#tlj is not immune to this by far

[crim-bat]

Poe Dameron is Always Right

Pretty frequently in the sequel Trilogy of Star Wars we see that he is framed as being the one that's in the wrong or at least the one who's always argued about being in the wrong a by other characters.

But when you actually examine what's going on you can kind of see that for the most part he's normally right about things. Let me explain.

In the force awakens we don't really see enough of his character to really establish this character trait. We see enough to know he's a very confident commander and an even more confident pilot. He is a magician behind the stick of an X-Wing and in fact most ships you can pilot

In the last jedi, we start to see that him being wrong is very much an informed trait. Those bombers that got destroyed in the start of the movie? They had already set up their attack. Turning back probably would have caused all of them to be destroyed anyway without them actually doing anything to the enemy. He made a Command Decision and not only was it the right tactical decision but given that it gave them one less massive Star Destroyer to worry about in the upcoming Chase sequence of the movie he was also Vindicated on a strategic level.

But the movie framesman is being wrong. He's demoted from Commander to Captain (which is bullshit because captain is a higher naval rank and commander doesn't exist as a rank in a branch where he'd have been promoted to general but Star Wars is bad at military ranks ik ik) by Leia for pressing the attack. But the only way he's in the wrong here isn't because it was the wrong tactical or strategic decision. It wasn't. It was because of insubordination which is kind of fair

The next we see him clash with authority is with vice admiral holdo and she opens up hostilities like a turbo laser. The first thing he does is ask for Direction on what they're doing next because even if he is just a captain he is still one of the senior officers on board and that is a very fair thing to ask the now acting Commander of the fleet that's being torn apart. So she tells him to just follow orders which he just asked for and didn't get

The movie frames him is being a hot head and just wanting to fight. But that's not really how it's framed for most of the movie. Because strategically and tactically he was right to press the attack against the dreadnaught. And he only expresses his need to engage the enemy and fight when he sees that they are refueling the transports which is a very dumb character decision tbh. Like obviously there's no way they could fight against the ships chasing them at that point and the first time he's actually wrong in the movie it feels like a forced wrongness rather than an informed rockness. Him being wrong never feels both natural and accurate

Then we come to the rise of Skywalker where the real fun begins. I just rolled my eyes by the way. Because we see him open up with hyperspace skipping which is bad for the falcon, which makes sense because it's an older ship and I have no idea how it's still active at this point other than faith and duct tape, and he immediately gets lambasted by the main character. But he was still right to do it because those were hyperspace capable Tie fighters which is kind of a typical. So he gets points for being right or being prepared for a hyperspace Pursuit after what happened last movie when the basic premise of his side of it was being pursued through hyperspace

And then you have him leading the resistance fleet to exogol for final stand against a new empire. This was after Rey decided to just rush headfirst into a problem she had no idea how to handle (standard Star Wars mc flaw, not an indictment of her character to be fair). And honestly? He didn't really have much of a choice because there was almost no better opportunity because the opportunities to do this were only getting worse

All this to say. Very rarely is p

Poe Dameron in the wrong. He might be annoying about it sometimes. But Poe is almost always right on a strategic or tactical level but he only ever gets black or push back on it.

Anyways stan Poe Dameron

[skyguyed]

the normalization of abusive behavior in reylo

for those wondering why some people are calling reylo an abusive ship, below the divide are examples and explanations from The Force Awakens and The Last Jedi where Kylo Ren displays abusive behavior towards Rey.

This is important because abusive/toxic actions in fiction are often normalized to the point where viewers may not notice abusive behaviors as red flags, or may grow to see abusive behavior as normal, even romantic (or valid precursors to romance).

This post will also discuss the role of fictional portrayals in shaping reality, and why I believe supporting reylo means normalizing abuse.

Thank you in advance for your time and energy to read this. 

The purpose of this post 

This post (essay, really, it’s gotten pretty long) will examine every interaction between Rey and Kylo Ren, and will point out where and how abuse occurs in this relationship. I will also discuss why this matters.

This post is not meant to police anyone or insult, nor is it meant to incite disrespectful arguments. It is not a call for censorship. The purpose of this post is to help unaware reylo shippers understand where and why reylo is abusive, to help fans recognize abusive behavior, to assess the relationship between fiction and reality, and to discuss why I believe supporting reylo means normalizing abuse.

Trigger warnings for mentions, descriptions, and discussions of violence, domestic violence, abuse, and rape.

Legal definition of abuse:

According to the judicial branch of California,

The domestic violence laws say “abuse” is:

Physically hurting or trying to hurt someone intentionally or recklessly;

Sexual assault;

Making someone reasonably afraid that he or she or someone else is about to be seriously hurt (like threats or promises to harm someone); OR

Behavior like harassing, stalking, threatening, or hitting someone, disturbing someone’s peace, or destroying someone’s personal property).

Read more about Domestic Violence.

What abusive behavior does reylo display?

Kylo Ren exhibits these types of abusive behaviors towards Rey (timestamps indicated when appropriate):

Immobilizing her 

Using the Force in the forest on Takodana (TFA, 1:17:32)

With physical restraints in First Order custody (TFA, 1:25:40)

Threatening her with a weapon 

With light saber, while she’s immobilized by him (TFA, 1:18:00)

Stalking her

“You still want to kill me.” “That happens why you’re being hunted by a creature in a mask.” (TFA, 1:26:08)

Putting down her friends

“Where are the others?” “You mean the murderers, traitors, and thieves you call friends?” (TFA, 1:25:57)

Kylo Ren called Rey’s parents “filthy junk traders” (TLJ 1:48)

Hurting her friends: Finn, mortally (TFA, 1:54:42)

Not to mention killing his father Han in front of her, who had become someone she trusted.

Entering her (mind) without permission (confirmed by JJ Abrams as an intentional rape parallel in a Facebook post to Daniel Fleetwood, since deleted/made private - see summary here)

This happened twice- once on Takodana when he had her immobilized (TFA, 1:18:12), and then again in First Order custody: “You know I can take whatever I want.” (TFA, 1:27:00) despite her tears, fear, and obvious discomfort and protests

Threatening to expose her secrets (where is BB-8 and the map to Luke Skywalker)

Attacking her with a weapon

Also using the force to attack her (multiple times)

Rendering her unconscious (real world equivalent: drugging or physical violence)

First on Takodana with the Force, (TFA 1:13:32), then on Starkiller Base, by launching her into a tree (TFA 1:51:24)

Trying to manipulate her (into joining the Dark Side)

Snoke may have initiated their force bond, but as soon as Kylo realized what it was, he started using it to make Rey sympathize with him

Kylo Ren feeds Rey only part of his side of the story, painting himself as a victim (leaving out how he slaughtered/turned the other students, and what he did to concern Luke in the first place [re: the “darkness rising in him,” TLJ 1:00:33])

Gaslighting and verbal abuse: “You have no place in this story. You come from nothing. You’re nothing... but not to me.”

“Your parents threw you away like garbage. You can’t stop needing them.” (TLJ 1:12:02) He hangs this over her head, again at TLJ 1:31. And “the truth” at 1:48.

Kylo also literally abducts Rey after knocking her out, although that isn’t on the cited list. And he frames her for murdering Snoke after she wouldn’t join him, which puts a huge target on her back. And um, tries to actually kill her (“BLOW THE PIECE OF JUNK -- OUT OF THE SKY!”)

Kylo’s own manipulation, abuse, and gaslighting by Snoke do not excuse his treatment of Rey. (Finn was abused and brainwashed, too. And he chose to turn better.)

Here are resources for abuse victims. 

Why the interrogation scene has clear rape parallels

This is not meant to cheapen or lessen the trauma faced by physical rape/assault victims. I understand that this comparison is upsetting to some people because, since it is presented on-screen as a parallel, it could be argued as much less severe or even be seen as trivializing the plight of real-life victims. I’m not trying to speak for all abuse victims when I say this, but as a person who has experienced sexual violation, I can’t help but see a clear parallel here. 

