Have you ever heard the tragedy of Kylo Ren? The premiere villain of the Star Wars Sequel Trilogy is one of the most compelling characters in the franchise, thanks to his conflicting nature and his legendary lineage. Fans have always been clamoring to know more about his downfall from Ben Solo to Kylo Ren, then, with the recent Rise of Kylo Ren comic book series filling in many of the gaps. The Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker novelization is also worth reading though for offering a new perspective on it.
In the book’s opening chapter, the narration follows from Leia’s point-of-view as she trains Rey. We learn that the Resistance general is keen to keep Rey close and to believe in her, in contrast to how she sent her own son away to train with her brother Luke because she was scared of the darkness inside him. It’s clear that Leia blames herself for what became of her son and, tragically, her husband.
Here’s the relevant passage:
“The girl had a darkness inside her, just like Ben. But Leia would not make the same mistakes she had with her son. She would not give in to fear — neither of the darkness rising within her pupil or nor of her questionable qualifications as a teacher. Most importantly, she would never send Rey away.”
This excerpt echoes a conversation between Leia and Han back in The Force Awakens. As much as we feel for Leia and understand she was only trying to save her son, it’s unfortunately true that sending Ben away didn’t help with his turn to the Dark Side. Kylo clearly suffers from some serious abandonment issues and believes that every parental figure in his life has betrayed him because they’re scared of him. Maybe if she had kept him close and proved that she had faith in his goodness, things would’ve been different.
Of course, Leia is also key to Ren’s eventual redemption, when she uses the last of her strength to contact her son through the Force. This, along with Rey’s gesture of mercy when she Force-heals him, has the effect of purifying Ben and leading him to return to the light and help her defeat Palpatine.
Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker – The Expanded Edition, by Rae Carson, is available now. Likewise, you can watch the movie itself on Digital HD.