After the release of the most recent full length
Star Wars: The Last Jedi trailer, many fans were quick to state that the teaser was misdirecting the audience, leading us to think one thing but setting us up for a surprise. With less than a month before the film’s release, speculation continues to grow and new theories are constantly emerging.
One of the largest questions surrounding the film concerns the relationship between Rey and Kylo Ren. How powerful are these characters? Is the scene at the end of the trailer really Kylo reaching out to Rey, or are these two distinct scenes mashed together?
In a recent interview with EW, Daisy Ridley, Adam Driver and director Rian Johnson sat down to discuss the characters. We got a glimpse at their motives, and how the characters might fit into the larger Star Wars story.
Adam Driver expanded upon Kylo Ren’s understanding of his power:
“He has been aware of this ability in himself from such a young age, and I don’t think there’s a lot of people around him who are on the same level.”
He also talked about why Kylo might be motivated to pursue the dark side, or at least a path separate to what Luke was teaching him:
“Looking around and not seeing yourself and not identifying with what’s around you, I think, affects how we behave.”
Daisy Ridley spoke about her motivations and her morals in the film:
“I mean, she’s been left her whole life, and very quickly is eager to sort of help other people, which is wonderful. She wants to be part of something. I mean, everyone wants to be part of something. She doesn’t really know what she wants. She really is trying to do the right thing and morally, her compass is really pointing north”
Both Kylo Ren and Rey seemed to experience emotional isolation at a young age, although the manner in which they have reacted to this differs. Rey is seemingly seeking out a greater purpose, whereas Kylo has used it as fuel to separate himself. Rian Johnson might have provided a hint about the pair's complex relationship:
“This is very much about Rey trying to figure out how she fits into all this, much like any of us as we’re growing up, as we’re transitioning from childhood into adulthood,” and “You’re going meet people who you think are going help who don’t. And help is also going come from unexpected places.”
Is this “help” the director is referring to Kylo Ren? Perhaps the two characters will gain a better understanding of themselves by working together. After the events of
The Force Awakens, it appeared that Kylo was irredeemable, but at this point anything is possible.