Star Wars Theory: Is Kylo Ren the Last Jedi?

Star Wars fans from here to a galaxy far, far away were sent into a frenzy with the reveal of official title for the eighth installment in the saga – Star Wars: The Last Jedi. However, as the excitement begins to wind down (and let’s be serious, it’s hardly winding down), speculation is beginning to run rampant as to just what the title truly means. Earlier this week, we posed eight intriguing possibilities on what the Last Jedi title could mean, which I highly recommend checking out if you haven’t already done so.

Still, what if we’re looking at this the wrong way? What if the last Jedi isn’t someone we currently think of as a benevolent force of hope and strength, like Rey? What if it isn’t the wise and secluded final member of the old guard, like Luke? What if “The Last Jedi” is referring to Kylo Ren?

By the time he was 23, the former Ben Solo had begun training under his uncle, Jedi Master Luke Skywalker, as one of the students in a group Luke hoped would eventually restore the Jedi Order. However, feelings of abandonment resulting from Han and Leia’s tumultuous relationship, as well as his inherent Force potential thanks to his Skywalker lineage, left Ben vulnerable to the persuasion of Supreme Leader Snoke - the figurehead of the First Order that rose from the ashes of the Galactic Empire.

After embracing the dark side of the Force, Ben left everything Luke tried to build in ruins, including his Jedi Temple. He adopted the name Kylo Ren and took on the role of apprentice to Supreme Leader Snoke as a member of the Knights of Ren. Feeling responsible for Ben’s descent, Luke cast himself into a self-imposed exile, and the hope of restoring the Jedi Order was all but lost.

So, what does any of this have to do with Kylo Ren possibly being the last Jedi? Well, George Lucas has famously said of the original trilogy and the prequels, “It’s like poetry. They rhyme,” referring to similar visual and thematic elements between the two sets of films. Already, we’ve seen that despite Lucas’ absence, this “rhyming” hasn’t stopped, either. Just look at all the similarities betweenA New Hope and The Force Awakens.

If this trend is to continue, could episode IX see Kylo Ren redeem himself, much like Darth Vader did in episode VI, and eventually become the last Jedi? Perhaps, but if that were the case, wouldn’t it make more sense to title episode IX The Last Jedi, instead of episode VIII?

Well, what if the theme of “rhyming” is taken a bit more loosely? Perhaps we could see Kylo Ren attempt to redeem himself in episode VIII due to the overwhelming guilt that’s been weighing him down since he took the life of his own father, only to make a full descent to the dark side in episode IX.

The problem with this theory, though, is that Kylo Ren already seems like he’s past the point of redemption. After all, it’s hard to imagine fans ever sympathizing with the man that killed their beloved Han Solo, regardless of what he does moving forward.

However, as I mentioned earlier, before he became Kylo Ren, Ben Solo was among the last known group of up-and-coming Jedi under the tutelage of Luke Skywalker. So, looking at the title The Last Jedi with a more discerning eye, is it possible that it might not be referring to the present or the future, but perhaps the past? Is it possible that Kylo Ren was the last Jedi, at least until someone like Rey eventually usurps him?

So far, we know that Ben was training under Luke to become a Jedi and that he was eventually lured to the dark side. However, whether or not Ben actually became a Jedi prior to his descent hasn’t been expressly stated nor denied, but instead left a bit ambiguous. After all, let’s not forget that Return of the Jedi began with Luke referring to himself as a Jedi Knight, despite not yet fulfilling his promise to Yoda to return to the Dagobah system and complete his Jedi training. That being said, it’s not out of the realm of possibility to presume Ben Solo at the very least believed himself to be a Jedi before being seduced by the dark side and betraying his family.

In The Force Awakens, Kylo Ren is shown to be a petulant man-child, plagued with a severe inferiority complex and living in the shadow of his grandfather, Darth Vader. These types of personality disorders don’t typically develop overnight, and it’s already been explained that friction in his home life led to abandonment issues. Even if he wasn’t formally recognized as a one, perhaps in his own mind, Ben compensated for his emotional struggles by believing that he was, in fact, a Jedi. An identity crisis of this scale would certainly make him a prime target for Snoke to influence and manipulate to his will.

So, will Star Wars: The Last Jedi be a story of redemption for Kylo Ren? Will the film expand on his backstory, exploring his final days as the last Jedi of his uncle’s new order before ultimately decimating it before his very eyes? As of right now, your guess is as good as mine. Unfortunately, with nearly a full year before the release of episode VIII, the most we can do right now is speculate. However, it’s just a matter of time before more details begin to trickle through, with Producer Kathleen Kennedy promising promotion for the film to begin this Spring.

What about you? Do you think Kylo Ren could be the titular last Jedi? Let us know in the comments section!

Star Wars: The Last Jedi will hit theaters on December 15, 2017.