How Rey can realistically beat Kylo...

And not make Kylo seem like a chump. It just occurred to me watching the trailer again for the millionth time. In a "fair" fight it seems ludicrous that Rey could defeat Kylo without some serious help (not meaning Finn). But Kylo's saber in the trailers you can see is somewhat erratic and unstable (echoing the character) whereas Rey is using Luke's saber which is focused and stable. What if Rey simply holds her own, and beats Kylo because her saber is just too bad-ass compared to his. Imagine Kylo is using a home-forged ill-tempered sword while Rey is using the proverbial Honjo Masamune that just makes Kylo's saber shatter under the assault.

This way also Kylo could still escape and save face because, you know, "chick came at me with the masumune, what the heck did you expect would happen?!" Then we have Kylo craft a new saber, a stronger saber, and one without the crossguard so we move on. It could work.

Not really saying I think it will happen; though maybe?

 

Okay here's a twist; what if Rey punches Kylo in the face, but loses; then Kylo does his gloating and is about to finish them both off, and Luke shows up, turns on his green saber, and easily defends against Kylo's onslaught mocking him "Too slow" "You're extended" "Your thoughts are clouded" Then lays the smack down and Luke shatters Kylo's saber and then let's him run away. Rey says "Why did you do that, you could have killed him!" and Luke turns and says "Because I'm a Jedi" you got to admit that's pretty cool.

If that's not cool then we could also have Luke force-grab his old blue saber and wield both his sabers at the same time, and just take Kylo down to chinatown. It could happen.

 

Right it's like Transformers the Movie, and Rey force grabs Luke's saber, ignites it and KK's voice says "Arise, Rotimus Rey!" cue You got the touch, you got the power! So Rey is like all "girl power prevails!" and kicks girl-power-ass through the rest of the scenes, all the way up to Luke's sanctuary, "Girl power!" knocks on his door and shot switches to inside, as the door opens we see the back of Luke's head and Rey standing before him "I'm Rey, and I'm here to become your padawan!" and switch shot to Luke for his shocking 3-second JJ-inspired twist cameo:

EXTERIOR: LUKE'S HIDEOUT (SUNSET)

LUKE (laughing): I don't train girls! (he slams the door in her confused face)

swipe to end credit fanfare

 

It's a good point. Let me say again that I'm not actually saying I think it will happen, but someone once brought up not having Luke intervene or it would weaken Rey's character and I was of the mind that if Rey beat Kylo right off the bat it would make Kylo seem like a chump so it couldn't work. But then this struck me, and I suppose it could work so Kylo doesn't look like a chump, and Rey's victory wouldn't be incredulous. Kylo's saber is pretty sketchy-looking, and you can hear it fizzling and crackling; it's not too unreasonable to suggest it's possible Rey wins because she's just got the better weapon.

About Finn, I'm confident he's Force-sensitive and on the Jedi path, but he looks so terrified in that final trailer shot (such a range in that one shot- Boyega does an outstanding job) that I wager he just doesn't even last long at all. If the story were going this route, then the saber naturally wouldn't just shatter Kylo's saber right off the bat, and Finn probably wouldn't be as 'anger inspired' as Rey (a lot of Rey's shots show clear anger); so while Finn may swipe a few weak swipes or blocks, it's Rey who really starts hammering with the saber and just destroys Kylo's saber in the process.

Again, I think Luke will show up here and intervene in the fight; but here's an alternative.

 

Maybe but if this was a real fight and we were standing to the side watching it, then as soon as I saw Finn's reaction as Kylo advances and ignites his saber I would immediately put all my money on Kylo because he's already won and probably wins in a few moves.