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Kylo Ren and Ben Solo: Two Sides of the Same Coin?
Or is he just a fantastic actor, a chameleon straight from the Dark Side?
I’ll be honest: I saw The Force Awakens seven times at the theater, and each time I went back was to clue myself into what kind of character Kylo Ren (formerly Ben Solo) actually was. I even delved into fan fiction (after quite a long hiatus from the form) to see what type of story he and Rey (the heroine of the sequel trilogy) might lead together.
My first forecast of their relationship was a lot like two wolves snapping at each other. They would circle one another, lightsabers flaring to life, in a dance that no one else but them quite understood. They were drawn to each other again and again in the way of the perfect enemies-to-lovers trajectory.
Released two years after The Force Awakens, Rian Johnson’s The Last Jedi offered a far gentler consideration for Kylo Ren and Rey. Kylo is revealed to be a mess of emotions born from trauma and manipulation; you get the impression he’s been groomed by initial villain Supreme Leader Snoke for a long time. Kylo seems perpetually on the edge of madness. Rey’s the only one who seems to be able to calm him down. Their connection is something beautiful yet tragic that they don’t understand, but they’re drawn to each other regardless, no matter…
