your forehead, your muscles shaking, as you couldn’t contain the yell that escaped you. Suddenly, the force holding you back faltered and you ran straight for Ben with the intention of harming him for threatening your friends and lover.

Ben was quick to throw his hand back and throw you against a nearby tree. The back of your head hit the stump of the tree hard and you slumped onto the snowy ground hard. Gasping for a breath, your vision was fading in and out—red and blue blurring just before the world around you turned black.

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[belongingseeker]

Kylo Ren and Psychological Projection

Kylo Ren/Ben Solo is without a doubt my favorite Star Wars character to date. The fact that Adam Driver, who has serious acting chops and the face of a Greek God, is playing him, doesn't hurt either. However, it is Kylo's duality and strong emotions that really draw me to him. I have noticed that one of his character traits is to say to others what he really means to say to himself. The psychological term for this is "projecting". I looked up psychological projection on Wikipedia and this is what I found:

Projection was conceptualized by Sigmund Freud. Freud considered that, in projection, thoughts, motivations, desires, and feelings that cannot be accepted as one's own are dealt with by being placed in the outside world and attributed to someone else.  Essentially, it means that a perceived personal inferiority is recognized as a perceived moral deficiency in someone else.

I have noticed several instances in TFA and TLJ where Kylo projects his issues onto others rather than facing them himself. He is a master, in fact, when it comes to projecting his shortcomings onto others but not so skilled with looking inward. Carl Jung states through his research that the darker side of one's personality is more prone to psychological projection.  Since Kylo identifies strongly with his shadow self, he is in possession of a well-fed ego and thus uses projection as an unconscious coping mechanism to helps him to avoid pain and emotional discomfort.

Here are the instances where I believe that Kylo was projecting his own insecurities onto others. Feel free to comment on others or to add any observations:

To Rey in TFA (interrogation scene): "You're so lonely, so afraid to leave."

Rey is indeed lonely and afraid to leave Jakku, but Kylo identifies with her so strongly here because he too is desperately lonely and afraid to leave the First Order. He is petrified to admit this to himself, because it means that most of his life has been a mistake.  He blames Luke for what he perceives as forcing his hand into choosing a life of darkness.  As Rey tells Luke in The Last Jedi, “You failed him by thinking his choice was made.  It wasn’t.”

To Rey and Finn in TFA (forest scene): "Han Solo can't save you."

I always found this line to be a bit perplexing. Was he talking only to Rey or to Rey and Finn together? Han only knew Rey and Finn for a short time and Han's main purpose in coming to SKB was to disable it and to bring Ben home. Finn was the one who was really focused on saving Rey. However, when you think about this line with the lens that dear Kylo is projecting, it makes perfect sense. He believes that because he has killed his father, he is beyond saving and can fully commit to the dark side and thus be free of his conflict, pain, and suffering.  Kylo feels he is a lost soul but admitting that to himself would be too painful...it is much easier to rub salt in the wounds of Finn and Rey.  He believes that no one is going to save him and no one can save him, especially not his father, so it is up to Kylo to save himself by severing his emotional connections.  However, killing his father and thus attempting to kill the past and free himself of pain does quite the opposite.  It “splits his spirit to the bone” and heaps even more pain and regret onto an already conflicted Kylo.

To Finn in TFA (forest scene): "Traitor!"

Kylo has just killed his father. He is reeling and feels more torn apart than ever. He has betrayed "the truth that is his family" because he believes that his family betrayed him. When he screams the word "traitor", he does it with so much rage and anger. It is a bit jarring in the context of the film; does he even know Finn or care that much about one storm trooper? However, when you consider that he himself is feeling like a traitor to all parts of himself, it makes much more sense. The traitor here is Kylo. He believes that he is:

A traitor to the Jedi order for his massacre of Luke’s academy (although we don’t know the details of this until TLJ).

A traitor to The First Order because he felt FN2187’s conflict on Jakku but did act.