The interaction is highly invasive. Rey is terrified and protests when she is able to. Kylo Ren tells her shit like not to be afraid, etc. (which sounds like stuff abusers say). She tells him to stop (1:27:39) “Get out of my head” and still he proceeds, ignoring verbal and physical protests. This is not a healthy dynamic, and shouldn’t be portrayed as romantic, or as a prucursor to romance. It’s clearly violating, and it’s triggering to a lot of fans.

When we do not acknowledge this scene as a nonconsensual psychological invasion of a person, I believe we are glossing over an extremely vital dynamic in this relationship. The fact that Kylo says to Rey, “I can take whatever I want,” shows an entitlement to her mind and body that he doesn’t deserve, an attitude shared by many abusers. It creates a power difference that forces Rey to fight back to regain control from him. I’ve seen people argue that he was “gentle” but gentle violation is still violation.

But they’re at war.

This really doesn’t excuse Kylo’s actions towards Rey, sorry. And even if they are at war, this kind of behavior he’s exibited towards her thus far does not make a good foundation for a healthy relationship. That trauma, those offenses will still be there.  

Also, if they’re at war, Rey has every reason to fight back, so saying that “Rey abused Kylo Ren back” when he’s the perpetrator is a flimsy argument. Her ability to “kick his ass” does not make her immune to abuse. It also shifts the blame for Kylo’s mistreatment from him, to her, which is vastly unfair, echoing the victim-blaming sentiment that’s pervasive in our own reality, that real victims face.

Why do we care if Reylo is abusive? It’s just fiction.

We should care that Reylo is abusive because fiction reflects and influences reality. This TED Talk discusses how fiction changes people by increasing empathy, and changes a person’s point of view. Fiction is powerful in shaping a person’s actions. Reading fiction helps readers navigate a real social world. Additionally, fiction can spark public dialogue and raise attention to real-world issues. Reading fiction has been associated with an increase in charitable giving and voting (x).

Here are some examples of fiction influencing reality:

Uncle Tom’s Cabin (1852) was the first major US novel with a Black main character, and it “ opened reader’s eyes to the realities of slavery and the humanity of enslaved people.” “Stowe’s candor on the controversial subject of slavery encouraged others to speak out, further eroding the already precarious relations between northern and southern states and advancing the nation’s march toward Civil War.” (x) Conversely, in modern times, it has helped popularize harmful antiquated stereotypes of Black people (x).

Joe Biden attributed historic changes in American views of homosexuality to Will and Grace (1998), which influenced American views on LGBT rights and helped open the door to more programs with LGBT leads. 

Fifty Shades of Grey (2011) popularized BDSM and caused a spike in reported sex-related injuries, and has been accused of perpetuating dangerous abuse standards. A 2014 study showed correlation between the novel’s readers and eating disorders, abusive relationships, and binge drinking. 

Star Trek has been vastly influential. Astronaut Mae Jemison (the first Black woman in space) was inspired by Lt. Uhura. The show featured American TV’s first interracial on-screen kiss. Steve Wozniak cited Star Trek as an influence for co-founding Apple (x). Star Trek has encouraged many people to pursue a career in science (x).

Jaws (1974) caused beach attendance to fall the following summer, sparked an increase in shark trophy hunting, and demonized sharks in the public eye. (However, shark research received more funding.)

Six in ten Americans get their HIV/AIDS information from the media (x). Musicals like Rent (1993) helped humanize people living with HIV/AIDS, as well as LGBT people. Rent has also been cited as helping encourage LGBT people to come out.

The Turner Diaries (1978) is a novel cited by white supremacists.

Lolita’s (1955) sexualization of a 12-year-old girl has impact on modern celebrities wardrobe choices and image.

Black Beauty (1877) caused the bearing rein to be banned in Victorian England and inspired animal welfare activists.

Upton Sinclair’s The Jungle (1906) portrayed harsh working conditions for immigrants in industrial areas, and raised awareness and produced public outcry which directly led to the passing of the Meat Inspection Act and the Pure Food and Drug Act, both in 1906.

After the release of 13 Reasons Why (2017), schools saw an increase in student self harm and suicides, and related internet searches. 

Psychologist Raymond Mar writes, “Researchers have repeatedly found that reader attitudes shift to become more congruent with the ideas expressed in a [fiction] narrative.” “For example,if we watch a TV program showing a sexual encounter gone wrong, our own sexual ethics will change... If, however, the show displays a positive sexual encounter, our own sexual attitudes will move towards the permissive end of the spectrum.”  (x pg 150)

In one study, 19% of respondents said that after finishing a work, a character’s voice stayed with them, influencing the tone of their thoughts (x).

More resources:

100 stories that changed the world

The power of fake gay (and black) friends: We form judgements about characters the same way we form judgements about people.

Readers may change their beliefs and thoughts to match a fictional character’s

The importance of framing in relationship portrayal, an essay by an abuse victim. This essay is very long but it is a must-read. It also touches on the fact that the power of fiction is more than just having fun and our experiences shape how we interpret media.

Abduction as Romance - a harmful trope where the abductor is framed as “a decent guy” at the end. (20-min video, well worth the watch.) Danger is portrayed as a sexy trait, while the disempowerment of women is fetishized. The video also comments on how often white guys get away with it, while men of color don’t. Also, see commentary at the end of the video about what real redemption means.

Yeah, but how does supporting reylo influence reality?

Supporting Reylo means that we’re giving credibility and validity to violence at the beginning of a romance. It’s like saying to a child who got pushed by another on the playground, “oh, they’re bullying you because they have a crush on you.” It’s promoting a fundamental entitlement and disrespect. 

Impressionable young people seeing this abuse treated as a desirable dynamic, as conditions that could lead to romance, are being primed to accept this or even emulate this in their own relationships. When we see this treated as acceptable in fiction, we are primed to see this as acceptable in reality.

Why not promote healthier dynamics? Why not rehearse the rejection of abusive behavior? 

 A look at canon

So, let’s not forget, that in canon, Rey and Kylo Ren are not in a relationship. So, some say, that means it’s impossible for this to be abuse. However, by suggesting that these characters should be in a relationship is harmful because it romanticizes rocky starts to relationships, and physically violent starts to relationships. 

More reasons why Kylo Ren is dangerous

While Kylo Ren has been shown in canon to be able to freeze or immobilize people, instead he mortally wounds Finn, who is clearly Rey’s friend and defender, in order to intimidate her and overpower her.

Not to mention that throughout the film, he displays characteristics of an abuser, such as violence towards others, (uh, murder), destruction of property, and other characteristics. It may be argued that these outbursts are symptoms of mental illness. It may also be argued that Kylo Ren is a victim of abuse himself, by Snoke. However, none of this excuses his shitty behavior. Being mentally ill or also an abuse victim does not grant one a free pass to act abusive towards others. 

Kylo Ren also tortures and invades and abuses Poe Dameron. Thank god I haven’t seen anyone shipping them. Kylo Ren is an abuser, y’all. 

Oh and one more thing? Kylo Ren never uses Rey’s name in the TFA; he doesn’t see her as a person, just an object to overpower, an obstacle to beat down. He doesn’t use her name until The Last Jedi, when he begins to try to manipulate her, rather than indimidate her with force alone. Then she becomes a tool to him. Clearly he still doesn’t value her as a whole person. Again, not romantic. Dangerous and toxic.

Why I’m still against Reylo even if Kylo is redeemed

It’s not a woman’s responsibility to “fix a damaged man.” (It’s not anyone’s responsibility to use romance to “fix” anyone, actually. Romance is not a cure for abuse.) The burden of redemption should be on the villain alone. Kylo had plenty of opportunities to accept help. Additionally, we shouldn’t support abusive behavior as a start or precursor to romance, because that’s a really harmful message to send. And, previous acts of violence are the biggest predictors of future violence, so I’m wary of them entering a relationship without significant amounts of therapy and reform on Kylo’s part.

