Of all the characters presented to fans in Disney's new Star Wars sequel trilogy, there is perhaps nobody better in quality than Kylo Ren. Adam Driver gave three outstanding performances as the son of Han and Leia, with a bonus performance fully as Ben Solo. He was a brilliant emotional character and had a lot of outstanding moments throughout the trilogy.
Throughout the three movies, Kylo changes quite a bit. It takes him a while to undergo the ultimate change from what we see first in The Force Awakens, but there are still some huge things that change Kylo or some huge things Kylo does to change himself. Here, we look at the ten biggest of these changes.
HIS SCAR
The Force Awakens culminates in a big lightsaber battle, first between Kylo Ren and Finn, and then Kylo Ren and Rey. An injured Kylo Ren is far from his best form and ends up getting outclassed by Rey in the end.
This results in Kylo being left with a massive scar across his face. In The Last Jedi, of course, the scar is different from what we see at the end of The Force Awakens, it is sleeker, looks better. In the end up, Rey heals the scar from Kylo's face, removing it for good.
HIS MASKS
Similar to his scar, Kylo's mask changes throughout each of the three movies. It is an integral part of Kylo Ren's attire and is the most recognizable aspect of him alongside his lightsaber.
When we first see Kylo, he is wearing his mask, giving big Darth Vader vibes due to that and his donning of an all-black outfit. In The Last Jedi, though, Kylo destroys the mask after Snoke uses it as a way to mock Kylo and call him a child, a good mirror of his mental state. Finally, in The Rise Of Skywalker, he has the mask welded back together, as if in defiance to Snoke, with the cracks all visible,
SNOKE'S MURDER
One of the most shocking, and in some ways, divisive parts of The Last Jedi was when Kylo Ren killed Supreme Leader Snoke. Snoke seemed to be the trilogy's big villain but is killed by his apprentice at the midpoint of the trilogy.
Kylo had a choice between killing Rey and killing Snoke. He chooses Snoke. This choice is indicative of the fact Kylo cares about Rey and shows the flick of a switch in Kylo's head that demands him to disregard the past. He is done with Jedi, Sith, masters, and apprentices at that moment, he wants that power, and it sends him further on a dark path.
SUPREME LEADER KYLO REN
One of the most significant implications of Snoke's death was that the position of Supreme Leader went to Kylo, and he was the new ruler of the First Order - much to the disgust of Hux.
Kylo, as Supreme Leader, brought about a change in Kylo in that he was more power-hungry and more deluded by it. He marches into Exegol and tells Palpatine he will kill him like he did Snoke. It is an air of overconfidence that comes with too much power and being in charge of the entire First Order certainly gave Kylo an immense amount of power.
DEEP CONNECTION WITH REY
The relationship and dynamic between Kylo Ren and Rey was perhaps the best thing about the sequel trilogy. Every time the two were on screen together, there was immense chemistry, and it was a joy to watch.
The two developed a close connection in the Force, which later got revealed to be a Dyad in the Force. They were one in the Force and were prophecized long ago. It was a unique dynamic and changed Kylo in a lot of ways, as well as Rey, tearing him further apart inside, and also being a factor in his killing of Snoke.
MORE EMOTIONAL
Kylo, throughout The Force Awakens, gets shown to be unstable, with a penchant for throwing tantrums and going a bit nuts. Out with that, though, he ends up revealing more and more emotion as the trilogy goes on. Perhaps less in The Rise Of Skywalker, but only up until his full-circle moment with Han.
Kylo is brought to tears as he is torn apart inside and kills his father to satisfy the dark within him. In The Last Jedi, he then gets emotional again in the moment where he nearly kills his mother but is unable to do so. The Last Jedi also has him getting emotional with Rey, both on Ach-To, and on the Supremacy. Finally, his increasing emotion comes to a head in The Rise Of Skywalker when he senses his mother die, and has a final moment with Han, even if it was just a memory.
HAN'S MURDER
Speaking of Kylo killing Han, this moment was one of the most heartbreaking of the sequel trilogy and brought about a change in Kylo that was arguably more a reaffirmation than a complete transformation.
Killing Han meant that Kylo was indefinitely siding with the darkness within him at that moment, that he was abandoning Ben Solo for good, and going on this path as Kylo Ren. It changed him by making him more determined, leading to his increase in emotions and drive for power.
MORE UNSTABLE
Slightly different from his increase in emotion, Kylo Ren gets more and more unstable throughout the events of The Force Awakens and The Last Jedi. This volatile nature is a massive part of Kylo and only amplifies his mental and emotional state.
He throws temper tantrums throughout The Force Awakens and gets insanely angry. When he kills Han and duels Rey, he is so torn and out of balance, the same when he murders Snoke and goes off on Rey for not wanting to join him. He goes insane and demands Rey joins him, getting increasingly angry when she does not listen. Other examples include when he destroys his helmet, demands the slaughter of a village, and kills cultists on Mustafar. The epitome of his unstable nature when he orders every gun he has fire on Luke Skywalker on Crait.
SACRIFICE FOR REY
The climax of The Rise Of Skywalker sees Rey and Palpatine do battle, with Rey getting some assistance from no other than Ben Solo. The battle eventually ends in Palpatine's death, but in turn, Rey uses her entire life Force and appears to die.
At that moment, Ben climbs out of the hole Palpatine put him in (literally and figuratively), goes to Rey, and heals her, reviving her. This drains Ben's energy, though, and kills him after the pair kiss. This is Ben's way of changing the Galaxy for good, giving it Rey, it changes Ben in that it kills him, but it also makes him one with the Force alongside his mother, and reunites the Skywalkers once more.
REDEMPTION
But, Rey could not have been saved, and Ben could not have sacrificed himself had Ben Solo not existed, which came by way of his redemption, his turn from Kylo Ren back to Ben Solo.
After sensing his mother's death, being stabbed and healed by Rey, Kylo sat there, clearly shook by the death of his mother. He then communicates with a memory of Han. It mirrors their conversation from The Force Awakens, with the touch of the face and all. This conversation has a very different outcome, though, and results in Kylo throwing away his lightsaber and becoming Ben Solo once more. This redemption is the most clear cut and significant change of Kylo Ren throughout the sequel trilogy.