Ahead of the 3D collector’s edition blu-ray release for Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens, Lucasfilm has released a clip from the film’s commentary track via USA Today that features director JJ Abrams providing his thoughts on the film’s pivotal scene which cemented Ben Solo’s journey to the dark side.
People have asked me if I think that Kylo Ren was just playing with him the whole time if he meant to kill him from the beginning, and the truth is I think that Kylo Ren in this moment is actually being convinced to walk away from this. Snoke is, as Han says, using him and I think that somewhere Ben knows this.
You can listen to the full clip here.
Ben absolutely knows that Snoke is using him for his power. Snoke is terrified of Luke Skywalker and knows the only chance he stands at defeating the Jedi Master is by using someone else in his bloodline against him. Only a Skywalker can defeat a Skywalker. Ben was on the edge the whole time as he felt drawn back towards the light throughout the film. But as it has been mentioned in the new canon novels, Snoke saw Vader’s final choice to turn back to the light and save his only son as the mistake that doomed the Empire.
Ben was on the edge the whole time as he felt drawn back towards the light throughout the film. But as it has been mentioned in the new canon novels, Snoke saw Vader’s final choice to turn back to the light and save his only son as the mistake that doomed the Empire. Ultimately, I don’t think Ben wanted to make the same mistake.
We know that Ben didn’t learn the truth about his grandfather until he was at least in his early twenties which is still a very impressionable age. Given that Ben resents his parents for their absence in his younger years and for being sent off to train to become a Jedi with his Uncle, it would make sense for Ben to latch onto a figure of such power in his family.
What we still don’t know is how exactly Snoke seduced Ben to the dark side. But one thing is for sure whether he was on the edge or not, his choice to kill his father and extinguish the light within him solidified his commitment to the dark side.
The 3D collectors edition of The Force Awakens hits shelves November 15.
SOURCE: USA TODAY
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