Kylo Ren Wasn't Originally Supposed to Become Ben Solo Again

This wasn’t originally going to happen.

As if the movies themselves didn’t make it more than obvious, fans have long come to understand that the Star Wars sequel trilogy changed drastically throughout development. Multiple writers and directors worked on The Force Awakens as well as The Rise of Skywalker, sometimes with radically different results, while The Last Jedi stayed true to itself in between, with even more polarizing results.

The actors involved in the films have at times talked about this—but for the most part, they’ve remained silent. In a new interview though, Kylo Ren himself, Adam Driver, explains that the original arc for his character was different from what ended up playing out on screen. In fact, Ren was never supposed to lose his connection to the Dark Side and find redemption as Ben Solo. That came later.

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That second part sure makes it seem like the “he” who had the original, reverse Vader arc in mind for Kylo Ren was director J.J. Abrams, and that it was also Abrams who changed his mind and gave the character not just a redemption, but a link to Rey. Odd then that Driver, over the course of the films, was not thinking of that during his performance, but that’s what happened.

Could that have really changed this, though? If Ren had continued to get more and more evil, only to be ultimately defeated by Rey, would that have been better than his being redeemed? Well... yes. We think so. That version suggests Ren is the ultimate baddie of the trilogy, rather than the awkwardly resurrected Emperor. So, maybe, Ren himself could’ve resurrected the Emperor if they wanted him in there. That could have been better.

Of course, that version wouldn’t have been as rewarding for Reylo shippers as what happened in Rise of Skywalker. And yet, keeping him totally evil may have cut that off at the source.

As you can tell, lots and lots to discuss here. Watch the full clip here and share your thoughts below.

Want more io9 news? Check out when to expect the latest Marvel, Star Wars, and Star Trek releases, what’s next for the DC Universe on film and TV, and everything you need to know about the future of Doctor Who.

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