Should Ben Solo Have Been Redeemed?
Image Source: IMDb
Kylo Ren had an intense storyline that ultimately culminated in the redemption of his previous identity, Ben Solo. Adam Driver, the actor who portrayed Kylo Ren/Ben Solo, recently commented on the character’s arc, explaining that it was originally supposed to start when Kylo Ren was “the most confused and vulnerable and, by the end of the three movies, would be the most committed to the Dark Side.” Plans changed, and Ben Solo had his redemption with Rey while highlighting the Force Dyad phenomenon; this was originally “never part of it.” The redemption happened, that can’t be argued; some have questioned whether it should have or not. To reach a proper conclusion, the overall details of the character need to be considered.
Ben Solo’s lineage as the son of Han Solo, a famous smuggler and key piece of the original Rebellion, and General Leia Organa, the former princess of Alderaan and a Skywalker descendant, set the character up for an intense fate. He was born during Luke Skywalker’s attempt at rebuilding the Jedi Order; Ben studied under his uncle with fellow Padawans, though he quickly pulled ahead due to his raw, natural strength and capacity to wield the Force. Unknown to anyone else at the time, the phantom of Darth Sidious used a proxy to groom Ben towards the Dark Side and away from his family.
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Image Source: IMDb
Now going by Kylo Ren, he stepped in as the leader of the Knights of Ren and embraced the Dark Side to a degree; he still embodied the conflict between Light and Dark, even down to his rickety and unstable lightsaber. No matter the distance Ren tried to put between himself and his connections to the Light and The Resistance, his family did not fully give up on him. If his family was willing to welcome him back to the Light while firmly remaining in character, Ren’s redemption was a fair plot direction to take.
Ben Solo was a victim of Sidious, similar to his grandfather Anakin Skywalker. Rather than acknowledge Anakin as The Hero With No Fear during the Clone Wars or the redeemed Jedi seen at the end of Episode VI, Kylo Ren idolized Darth Vader and his mission to eradicate the remnants of the Jedi Order from the galaxy. From what we’ve seen of Vader between Episode III and Episode IV, he stuck firmly to the Dark Side for a while; this is where Ren differs, as his character is more openly unbalanced and chaotic. His redemption, culminating in death and joining his family in the Force, was a further reflection of Anakin’s story.
Image Source: IMDb
The character was set up for an intense fate from the very beginning, his lineage and raw potential being too strong to ignore. Ben Solo should have been redeemed, but he didn't necessarily need to die for it. Sidious once again targeted a moldable child to shape what he wanted in an apprentice and weapon. This should not make him irredeemable, and the conclusion of Episode IX allowed him to return to the Light.
Redemption can happen without the death of the character. In the case of Ben Solo, letting him live would have shaken the story up while still providing options to retire him if desired. As a powerful Force user and the son of a smuggler and general, he could’ve lived while redeemed and taken a variety of future paths. The creative direction taken, ending in the death of Ben Solo, was still a powerful and worthy conclusion for the plot crafted. It could be argued that redeeming him at all was further repeating storylines and the less interesting route to take, but it worked for the character as he was developed. In the end, Ben Solo’s redemption should have happened no matter the creative direction taken.
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