Star Wars loves a good redemption story. Despite being the most iconic villain in cinema history, Darth Vader turns over a new leaf at the end of Star Wars: Return of the Jedi, helping his son, Luke Skywalker, restore balance to the Force by killing the Emperor. The only character that gives Anakin Skywalker a run for his money is his grandson, Ben Solo. At the start of the sequel trilogy, Kylo Ren wants nothing more than to wipe out the Resistance and ensure that the galaxy never thinks about the Jedi ever again. He nearly gets his wish, but a change of heart puts him on the right path, one that ends with the galaxy safe once again.
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The only downside of Ben’s turnaround is that it ends with his death. He gives his life force to Rey, who is the real hero of the story and deserves to live on and rebuild the Jedi Order. However, there was an opening that Disney could’ve driven through that would’ve allowed for more of Ben. The powers that be decided to take another route, meaning not only is his story over, but another major threat has no chance of being redeemed.
Disney Decided Not to Bring Ben Solo Back to Life
In the post-Rise of Skywalker era, Disney isn’t leaving any stone unturned. The Disney+ streaming service is full of shows set in a galaxy far, far away, including ones with minimal connections to the Skywalker Saga, such as Star Wars: Skeleton Crew and Star Wars: The Acolyte. But that doesn’t mean the big-screen characters are being ignored. A Rey movie is in development that will pick up right where Rise of Skywalker left off, showing how the Jedi handles training the next generation. Rey isn’t the only character on people’s minds, though, as Steven Soderbergh and Adam Driver put together a pitch for a Ben Solo movie.
While Driver didn’t reveal how his character would return from the dead, there are countless potential explanations. After all, the dark side is a pathway to many abilities some consider to be unnatural. Unfortunately, none of those will be on display because Disney passed on the idea, not believing it would make sense to bring Ben back into the fold. It’s a real shame that Driver won’t get to get back in the saddle because he’s great in the role, despite the sequel movies jerking him in so many different directions. But what’s even worse than not seeing Driver wield a lightsaber again is that there’s now zero chance that a villain his character has a major connection to will get another shot.
Snoke Will Go Down as Star Wars’ Most Confusing Villain
The great thing about Star Wars’ is that it rarely gives up on a character. Ahsoka Tano’s debut in Star Wars: The Clone Wars is rough, as it portrays her as another annoying young character with no redeeming qualities. Well, she doesn’t stay that way, growing into not only a wise mentor but one of the most formidable warriors in the galaxy. Sometimes, patience is the key to making it in Star Wars. Supreme Leader Snoke may have thought that after losing his life during a shocking sequence in Star Wars: The Last Jedi. Of course, his story would come back around; he’s the Big Bad of the trilogy. However, The Rise of Skywalker sort of dances on his grave, making him out to be nothing more than a Palpatine puppet.
Had Ben returned, Star Wars could’ve retconned the retcon by telling a different tale. The comic books explore the relationship between Ben and Snoke, but that never means as much as a story set in live-action. All the pieces would’ve been there to provide more context on Snoke’s influence in the galaxy and the irreparable damage he inflicts on the New Republic. Maybe Ben spends his time making those wrongs right, or has unfinished business with Snoke sympathists who have some dirt on their former idol. No matter the case, a movie about the dark side of the sequel trilogy could’ve gone a long way toward redeeming Snoke and the movies he appears in.
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