J.J. Abrams Explains Kylo Ren's Ties to the Dark Side
There are so many questions I have regarding Kylo Ren and Rey in the new Star Wars trilogy. I’m sure all of these questions will be answered by the time Lucasfilm’s trilogy is complete. I can’t wait to learn more about the backstory of these characters!
In a recent interview with IGN, J.J. Abrams talked a little bit about Kylo Ren’s past and teased what drove him to turn to the Dark Side.
SPOILERS ahead if you haven’t seen the movie yet.
Here’s what Abrams had to say:
“Kylo Ren idolizes Darth Vader, not Anakin Skywalker. He idolizes what Vader represents and what Vader was trying to do, and the idea that Vader didn’t succeed, if you look at it from Ren’s point of view, he was seduced by the enemy and failed because of that seduction. So the idea is that Ren wants to complete the thing that Vader started.”
The director also talks about the intense power that resides in Ben Solo, a.k.a, Kylo Ren, and how he was able to be manipulated and turned to the dark side.
“An incredible power, an incredible force, and incredible potential that was, like many young people, sort of misguided and unclear. And the story for him is one of conflict, not just internal conflict but external conflict. And it’s what makes him a rather interesting villain.”
He really is an interesting villain, and I love what Abrams and Lawrence Kasdan did in bringing him to life. He is full of such rage and hate and is worried that he would never be as strong as Darth Vader, but he proved himself wrong when he killed his own dad, Han. That took him to a whole new level of evil that I don’t think Darth Vader dared to go. Vader had the chance to kill his son Luke multiple times, but he never did it, and then he ultimately saved Luke from being killed by the Emperor. That was his redemption moment, and at this point, it's hard to think that Kylo Ren can ever be redeemed after what he did. I don’t want him to be redeemed. I want him to get what he has coming to him. I guess it's possible, though, because Vader did a lot of terrible evil shit as well.
We learned from the film that Ben was being taught be Luke Skywalker before he was seduced by the dark side and turned against him. I can’t wait to get the backstory on that! I imagine more of his backstory will be revealed in the next chapter of the saga, and I can't wait to see it!