Rey

The novel explains Artoo's awakening far better than the film.
Everyone is talking about the missing part of the map. Then when Rey says that Kylo told her they took the map from the archives of the Jedi - Artoo awakes.
He awakes then because he realises he might have the map from when he plugged into the death star in ANH.
Artoo was in low power mode - but still alive, he could still hear.
His low power mode IMO was because Artoo was sad his master was gone. He had no purpose. When he realises he might have a map that leads to Luke he has a purpose again and returns.

They botched this in the film and said BB8 woke him up - but Artoo lights up before BB8 gets to him!

 

The real master of R2 is Anakin. He was even his choosen man !

 

It should be noted that Luke's Jedi Order was killed by Kylo Ren, this much was stated in the Visual Dictionary. I wouldn't say that destroys any possibility of any rogue Jedi, but the implication is that they were slaughtered.

 

Unfortunately this scene isn't the Jedi massacre though. This is the KoR destroying a group called The Clan and it occurs after the Jedi massacre. This is where Kylo gets Anakin's saber but it is then stolen by Maz Kanata.

I also don't think "Ren" or even "Snoke" will be a play on words or an anagram of something. That brings too much real world language and grammar into Star Wars. I believe Ren will be an invented in-universe word - like Jedi and Sith. For me, it's likely the next step from Sith, if we are truly having a Darthless trilogy.

What I mean to say is, you might not be wrong in thinking Ren is a play on renegade but I don't think that the KoR call themselves that because they are renegades. And with that being the case, they likely got the word from somewhere else. And considering that the KoR existed before Kylo joined them, I think it likely to mean something else entirely.

I'm wondering now, does Kylo ever use the term "Dark Side"? Does he just use "darkness" and if so, maybe "Ren" is the new term for the Dark Side of the Force according to the KoR? I could be way off there and will await being corrected! @FN-3263827 @JediMasterRobert @Revanite @Yordis etc

Further still, if the Whills are being brought into this, maybe "Ren" is their ancient term for the Dark Side or just the Force itself?

 

The vision order isn't like that, it goes - Bespin - Luke hand on Artoo (Jedi massacre aftermath) - KoR Clan battle - Rey being left on Jakku - Ren in forest (future)

So I don't think it's actually in order. The Jakku bit seems to jump back. The KoR bit is definitely after the Jedi massacre scene so we see that they are different. And then we also know that Rey was 5 when she was left on Jakku thus this must've have happened certainly before the KoR vision and evidence tells us at the moment it happened 8 years before the Jedi massacre.

 

But we must assume that this isn't a real scenario. Rey is just placed into the scenario - maybe replacing another person or just witnessing events. It's a dream like sequence where reality is blurred with fantasy. I personally think the whole thing is about the legacy of that Vader vs Luke battle - what happens with the lightsaber. Kylo and Rey's stories are most definitely intertwined and I think the saber is the centre point. It's the thing that binds them, metaphorically speaking.

For Rey, her destiny is to become the next Jedi. Her life has lead her to that point (finding Luke) and the saber was a big part of that. I wouldn't be at all surprised to find that she has some prior link to it in some way (perhaps through her parents). And for Kylo, it's the connection to Vader. Wanting to be the new Vader. So Rey's vision is all about the journey of the saber, mixed with her journey and of course tying in with her conflict with Kylo. It's for me about Kylo being on the parallel path - Rey is on Luke's path (light side) and Kylo is on Vader's path (dark side). So the vision shows how Rey is on this journey and the lightsaber is taking her on it in a sense - and Kylo is there too, on his own journey that has an different motive.

It all ties in with how the saber both belonged to Vader and Luke. Vader used it for evil. Luke used it for good. And I am pretty sure this is what Kylo means when he asks Vader to show him the power of the darkness again. I think he had a vision similar to Rey when he touched the saber. It was a vision that for him showed him what he must do. This ties in with why he has the helmet - after he loses the saber, he wants to have another vision and so begins searching for Vader artefacts to try and conjure it again. But it doesn't work. I believe this might be because he misinterpreted his saber vision. To him, he saw evil things and thought he must copy them. But in fact, it is the opposite. It's about how one must try and conquer the Dark Side and become a Jedi...

--- Double Post Merged, Mar 10, 2016, Original Post Date: Mar 10, 2016 ---

Because firstly, it's where Kylo either gets or gets and then loses the saber (that is important to him) and thus how this saber ends up with Rey. In the original script, we see Maz pick up the saber and walk off with it. But really, it's just about the journey of the saber and it's importance to finding its way to Rey.

One other very interesting thing is that in the leaks leading up to TFA, it was said that Rey's parents were part of the Clan...

 

There weren't any younglings around it that scene. This was the clan. They had Luke's saber. Kylo wanted it. He got it. Then lost it.
What does make this a bit muddy though is that the guy Kylo kills was originally listed as "Clan Leader" but is now referred to has a "KoR" on IMDB and perhaps other sources/credits.

Another theory I have is that if Rey's parents were part of the clan, she might be witnessing what happened to her mother/father. She might be in place of one of them in the vision - so perhaps Kylo killed her mum/dad or didn't and knows where they are?

--- Double Post Merged, Mar 10, 2016, Original Post Date: Mar 10, 2016 ---

Holy sh**, something has just come to me...

If Rey's parents were part of the clan then maybe they did have some connection with Luke - like they knew where Luke was/had gone? Then when the KoR are killing the Clan members, Kylo has an ulterior motive - he wants to find out where Luke is. But one of the KoR goes to kill Rey's parents (as instructed by Snoke or whatever) and Kylo Ren stabs him (maybe he was the original leader of the KoR and this is where Kylo takes over them)? Maybe this is how Kylo discovers that Luke has gone to Ahch-To but still doesn't know where that is...? Continued here: https://thecantina.starwarsnewsnet.com/index.php?threads/the-secret-to-lukes-map.8719/page-6

 

Pablo confirmed it on Twitter.



I can't see Kylo showing his weakness in front of the other Ren. I think it's more likely that he spared someones life because he wanted information about Luke but the master of the Ren at the time dismissed him. Then Kylo takes out the guy and becomes Master himself. You can see by the way the other Ren surround him that they wanted him as their master - he is likely more powerful than all of them after all AND Vader's grandson.

EDIT: Wrong tweet. Sorry, he says in another one that the flashback isn't jedi massacre...will look for it now!

--- Double Post Merged, Mar 10, 2016, Original Post Date: Mar 10, 2016 ---

Here:



Although Pablo seems to confirm the guy was a Clan Leader not KoR so that kinda strikes out my theory...