ST Vader's ashes?

Yeah presumably he can just, pick the bowl up and move it if he wants to.

 

We have no evidence of that whatsoever. Meanwhile, we DO have evidence of his having Vader's burned/charred helmet, and he makes a point of slamming his mask, which is a huge part of his perceived "connection" to Vader, down into the ashes.

 

Not to nitpick, but Poe and Rey are interrogated in two entirely different rooms; Poe on the Finalizer, Rey on Starkiller (unless you just mean that both rooms would have ashes). That said, if the "ashes" are shown in the Starkiller room, and Vader's helmet is on the Finalizer, that might suggest that these "ashes" are nothing to do with Vader at all, and, like you say, possibly the remains of a previous prisoner.

Edit: Then again, if they are Vader's ashes, it would be interesting in light of Rey's, "You're afraid you won't live up to Darth Vader" line during this scene. Like he symbolically allies himself with Vader in front of Rey (mask dumped in Vader's ashes), and then she takes him apart over it. Or maybe I'm just talking Sith!

 

This snippet is not trivial. It's very clear that he plonks his helmet down in these ashes, we're meant to take note. I've seen the film twice now and both times it just feels like these are Vader's ashes or ground samples from the remains of the funeral pyre. I don't think, to Kylo, it matters which, the point is they symbolise the grandfather he idolises and draws strength and inspiration from. I wouldn't put it past him to use them in this interrogation scene with Rey. He's learnt she is connected to his search for Luke and Luke is his uncle and Vader's son. Maybe he brought him (Vader's ashes) into the interrogation room to psych himself up and oddly put on a family front. The helmet dropped into the ashes also, in my opinion, symbolises the death knell of the helmet's usefulness to Kylo's image and his power. From this point on he's weaker, at least in the scene the way it unfolds and he doesn't get what he wants.

Knights of Ben, I just read your edit and I like it, I think he does use the ashes as some kind of...I don't know, talisman, lucky charm. Let's be real, this is a possibility, the guy is a little different shall we say.

 

My first thought on seeing him place the helmet in those ashes was that were Vaders. It seemed to deliberate a shot for there to be no significance to those ashes.

 

Absolutley. He talks to an old broken helmet in his personal quarters for a start. I'd say it's one of TFA's "pleasing ambiguities" (my term.)

 

I don't get the scene.

If it is coals it makes no sense. Because what's the purpose ot the coals supposed to be, disinfecting?

If it is Vader's ashes it makes no sense either. Someone like Kylo would enshrine the ashes or ingest them, but using them just for resting his helmet on them seems irreverent.

 

I have a theory that Kylo's mask is made out of surviving pieces of Vader's armor (that's why it's made out to be so heavy -- making a big thud whenever it's put down), so those ashes are probably that of Vader's armor too. Just putting the mask where it belongs.

 

Heating iron for torture, Star Wars always has some medieval inspirations, why not from historic forms of torture? It is in sync with Kylo´s medieval knight like appearance (sword shaped lightsaber, Helmet) too.

 

He's heating the helmet to torture himself with third degree burns?

 

He drops the helmet there to show that he isn´t depending on it, that he isn´t hiding behind it, although the amount of overcompensation and drama he does it with could lead one to different conclusions.

 

Another theory for the ashes. I think this is rather fun. Mr Hidalgo is a creative executive for Lucasfilm. Just a joke no doubt.

 

New character for Ep VIII I see...

Millicent needs his own official thread...

 

I kinda dig the idea that Hux has a cat.

 

Memento mori (Latin: "remember that you must die")[2] is the medieval Latin theory and practice of reflection on mortality, especially as a means of considering the vanity of earthly life and the transient nature of all earthly goods and pursuits. It is related to the ars moriendi ("The Art of Dying") and related literature. Memento mori has been an important part of ascetic disciplines as a means of perfecting the character, by cultivating detachment and other virtues, and turning the attention towards the immortality of the soul and the afterlife.[3]
In art, mementos mori are artistic or symbolic reminders of mortality.[2] In the European Christian art context, "the expression... developed with the growth of Christianity, which emphasized Heaven, Hell, and salvation of the soul in the afterlife."[4]


I was thinking about Hamlet talking to the jester's skull and found this a few layers deeper into Wikipedia. Thought it was interesting if not at all related. Anyway, the rest of the entry talks about using an object to help yourself remember your mortality I guess. In the past, this was a skull depicted in art and literature. In TFA, it might be Vader's mask.