What do we do from here?

Don’t support Reylo. That’s it. No conditionals. No “well if they change” no “well they’re fictional so they can be written differently” no AUs, no. Please don’t promote a relationship that is based in abuse. 

I’m not saying we need to sanitize our fiction of abuse or of abusive relationships. That’s not going to make them go away in real life. I’m not trying to censor or silence anything. I’m trying to make sure that abusive relationships are CLEARLY FRAMED as abusive, and not promoted, normalized, or glorified in any way. (See my previous post discussing this.)

Have fun, but understand that fiction is powerful and influential, and it’s our responsibility to engage with it in a way that supports healthy relationships.

[atamascolily]

Lily liveblogs “Resistance Reborn”, part one

Started reading Resistance Reborn by Rebecca Roanhorse for Fic Research purposes. The cover is pretty generic and exceptionally yellow, but I must say Poe looks very dashing. There’s also Leia, Rey, Finn, and some dude I don’t recognize along with an X-wing and the Falcon, and the old Rebellion logo--did the Resistance just keep using it? Why is that there? I have no idea. There’s nothing visually wrong with the cover, but nothing particularly compelling either, which is how I feel about a lot of ST stuff, to be honest.

Immediately I’m reminded of why I don’t usually read Disney canon: so depressing. Corellia has been taken over by the First Order, Leia has PTSD from nearly dying in the vacuum of space, and Luke and Han are still dead. It’s like the most depressing AU fic I could possibly choose, except that it’s supposed to be canon. So surreal.

So far, Rey and Leia have bonded, which was sweet. They talk about Kylo Ren a bit, but don’t really get anywhere, and I assume that’s because that plot point is reserved for The Rise of Skywalker and we are only in the Journey to The Rise of Skywalker. Meanwhile, Spymaster Poe Dameron is Working It and Looking Fine. TLJ needed more of that, and less of Poe Being Wrong So The Director Could Make A Point. Honestly, Poe should have gone to Canto Bight to track down the master codebreaker, now that I think about it; he’s a lot better suited for intrigue than either Rose or Finn.

We get a nice look at Black Squadron, which includes Jessika Pava and Snap Wexley, two characters I know almost entirely from fanfic, because they’re not named in the movies (I think? I definitely could have missed it since I only saw each movie once all the way through). They seem cool enough, but if Disney wanted me to care about them here, they should have been at least mentioned in passing in the films. Conveniently, all the named characters  outside the main movie cast were not involved in the Crait disaster, so they’re still alive.

A Corellian bureaucrat is an asshole to his female assistant and I’m sure that will be relevant to the larger plot later, and I hope she decks him. Also, the First Order is filling the power vacuum left by the New Republic’s (mostly off-screen) demise, and nobody wants to support the Resistance because...greed and fear, I guess.

Poe goes to visit Maz Kanata, who is apparently so done with whatever union dispute was keeping her busy in TLJ, and is now relaxing at a Spa Planet that used to be an Imperial Mining Colony before somebody discovered that Mine Tailings are the secret to Eternal Youth (!!!!!). Maz is her usual delightfully cryptic/Chaotic Neutral self, but she refuses Poe’s entreaties because she’s grumpy about the First Order destroying her sweet pirate castle on Takodana. Poe confesses that it’s literally his fault that the entire Resistance is down to one ship and a handful of fighters, and Maz gives him the Wise Jedi Master Rebuke... though she smiles after he stalks off in a huff like it was all part of a larger plan and she’s Secretly On His Side All Along instead of the Wild Card she pretends to be.

I have not read any of Rebecca Roanhorse’s other works, but her prose is eminently readable (which is more than you can say for certain Legends books), even if nothing exceptional leaps out at me. Honestly not sure how much freedom she had in writing this, since there’s theoretically a story group involved, and I assume they gave her a basic outline of the plot and character beats they wanted.

I did smile at Old Man Wedginald growing maize and peppers in his garden on Akiva, and also complaining about the humidity. I don’t really know anything about his wife Norra, but she seems pretty badass. Snap is trying to persuade Wedge to join the Resistance, since he’s one of the few OT characters to have survived this long, and they suspect he has Magic Plot Immunity. (Okay, I extrapolated that last bit, but tell me--am I wrong??)

Sixty pages in, and I can’t help but noticing there’s been no sign of Finn or Rose yet. I wonder what they’ve been up to?

[co-mixed]

What’s wrong with the characters in TROS

Obviously, Spoilers.

None of the characters were treated properly in this movie. And, before we go one by one, there are some things to consider. First and foremost, Rian Johnson went deep with trying to understand what each one of them would do and why. So, in a way, he’s given JJ the perfect outline of what they should do next. The only thing he had to do is listen. But somewhere it went wrong, so we went back to one dimensional archetypes, lifted straight from the OT. More mythical, less human, more standard, less unique. Let’s take a look.

Finn

Let’s face it, if and when somebody really stole John Boyega’s script, the only thing they found there was the line “Rey” randomly scheduled for different points in the movie. There is an attempt to make up for that with Force-sensitivity, but that’s a hint that you just don’t drop in the last movie of a trilogy. And that’s what TROS is supposed to be, a finale to the two movies that came before. And with Finn’s complete lack of knowledge or understanding of the Force that we’ve seen in the comics or books, it really has no place there. Where was that famous story group? Maybe taking a day off.

Finn has nothing to do in the movie, since there was no story for him. He just tagged along with Rey or Poe, became a general through nepotism, even though there were much more experienced people for that job, and ultimately, he was just there as a plot device several times.

Rose

That’s one of the worst cases. JJ spent a lot of time saying how glad he is to Johnson that he’s cast Kelly. Then he simply didn’t write a story for her either. Because you know, galaxy is not a place for a righteous optimistic girl. (Unless she’s a Palpatine)

And I would’ve written more, but well… it was wrong and that’s just it.

Poe

Poe already has a backstory. So what do you do? As a writer, you try to understand how to work his guilt from TLJ into TROS. But as someone who’s trying their best to undo TLJ, you just throw it all away and play off of similarities with Han. He’s charismatic, shoots well, flies well. Done, make him a smuggler. The whole unnecessary retcon kind of might work for general audience, since most people never learned anything from his past. With TLJ they’ve learned who he is now, but did they even need more? He already went through all the needed changes, to get him to lead the rebellion.

The only in-character moment was his rant at Rey, where he says that she is the best fighter, and they need her.

The most out of character moment is him blaming his so-called friends for being an ex-stormtrooper and a Scavenger. Man, you chose to do that, they were forced into it.

Zorii

Why was she even there? Nepotism maybe? Cool costume? Merchandise? I don’t know, but she was not there to serve the story.

Allegiant General Pryde

Pretty much the same thing as Zorii.

Hux

Poor character. I mean, really. He was a fanatic of the First Order, of the Empire, and all the evil regimes. This was pretty well pictured up to the point when one brave writer decided that his hate for the newly self proclaimed Supreme Leader is stronger than his hate for… let’s call it lack of Order. It seemed from his story, that he’d be the first in line to pledge allegiance to the Emperor. But surprises never cease in TROS. Not for a moment. Also, JJ deals with him in a matter of minutes. Done, and done. Next.

Jannah

What a cool character, for a show or a spin off. She has potential, I’ll give her that. Naomi Ackie is likable enough to carry her own show. But there was no need for her in TROS. Partly because it’s way too late for new characters, and partly because she’s also not given much to do. That mumbo-jumbo about the Force and troopers defecting, that’s a nice sentiment. But also could have been done by any random trooper.

Leia

Let’s not talk about her being in the movie, let’s stay on character topic. Her Jedi training was just a very random last minute concept, probably straight out of Legends. And she could’ve just as well been giving Rey pep talks or reach Ben without it. So that’s more of a “just why” moment. The part would have been the same, the lightsaber wouldn’t have existed, but that is still very fixable.

