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| The Force Awakens (as does the franchise) Image credit: Lucasfilms |
Back in September, I wrote the first part of Kylo Ren's SWDD, and talked about how Ren considered his work and efforts to be unfinished. Both he and the First Order viewed themselves as finalizers of the Empire's work (though this is only mentioned briefly in the film, it is expanded upon in the comic book and novelization tie-ins). Having watched the film, there is another biblical lesson that can be gleaned from his expanding arc. Expect full spoilers to be divulged in the post below.
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| Kylo Ren flanked by Captain Phasma (left) and General Hux (right) Image credit: Lucasfilms |
It was a shock to see that Kylo "Ben Solo" Ren was the son of Han Solo and Princess Leia. Equally surprising was the fact that he destroyed Luke's attempts to rebuild the Jedi Order. Ren seemed like a character that was distant from the protagonists and the fact that such a personal relation could cause so much damage was horrendous (though I guess not necessarily all that surprising in retrospect of the previous Star Wars films). After Han Solo meets Leia after a hiatus of no contact, Leia urges Han to save their son and activate any light that is still left within. Though Han is reluctant, right before the film's climax, Han attempts to reason with Ren, telling Ren that he (Ren) has a choice to neglect the corrupted teachings of Supreme Leader Snoke and to join the light again.
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| Kylo Ren showcasing the breadth and scope of his powers Image credit: Lucasfilms |
Ren initially dismisses Han's remarks, repeatedly berating "your son is dead!" However, at Han's request, Ren removes his helmet and breaks down to his father. Ren exclaims that he "knows what he (Ren) has to do" (i.e. give up ways of the dark side to rejoin the light) yet he doubts that he has the strength to do so. For Ren, it seems almost easier to hold on to what has corrupted him; the dark side. It is harder for him to (ironically) turn back to the light side and abandon evil. Having been entrenched in the dark side for so long, Ren no longer feels "empowered by it" (as Snoke initially told him), rather, he feels enslaved to it, and drained by it. Han touchingly offers Ren to abandon Snoke once and for all, and to return home. And Ren agrees. He drops his helmet, pulls out his cross-guarded lightsaber, and hands it to Han as a token of surrender. Han grips the saber, but Ren still grips the weapon fiercely. It was one of the most tense moments in the movie. The whole time, Ren is having an inner battle with himself. It seems like such a simple task to simply give the weapon to Han, yet Ren is still so attached to it. Yet it seems like there is hope for Ren. And at the last second, as the lighting for the scene gets darker, Ren activates his lightsaber and impales his father through the chest, rasping a cold "thank you" before letting his (Han's) father's carcass fall.
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| The new face of evil Image credit: Lucasfilms |
This scene reminds me of two stories. The first is in The Lord of the Rings The Fellowship of the Ring, where Gandalf sternly tells Bilbo to drop the Ring. Bilbo manages to do so, but not without struggle. That much, the Ring was so enticing and had such power over Bilbo. The second story is that of Judas Iscariot. Having betrayed Jesus to the Pharisees, rather than repent Judas decided to hang himself and commit suicide. In the same way, Kylo Ren had an opportunity to walk away from evil (and in Judas' case, sin) for good. Instead, he succumbed to the dark side's enticing power, and sealed his fate by killing his father. Ren was so close! Yet that much, the dark side had a grip on Ren's life. And as a result of Ren's mistake, he ended up killing his father and wounding Finn. Ironically, in the film's novelization, it explains how Ren initially thought that killing Han Solo would empower him, yet instead, he only felt "weakened."
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| The fallen son Image credit: Lucasfilms |
In the same way, I felt like Ren. The allure of sin seems so enticing. I do not believe that I have the strength to "do what I need to do" which is turn to Jesus. Instead, I wish to keep on fighting the darkness on my own. Though at some points in my life it seems as though I may be victorious, I eventually get overcome by sin. And even after indulging in a sinful act, I only feel weakened. I repeated this cycle of "Sin, Repent, Sin, Repent" for many years, until this year actually. God moved my heart to realize my crucial mistake: that by my own strength, I am powerless against the forces of this world. Instead, I need to acknowledge that I am weak and that it is only God who is strong enough to save me. For so long, I was trying to save myself and it never worked. Thus Romans 10:13 rings so true for me: "Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved" (NIV). It is not by my name that I can save myself. It is only on the name of Jesus that I can be saved (and how fitting that is given that Christmas was yesterday).
Though there are two more movies to go with Ren's character (I am assuming), I expect that Kylo Ren will continue to grow and develop. I hope to write more SWDDs based off of his character. I hope you enjoyed this one. Be on the lookout for some new ones in the future!
A Post-script: I got Star Wars The Black Series 6 Inch Captain Phasma for Christmas (thank you Appa!), in addition to the Star Wars The Black Series 6 Inch Shock Trooper which is a Walmart exclusive. I wanted to write a SWDD on Phasma, but *SPOILER ALERT* her character was so underutilized in the film. I hope this changes for Episode VIII. Now, all I want are Star Wars The Black Series 6 Inch Jango Fett and Star Wars The Black Series 6 Inch First Order Flametrooper. (Sigh) the struggles of being a
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| The Black Series Captain Phasma |
