We’re going to be talking Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker spoilers right off the bat here, meaning that if you’ve yet to check out the supposed conclusion to the decades-spanning Skywalker Saga, then you may want to stop reading right this second.
Okay, so if you’re still with us then you’re probably aware that Kylo Ren’s story ends with a heroic sacrifice in the final minutes of the Sequel Trilogy finale. After turning back to the Light Side, Ben Solo teams up with Rey to defeat Emperor Palpatine. Once the fight is over, we see Daisy Ridley’s heroine lying unconscious on the floor, seemingly dead, before Ben drains his own life force to restore her.
Unfortunately, Ben’s selfless act comes with a price, as the former villain passes away, essentially trading his life for Rey’s. And while it’s hardly the most surprising development, especially given the fate of Kylo’s grandfather Anakin, some fans are apparently taking the moment pretty hard, hopping on Twitter to express their grief:
https://twitter.com/unvijoon/status/1208081310528483333
I'm sorry but 5 minutes of him smiling because he was free of the pain and the love of his life kissed him just before he DIES does not erase a lifetime of sadness and loneliness
He deserved to live. Ben Solo deserved to LIVE.
— Camila ✝️🦋🐑 (@Reyllos) December 20, 2019
https://twitter.com/haloren1st/status/1208117480285061120
https://twitter.com/tiffbenrey/status/1208111165466796032
It's me when i see ben solo die😢
In the end ray stay alone.
So sad#starwarsspoilers https://t.co/rW89oal6d9— เจ้าเเมว (@kokoriozatea) December 21, 2019
Watching Ben die really felt like watching myself die. I relate to him more than any other fictional character. He gave me hope for myself during a time when I needed it the most. Ben Solo is me. He should’ve lived. https://t.co/r9FWMz9rN2
— breezy (@stardustreylo) December 21, 2019
https://twitter.com/AmiYbz/status/1208413533504851968
https://twitter.com/HazelMonforton/status/1208413500613287936
https://twitter.com/HazelMonforton/status/1208408515662024706
Of course, many of us saw Ben Solo’s death coming from a mile away. After all, there’s an underlying morality to the Star Wars films, and given how much blood Kylo had on his hands, it was always unlikely that Abrams would give Ben the happy ending that some fans yearned for, redemption or no redemption.
That being said, though Adam Driver’s character is no longer in the world of the living, we certainly can’t rule out Ben making another appearance somewhere down the line. From Grand Moff Tarkin to Yoda, the Star Wars franchise has a long track record of killing off characters only to bring them back for later films, be it in prequels or in Force Ghost form.
All the same, now that the Sequel Trilogy has come to a close, it’s looking more than likely that Kylo’s days as a leading player in the franchise are at an end, in which case, we’ll leave it to you to decide if Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker serves as a worthy conclusion to the villain’s often divisive journey.