Palpatine/Snoke/All the Sith

Just why would you even bring him back? Anakin brought balance, killing him, got his redemption, taught the audience the primitive rule that only death is truly redeeming (which worked fine in the 70s), and Palpatine died. But then he was back because reasons, and we don’t need to see how or why. He also now is All-the-Sith-in-One, and very very powerful. Apparently, at least one character spends their off screen time learning. So… good for him?

If they wanted ancient evil, I’d rather they went with Plagueis. He could’ve seen the rise and fall of the Empire, he could’ve fooled death and he could’ve easily fooled his apprentice along with Kylo and obviously Rey.  It even works perfectly within the concept of balance where “Darkness rises, and Light to meet it”.

To be even more honest, I’d prefer that TROS was just concluding the trilogy, without bringing up old bad guys. There is still plenty of those in the next-gen.

Rey/All-The-Jedi

As every imaginable critic has already stated, one of the most inspiring messages of The Last Jedi was “you could come from nothing and become something”. And this way Rey would have been a perfect representation to any girl of how you build yourself with the help of your friends. That is what fairy tales are usually about. That or space princesses, heirs to Palpatine, who, we have to believe, had a son. At this point it would be way better if the stranger on Pasaana did randomly name her Solo (imagine that).

But my verdict is that Rey’s story in this movie wasn’t necessary, and was a rehashed story of Kylo Ren. Think about it, he was fighting the light in his bloodline, and tried every imaginable thing to destroy it, but still couldn’t. Not that it’s a bad idea, it’s just that we’ve seen in already in 2015. The character had a clear path ahead of her after TLJ, but again, she was forced into a completely different story. Just because she wants to be a Jedi really bad, doesn’t mean that she is immune to the Dark Side, because she’s not immune to fear. One scary vision of her on the Dark Side, and that’d be enough. Not to shoot lightning, but to go a bit dark, effectively pushing her adversary closer to the Light. And that would’ve been fine.

But she had to be All-The-Jedi instead, didn’t she. Funny how that’s now a thing, and we still have separate Force Ghosts of Luke and Leia (but not a certain Solo). This whole things falls apart, and if someone just reread the story at least once the day after it was finished, they would see it.

Somehow, the movie comes down to Palpatime defeating a Palpatine, and Skywalkers were in this Saga there for the show.

Kylo Ren/Ben Solo/The last Skywalker

His story feels fairly well done, except for a few moments. Because in TLJ, hу killed Snoke, we were lead to believe that he would come into his own. We also know what a nerd he is, so he probably has some knowledge of who Palps is, and how his kind operates. Now when he delivers the line “I killed Snoke, I’ll kill you”, I believe him. When he starts asking questions, I don’t. And that’s because it’s written, it’s there on paper, but that’s something the character refused to do willingly.

This happens a few times, and probably the cringiest of them all is when the writer forces him to say that Rey is a Palpatine. Because that’s the first time we hear that out loud, and aside from thinking “No-nо-no not that”, we experience a case of disbelief. That’s not how we wanted this to go, and that’s not how the story was supposed to work.

Then there are wonderful scenes with Rey and with Han, the ones we were always supposed to get, and then the awaited redemption. That was the story, the one that resonates with his character. What does not is what happens after — yeah, the pit. The last Skywalker spends his final battle, the destiny of his bloodline in the pit, while the Jedi choose to support Rey.

His death is another choice that I deem unnecessary, and a bit lazy. You need to live with your mistakes and learn to forgive yourself, while working through your issues. But sure, death it is.

Overall

Probably the biggest mistake of this movie is letting a Palpatine take the Skywalker name, and letting the last Skywalker be pretty much forgotten. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not saying that Rey’s supposed bloodline defines her, but it just doesn’t sit well with me. She’s lost someone important, a soulmate, and so many fans felt the loss, imagine how she supposed to feel. Her next stage would be Dark Side, because she by no means can live with that. And that’s far from a hopeful message.

A happy ending for this space fairy tale would’ve been the only reasonable choice.

[benperorsolo]

tbh even if any resistance character thought kylo after redemption still needed to die or didn’t trust him or sth they’d learn better by the end of the movie, that’s how sw works. heroic characters are allowed to think those things as long as they come around to compassion and acceptance by the end, e.g. luke telling rey that ben and the jedi are too far gone to be saved in the first half of tlj to saying ‘i will not be the last jedi’ and ‘no ones ever really gone’ by the end

“heroic characters are allowed to think those things as long as they come around to compassion and acceptance by the end” Aaaaand there it is. 

I love watching people be illiterate about how it’s tempting fate in a SW movie to have a strong opinion about the evilness of someone in the first act, or to insist that You’re Totally Evil And Immune To Light and Good…because you’re going to be schooled by the end. 

[xoruffitup]

TFA Novelization: Close Reading Kylo Ren

I read The Force Awakens novelization this week to get through my insane anticipation for The Last Jedi’s novel. Unsurprisingly, I found myself yet again over-analyzing and reading way too deeply into Star Wars characters. :’) Is there any better past time??

I did find it surprising that the novel left me with much different impressions of certain story elements. I got a much stronger ReyFinn read than anything I’ve seen in either film. And while the scenes of Rey finding herself face-to-face with Kylo were undoubtedly the book’s most gripping, there was a level of intensity about them that to me placed them far apart from the arc I’ve understood them to be moving through in the films. Based on the book alone, Rey seems all too vicious and spiteful towards Kylo for any future understanding or tenderness to even lay in the realm of conceivability. I canNOT wait to see how the TLJ novel will segue them onwards into the exciting territory we know lays ahead.

With Kylo, on the other hand, I definitely see the beginnings of the oncoming TLJ developments taking shape. Yet even so, I again gained a much different impression of his character from the novel - One that is initially more brutal, cold, and far less humanized. (Barring that one memorable description where Alan Dean Foster turns into a fangirl attempting to write pretentious literature: “Kylo Ren - saturnine of aspect, lithe of build, tortured of mien, and troubled of eye - gazed at the silent recipient of his confession.” (Pg. 181) …..What even..?) But because Kylo spends the majority of the novel so firmly rooted in the dark, it’s only that much more fascinating when his path begins to deviate.

SO, since I have thoroughly picked apart Kylo’s character on screen, I can’t resist doing the same for the version of him on the page. Ngl, I had a feeling I’d end up doing this since I first cracked the book; I was an English major in undergrad and therefore compulsively analyze basically everything I read. Nope, haven’t been looking forward to this at all! ;)

For the first 150 pages or so, the narrative suggestions around Kylo are much more interesting than the character himself. His first appearance - the confrontation with Lor San Tekka - consciously and immediately lays out the contextualization Kylo would never voluntarily provide nor acknowledge: 

“I know where you come from. (…) From a time before you called yourself Kylo Ren.”  “

“You don’t belong with them. (…) The First Order arose from the dark side. You did not.”

“To turn away from your heritage is the true tragedy. (Pg. 16-17)

All this expositional dialogue from Lor San Tekka falls on ears totally indifferent, until they ignite a spark of rage before Kylo kills him. The first look at Kylo, emerging from his shuttle, is “a single figure: Tall, dark, cloaked, with its face hidden behind a metal mask.” (Pg. 14) He strides through the battle and destruction untouched and aloof; A foreboding, powerful spectre that neither revels in the bloodshed, nor cares enough to ponder its details, much less its prevention. Lor San Tekka looks at him and sees only “the black mask, with its slitted forehead and thick, snout-like breathing apparatus, covering the face of the man he knew as Kylo Ren. Once, he had known the face behind the mask. Once, he had known the man himself. Now, to San Tekka, only the mask was left. Metal instead of man.” (Pg. 16)

Whoever this mysterious, absent man is, he fails to emerge for a long time. Kylo Ren seems to glide in and out of scenes at Starkiller Base, presiding over the search for BB-8 while remaining unnervingly detached from everything. He extracts the map’s location from Poe so methodically, the biggest mystery about him up to this point is whether he is either incapable of emotional engagement, or calculatedly removing/shielding himself from the events swirling around him. Does he have an awareness of higher-level conflicts brewing, rendering everything else as annoyances? Why would a figure as powerful and intimidating as this one abet and advance First Order schemes to which he seems so personally detached? Is it a front? What could this seemingly unfeeling, deadly shadow of death and destruction have to hide or lie about? Is there any hint of genuine spark or humanity behind this mask?

