Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker has been heavily dissected from just about every angle since it released, especially when it comes to Kylo Ren. Adam Driver’s Kylo has been one of the new trilogy’s biggest bright spots, and in Rise of Skywalker, the character got his trademark helmet back, one that he had previously shattered. He picks up the pieces and fuses it back together, and some fans were curious as to why theorizing that it was another way for the film to distance itself from Star Wars: The Last Jedi. Writer Chris Terrio recently spoke to The Wrap about the reasoning behind Kylo repairing his helmet, and he rejected the idea of it having anything to do with a negative view on The Last Jedi.
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Terrio says that the decision to give Kylo back his helmet wasn’t “backtracking” to “The Force Awakens“, but is instead all about continuing a metaphor when it comes to Kylo. The red cracks int eh helmet were meant to signify that Kylo is a broken person who wears a broken mask, and that seems to jive with where the character ends up later in the film.
Terrio also addressed Kylo’s whole “Kill the past” comment and broke down that that isn’t the film speaking, but Kylo directly, and again has nothing to do with opinions or distancing from The Last Jedi.
“Kylo says ‘Kill the past,’ but remember, it’s the bad guy that’s articulating that,” Terrio said. “‘Kill the past’ is not the voice of the film. That is what any number of dictators would say. I feel that although Kylo Ren is always saying “Kill the past,” that is his blind spot. He doesn’t want to face the past. he doesn’t want to face what he’s done. He doesn’t want to betray the legacy that he’s come from in joining the Dark Side,” he said. “I even think Rian would probably take issue with the idea that ‘Kill the past’ is the voice of the director. I think you don’t write characters that way, or write characters in a meta-conversation with another film.”
Terrio also explained that fan reaction to The Last Jedi did not shape their take on The Rise of Skywalker.
“Just as anyone would have an argument as they’re leaving in the car about what should’ve happened, what they liked, what they didn’t like, of course, the creators of the next film have those same arguments about what they thought were the strongest things, what they thought was promise unfulfilled, what they thought was a good dangling plot thread that could be picked up,” Terrio said. “Of course we hear the reaction of fans, but the objective of this movie wasn’t to amalgamate all the fan opinions and then take a vote on what should happen. It was to go in a direction that J.J. thought could come to a really surprising and satisfying ending.”
Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker is in theaters now.
