One of the biggest concerns fans have for Star Wars: Episode IX is Lucasfilm's plans for Kylo Ren (Adam Driver) and his path down the Dark Side. Will we be able to see the estranged son of Han Solo (Harrison Ford) and Leia (the late Carrie Fisher) make his way back to the Light in a redemption arc? Or will we see him fall further down into the pit of the Dark Side?
Right now, one of the major points of discussion on Reddit'sStar Wars speculation thread is Leia's survival and how it might affect Kylo Ren in Episode IX. Sure, Kylo might have killed his father in Star Wars: The Force Awakens, but in the film's sequel, Star Wars: The Last Jedi, Ben Solo hesitates shooting down his mother's ship when he and his pilots try to take down the Resistance.
While the contentious Leia Force scene in The Last Jedi was apparent to viewers, Reddit user Shadow's post argues that Kylo Ren had no idea that his mother survived the attack, fuelling some part of his rage in the film.
"One thing I don't see people talking about is the idea that Kylo Ren has no idea his mom survived the attack on her ship for most of The Last Jedi," the Redditor wrote. "Rey has no idea about what happened to Leia so she thinks he's set to kill the rest of his family (and her friends) when in reality he doesn't care for any of those people now that his mom is dead."
This certainly sounds like an interesting theory. Going through the sequel trilogy's novelizations, fans see just how conflicted Ren is when it comes to killing his to prove his loyalty to Snoke. Even after TFA, Ren was haunted by the guilt he felt killing his father. We're sure that Ren would feel the same way if he felt like his mother was dead.
But then again, given their connection to the Force, Ren must know that Leia survived the blast. I mean, if Leia and Rey could feel Luke (Mark Hamill) disappearing into The Force, then why not Kylo Ren? Isn't he a powerful Force user?
Star Wars: Episode IX premieres December 20, 2019.
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