Few characters in the antihero struggling to make amends for his many, many wrongs.
Though the arc would have been possible with any actor in the role, none of it would have felt as convincingly acted, or as realistically scripted, without Driver inhabiting the role.
Updated on March 29th, 2020, by Matthew Wilkinson: With Kylo Ren's story now finished, fans have been able to look back and appreciate him for the fantastic character he was. Whether you think of him as Kylo or as Ben Solo, he is an incredibly layered character with a lot of insecurities and mental battles which leads to him creating some great lines throughout the films.
Kylo is full of angst and inner conflict and a lot of that shines through and leads to some of the best lines in Star Wars history. Here, we're taking a look back at the most significant quotes to come from the man once known as Kylo Ren, and now redeemed Ben Solo.
"I feel it again. The pull to the light."
It would have been easy for the sequel trilogy to introduce a one-dimensional villain in the way that Darth Vader was initially presented as menacing and wholly unsympathetic. But early on, The Force Awakens established that there was much more going on with the character of Kylo Ren than what his imposing, masked exterior presented.
In a quiet moment shared between Kylo and his grandfather's mask, the scion of the Skywalker and Solo bloodlines confessed that he was feeling himself pulled toward the light - and not for the first time. It effectively foreshadows the conflict that will remain within his character over the course of the entire trilogy.
"Show me, Grandfather. And I will finish what you started."
Kylo uttered another defining albeit enigmatic line during his one-sided conversation with his grandfather Darth Vader's mask. Toward the end of the quasi-soliloquy, Kylo implores his father to remind him of the true meaning of the darkness, so he can finish what his grandfather once started.
What exactly that thing is that needs to be finished remains unclear, even now. It could be that Kylo desired to bring about a complete reign of evil, in the way that the Empire once set out to do. But on a deeper reading, there may have been some unintended implications here, such as finishing his grandfather Anakin's more human, redemptive storylines, too.
"Don't be afraid. I feel it, too."
The relationship between Kylo Ren and the scavenger turned Jedi, Rey, has been at the heart of the sequel trilogy ever since The Force Awakens first put them in the same room together. During their charged interrogation, viewers learn not only that Rey has what it takes to counter the powerful Kylo measure for measure, but also that there is something particularly unique in the bond they share with one another.
Though it would take until The Rise of Skywalker for this bond to be fully explored and explained, the mysterious remark that Kylo "feel[s] it too" suggests something unspoken, mutual, and raw between the two of them. How little they, and we, knew then.
"You know I can take anything I want"
Speaking of the brilliant first scene from The Force Awakens with Kylo Ren and Rey put together, another great line that Kylo comes out with is "You know I can take anything I want." It showcases Kylo's confidence and ability to use the Force to his benefit.
Obviously, this doesn't quite work out as he hopes due to the fact Rey has her own Jedi powers, but it gives a great glimpse at where Kylo's mindset is at that stage in the movie.
"I've given everything to you...To the dark side."
Early on it seems like Kylo Ren's relationship with Snoke is going to be a crucial part of the movie. While that doesn't quite end up happening, it is through this relationship that Kylo pledges everything he has to the Dark Side, believing that is what he needs to do.
This quote proves just how much he has thrown into this world to try and prove himself. The fact he has literally given everything to Snoke and the Dark Side shows why he became such a desperate man at points in the series.
"I'm being torn apart. I want to be free of this pain."
Emotional conflict has defined Kylo Ren's character arc from the very beginning of his journey, but it's not until the man formerly known as Ben Solo has a heart-to-heart with his estranged father Han Solo that this becomes entirely obvious. When his father pleas for him to come home again, Kylo shuts down, feeling that it is too late for him to make things right.
Further, he feels himself "being torn apart," a pain that he is desperately attempting to rid himself of no matter the cost. Of course, his first attempt to rid himself of that struggle is by killing his own father - an act that fails to push him further into the darkness, and only further "split[s his] spirit to the bone," as Supreme Leader Snoke later remarks.
"Blast that piece of junk out of the sky"
The Millennium Falcon is the most famous spaceship in all of the Star Wars franchise, but it is one that all of Han Solo's enemies absolutely hate. Everyone who goes up against it simply gets irritated by the ship and that was clear when Kylo Ren belted out this classic quote.
With things not going his way, Kylo let rip to his men to destroy it, labelling the ship as junk. Of course, this only helped to serve the purpose of making Star Wars fans dislike him, as the Falcon is such a beloved ship. On top of that, it is just quite funny to see him go crazy at this point.
"Let the past die. Kill it if you have to. It's the only way to become what you were meant to be."
If The Force Awakens was a love letter to the ways and characters of the past, The Last Jedi was a movie about challenging preconceived notions and myths about what has come before. Kylo Ren's arc in the film perfectly encapsulates that, as does this particular quote, which serves as his modus operandi in the film.
Through his Force bond with Rey, Kylo repeatedly makes imioned pleas for her to give up on caring about the past, whether her identity or the nature of the Jedi and its associated orders. The time is now to forge new identities, new world orders, and a new world. Based on this movie alone, he certainly seems in the right.
"You're not alone."
The relationship between Rey and Kylo is at the forefront of The Last Jedi, as the film delves more deeply into the balance of light and dark in a more intimate, in-depth way than any other Star Wars film ever has. With the introduction of the concept of a Force bond, The Last Jedi allows these two characters from completely different worlds to find common ground, and a connection deeper than anyone else is able to understand.
In one of the film's most pivotal moments, Rey and Kylo learn that they are able to not only communicate but also reach out to one another through the Force. For the first time, these two characters are able to not feel alone in the world. Their conversation, and their intimacy, clearly reflects that.
"You can't hide, Rey. Not from me."
Even though the Force bond was seemingly severed, or at least briefly turned off, at the end of The Last Jedi, The Rise of Skywalker doesn't hesitate to continue with the narrative of the bond between Rey and Kylo.
Both literally, and metaphorically, Kylo is the one person that Rey is unable to hide from, even as she struggles with hiding from the closest to her, and from herself. The Force bond makes both of them vulnerable, and makes both of them the only two players aware of the truth that hangs in the air throughout the film.