The first conversation with Snoke provides the first rumination on exactly what Kylo Ren is: A black veil that so far has refused to give away a shred of hint or feeling. 

“I have never had a student with such promise - before you.” Ren straightened. “It is your teachings that make me strong, Supreme Leader.” Snoke demurred. “It is far more than that. It is where you are from. What you are made of. The dark side - and the light. The finest sculptor cannot fashion a masterpiece from poor materials. He must have something pure, something strong, something unbreakable, with which to work. I have - you.” He paused, reminiscing. “Kylo Ren, I watched the Galactic Empire rise, and then fall. The gullbie prattle on about the triumpth of truth and justice, of individualism and free will. As if such things were solid and real instead of simple subjective judgments. The historians have it all wrong. It was neither poor strategy nor arrogance that brought down the Empire. You know to well what did.” Ren nodded once. “Sentiment.” “Yes. Such a simple thing. Such a foolish error of judgment. A momentary lapse in an otherwise exemplary life. Had Lord Vader not succumbed to emotion at the crucial moment - had the father killed the son - the Empire would have prevailed. And there would be no threat of Skywalker’s return today.” “I am immune to the light,” Ren assured him confidently. “By the grace of your training, I will not be seduced.” (Pg. 157-158)

Finally, we see that his very impenetrability and unknowability may be exactly who he is - exactly his greatest design. He serves a master and a philosophy that places value only in brute physicality; in force and violence. Ironically, it may be the case that Kylo’s apparent resignation and acceptance to performing terrible acts of violence or cruelty is, in his eyes, the only avenue of survival in a world filled with violence and cruelty terrible enough to break the spirit of someone weaker - someone infected by “sentiment.”

Snoke, and correspondingly his molding of Kylo’s worldview, operates by strength through power. Triumph over weakness and vulnerability arises only through a rejection of the very notions of remorse or empathy. Kylo’s indoctrination means he has made these qualities absolutely anathema to his existence.

Kylo confidently assures his master that he has achieved perfect strength - that he is immune to the affliction of sentiment that brought down an empire. So far, the reader has seen no reason to doubt him And yet, Snoke does: 

“No one knows the limits of his own power until it has been tested to the utmost, as yours has not been. That day my yet come. There has been an awakening in the Force. Have you felt it?” Ren nodded. “Yes.” “The elements align, Kylo Ren. You alone are caught in the winds of the storm. Your bond is not just to Vader, but to Sywalker himself. Leia…” “There is no need for concern.” Despite the Supreme Leader’s cautioning, Ren’s assurance remained unbounded. “Together we will destroy the Resistance - and the last Jedi.” “Perhaps. (…) We shall see. We shall see.” (Pg. 158)

What “bonds” is Snoke referring to? What potential weakness to sentiment is he wary of in his apprentice? Kylo has done such a convincing job up to this point being wholly unconnected from everyone and everything around him, the clueless reader would be completely caught off guard by the revelation of his relation to Jedi/Light Side heroes. I was surprised by the reveal in TFA the first time; In the novel it would really blindside. In text, Kylo as we first encounter him - at his most heartless, most closed-off - is wholly fearsome and feelingless. 

And THEN, it finally comes: The long sought-after moment of interiority - Of Kylo alone, without any bloody task to carry out, without any master or underlings to remain stone in front of. Unexpectedly, we find Kylo in his private chambers (To be precise: “It was a very private place.” (Pg. 180)) It is a dimly-lit, sparsely-furnished, plain place - Vaguely strange and melancholy and the last setting where we would expect this figure to appear.

The individual who claimed the space had no need of the usual accoutrements favored by sentient beings. He was content within himself and with who he was. The alcove where Kylo Ren was kneeling and speaking was darker than the rest of the adjoining chambers. He kept it deliberately so, as seemed appropriate for its function. He spoke now in a tone different from the one he usually employed when conversing with others. There were no orders to be issued here, no pathetic underlings to command. The one with whom he was presently communing would understand everything Ren chose to say, in whatever voice he chose to employ. No need here and now for intimidation, for fear. Kylo Ren spoke, and the object of his words listened in silence. “Forgive me. I feel it again. The pull to the light. The Supreme Leader senses it. Show me again the power of the dark side, and I will let nothing stand in our way (…) Show me, Grandfather, and I will finish what you started.” Trembling slightly, he rose from where he had been kneeling and strode off to another portion of his private quarters. There was no response from the one to whom he had been talking: neither argument nor agreement. Only silence from the shape that had been the object of Ren’s fervor: a ghostly, deformed mask that had once belonged to another.” (Pg. 180-181)

For being a figure who inspired so much terror, in a few short passages he is rendered abjectly pitiable. He has channeled the inescapable, undeniable human need for connection and understanding into a single inanimate object - a deformed ghost. It is an object bearing vast symbolism, yet still it can never offer him a reply or the reassurance he seeks. And it is only here, behind the secluded walls where no one else is watching, where he allows himself this single desperate attachment. Only in the bounds of this small, bare, dim space, where he speaks in a different tone, trembles, and admits weakness. 

Pitiable and unfulfilling as this single, secret, stolen attachment is - Its power and effect is clearly strong on him. Within only two pages, his character is more richly developed than the 180 pages before. There IS a man beneath the mask. There is substance beneath the cloak of a dark, masked shadow seen heretofore only as menacing and pity-less. 

Not only is there a starkly-rendered human beneath the darkness - There is one who quickly shifts from being a static to a dynamic character, with the potential for plurality and transformation. He admits to a weakness - a “pull to the light” - and asks for forgiveness. Even as the reader sees his vulnerability for the first time, his complexity builds as we see this very same closely-guarded, shameful humanity as the driving force that has made him project a persona so decidedly inhumane. 

He cannot allow himself space to confront this conflict within him. Outside the dark corners of his bedroom, he cannot expose the slightest hint as to its mere existence. For doing so would automatically mean defeat, humiliation, and a fall so thorough he would be left with nothing - An emptiness even worse than the emptiness he has self-imposed upon himself already. 

I lingered for a long time over one particular line in the above passage: “He was content within himself and with who he was.” The idea of this man existing only “within himself” is something the reader can believe - aloof and apathetic as he seems. But the phrase “content with who he was” sits strangely. Can we believe it? Is this the cold, unfeeling, metal mask speaking? Now, based on this scene, we have to ask ourselves whether this voice - the one that brushed aside San Tekka’s appeals and assured Snoke of his immunity to the light and sentiment - is not entirely different than the one with which he spoke to Vader’s crumpled mask. Remember, this is the one presence that “would understand everything Ren chose to say, in whatever voice he chose to employ.” Is the man behind the mask (since we now see there is, indeed, one there) truly content with who Kylo Ren is? 

At this point, we see a potentiality for conflict and perhaps dissociation within Kylo Ren. There may be a part of him not entirely unflinchingly, remorselessly rooted in darkness. But given the menacing, ruthless power of Kylo Ren that strikes fear into foes and subordinates alike, and keeps any renegade, “weak” parts of himself locked under an iron fist - What could be strong enough to challenge him? What could make him question the might of the dark side’s sway, and the power in inhumanity?

WELL. Once he takes Rey into FO custody, the scene is set for what first seems a repeat of Poe’s interrogation scene. Clearly, this one goes very differently. Even from the start, Kylo acts strangely - in contrast to his usual disinterested coldness.

