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The Rise of Skywalker Novel Reveals Leia is to Blame for Kylo Ren’s Formation


The novelization for Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker might have been just as controversial as Episode IX with the decisions that it's made for the sequel trilogy narrative, however, the book also has its uses, filling in fans with insight and details about what's going on in the mind of the lead characters as they journey and battle with one another.

One of the positive things to come out of the novelization of The Rise of Skywalker is that the movie has revealed who exactly to blame for Ben Solo's (Adam Driver) turn to the Dark Side. Lucasfilm has been exploring Kylo Ren's descent down the Dark Side, navigating the story of what started him down the path and what stirred hatred inside the wayward son of Han Solo (Harrison Ford) and Leia (the late Carrie Fisher). The studio first explored the narrative in Marvel Comics Star Wars: The Rise of Kylo Ren series. Then, Kylo Ren's narrative was explored even further in The Rise of Skywalker's novelization.

The revelation begins in the opening of the book. In the first chapter of the novelization (via CBR), we get to read about Leia mentoring Rey. The Resistance General reveals how she's concerned about tempering the darkness within Rey, the same darkness that she sensed in Ben.

"The girl had a darkness inside her, just like Ben. But Leia would not make the same mistakes she had with her son," the novel reveals. "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."

That's one of the major reasons why Kylo Ren slipped. He had been neglected by his parents, and that resentment turned into hatred which led Kylo down the Dark Side. While it's easy to blame Leia and Han for their neglect, the two weren't likely to be very good parents considering their various commitments.

Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker is available on Digital HD. The film is set for release on DVD, Blu-Ray, and 4K Ultra HD on March 31, 2019.

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For more articles like this, take a look at our Star Wars: Episode IX page.