A traitor to his own dark side because he killed Han, which should have cemented his turn to the dark side, yet he feels more torn apart than ever. From TFA novelization:  “Stunned by his own actions, Kyo Ren fell to his knees. Following through on the act ought to have made him stronger, a part of him believed. Instead, he found himself weakend.”

A traitor to his own light side because he murdered his own father in cold blood.  

To Rey in TLJ (force bond): "Your parents threw you away like garbage but you can’t stop needing them.  It’s your greatest weakness."

Kylo feels that his parents prioritized the cause of the resistance over him and then threw him away to train with his Uncle Luke because they didn’t know how to “fix” him.  He believes that his family thinks of him as a monster who needs to be disposed of.  He longs for acceptance and love from his family but he represses these deep feelings of need.  Instead, he uses his feelings of loss adn abandonment to justify his decisions and to fuel his rage and sadness.  He perceives needing his family as a weakness in himself that must be destroyed. 

To Rey in TLJ (hut scene): "You're not alone."

This moment is so critical for Kylo's redemption because he shows empathy and compassion toward Rey.  He is projecting here because he, too, feels alone but it is very difficult for him to admit that to himself and to Rey.  He is so drawn to and enamored of Rey because he relates to her insecurities and fears on a deep level.  She is literally his other half, the female representation of his unconscious feminine self.  When Rey returns his sentiments, she validates his feelings by telling him that he is not alone either and it allows him to begin to admit to himself that maybe it is not too late and there may be chance for belonging.

To Rey in TLJ (Snoke's chambers): "No, no, you're still holding on! Let go!"

When Kylo begins to realize that Rey is going to reject his proposal to "Rule together and bring a new order to the galaxy", he starts to lose his shit. He admonishes Rey for holding onto her ideologies and being unable to let go of her past. However, it is Kylo himself who is holding onto his anger and hurt. In fact, moments after Kylo tells Rey to "Let go!", she literally admits to herself and Kylo the truth about her family. Kylo, on the other hand, is a hot mess moments later when he see the Falcon and Luke on Crait. Kylo is really the one who needs to make peace with the past and move on rather than holding onto the Kylo Ren persona as a way to avoid and escape the past.

To Rey in TLJ (Snoke's chambers): "You're nothing. But not to me."

This one is so heartbreaking. Even though Kylo is telling Rey she is nothing, I think what he really means to say is "I am nothing but please tell me that I am not nothing to you." When Kylo said, "You're nothing" to Rey, it made no sense, because whenever he gazes at her he looks like he is deep in love. Rey is clearly not nothing to him; she is in fact everything. He tells her she is nothing because he is scared to death of rejection, so instead projects his own feelings of inferiority (I'm nothing) onto Rey.

Thank you so much for reading this post!

[mandaloriangf]

okay so. because im a loser with no life and i got some positive comments on my little tlj fix it snippets, here’s an overall plot of what tlj could’ve been.

things to keep in mind: 

this is just one of many plot lines in my head. im mostly basing it off of what happens in the movie as a way to show how easy it could be fixed

im not including any parentage theories or ships. just the basic ideas.

this is gonna be long lol

also holdo and dj no longer exist

here we go!

we start out in a similar fashion. the resistance had some time after the destruction of starkiller base to regroup but now that the first order knows where they are, they know they need to leave. we see them gathering their things when the first order dreadnought arrives with some other ships. its lead by hux, who is on thin ice after losing starkiller base. he believes he’ll earn good standing with snoke if he destroys the resistance once and for all by himself, though without their base the first order is in shambles and completely disorganized. 

we see poe with finn, who is recovering from his injury like in the film. he is unconscious and poe is reluctant to leave him, but he’s reassured that finn will be alright and transported to safety. poe and the other pilots get in their ships and go out to fight the dreadnought.