“Where am I?” “Does the physical location really matter so much?” in Kylo Ren’s voice there was an unexpected gentleness. Not quite sympathy, but something less than the hostility with which he had confronted her in the forest. “You’re my guest.” (Pg. 225)

Then, Rey calls him a “creature in a mask” and momentarily fears his reaction. The description is not so far removed from how this character has presented himself to both the reader and everyone else to encounter him so far. And given his outward presentation so far, it would be fair to expect him to continue inhabiting the mask and repressing the man within. But then, staring down a prisoner whose presence and mind have intrigued him since he first sensed her, and who refuses to shrink away in intimidation from Kylo Ren’s persona like most others are, he does something startling and wholly out of step:

“But he did not do what she expected. Instead, he reached up, unlatched and removed his mask. She just stared at him in silence. In itself the narrow face that looked back at her was not remarkable. It was almost sensitive. If not for the intensity of his gaze, Ren could have passed for someone she might have met on the dusty streets of Niima Outpost.” (Pg. 226)

We’re not given enough introspection to know for sure what motivates Kylo to do this, but we can tell this is entirely at odds with everything Kylo Ren represents: He bares himself as just a man - “not remarkable, who might have passed for anyone.” He sheds the threatening, unfeeling shroud that usually obscures him - keeping the world out and himself entirely separate from it. In this moment, he considers Rey through his own eyes, unfiltered. And she is the first person in the whole book to look at Kylo Ren and see human features. 

Rey soon sees much more of Kylo than he intended to reveal. 

“The barrier he encountered stopped him cold. And it was he, Kylo Ren, who blinked. It made no sense. He pushed, hard, with his mind - and the probe went nowhere. A look of amazement replaced the fear on Rey’s face as she discovered herself inside his mind. Stunned at the realization, she found herself inexorably drawn to - to… “You,” she heard herself saying clearly, “you’re afraid. That you will never be as strong as - Darth Vader!” His hand pulled sharply away from her cheek as if her skin had suddenly turned white-hot. Confused, rattled, he stumbled back from her. (Pg. 228)

“In the corridor, a stunned Ren found that he was breathing hard. That in itself was unsettling. He did not know what had just transpired in the holding cell, and not knowing, was left uncertain how to proceed. (Pg. 229)

Kylo made a snap decision to engage with someone without the dehumanizing filter of his mask. He locked eyes with someone directly, revealed himself to someone… and it went nothing like he planned. Perhaps it has been so long since he considered someone with his own naked eyes, since he peeled back the unthinking, unfeeling shell even a tiny bit, that even the slightest contact would shake him. For someone who has isolated himself within himself, who banished any warmth from his own interiority, having someone see the uncertainties and fears - weaknesses - buried so deeply he hides them from even himself … It is simultaneously a moment of shame and reckoning. 

(My brain is jumping ahead right now in a major break-the-fourth-wall moment, but I can’t resist including this now that I thought it: Rey voicing Kylo’s fears to him in the interrogation scene is the precursor equivalent to him voicing the truth of her parentage in TLJ’s throne room scene. Both of them are saying things that are harsh and difficult for the other to hear. But only through voicing them can the other begin to accept and move past these inner obstacles in any productive manner.)

Kylo admitted, albeit privately, to feeling the call to the light. He fears this call, as the dangerous path to loathsome “sentiment” Snoke has so trained him to abhor. Harboring fears hints dangerously at sentiment. He has devoted himself assiduously to drowning any hint of sentiment behind metal masks, dark cloaks, and an unhesitating weapon. But how can he continue to deny its existence when this scavenger could read it in his mind, plain as day? How can he go on with single-minded dedication to the dark side and its central ethos of strength through power, when that power has been compromised? He is so shaken because the very foundations on which he decided to build Kylo Ren and abandon his past self have been rattled to their core.

Then, terribly, Snoke immediately senses Kylo’s turmoil:

There was as much curiosity in Supreme Leader Snoke’s voice as there was disappointment. “This scavenger - this girl - resisted you?” “That’s all she is, yes. A scavenger from that inconsequential Jakku. Completely untrained, but strong with the Force. Stronger than she knows.” His mask off, Ren replied with what seemed to be his usual assurance. No one else would have sensed a difference. Snoke did. The Supreme Leader’s voice was flat. “You have compassion for her.” “No - never. Compassion? For an enemy of the Order?” “I perceive the problem,” Snoke intoned. “It isn’t her strength that is making you fail. It’s your weakness.” (Pg. 237)

Immediately, there is a difference in Kylo: In the feeling with which he speaks, in the fact that he does not don his mask. Rey may only be “a scavenger from that inconsequential Jakku,” but she is the first person to ever wholly attract and absorb Kylo’s attention. Snoke senses the difference immediately and names it for what it is, despite Kylo’s disagreement. But the unquestionable fact remains that Kylo just shared an experience with another person of the deepest, most intensely personal level imaginable. He had neither sought out nor willfully entered the exchange, but after years entirely starved of any human interaction outside confessions to his silent, unreachable Grandfather, it would be all but impossible for this encounter not to awaken something in his stifled inner-most depths, where a ceaseless yearning to feel has endured. 

“Ren struggled to control himself. A great deal of his education had been devoted to learning how to live and move forward in the absence of emotion. Right now, he needed every bit of that training to stay calm. As bad as had been the girl’s expulsion of his probing, worse was the knowledge she had acquired. At the moment, he did not feel powerful. He felt diminished.” (Pg. 246)

And so, it is in this state of confronting not only the lingering existence of sentiment within himself, but also intense emotional turmoil, when Kylo faces his greatest test: Encountering his father. Kylo’s emotions have not been staying under control and repression the way they are supposed to. They are defying Kylo’s training in a way leaving him utterly bewildered and off step. He willingly removed his mask once, and now he can’t seem to wrangle it back on properly:

“Ren’s emotions were boiling. His present mental state contradicted all of his training, but he could not help himself. He had reacted poorly to what had happened earlier, and that had been reflected in the Supreme Leader’s judgment. To add to the discomfort, that slimy sycophant Hux always seemed to appear at the most awkward possible moment. He gritted his teeth, angry at himself. It was a measure of his current weakness that something like jealousy toward an insignificant simpleton like Hux could even enter his mind. It was nothing but a waste of physical energy and mental concentration. Hux was not worthy of such attention. The girl, on the other hand… Entering the holding cell, he found it, as expected, deserted. In the center, the single coppery-hued, angled bench stood empty, its multiple curving restraints open and mocking beneath the subdued red illumination from the ceiling. Unable to contain himself any longer, he pulled his lightsaber, thumbed it to life, and launched into a series of wild swings and strikes, methodically reducing the room to rubble.” (Pg. 250)

After sensing Han’s arrival on Starkiller Base, Kylo leads a squad of storm troopers out to search the Falcon while it’s left empty and abandoned.

“Ships clear. No one on board. No antipersonnel traps encountered.” Startled by the sudden appearance of a tall, caped figure, the trooper stepped aside and came to attention. “Sir!” Kylo Ren ignored him as he strode past, his eyes raking every corner of the crashed vessel, looking for – he wasn’t sure. Something that might speak to him. Something recognizable, perhaps. There was nothing in the deserted cockpit, but he delayed leaving anyway, settling down in the pilot’s seat. Something…” (Pg. 264 – 265)

At this point, under emotional duress and grappling with the proximity of his father, Kylo’s actions become markedly illogical and, well, sentimental. This kind of aimless, lingering search without an immediate goal is a stark contrast to the focused, methodical figure in black who confronted Lor San Tekka and eventually extracted the location of the map by the cruel means necessary, never lingering or second-guessing once.

The approaching confrontation with Han is the moment when Kylo will have to choose which is his true face. In his breakdowns and losses of control, the reader has seen a man with fears and self-doubt, beneath the brutal figure who wears a metal mask. While Kylo’s dedication to his master and the First Order’s brand of rule through force does not yet seem questioned, there is just enough exposure of an internal struggle to hint that that dedication comes at a difficult price: Poisoning and silencing the inner parts of him that will never stop yearning for light and expression.

