Chewbacca Kylo duel.

As someone who definitely scratched his head trying to figure out the powers at play between the fights between Rey and Kylo, I've come to the conclusion there are some things regarding the force that we don't understand as viewers. As some have pointed out, it's a writers prerogative, but I think it goes beyond that and SW has various examples of that at play.

Examples could go to various bounty hunters who fight Jedi. If the powerful force users are so strong, why not just mind trick them? I think even regular humanoids have a certain resistance to force effects. I wouldn't call Chewbacca weak minded, which was Obi-Wan's explanation all those movies ago in ANH. Then of course Chewbacca is a wookie, maybe in that way he is resistant to some extent (if the writers so choose). After all, Vader didn't just freeze him on Bespin when Chewy was tossing Storm Troopers around willy nilly, he was going to have him shot. Vader... the Chosen One, did not just use the force to freeze him. Sure, maybe that wasn't a power he had under his repertoire, or maybe certain mental states are more difficult to affect with certain powers.

Rey was terrified when Kylo held her, and beyond that, she was confused. She had just been given a huge dose of a reality she had never even dreamed for herself. Maybe Kylo sensed that and thus figured she'd be more susceptible to certain specific uses of power. I don't think the power that force users have access to can be used in all situations. I think it's very much circumstantial, at least that's been my observation. Call it head canon if you will, and that's fine, but the only explanation I can come up with is that it's up to the writers, which ultimately it is. However, that's a pretty banal explanation, I'd rather believe there are variables we are not privy to.

So if Chewbacca is somehow resistance to some of Kylo's powers (Kylo's emotional state can be as much a factor here too, having his uncle, former protector attacking him and all) then all bets are off. It becomes a matter of strength or skill in a duel. The only thing that saves Kylo in such a situation is that he can still affect the environment with the force, but Chewbacca's been around force users for huge chunks of his life. I don't think he'd be ignorant of what a force user can do.

In such situations, I tend to look at RPGs. When a Jedi attempts to use a power, it's not a guarantee. The more powerful they are, the more likely of success, but if it's a power that is targeted to an individual, than the quality of that individual makes it harder for the Jedi to succeed. It goes back to Obi-Wan in ANH with his reference to a mind trick working on the weak minded. It's not one sided for the force user alone, the individual has a say in the matter, regardless if they're a force user or not. Chat Bane would likely not succumb to many of those powers, not due to race, but due to strength of will, experience ect... Otherwise it would be laughable if a force users only challenge would be himself or other force users. If the force is even in a rock, then it must also be in individuals who are not force sensitive. By that very nature, they'd have a resistance, and it could be greater depending on their life experience and force of will.

So going to the mortal combat explanation, I don't think it's as clear cut. Now maybe I'm wrong and everything Obie-Wan said in ANH was bs. In that case sure, I guess Chewie has no chance. But that doesn't seem to be the message the ST has been imparting on viewers so far. The message I see is the force is infinitely more accessible then we realized, but quite possible be much more nuanced (broom boi). There could very well be latent force resistance, or maybe proximity to force users naturally raises ones resistance by proxy. All I'm saying is that there is a lot we don't understand about the Force that can be toyed with by writers. If I'm expected to swallow the pill that force downloads, force Skype, FG affecting the real word and force projections are things, then I think my theories are a much easier pill to swallow. In that case, a mortal combat fight could not be as lob sided as assumed. Chewie has the benefit of much greater physical strength, added with decades of military experience and a unique knowledge of Kylo/Ben.

I just don't think it's that clear cut.

 

It seems great minds in Hollywood have thought about this already... puts an end to our debate

Don't agree with the outcome, and it's an old vid, but it relates to the topic haha.