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raw narrative clue found inthe latest trailerforStar state of war : The Last Jediimply it was Luke Skywalker who pushed Ben Solo to the dark side . When the son of Han Solo and Princess Leia became Kylo Ren , Luke felt responsible for what transpired and go into exile on the planet Ahch - To . There , he was far off from the difference as he searched for the first Jedi temple , but finally a dead reckoning at repurchase stage itself . At the end ofThe Force Awakens , young pack rat Rey move up the Jedi Steps and found a aweary , grizzled Luke at the top of the mountain , put up the legend ’s old lightsaber with her outstretched paw . Many viewers had presumed inThe Last JediLuke would prepare Rey , much like Yoda had taught him . TheEpisode VIIItheatrical trailer that was release earlier this month made it seem like thing will not play out this way . While Luke ab initio agrees to show Rey the ways of the Force , he shortly becomes frightened by the Brobdingnagian power she displays and turns his back on her . One of the most fascinating spot of dialog in the prevue is Luke saying to ( presumably ) Rey,“I’ve seen this naked strength only once before . It did n’t frighten away me enough then . It does now . “This affirmation reads as a light allusion to Ben , who was once Luke ’s prized student before being seduced by Supreme Leader Snoke . While it ’s all been sustain Kylo Ren was the one who ruined Skywalker ’s newfangled Jedi Academy , his reasoning for turning has been unnamed to this point . It remains to be see if the sequel trilogy ( or another piece of canon ) will answer the question of why Ben go dark , we have a possibility that it was Luke who sent him down that particular path .
What We Know About Ben Solo
Before we get to Luke , it ’s deserving recapitulate what ’s been revealed about Ben Solo in the new films so far . In direct contrast to several of theStar Warsvillains we ’ve seen onscreen over the years , Kylo Ren has not yet fully committed himself to the sullen side inThe Force Awakens . He pass a majority of the flick tear between the light source and the dark , looking for the right guidance from Snoke and even Darth Vader ’s liquid helmet . As J.J. Abrams and Rian Johnson have say , there ’s still molding to be done in wish to Kylo ’s arc in the trilogy , make him one of the most interesting and nuanced charactersStar Warshas seen . Killing Han Solo only made his tumult worse , and now he ’s more riotous than he was before .
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At San Diego Comic - Con 2017 , legal professionals made the type that Kylo Ren suffersfrom a disabling dependence to the Force(perhaps making him not shamed of execution ) that negatively touch his ability to take shape a mental state and roleplay within his own gratuitous will . His obsession with the dark side controlled his action , make him do things he feels like hehasto do as opposed to what hewantsto do . This is very manifest as Kylo confronts Han at Starkiller base , where the small fry is begging his Father of the Church for help , trying to win over himself he has reached the point of no return . And since shortly beforeThe Force Awakens , Ben was still learn under Luke ’s wing ( see : the novelBloodline ) , he ’s only recently break to the dark side and has to prove himself a worthy apprentice to Snoke . Destroying Luke ’s honorary society was probably his first " run , " follow by his fateful encounter with Han .
Based on footage from theLast Jeditrailer , Kylo is still struggling with his allegiance whenEpisode VIIIstarts up . In the space battle , he is on the verge of tears as he point General Leia Organa ’s flagship , and his destruction of his helmet is a symbolical gesture - indicate he ’s have doubts about the dark side and is ready to become his own human race . When Anakin Skywalker turned , he did n’t blink at kill younglings , off the surviving separatist on Mustafar , and jumping into battle against his old admirer , Obi - Wan Kenobi . Kylo , on the other script , still seems he ’s unsure if this is what ’s best . It appear as if he ’s merely chip in the dark side a tribulation run instead of whole pledging himself to Snoke ’s teaching . The Supreme Leader is even a little skeptical of Kylo , feel Ben Solo ’s emotion made him weak .
Despite preen in all - black attire and exert a red lightsaber , Kylo is not yet completely persuade by the dark side , seeing if he ’s abbreviate out for their path only after losing faith in the Jedi . Since Ben did n’t have a married woman he was trying to save from death or was blatantly ignored / neglected by a ego - significant Council ( that we lie with of ) , the one person that probably made Kylo ’s loyalty in the clean side faltering was the same one that was theorize to steer him straight : Luke Skywalker .
