Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker releases later this year and much intrigue surrounds Kylo Ren in the final installment of the sequel trilogy. The last time we saw Ben Solo, he’d just murdered Supreme Leader Snoke, been humiliated by Luke Skywalker on Crait, and vowed to bring an end to the Jedi, the Sith, and the Resistance in his new role as First Order leader.
With JJ Abrams back at the helm, it looks set to be another massive movie for Adam Driver’s character. Will he stay true to the darkness or will he emulated his grandfather, Darth Vader, by switching sides? We now look at 10 things we think could happen when the film hits screens this December.
Deny Murdering Snoke
Just about everybody was left reeling during The Last Jedi when Kylo Ren chose to murder Supreme Leader Snoke, catching his master off-guard in the throne room. After his decision, both he and Rey came under threat from the Elite Praetorian Guard, only managing to survive the encounter thanks to the help of each other. When Kylo is knocked unconscious, however, he relays a story that he was not the one responsible for Snoke’s death.
We expect it to stay that way, even with a character as spiteful as General Hux as an ally. It wouldn’t do Kylo’s image, or his potential role as leader of the First Order, any good if the truth were to emerge.
Kill General Hux
If there’s just one individual who would like to see Kylo dethroned as First Order talisman, then it would surely have to be General Hux. Hux had the respect of Snoke during the latter’s time as Supreme Leader and was left reeling when he stumbled across the old man’s body in his throne room. So angry was he at Snoke’s death he even contemplated killing Kylo when he was unconscious.
Ben Solo and Hux have been at odds ever since The Force Awakens and, with Snoke no longer around to keep the peace, it doesn’t seem feasible that Kylo won’t switch and murder his rival. He’s an unstable character, after all, and would no doubt relish the chance to show his control by putting to bed one of his biggest annoyances.
Speak With Darth Vader’s Mask
In The Last Jedi, Kylo Ren appeared put-off by the idea of conversing with Darth Vader’s mask and trying to emulate his grandfather, despite being keen to ‘finish what he started’ during the previous movie. This appeared to be due to his desire to earn the backing of Supreme Leader Snoke, who had branded him as a ‘child in a mask.’
But with his old master no longer around, Ben Solo is now likely to go back down the same path as Vader. And he is likely to seek more solace from his grandfather’s old helmet, which he appears to prize and value. Some rumors have even suggested the charred remains are able to communicate back.
Become More Unstable
Let’s face it: Kylo Ren isn’t exactly the calmest of bad guys, is he? He certainly doesn’t have the same composure as his grandfather. So far, he’s been the very definition of unbalanced by losing his temper at any given time and taking his anger out on those who are unfortunate enough to be near him.
And now he’s in charge of the First Order, we can’t see him being any less unbalanced—not with all the stress such a role would entail. We expect his anger to be at an all-time high at the start of the blockbuster. With issues such as Rey, the rest of the Resistance, and keeping his own men in line, tensions will likely be running high.
Speak With Leia
So far, Kylo Ren and Leia are yet to speak to one another. In The Force Awakens, it was established than Ben Solo was far closer to his mother than his father. And we saw this for ourselves in The Last Jedi where he failed to kill his mother when charged with the task.
It was rumored that there was a deleted scene from The Force Awakens that had Kylo conversing with his mother and, with old footage from that movie being used to give Carrie Fisher’s Leia Organa a final send-off, a scene involving the duo actually having a conversation is likely.
Fight Rey
This seems practically a given, but Kylo Ren and Rey are likely to face off again at some point. They had an enthralling lightsaber battle on Starkiller Base in The Force Awakens and briefly teamed up together in The Last Jedi. Their relationship is the focal point for the sequel trilogy and, given their animosity (or is it something else?), there’s a good likelihood of a major confrontation.
Images from Vanity Fair appeared to show them locking horns again—but this is where we get into ambitious prediction territory. Because while they may start off as adversaries, that may not stay the case throughout the entire movie...
...But Then Team Up With Rey
Rey certainly has a big impact on Kylo Ren, something we’ve seen for ourselves throughout the first two outings of the sequel trilogy. He was intrigued by her in The Force Awakens and he was left infuriated when she spurned his offer to join him in The Last Jedi. But he has a soft spot for her—hence why he chose to murder Supreme Leader Snoke instead of the Jakku scavenger.
We believe there’s a good chance Adam Driver’s character will team up with Rey. Why do we think that is? Because there’s a big bad enemy out there in need of taking down, one whose powers dwarf their own and who simply cannot afford to rise again...
Go After Palpatine
We still don’t know exactly how Sheev Palpatine will make his return in The Rise of Skywalker. But he’s likely to play a key role in the final movie of the sequel trilogy, posing the biggest threat in the galaxy and potentially returning to life to fill the power void left behind by Supreme Leader Snoke.
We expect Palpatine to be the very reason Kylo Ren will unite with Rey, rather than work against her. Ben Solo did say, ‘It’s time to let all things die. The Jedi, the Sith, all of it.’ And given how he’s currently ruling the roost of the First Order, it seems highly unlikely he’d want Palpatine, the man responsible for the mistakes of his grandfather, back in the picture.
Fight The Knights Of Ren
So far, we’re yet to see The Knights of Ren, barring a brief visionary sequence in The Force Awakens. Like Kylo, there’s plenty of intrigue about their characters and we expect their absence to be well-explained in The Rise of Skywalker. While Ben Solo has been established as their leader, however, it’s highly unlikely they’ll all be fighting for the same side.
Rumors have claimed it will be the Knights hoping to bring Palpatine back from the dead and, as mentioned above, Kylo would likely not want this to happen. Furthermore, footage from the teaser trailer appears to show the First Order leader bodyslamming one of the members to the floor, leading to talk they’re set to choose separate sides.
Shed His Mask Again
The trailer for the Rise of Skywalker appeared to show Kylo Ren mending the same helmet he previously obliterated in a fit of rage. But we have a feeling that young Ben Solo will shed it when, and if, he turns against the Knights of Ren and chooses to fight Palpatine.
There are a couple of clues in both the trailer and promotional art that this will happen. For starters, Kylo isn’t wearing his mask in the footage where he appears to tackle one of his Knights. And, in the images both from Vanity Fair and Star Wars Celebration, he isn’t donning it. That leads us to think that Kylo will end up getting rid of it or, knowing him, smashing it to pieces...