Of all the controversial storylines featured in the Star Wars sequel trilogy, the arc of Kylo Ren is one of the most divisive. However, recent revelations from actor Adam Driver suggest that the iconic character’s trajectory was originally extremely different from what played out on screen.
Upon his debut in Star Wars: The Force Awakens (2015), Kylo Ren (Adam Driver) was swiftly established as the new big-bad of the franchise. Like Anakin Skywalker (Hayden Christensen) before him, he was a Force-sensitive individual who prescribed to the Dark Side – despising the Jedi so much that he was willing to abandon his parents, turn against his uncle, and even kill his own father.
Related: Multiple Changes Made to Original ‘Star Wars’ Movies on Disney+
Ultimately, by the time Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker (2019) wrapped up, Kylo Ren had turned back to the light. Having formed a bond with Rey (Daisy Ridley), he atoned for killing Han Solo (Harrison Ford) and gave his life to save Rey and defeat Emperor Palpatine (Ian McDiarmid).
But a recent interview on The Roku Channel’s The Rich Eisen Show, Adam Driver revealed that this wasn’t how things were supposed to play out and that Disney and Lucasfilm ended up taking the story in a different direction.
According to Driver, the initial plan was for Kylo Ren to undergo the opposite character arc to Darth Vader. “I had an overall arc in mind that he wanted to do, which then changed,” he explained. “His idea was almost the opposite journey of Vader, where Vader starts the most confident, the most committed to the Dark Side, and by the last movie he’s the most vulnerable, and weak, and he wanted to start at the opposite, where this character was the most confused and vulnerable, and by the end of the three movies would be most committed to the Dark Side.”
While Driver didn’t clarify who the “he” in question was, it’s safe to assume he means J.J. Abrams, the director responsible for helming Star Wars: The Force Awakens and who returned to lead Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker several years later.
The turning point for Kylo Ren – who was born Ben Solo – really came in Star Wars: The Last Jedi (2017). The most controversial installment in the Star Wars franchise, this saw him get closer to Rey and reveal more about how he came to join the Dark Side – namely, the role his own uncle, Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamill), played in his transition.
However, even from The Force Awakens, the idea is seeded that there’s still good in Kylo Ren, with his own mother – Princess Leia (Carrie Fisher) – even saying so to Han. Ren is also extremely conflicted about killing his father and committing himself to the Dark Side.
Related: John Boyega Might Finally Get His ‘Star Wars’ Redemption In Rey Solo Film
While audiences are still split to this day about whether Kylo Ren truly deserved redemption (and whether “Reylo” should have ever become a thing), this approach seems much more aligned with the core values of Star Wars: namely the idea of hope and the fact that good can always triumph evil. It may not have been Kylo Ren’s intended path, but it’s definitely more satisfying.
Do you prefer the idea of Kylo Ren staying evil or being redeemed at the end of The Rise of Skywalker? Let us know in the comments!