For all its shortcomings, Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker still managed to deliver many thrilling and visually spectacular sequences. Now, it appears that one of them was much more nuanced than we originally thought.
While the last chapter in the story of Skywalkers was a mixed bag that didn’t offer any meaningful conclusions for long-time fans of the series, there’s no denying that J.J. Abrams’ pic was full of action and conflict. One of these unforgettable moments, in particular, that even paid off well in the context of the narrative, involved the moment that Ben Solo redeemed himself by encouraging Rey during her encounter with the resurrected Emperor Palpatine. Though their Force-switch, which saw Rey give Anakin’s lightsaber to Ben, doesn’t seem like that much of a deal at first glance, it actually says a great deal about Ben’s transformation.
According to the folks at ScreenRant, the fourth and final issue of Star Wars: The Rise of Kylo Ren calls back to this moment in a defining way. After running away from his uncle, Ben has to tag along with the Knights of Ren on their missions to prove his worth. Now neither Jedi nor Sith, the son of Han Solo embraces his own identity by donning a wardrobe that closely resembles a smuggler, much like his father. What’s more, we even see Ben drawing his lightsaber from over his shoulders, which shows his character outside of darkness and light.
As ScreenRant explains:
Marvel’s official preview of The Rise of Kylo Ren #4 actually shows Ben drawing his lightsaber from over his shoulder on his first mission with the Knights of Ren, meaning readers don’t have to deduce the motion from the first image. Seeming to acknowledge the reference being made, Sliney soon took to Twitter to confirm that Ben’s new method of holstering his saber means he draws it from over his shoulder — exactly as he does when receiving and drawing the Skywalker saber from Rey in the film’s final battle. A moment audiences took as a return to the light and the Jedi way, now to be read as a return to the man Ben Solo wanted to become, outside of his family’s demands or plans for his future.
Artist Will Sliney, who works on the series took to Twitter to acknowledge this reference, saying:
“The reaction to this really blew me away. Thank you Ben Solo fans! And yes! He draws his saber from over his shoulder.”
Seeing as how Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker was rushed and didn’t have any breathing room for additional character development, these extra details from the comic series or the official novelization can certainly help fans make better sense out of the Sequel Trilogy.
What do you think about Kylo Ren’s redemption arc, though? Were you satisfied with his character’s fate? Let us know in the comments below.