When Kylo sees his father, his first instinct is to deny the attachment completely – along with the existence of the buried, human side of himself.

“What do you think you’ll see if I do take it off?” Han moved forward slightly. “The face of my son.” “Your son is gone. He was weak and foolish, like his father.” Ren’s reply was replete with pity. And anger. “So I destroyed him. But such a small, insignificant request is easily granted.” Reaching up, he slowly removed the mask. For the first time Han saw the face of his son as a grown man – and it jolted him. (…) “That’s what Snoke wants you to believe,” Han was saying. He wasn’t pleading – just stating a fact. “But it’s not true. My son is still alive. I’m looking at him right now.” (…) Ren’s eyes blazed. “No! The Supreme Leader is wise. He knows me for who I am, and who I can become.” (Pg. 280 – 281)

But the attachment, the emotions, the sentiment – they are all unarguably there, no matter how determinedly Kylo Ren tries to forget and bury them. He knows, logically, this should be easy. As Snoke says, sentiment is nothing solid or real, it is a mere subjective judgment. It should easily be defeated, snuffed out. Kylo Ren must certainly be powerful enough for this meager task. And yet. AND YET:

Ren hesitated. “It’s too late,” he said. “No, it’s not.” Halfway across the walkway now, Han continued to move forward, smiling. “Never too late for the truth. Leave here with me. Come home.” Without the slightest trace of malice or deception, he cast a dagger. “Your mother misses you.” A strange sensation touched the younger man’s cheeks. Something long forgotten. Dampness. Tears. “I’m being torn apart. I want – I want to be free of this pain.” (Pg. 281 – 282)

Yes – Fearsome, ruthless, remorseless Kylo Ren sheds tears!! He has succeeded in severing himself from his emotions enough that he cannot immediately recognize them for what they are. But he will never be able to expel them entirely. Instead, here he stands, trapped in a terrible limbo: Choked by yearning and sadness and loss he refuses to recognize as a part of himself.

It is not his father who is his enemy. It is not Han who renders him so wretchedly torn and tortured in this moment of self-evaluation. It is the self-examination itself that does that. Looking upon his father’s face, he is filled with emotions he loathes, and he would likely do anything to purify himself of their destabilizing effects.

“I want to be free of this pain.” (Pg. 282 - Italics in text)

The tragic conflict and contradiction within Kylo Ren’s character: In his determination to rid himself of emotions and attachments that cause pain and lead to weakness, he must first acknowledge their existence, their value to him, and their ability to cause him hurt. He must confront the sources of his deepest vulnerability and slash them open himself – If he wishes to become invulnerable.

“I know what I have to do, but I don’t know if I have the strength to do it.” (Pg. 282)

Like his Force abilities, Kylo’s emotions and attachments are powerful. Excising them from himself fully would be a bone-deep, messy procedure: One he might not survive. It is the ultimate self-defacement, and the ultimate test of both his strength and his belief in the dark side’s ethos of purpose through power.

Kylo passes the test. Briefly, it is a moment of triumph. He has rejected and resisted the hold of attachments – of sentiment. Kylo Ren basks in his moment of glory and domination over the self.

Accepting without quite believing, Han stared back into the face of the creature that had been his son. There was nothing to see there. Only darkness in the shape of a face: alien, unthinking, unfeeling. (Pg. 282)

For this moment, he has succeeded in grafting the mask to his very self. But then, Han falls from the walkway. He stands there alone – No one to perform a persona for, no one to convince except himself.

Stunned by his own action, Kylo 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 weakened. (Pg. 283)

All performativity stripped away, the mask cracks. The man beneath is still alive. He did not fall to his death along with his father. Terribly resilient, he lives on. And he is horrified to find that striking the blow did not end his pain.

How can he comprehend this terrible reality, enduring on in a nightmare? He did muster the strength to carry the deed out, and so his attachment and his pain should have extinguished along with Han’s life… Why does he feel so terribly weakened?

Can this mean the dark side and Snoke’s promises were not all they claimed to be? Had they misled Kylo down a false path?

These might be some of the thoughts flying through Kylo’s mind directly after Han falls, and before he spots Finn and Rey and seizes upon them as his next proper targets. This crushing crisis of doubt in himself, then in the philosophy to which he has so dedicated himself, might seem to fade as Kylo fights Finn, then becomes fixated upon Rey as he crosses sabers with her. But we all know these doubts return with a vengeance in The Last Jedi.

I’m unspeakably excited to see how Jason Fry advances Kylo’s inner conflict, self-understanding, and guiding allegiances in TLJ. It’s going to be an intense ride, given how much ground Kylo will have to cover to reach the point of turning against Snoke and “proposing” to Rey. I’ll most likely write another one of these for Kylo’s character arc and all my Ben Solo feels in TLJ. (Once I’ve recovered from all the Reylo scenes, that is!)

He’s truly the most fascinating character to assess in depth like this. The more deeply you consider his motives and his reasoning for the courses of action he takes, the more you have to wonder whether his greatest triumph isn’t the depth of his self-deception. How much of Snoke’s principles has he truly internalized and put faith in? Or alternately, how much is he guided solely by an instinctive, desperate need to escape pain and past injury? Did he ever make a free, conscious decision to abandon Ben Solo to the monstrous might of Kylo Ren? If not, how strong is the illicit inner part of him still clinging to life and light?

[aionimica]

Knights and Princes, a Kylo Ren character meta

So I want to take a second to talk about how Kylo Ren is both the culmination and subversion of two of my all time favorite character types: the knight in shining armor and the prince.

You have the fairy tale prince who comes from a place on high, who is bestowed with wealth and good will who seeks to destroy the monsters in order to rescue the princess and become King. Pretty straightforward, usually a pretty boy with mild to none character except that he Loves Well and is Good. Honestly you just have to look at Disney’s prince lineup to know what this character archetype look like. Not a whole lot of variation.

And then you have the knight. The man burdened with purpose and creed who is set out to achieve a goal. He is loyal to a fault and few, if any, things can sway him from his goal. He is strong and trustworthy, the image of knights of old, who do nothing but good deeds because they are good men and who want to spread good. They rescue maidens and slay dragons because that is what they do. They are the Lancelots and Obi-Wans of the world, who stand as the vanguard against evil.

Obviously Kylo is not the Good portrayal of either of these and I think that’s what makes him so fascinating. He is the son of Princess Leia, the heir to the throne of Alderaan who grew up in a time of political upheaval where his mother was a galactic head of state. He is the son of war heroes in a time when heroes were needed. Not to mention that from a Force perspective, he was the heir to a legacy as great and mighty and bloody as the stars in the sky.

But he grew up in that world. He grew up learning to be a prince -- maybe (obviously) not a good prince -- but there is no way that he would have been able to escape it. He grew up knowing he was different, a scion of a new time, and yet he was powerless to do anything about it. He didn’t want to be the fairy tale that his world wanted to make him into. He saw darkness in places where there shouldn’t be and was unable to deny that part of himself.

And so he didn’t. He could have grown into a Jedi Knight, a new version of the guardians of peace, but again, he looked at that legacy and chose a different path. Chose might be a weak word here, rather, he carved himself a new path against the wishes of others. He saw his role as a prince and knight and took them and corrupted them and made them into his own mantle, one that he could be proud of.

But it in the eyes of the First Order, he succeeded. (And i’m not even bringing in his costume design here: how in TFA he looks like a Knights Templar with the robes and broadsword cross guard, and how in TLJ it looks like the tunic of a stately prince) He is the shining son who leads his people into battle and cannot fail, the midnight star who leads the charge forward. Kylo does not watch from the sidelines; he fights on the ground with his men, rallying them to his cause. He is the perfect example of a Knight from their perspective: you couldn’t ask for a better exemplar of a man so lost in his search for belonging that he gave himself for his creed.