while most of the flee its destroyed, the dreadnought is harder and they bring in the bombers. it seems fruitless and leia orders them to retreat to fight another day. poe agrees, but then disobeys orders after everyone is safe in order to finish what they started and he is joined by paige. they’re able to destroy the dreadnought, but hux escapes. also paige doesn’t die, and is instead a y-wing pilot. 

poe is reunited with the resistance after they hyperspace to safety. (there is also no fuel plot line.) leia doesnt slap him or demote him, though she does talk sternly with him. they both give their sides - poe knew the dreadnought needed to be taken down so that they could deliever another major blow to the first order, but he didn’t want to put others at risk for it. leia tells him he can’t save everyone and he’s too important to the resistance to put himself at risk like that. she softens and tells him he’s too important to her. this calms him and we see a touching mother/son moment between them. she tells him they’re moving to a new base, which is the old rebel base on crait. poe returns to finn’s side.

we switch the first order. hux is aboard the supremecy where kylo and the other knights of ren are training in snoke’s presence. snoke takes this opportunity to humiliate hux, though he doesn’t kill him, saying the FO still has use for him. we see tension between hux and kylo, the latter being favored by snoke. snoke tells them they need to regroup and make new plans. he laments that he feels a disturbance in the force. 

we cut to rey and luke. she’s handing him the lightsaber. he’s shocked and confused and doesnt take it. instead he asks “who are you?” rey is flustered and gives her name, telling him she’s from the resistance and he needs to come back and help. he walks past her and she follows him, rambling on about kylo ren and why they need the jedi to return. he goes to the falcon and stands in front of it. 

he goes into it, yelling for han. rey is unable to stop him and tell him the truth, though he knows it deep down. we get a nice reunion with him and artoo and him and chewie. when he cant find han he finally listens to rey, who tells him what happened, getting choked up in the process. luke blames himself and retreats back to his village, where he has been taking care of the porgs, giving them some much needed relevance to the film. 

rey tells him that the lightsaber called to her and she’s afraid. she doesn’t know much about the force or the jedi other than legends. she wants to know more so she can better understand herself. luke tells her no, though he is not harsh and cruel. he’s sad and grief-stricken, telling her that he’ll just fail her too. she insists he wont, but he leaves her and she retreats to the falcon to talk with chewie. at night stares out at the sky, wondering out loud how finn is. 

back to the resistance. finn wakes up, but its normal and natural. he’s out of the bacta suit, because he’s healing well. poe is asleep by his bedside. he gets up, but is in pain and poe wakes up. they go over what finn missed and he is impatient to get up and get going, though poe tells him he needs to take it easy. poe says he’ll go find someone to help and in the meantime, finn reunites with bb8, who shows him the video of rey kissing him. they’re interrupted by leia, who talks to finn and offers him a place in the resistance and compliments/thanks him for his bravery. he’s unsure, still reeling from everything that happened, but says he’ll stick around. 

they arrive on crait, where they are greeted by lando, who has been supervising this base. at first he’s excited to see leia, but notices her saddened expression and all she says is “han.” lando knows and they embrace. he tells her they’ll have a memorial when everything is set up.

poe and finn work together to move equipment and whatnot and poe introduces finn to paige and rose. rose is still a mechanic and she’s in awe of finn and what he did. while paige and poe go off with the other pilots, finn helps out rose, who rambles quite a bit, but she’s sweet and has a lot of respect for the resistance and what they’re doing. it’s common knowledge that finn is a defected stormtrooper and he is greatly respected for this. 

we get a memorial for han. it’s touching and beautiful and we get a chance to see leia grieve. finn gets approached by lando, and they discuss finn seeing han die. lando becomes somewhat of a mentor figure to him, like han could’ve been. at the end lando and leia announce they have to start making new plans now that the new republic has been destroyed. leia makes a holovid to announce that the resistance is still going strong and wont bow to the first order. 

