#kylorenspoilers
THREAD
The most important death in this comic series was not Ren’s. It was Voes.

Rens death tipped Ben to the dark side Voe was the 1st innocent life he took

Voes death was the 1st time Ben did something intentionally wrong, in order to trap himself on the DS

Ren called Ben out. He knew he was resisting the dark side.

Everything up to this moment - the temple, luke, hennix - wasn’t his fault.

Ren’s death was the first time Ben intentionally took a life - driven by vengeance, hatred, anger. The dark side.

it wasn’t enough to keep him there & Voe knew it.

It was the 1st time she believed in him the entire series.

So to trap himself on the DS, bury himself in guilt - Ben killed her. It was wrong. She was unnarmed. It wasnt in self defense.

Ben buried himself with that action

& I’ve seen some comments: Voe antagonized him the whole time& called him a murderer.
Doesn’t justify her death. She wasnt morally right either but she’s a foil to Ren. Shes the life Ben should have spared but didnt

Also her words? Ben was using them to convince himself to do it

But why now? Why feel like he had no choice but the dark side now?

Tai.

Ren killed Tai bc Ben wouldnt.

If Voe lived knowing there was light in Ben the ppl he loved would get hurt. To Ben he didn’t deserve the light, and the hope of going home was dangerous to others.

Also - he knows about Vader. If palp was twisting Vaders story to manipulate Ben best stories would be 1. Killing kids 2. Choking padme
Those dark acts cemented Anakin to the dark side. Palps probably convinced Ben it would do the same.

But it doesnt work for Ben. Ever.

what happens after he kills voe? Ben bleeds his crystal but *struggles with the light*. Thats why it cracks.
He tried to do something dark so he had no other path to take, no hope he could redeem himself - but the light still called to him.

This is also what we see in TFA - its why Kylo’s dark acts are so important to his arc beyond just “every villain starts bad”Kylo is doing these things to self sabotage.

He doesnt deserve the light or love or home. No one wants him. And if anyone tries to come for him? They die

First we see it w/ San Lor Tekka & the Villagers.
San KNOWS who ben really is. He spent time with him as a kid. Ben was charged with *protecting* him.
San calls him out - not to hurt him but he’s probably the first person from his past that truly knew Ben since he went to snoke

“You cant deny the truth that is your family.” But Ben as Kylo has to. He’s been trapped into a cage and tricked into strengthening it himself. “Ill show you the dark side.”

So he kills San & the villagers too. Bc thats what the dark side would do. And if he does he cant go back

Next scene we see Kylo:
“Forgive me. I feel it again. The pull to the light.”

Thats the important set up.

Kylo starts as a villain. But his bad deeds arent just a start to his arc, they’re actively done to make his guilt/dark side stronger.

& they fail every time.

These are the only innocent ppl we ever see Ben kill: Voe, Tekka & Villagers. Hosian was Hux & Ben tried to stop it. Rest are military targets

Except for Han.

Han’s death was supposed to snuff out the light in Kylo once and for all. And it was the catalyst for his return

The parallel between the Han and Tai scenes are important

Tai came after Ben. To bring him home. He believed in him. And Ren killed him right in front of Ben.

Han was doing the same thing as Tai.
Ben had already gone thru this once - in his mind there was only one way it ended

And if Ben could kill his father — it would the ultimate sin. Something he thought he could never come back from. It was another way Ben - after 7 yrs of torture under Snoke - could self sabotage. No one would come after him then. He could never hope for the light again.

But of course - he does. He offers to teach Rey out of compassion. He knows what having more power than you can imagine can do to a person and from that moment he’s trying to help her avoid/process the pain & suffering he did.

Ben felt his mother forgive him & long for him in TLJ - he would have saved her. But his failure to save her apparent death was another add to his guilt.

Rey forgave him for Han & came to bring him back from Snoke. His attack on the rebels & Reys rejection gave him more guilt

It wasnt until Rey showed him that she rejected Kylo - not Ben that he saw there was still an open path. He was able to realize the dark side wasnt his nature and walk away from his cage and stop burying himself in guilt.

Killing Voe, Tekka, the Villagers & Han was wrong. They were evil acts.

But thats the point.

Ben did bad things & every time felt remorse & guilt & struggled with the light. And that’s what makes his redemption inevitable. From the very beginning it was a journey to the light

Adding this parallel cause I didnt even notice it but its so good!! And just further cements this.

Rey had already been tortured at this point. He knew Snoke woukd have no hesitation- there was no convincing him to make her an apprentice. She came back for him https://twitter.com/benishope/status/1237775714302255105

Well this is making the rounds again. Its not my most articulate thread but thanks for reading gang

While you’re here check out some of the research Ive done w my girls @twothatareone & @BenSoloalive on the World Between World theory w/evidence from across canon: including from Rebels & clone wars, aftermath trilogy, thrawn, & Vader Immortal https://bensololiveswbw.carrd.co/