But then you factor in Rey.

And I only bring her in because a prince does not have his own story without a princess to chase or a knight who has a girl he must seek. And while Rey isn’t a princess per say, in the way these two have interacted with each other so far, she is a princess (a person of value and desire and strength) in Kylo Ren’s eye.

But Kylo is not simply a beast who needs to be redeemed before he can take up his mantle as prince. He IS a prince, who walks a different line, and yet he still is not immune to the calls of a girl he doesn’t understand. He is not just a knight who has realized his creed is a lie and who now must walk the long journey home alone; no he was the Knight who knows his creed is a lie, but who burned his home so he has no choice left but to follow it. But then he meets the girl who sees him without his mask and who stands at his equal -- a girl who makes him kneel as she disarms him with a snarl.

Kylo Ren is the corrupted prince and the fallen knight, the son cast from his family for transgressions he believes are unforgivable. He is the fallen son of Alderaan and the Jedi Knight who ruined it all in a perfect mirror of the grandfather he so adores. He is the combination of both: at once the perfect prince and the sundered child; the holy knight and the broken relic. He has denied so much of who he is and now, less than a few days until the Last Jedi, we can hope he can find the balance between them.

[kantobite]

“A shock to rival all shocks! Good? Or evil?” (South Korean marketing post 2)

@sleemo

Link to the post, on the official Star Wars Korea blog here.

[Watch the TV spot embedded at the top of the page before proceeding; it’s not very different from another one we got so far, and there’s no new footage, but the text below describes and analyzes the spot in some detail.]

The TV spot opens with the Millennium Falcon. This lil guy is the poster child for the original trilogy, and also the symbol for the sequel trilogy’s theme, “the collaboration between the past and the present”. Come to think of it, in “The Force Awakens”, Rey’s primary role was to assemble the main players of the past: she met Han and Chewie aboard the Millennium Falcon, found Luke’s lightsaber, and reunited with Princess Leia, C3PO, and R2-D2. Only Luke himself wasn’t present. But Rey set out to find the owner of the lightsaber, and Luke made his grand appearance in the finale. In the trailer for “The Last Jedi”, we see her handing the saber to its original owner.

In this TV spot, Luke meets yet another old friend, the Falcon. Unlike in the trailer for TFA, however, when Han was laughing aboard the Falcon, the setting feels much more somber. Luke seems to be mourning the loss of his friend, while also seemingly blaming the one responsible for the family’s tragedy.

Let’s look back on who Luke Skywalker is. Luke is the son of Anakin Skywalker, the main character of the prequel trilogy, and in the OT, he prevails over his father, who is now Darth Vader, and even beats the Emperor himself, ending the war. If Luke were to step up now, the conflict between the First Order and the Resistance might be solved.

He is a great Jedi, who defeated the Dark Force with his own Light Force. But he is also the child of Anakin, who fell to the Dark Side and became Vader. Even his nephew, Ben Solo (Kylo Ren) is succumbing to the Dark Side. Luke himself was not immune to the waves of hate and anger he felt as he battled his father. At the time, he managed to keep his integrity as a Jedi, but he must have felt the temptation of the Dark Side his whole life. Maybe that temptation isn’t over yet. That the lightsaber Rey delivers to Luke originally belonged to Anakin is a reminder of the family’s destiny.

“Let the past die. It’s the only to become what you were meant to be.” Kylo Ren’s words. We can’t be sure if they’re addressed to Rey, or to himself. He wields a great Force but is not quite a skilled villain, nor is he completely good. In this sequel trilogy, Kylo Ren’s growth story will take center stage. His back-and-forth interactions with Rey will make the two of them grow into their rivalry.

Snoke, the pinnacle of evil, said “Darkness rises, and light to meet it.” This is of course also about Rey and Kylo, but whether it is of their apparent good and evil, or their inner struggles, will determine the course of the rest of the series. And Rey finds herself struggling with her identity. We, the audience, are very curious about her identity as well. Did she hear something from Luke that she didn’t understand, or something she didn’t want to hear? Will Rey take Kylo’s outstretched hand and look into the Dark Side?

Kylo Ren is from a blessed heritage, one that descended from the past trilogies, but is destroying his own roots. Rey, on the other hand, is bringing the past to the present. So we might predict that Rey is descended from someone who was the main player in a past tragedy, or someone who was cast out [/isolated, the meaning is a bit vague here].

The final scenes from our TV spot foreshadow a shocking scene. Luke is on the ground, shouting, “This is not going to go the way you think!” Then, Rey seemingly raises her saber at Luke. Is this real? Rey, attacking Luke? Is our last Jedi going to be betrayed by both Rey and Kylo Ren? Is she being controlled by Snoke?

The main poster for TLJ arranges the cast of characters in differing sizes and in a symmetrical shape. It looks a bit like the one for Thor: Ragnarok, but this feels more classic and melancholic.

The biggest character in the poster is, of course, Luke Skywalker, the titular Last Jedi. He stands at the apex of all the other conflicting characters. Everyone is under his influence. Rey and Kylo Ren are two of his apprentices, but in the poster they stand back to back, and as enemies.

Carrie Fisher, whose role as Leia in this film is her last, is at the very center. A fitting placement to honor one who has passed. She is, after all, also the general of the Resistance. There is a strong light cast upon Leia’s face--the left is the side of the Light, and the right, the Dark.

Around Leia, the 4 younger main characters of the ST are placed in an X formation. At first glance, it seems the left is the good side, and the right is the bad side. It’s quite worrying that Poe Dameron is placed just under Kylo Ren. You might interpret that as Rey, Finn and Poe closing in around Kylo Ren, but that seems like a bit of a stretch. Perhaps we might have to steel ourselves for a betrayal from Poe.

[some more description of the Praetorian Guards and Phasma]

Under Chewbacca, we see Rose Tico. She’s played by an Asian actress named Kelly Marie Tran, and is a mechanic for the Resistance. With the main character Rey as a woman and Finn as a black man, we saw some diversity among the cast. Now, there’s an Asian woman added to the mix. She features quite prominently in various TLJ promo material, so she must be quite important.

But we don’t see Snoke, leader of the FO, on this poster. Maybe it’s a marketing strategy to not show us the Big Bad so soon, but we could also interpret it as Snoke not being the main villain.

Then who will replace Snoke as the face of evil? Is it a new character? Benicio del Toro will appear as a mysterious character called DJ; will he make a surprise entrance at the theatre after months of being under wraps? Or is it someone already on the poster? Whoever it is, they must be skilled in the Force, and should be in an important position on the poster. Perhaps the identity of the villain might be the movie’s big plot twist.

[proudtoehaver]

It feels really weird to see so many POC on twitter praising this movie. Saying how great it is and that it’s one of the best Star Wars movies to date. It makes me feel like I’m overreacting and that the movie really isn’t that bad or racist I’m super confused 😐

To me it doesn’t. Being poc doesn’t automatically make you any less racist, internalized racism is a thing. 

Even if I just use myself as an example, the amount of Antisemitic bs I’ve cosigned in my life or outright supported because of internalized Antisemitism is far too big and something I’m deeply ashamed of. But it is what it is.

So being X, doesn’t automatically make you immune to not promoting bigotry against X. Just means you don’t benefit from it and is in fact harming yourself.

What’s more, poc aren’t interchangeable. The racism in TLJ is most Antiblack and Antilatinx - Rose gets a bit too, like the tasering on Canto Bight but nowhere near as bad as Finn or Poe far as I can tell - so poc who aren’t Black and/or Latinx may indeed not even see it, because it’s not something that’s part of their lived experiences. So it might just boil down to that.

But no, Nonny. You’re not overreacting. And as I pointed out earlier, even if we leave aside the racism and the rest for a bit, it’s just a bad story. People are swept along by the glitz, same thing happened with TPM and AotC until people stopped to think for five seconds and realized that they were like 95 fluff and 5% terrible writing