SPECULATION Ben's Redemption

While I picked "he realizes Snoke is using him" I could see a scenario where Leia effects his change: either through love, guilt or through death

 

Somewhere in this scenario, I would assume he usurps Snoke in some capacity, and remains the leader of the First Order. The only thing that will begin his redemption arc is someone appealing to the emotions of belonging and destiny (that seem to drive him so intensely in and prior to TFA).

 

could be a combination of a variety of things. Han seeded (or cracked open) his doubts about Snoke. Snoke himself is underestimating Ren's capacity for autonomy. he's being pulled by the Light. he has an attraction to Rey (or at least her power in the Force; in the fact that she is "like" him).

right now he's beyond the family helping him. i'd like to see Anakin get in there because he's the only one Ben might listen to.
but he's in no frame of mind to listen to Luke or his mother.

i voted "realizes Snoke is using him" because ultimately he has to make the choice to realign his efforts. no one can do that for him.

 

Several factors will be at play: For one, the murder of his own father will haunt him. Furthermore, Leia will be a very big reason for him to come back to the light.

My dream scenario would be the following: The FO captures Leia and Snoke orders Kylo Ren to kill his mother. But he can't. Snoke is angry at him and is ditching him.
=> Kylo Ren realises Snoke was using him the whole time. He wants to save his mother but it's already to late. Snoke kills her.
=> Kylo Ren breaks with the FO and joins Luke.

 

Ben is going to save his own sorry self, but he's going to need help.

I think family, like Leia and Han's memory, will influence him a lot, but it will take something else to tip the scales and make him break free from being in Snoke's thrall. I think our hero Rey is going to be that factor that tips the scales, but I'm not sure exactly how--perhaps the power of friendship and the ability to relate to his inner turmoil and/or immense Force ability. In any case, there's going to need to be some buildup and plot movement to get Rey and Ben to the point where she doesn't think of him as a monster and he proves himself not to be one ultimately. We must brace ourselves: this will be a honking good story.

 

i agree! it's got the potential to be so much more than any of us could expect.

 

Ben stays evil.
Luke is the redemption story of the ST.

 

His family is the reason he fell, mostly. I say he struggles but is never redeemed.

 

He will stay evil...but if redeemed he will realize Snoke is using him and look at him and say:

 

I have a feeling whether he turns to the light or not that his actions will be irreversible in effect. He will suffer even if he regrets his actions. I also view him as the real BBEG until he's not. Snoke is secondary.

 

I definitely agree with the latter part.
I wouldn't be surprised if he turns on Snoke. Not to join the light but to usurp

 

Yeah I really want that moment after Snoke is dismissive of him or shames him. And Kylo unloads a full on sabre tantrum in front of Hux and a few other 1st Order officer's who can do nothing but be stunned. When a few of the officer's object he goes R1 hallway Vader on them till they are all on board with him as the new leader.

 

I'm sold. That would vault him to near Vader status in the villain pantheon

 

or, you know, he could just walk away from it all with some dignity.

 

He killed his father.
I'm really not sure what dignity is left for him in 2 movies...

 

He is already shown to be temper tantrum ready.

I think him offing his master and taking charge of the first order would be a big step in going further than Vader.

 

being a man. owning up to it.
plenty of time for that.

i get it that's not so ooooo kewl as blowing stuff up and being all terminator vin diesel fast and furious kickboxer ninjas part XVII or whatever.
but then i kinda hope Star Wars is gonna be better than that caliber of storytelling.

 

Yeah I was thinking more rage bomb than badassery.

But I think/hope Ben is the BBEG not Snoke so I am not trying to figure how to grow him into a likable hero.

 

I'm cool with him turning/not turning, but I do NOT want him to redeem himself only to die a few moments later. It's too Vader and I think seeing someone deal with the horrors of their past actions would be interesting.