J.J. Abrams teases there's a secret reason why Kylo Ren's helmet is back in Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker. The villain's mask was omnipresent during the Force Awakens marketing campaign, becoming one of the most recognizable elements associated with the film. It was a key part of Kylo's costume, as the troubled young Force user molded his image after Darth Vader and strived to live up to his grandfather's legacy. Considering how popular the helmet was during Force Awakens, it was a bit of a surprise when it was destroyed early on in The Last Jedi.
As many fans know by now, Kylo's helmet is back in The Rise of Skywalker, reforged with red bonding material. The remade mask has been featured heavily in promotion, though not everyone is thrilled by that development. Some viewers see this as a retcon of The Last Jedi, reverting Kylo back to his old Force Awakens self. But according to Abrams, there are legitimate reasons why he decided to use the helmet again.
In an interview with Collider, Abrams was asked about the mask's return. The director's response was two-pronged, connecting the headgear to Kylo's status as Supreme Leader of the First Order and something a little more mysterious:
“Part of it is about his commitment to the dark side. As you’ll see, he’s becoming Supreme Leader…his focus has been a little bit more on practical matters. He’s assumed that position within the First Order. It represents his re-committing to the dark side, to the Knights of Ren, and then because of a very specific thing that he’s about to go do. As you see in the story, there’s a reason for it. It might not be clear at this moment.”
Much like when Kylo's now-famous cross-guard lightsaber design debuted in the first Force Awakens teaser, it's easy for fans to be reactionary about the helmet's reemergence in The Rise of Skywalker and paint it in a negative light. Right now, fans lack a lot of context regarding Star Wars 9, with so much about the story being kept firmly under wraps until the film's premiere. In all likelihood, the helmet's return isn't arbitrary; Abrams undoubtedly put a good amount of thought into his decisions, since he was tasked with concluding the sequel trilogy and Skywalker saga as a whole. Viewers should hold any judgments they have about the mask until they see the film, and then ideally everything will make more sense. Since Abrams is keeping narrative details guarded, he can't get into specifics right now.
It's also worth keeping in mind Kylo only destroyed the helmet after Supreme Leader Snoke mocked him for wearing it ("Take that ridiculous thing off"). In a way, Kylo smashing it in the elevator could be interpreted as his wanting to appease to his old master and prove himself. But with Snoke now dead and Kylo in charge of the First Order, that's no longer an issue. It's also been revealed Kylo's true identity is a secret to the stormtroopers because of the helmet. If those in the First Order ever learned Kylo is really Ben Solo, it could prove to be his biggest weakness. That alone would be reason for Kylo to make sure the helmet is repaired for The Rise of Skywalker.
Source: Collider
