Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker is now out around the world and fans are all a buzz over the major revelations contained in the final chapter of the Skywalker saga. While the movie goes in some directions we might have predicted, in other ways it takes some really unexpected routes. One of the most talked-about on social media is the film’s handling of the relationship between Rey and Kylo Ren.
Continuing on from The Last Jedi, Rey again attempts to speak to Kylo’s good side as the pair battle on the remains of the Death Star II. When he suffers a momentary lapse upon Leia reaching out to him through the Force, Rey delivers a serious blow with her saber. However, she ultimately elects to save him via Force healing. It’s this act that causes him to resolve to go back to the light and become Ben Solo once more.
Ben later fights alongside Rey against Emperor Palpatine on Exegol. After the heroine defeats the villain, she briefly dies, but Ben returns her earlier favor by using all his energy to bring her back to life. The pair then share a passionate kiss, before Ben passes away in her arms and vanishes, becoming one with the Force.
“Reylo,” as it’s known, has become a popular ship since TLJ, but it’s always been a controversial one due to Kylo’s murderous actions. Now that the coupling has become official in Rise, many fans are rallying against director J.J. Abrams’ decision, and a common criticism is that it sends out a bad message out to impressionable young female fans.
So Kylo killed his own father infront of Rey, tortured her, tried to kill his mother, killed Luke’s students, killed ships full of Reys pals, and they end up making out? They end up transferring life into eachother? Who the fuck was this written for? Star Wars twilight? pic.twitter.com/yDOt4ZxvYc
— Stone_Loki 🈁 (@StoneLoki1) December 18, 2019
https://twitter.com/JediOracle/status/1207139223922520064
https://twitter.com/80SLENNON/status/1207091502884605955
https://twitter.com/caspianbarnes/status/1207084428872179713?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1207084428872179713&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwegotthiscovered.com%2Fwp-admin%2Fpost-new.php
And this is why I find the idea of 'redeeming' Kylo through a romance with Rey so toxic and problematic.
The message of: a good girl just needs to reach out to them and give them love and they'll magically be better is not a message that needs to be promoted in 2019.
— In the Depths of Space (@thedepthofspace) December 5, 2019
On the other hand, you would think that “Reylo” shippers would adore this ending, but that’s not the case, either. Those who hoped Rey and Ben would end up together had their hearts torn out by Rise as it looked like they were going to get their wish only for it to be cruelly snatched away from them.
people keep saying ‘we won, but at what cost?’ guys we won nothing, they literally put that scene there and gave us hope for a sec and then took it away from us. I would rather have Ben Solo being alive than reylo and that scene proved nothing since we knew they loved each other
— out of context eli (@reyishungry) December 19, 2019
https://twitter.com/themariabech/status/1206855688552620032
https://twitter.com/shakeerahrejab/status/1207755415003504650
https://twitter.com/_BlackDiam0nd/status/1207393319975899137
https://twitter.com/CLEVVERGlRL/status/1207255869513179136
This is clearly one of many elements in The Rise of Skywalker that Star Wars fans will be debating for some time, but let us know which side of the divide you fall on in the comments section down below.