back to the FO. we see interactions between kylo and the knights of ren that gives them more personality. kylo is pulled aside by snoke and they discuss that luke skywalker has been found. kylo is anxious to go kill him, but snoke tells him he will get his chance in time. we get an argument between kylo and hux to more establish the tension between them. 

back on ahch-to, rey goes on a walk around the island. she meets more creatures and loving looks out at the water. luke spots her and he’s reminded of himself. he asks her where she’s from and she says jakku. he tells her about growing up on tattooine and they bond over living on sand planets. luke sees himself in her and changes his mind, telling her that he’ll train her. she’s surprised, similar to when han was offering her a job. she’s excited to start and luke lightens up a bit. 

they begin to train, which is done mostly through montages. we get longer bits here and there. its not exactly what she expected. shes anxious to learn the force, but instead luke has her do physical training. she runs up and down and around the island. he teaches her to meditate. she’s impatient and luke can sense it. this is intercut with the resistance as they set up the base, narration from luke over the scenes as he talks about the force. we end with a lesson where rey starts to make some rocks float. she’s excited and proud and we start to see the father/daughter bond start to form. 

back at the resistance they have discovered that the FO has moved their base of operations to the supremacy. in a briefing leia tells them, including poe, finn, and lando, that spies died getting them that information. she also tells them they’ve sent word to old allies, but everyone is too frightened to join, even with the destruction of starkiller base. without the new republic, it seems all hope is lost. 

finn says they need to destroy the supremacy and that he knows how to get them on board and where to go. they discuss plans, deciding that finn and poe will sneak on board and take it down from the inside. however, in order to do this they need somehow who can figure out how things work. finn smiles and says he knows someone. cut to them asking rose for her help. she excitedly agrees, though she’s a bit overwhelmed. they depart from crait, with leia telling them, “may the force be with you.”

on ahch-to rey is mediating and luke compliments her, telling her about his own training and how he technically never finished it. she asks him what kyo was like as an apprentice. luke doesn’t want to answer and tries to change the subject. rey says she can sense something about luke that she doesnt quite understand and she starts bombarding him with questions. this upsets him and he leaves for his hut. rey joins him and they apologize to one another. luke tells her he’s full of guilt and regret and she tells him that the past is in the past and that the galaxy needs him now, but he tells her he’ll fail just like he did before. he asks her more about the resistance and she tells him about finn and she talks about han and leia and poe and everyone else she met. her voice fades as the camera zooms out.

the next day rey is doing her regular training when luke brings her to a cliff. he has her look down - there’s his trusted x-wing. he tells her he put it in the water to stop himself from leaving and that he’s cut himself off from the force. he tells her to lift it. she’s unable to and this leaves her frustrated and angry. she asks him more questions but he refuses to answer, leaving her even more upset, though this time luke remains calm, understanding where her feelings are coming from. she leaves and he reaches toward the ship out of curiosity. it starts to move. 

the gang arrives at the supremacy and they are allowed on board. they get disguises and discuss their plans. its not known to the rest of the FO that finn defected, so when others see him in the uniform, they think he got promoted. this unfortunately makes the gang separate, with finn being swept away from poe and rose who continue with the mission. finn comes face to face with phasma, who greets him as FN-2187.

rey goes on a walk to clear her head. she’s drawn to a structure and enters it, finding it to be ruins of some kind. she finds some books and opens them and as she starts to read she’s startled by a voice. she turns around to see a young man that appears to be a ghost. she asks him who he is and how he got there, but he doesn’t answer, instead telling her about the jedi and how they were failures. their conversation is interrupted by luke who tells rey that’s his father. rey is shocked that she just spoke with darth vader himself. he finally holds the lightsaber for the first time and lets out a long breath. he sits her down and tells her the origin of kylo ren. 

