ST Kylo Ren - Reverse Parallel of Luke and Anakin?

Each trilogy has one character that the entire outcome of that series hinges on. The prequels saw Anakin choose the Dark Side, and the Trilogy saw Luke choose the Light. But we have something different with Kylo Ren; he is already a Dark Side-user, but is still conflicted with his choice. Could Kylo Ren be the central character of the Sequel Trilogy? And could we see his turn to the Light Side?

In the prequels, we only see Anakin become conflicted with the second film. Same with Luke to some degree. Vader has a second arc where he he chooses good at the end of Return of the Jedi, though it's Luke's decision to not turn that bears the greatest gravity.

One thing is for sure - we will so more conflict from Kylo Ren, who still has trouble convincing himself he is truly one with the Dark Side.

 

I thought the PT ruined Anakin's redemption because we saw Anakin kill a bunch of kids multiple times. Could an audience be moved by a return to the light of Kylo Ren? No way.

 

[OT v PT v ST battles are not permitted]

I think TFA has already done a good job in showing conflict in Ben. I think in one film they gave him more conflict than Anakin got in 3. So the jury is still out on that. A lot will depend on what happens in 2 and 3. I think they are building it better than the prequels though.

 

Personally I'd find it hard to believe a character that has killed his own father and aided in the destruction of entire planets will be redeemed because he realised he was wrong and regrets his decisions. I'm aware that Vader and Kylo weren't particularly interested in the giant death weapons but they were still compliant with their creation and use. I think I'd rather see him become increasingly seduced by the dark side than a redemption story for a character that may already be irredeemable.

 

One thought I've been playing with in my mind is that we'll have a double switch in episode 8, Rey will fall to the dark side, Ren will give up resisting the light.
Then episode 9 has Ren and the gang save Rey from her darkness.

Highly unlikely, and I think it would have needed more than two movies

 

I think Kylo Ren in a lot of ways is what I imagined Anakin was like not long before he put on the suit. He's waring the Dark Side like a new pair of shoes. It isn't really comfortable yet, and he desperately wants it to be. I always felt Anakin should have been more conflicted after joining Palpatine.

Anakin in the PT came off as petulant and a bit of a doofus, which to me conflicted with the character of Darth Vader, who always was very posed and controlled. Darth Vader never seemed to me a character that was suckered into the Dark Side.

 

Agreed.

Ben is more or less what Anakin should of been in the PT - especially RoTS.

 

I actually don't agree with that. I find Anakin's flaws and issues - fear of loss, possessiveness - a bit more relatable than Kylo's. Kylo is a great character and Adam Driver is incredible in the role, but that isn't what I would have wanted from Anakin.

 

Kylo definitely came off as petulant and Emo like... but I don't see that as a negative thing per se. He's certainly a stronger villain 'in the mask', as was Vader, than without it (IMO)... and he's probably what Anakin would have been if we'd had a film of darkside Anakin prior to his fight with Obi-Wan. I hope they bring him back (Kylo)... but at the same time I wouldn't be surprised if we get someone new for Ep VIII.

 

No question about Kylo coming back.

I think they'll introduce a new villain, that will force him to question his dark side.

 

I wonder whether the whole "Vader Worship" thing is actually a comment on fandom and popular culture itself?

We all know Vader became this over-arching pinicle of evil with the general public so maybe the obsession Ben/Kylo has with him is a comment on popular culture in some ways (I can see this very much being a Lucas idea, left over from his story treatments, BTW)