Luke Skywalker’s Fear
The telling part in Luke ’s said citation from the trailer is that the sensitive strength Ben demonstrated in training did n’t scare off him"enough"at the fourth dimension . While Luke did go through with teaching his nephew , this mean at some full stop , Skywalker was panic-stricken of what Ben was able of . Initially thinking he could keep affair under ascendancy , perhaps there was a turning point where Luke sensed the dark side dun in Ben , and know his mob heritage , decided enough was enough and suddenly stopped the lesson before things conk too far . Of of course , this come at too late a stage in Ben ’s development , only make matters worse . Under the impressionhe was the Chosen One ( Luke ’s belief ) , he was leave without a teacher , aimlessly wandering with immense big businessman at his disposal that he tried to control . Feeling abandoned and deceive by his uncle , Ben became an well-to-do target for Snoke .
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It ’s becoming clear that the Supreme Leader ’s interest in Kylo Ren ’s abilities do n’t hail from a berth of dear and worship . Han Solo conceive Snoke was just using his son to achieve a sinister goal , with the design of crushing Kylo once he cause what he need . Still , glowering side headmaster are know to be quite convincing when they ’re attempt to swing someone towards evil . Palpatine did quite the phone number on Anakin , so it ’s sensible to assume Ben Solo was manipulated in a similar way . Considering it was the Supreme Leader who seduced Ben to become Kylo Ren , receive the attending from somebody ( even a malicious humanoid stranger from mysterious descent ) would be appealing for an embattled tyke looking to find his place in all this . " get to the dark side , we have cookies " is an amusingStar Warsmeme , but sometimes that ’s the only pitch someone involve to hear .
Snoke factors heavy into the latest house trailer , with a voice over at the beginning where he tell apart a trainee that he saw"raw , untamed power"and"something truly special"when they were discovered . While it ’s possible he ’s addressing Rey here , the better betting odds are on Kylo being on the receiving last of this monologue . The dialogue gives some insight into the Snoke / Kylo moral force , revealing that Ben was brought onboard under the hope of realizing his full voltage . Whatever posterior motives the Supreme Leader has , that was how he sell Kylo Ren on joining the sinister side . InThe Force Awakens , Kylo is sharp on seeing the"power of the darkness,“meaning he ’s under the impression this is the right mode to action his destiny .
extend back to Luke , his declaration of"It ’s clip for the Jedi to end"at the remainder of Celebration Orlando ’s teaser profit Modern context with what ’s in the full trailer . For months , some fan have think that Luke would beginEpisode VIIIwith this mindset , only to be sway by Rey ’s kindhearted nature . However , it looks like Luke is mistrustful about charter things too far with Rey , meaning that perhaps he wish for a universe where there are no participating Force cults . Though the completion of his own Jedi training was what save Anakin , Luke has seen the " Jedi way " neglect more often than not . The Jedi Council were blind to Palatine ’s emanation and Obi - Wan blatantly lie about Luke ’s inheritance . With Skywalker embarking on a galaxy - wide quest for traditional knowledge of the Jedi ( again , readBloodline ) , whatever history he ’s come across may have changed his outlook on life . Of of course , Rey has already tapped into her own unrealized potentiality , and will need help whether it comes from Luke or not .
Conclusion
Of of course , this is just one potential theory about Ben Solo ’s turn , which rest one of the bigger unsolved mysteries in canon . It will be interesting to see Luke in the final ware , hopefully fleshing out his reasonings for running off when thing go away bad . He ’s apparently very tortured in the footage , haunted by past error . Since Luke ( or , at lest the one from the original trilogy ) hardly has a bad bone in his torso , he probably had no ill purpose when / if he pulled the plug on Ben ’s breeding . As the one - time perceived Jesus of the galaxy , Luke understands the tremendous burden that descend with master mastery of the Force , and may have want his nephew to exist a normal existence where he did n’t have to follow a specific code and invariably keep his emotions in checkout . Being Force sensitive is n’t the same as being a Jedi . Leia is living validation of that .
Lucasfilm has done an excellent job of set up up Luke , Rey , and Kylo Ren as the main three ofThe Last Jedithrough marketing , making the trio ’s relationship the key component of the entire film . With the motion picture ’s title of respect being a lineal reference to Skywalker , there will surely be some major Book of Revelation relate his post - Return of the Jeditrials and tribulation , painting a clearer picture of what transpirate in the three decades between trilogies . Until then , sports fan will continue to meditate about what happen with Ben Solo , but withsome promotional fabric hinting at " evil Luke,“anything is potential .
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