we see this story with luke’s narration. young ben solo is dropped off at luke’s school by leia and han, who believe this is good for him. ben is excited because he loves his uncle and can’t wait to learn the ways of the force. its good for a while, though ben has a hard time getting along with the other students. they are somewhat intimidated by him being luke’s nephew. as he gets older he starts to grow resentful. his parents come to visit often, but they still get busy every now and then. luke devotes his time to all the students rather than just focus on one. ben, who has been used to having everyones attention his whole life, starts to feel isolated. then comes snoke’s voice in his head. he starts to tell ben that there’s no one that can understand him and that he’s better than all of them. at first he doesn’t listen, but snoke picks up on all of ben’s insecurities and manipulates him through it. 

luke, of course, takes notice. ben completely isolates himself and luke does everything he can to talk to him. he contacts leia and han and lets them know that something is up. he feels a dark presence inside of ben, but he believes anyone can be saved. eventually ben picks up a group of friends and luke is happy about that, but by the time he realizes whats really happening, its too late. ben goes missing, as do all his friends. when they return, they destroy the school and kill all the remaining students. this all happens when luke is off world and he returns to find everything on fire. he goes looking for survivors, only to find burned bodies instead. kylo remains there to face luke and takes off his mask so that luke knows who he is. after believing that he killed luke in the destruction, kylo leaves.

luke is devastated and guilt-ridden. he decides he must leave and find answers of what to do next. he tells leia and han what happened and that he’s going away for a while. leia tells him that they can fix it together, but he doesn’t believe her. he travels with artoo for a while, looking for the first jedi temple. when he finds it, he makes a map with two pieces, giving one to artoo and one to lor san tekka so that if the galaxy needs him, they can find him. however, during his time on ahch-to, he discovers there are no answers and sometimes people are just bad, which is something he refuses to believe. 

at the end of the story, rey has no sympathy for kylo and says he needs to die. luke is taken aback, telling her that kylo can still be saved. she argues with him, telling him that kylo killed han, almost killed finn, tried to kill her - and thats just the tip of the iceberg. she desires to kill him for what hes done and knows that the galaxy wont be safe until he is. luke tells her that theres more at play than just kylo, but she wont listen. knowing that luke would just stop her, she leaves on the falcon with chewie, though artoo stays behind. on the ship we get a scene where rey changes her hair and clothes. its meant to represent the change in her from the scavenger on jakku to the budding jedi. 

back on the supremacy, phasma and finn have a tense conversation as she pretends he really has gotten a promotion in order to keep the other stormtroopers from contemplating rebellion, though they make subtle jabs at one another. he is mostly trying to keep her busy to give poe and rose some time. we see them doing their job (i honestly dont have anything specific in mind lol just something that’ll make the ship explode from within). 

we also see kylo complete his training. snoke is proud of him (in a weird snoke like way). he tells him he’ll be put to the test again soon, sensing rey’s imminent arrival. he also senses something on the ship and kylo does too (finn is force sensitive). 

rey, determined to kill kylo using her training, allows herself to be taken prisoner. she’s brought before snoke and kylo. as this is going on we see everything else going on, poe and rose, finn and phasma. finn eventually goes fuck it and starts telling the other stormtroopers the truth. phasma sold them out and if it weren’t for her, starkiller base would still be operational. she tells them its all lies, but finn gives a riveting speech. we can see the stormtroopers becoming conflicted. however they dont turn, instead bringing finn before snoke next to rey. they ask each other how they are and emphasis is put on how his back still hurts him. he spots kylo and is ready to kill him too. 

snoke gives his villainous monologue, greatly implying he’s darth plagueis. he orders for kylo to kill them both. rey starts trying to appeal to any humanity left in kylo as a last resort. she tells him all the things luke told her, which shocks him. he attempts to read her mind and sees flashes of things - how luke became her teacher, how anakin spoke to her. he becomes angered and the two duel. in the chaos, finn tries to help, but rey tells him to get to safety. he refuses, but then explosions rock the ship. we cut to poe and rose, who have started the destruction of the ship. rey tells finn to go again and that she’ll be alright. finn reluctantly leaves, telling her they’ll see each other again. 

