SPECULATION Can you turn from the dark side to the light?

Kylo isn't turning back to the light... That boy is a lost cause and Han knew it! If it weren't for Leia and the way she begged Han to bring their boy home, Solo would still be alive!

I'm only half kidding. I think Kylo will sacrifice himself to save others in the end... but the dude doesn't deserve any sort of redemption. He killed Han Solo!!!

 

It is absolutely essential that we now accept that one of the most important messages of Star Wars is that anyone can be redeemed. Yoda gives us his "Once you start down the dark path..." speech in TESB and he was wrong. RoTJ proves that.

In TFA we see Kylo Ren at one of the most interesting moments in the life of a villain, on the very edge of the pit, conflicted with emotion. We know little of what has gone before but we know that he feels he has been failed by those whose duty it was to keep him safe and to teach him well. His parents gave up on him after they felt he was beyond their reach - in much the same way as we see the parents of those who commit terrible atrocities detach themsevles permanently from their offspring, absolving themselves of responsibility - and put him in the hands of Luke - the authority figure, the teacher, the preacher - and we all know how that turned out.

Kylo's uncertainty and sense of abandonment has been capitilised upon by those who prey on such fears and insecurities. This is no different to the politicians who exploit the electorate every day in our own world. Further and further he is dragged in to the abyss of hate, goaded with false promises and lies.

Who knows how much further down the dark path he will be led? But there will never be a point in the story were he cannot turn back. Kylo can repent and be redeemed. And when (if) that moment comes, then we have to accept that and believe it.

If we, as an audience, do not believe that a person is not defined by their deeds, then we have failed to see the simple message presented to us by this story that is steeped in the lessons of all the known religions and belief systems.

 

Yes. One can go from evil to good . . . or from good to evil. It depends upon the individual. Or one can simply bounce back and forth. There is no set rules when it comes to morality. It's just as flexible and ambiguous as life itself.

As for Kylo Ren . . . I hope that Rian Johnson has done something with the character. Because, as of "THE FORCE AWAKENS", he comes off as a poor man's Anakin Skywalker to me.

 

Assaj Ventress did.

 

After killing your own father? I don't think so!

 

I know allot about reform/rehabilitation because I deal with it everyday of my life, hopeful just for another 9 years and I'm done(Correction Officer). I deal with the most vile creatures that walk this earth and I have to watch their love ones come visit them like they never did anything wrong. I myself talk to these rapist, murderers, child abusers, mobsters, gang bangers, addicts, mentally ill, and some do indeed change. Its like a mobster, who has killed all his life to give his family the best, and when he serves a life term in prison, for all the lives he has ended and all the families he has destroyed before he dies, he can ask the lord for forgiveness faithfully and sure enough he will be redeemed. I don't know if thats a good analogy because we are dealing with fantasy but in my fantasy I'd like the bad guys to perish (especially if they commit genocide) and the heroes to win.

 

I personally think it is possible, and if anyone is going to be able to bring Kylo back, it'd be Rey. Should be interesting