rey and kylo fight while snoke watches with curiosity. kylo taunts rey which only makes her angrier. they’re both full of rage toward one another. on another part of the ship, finn has run into phasma. she’s surrounded by other stormtroopers. finn is ready to fight her, but makes one final attempt at convincing them to defect. she makes the first move and as they fight, blaster shots hit her armor. the stormtrooper uprising begins. 

poe and rose fight their way back to the hanger where they wait for finn. phasma is forced to retreat. finn helps the other stormtroopers get to safety, telling them to follow him, poe, and rose to escape. 

back with snoke, rey and kylo continue to fight. rey bests him and she has anakin’s lighsaber at his throat. however, she is unable to kill him. she remembers everything luke told her, how the dark side is the easiest. its not about fighting off the dark side, its about having a balance. she is allowed to be angry, but she can’t let that be her only defining trait. however, because she fails to kill him, snoke does it instead. she’s in shock, and watches as snoke takes over kylo’s body, leaving the old vessel behind. he orders for hux to escape and in the meantime, rey runs, knowing she can’t fight him on her own. 

in the hanger, finn refuses to leave without rey and poe and rose agree. when she finally arrives, they get off the supremacy together as a team. they arrive back on crait with the defecting stormtroopers, but they are quickly followed by the first order. everyone gets reunited. poe gives a speech to the pilots as they are about to go to the speeders, telling them that their lives are all too important and that theyre just holding off the FO until everyone can escape. he looks at leia as he says this, acknowledging their conversation at the beginning. 

poe goes out with the others, including paige while rey and finn go in the falcon. rose stays behind and helps the others escape. the battle soon turns fruitless. theres an epic slow motion scene, showing how it feels like theyre all going to fail. intercut with these scenes is luke back on the cliff, looking down at the x-wing. he reaches out, and pulls it back up and onto land. we don’t see him get in, but we know he will. 

poe orders them to pull back and this time he goes with them. many lives have been lost. theyre unable to take off without the FO shooting them down. no one answers the call for reinforcements. poe looks out with his binoculars one last time. he sees an x-wing in the distance. snoke, who is on the surface with them in kylo’s body, is informed of an incoming ship, but he knows exactly who it is. 

we see luke in the cockpit and he converses with artoo. leia watches with an expression of relief. he attacks the FO head on and the resistance lets the rest of the galaxy know that luke skywalker is back and he’s ready to fight. this encourages the others - the pilots, the defected stormtroopers, and those that choose to come to the resistance’s aide (who we see listening to the distress call and making the decision to help) - to go back out and fight. while they are unable to stop the FO, they provide a distraction so that the others can escape. 

the FO is left on crait while the resistance reunites on a new ship. we get a better reunion between luke and leia. they hug and luke apologizes for leaving, but tells her he’s ready to fight. he also reunites with lando. 

meanwhile rey and finn get a proper chance to talk. they hug and he flinches when her hand touches his back and she apologizes. she meets rose, who is also excited to meet her, and along with poe the four of them talk amongst themselves. rey spots luke and goes to speak with him. she tells him what happened and the conflict she felt and luke tells her he understands and that perhaps kylo was beyond saving. he tells her not to dwell on it right now and he looks over her shoulder to see where finn, rose, and poe all wait for her. she glances over and smiles, happy to be with her found family. she tries to hand him the lightsaber again, but he curls her fingers around it. “its yours,” he says. 

the ending shows our quartet together with their battle scars, their bruises. the resistance took a huge blow and snoke is even more powerful than ever, but through their love for one another leaves us knowing that no matter how dark it gets, hope is always there. 

so yeah. thats just one option. it doesnt cover everything and im probably forgetting a lot of stuff that i might add on with later, but honestly? this movie should’ve been so easy to write. rian johnson retire bitch.