7 years after the premiere of Star Wars: The Last JediI still can't believe it Star Wars missed the opportunity to make the most of the film's biggest twists and one of the franchise's biggest plot twists. The Last Jedi is known for straying too far from the path Star Wars: The Force Awakens initially set up everything from Luke Skywalker's refusal to train Rey to Finn's attempt to flee the Resistance - among many other things. Not all of these deviations were necessarily negative, but they certainly caused a huge uproar that has since made The Last Jedi highly controversial.
Of all these twists, however, one still stands out to me, but mostly because of the lost potential. This was a moment I didn't expect to see, even though it was foreshadowed throughout the film, and I was genuinely shocked in the theater when I first saw it happen. Star Warsunfortunately, he didn't let that moment last; this twist in the story The Last Jedi could have taken the sequel trilogy so far, and I can't help but wonder why Star Wars wasted.
Kylo Ren Killing Snoke is one of Star Wars' biggest twists
Nobody expected this
The moment Kylo Ren attacks Snoke and kills him using the Skywalker lightsaber is easily one of the biggest plot twists in the franchise, even though a possible turn to the light side was in the cards for Ren during the film. Viewers might have suspected that Kylo might actually start helping Rey and slowly return to the light, but it wasn't expected to start with him killing his own master. The moment when Ren uses the Force to ignite his lightsaber alongside Snoke was nothing short of shocking, creating incredible potential.
I'll never forget the first time I saw this happen in the theater that night The Last Jedi debuted. There were audible gasps from most of the theater, myself included, and my jaw dropped for the rest of the scene - including the fight against Snoke's guards. My mind was trying to keep up with what my eyes were seeing, but the most important thing I remember thinking was this: Is Kylo Ren really about to return to the light as Ben Solo once again and help his mother and the Resistance? Of course, this was not the case.
This twist would have escalated if Ben Solo had actually changed
The stakes would have been incredibly high
After the incredible fight that follows, we discover that Ben Solo will continue to be Kylo Ren, and that his only purpose is to take Snoke's power for himself - and have Rey rule with him by his side. This would have fit perfectly with the Star Wars The sequel trilogy's initial intention for Kylo Ren was to have him fall deeper into darkness as the films progressed, but Ben's turn to the light in Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker prevented this from happening. Knowing that Ben would end up turning anyway, I wished it had happened here.
Knowing that Ben would end up turning anyway, I wished it had happened here.
While it already works as a successful plot twist, as Kylo Ren killing Snoke was still very unexpected, this twist would have been further elevated by allowing Ren to return to the light like Ben Solo here. It would have broken away from the original trilogy mold if this fundamental redemption occurred in the second film rather than the third.and could have created some truly fascinating and unique stories for the rest of the sequel trilogy. But instead, unfortunately, it became wasted potential.
Ben Solo could have been a secret agent for the Resistance
Working inside
A possible plot Star Wars could have followed if Ben Solo actually returned The Last Jedi is to make him act as a secret agent for the Resistance. He could have continued to supplant Snoke as “Kylo Ren” while also providing intel and more to the Resistance.hiding his intentions like Palpatine once did - but this time, for good. This would have raised the stakes at every level, going into The Rise of Skywalkerand would also have acted as suitable penance for Ren having killed his own father in The Force Awakens.
Although I respect the path Star Wars chose with The Last Jedi and Kylo Ren's story, I often wish they had made more of this exciting plot twist. It clearly made an impact on the public when it happened, but that excitement seemed almost in vain when Kylo Ren simply took Snoke's place. Now this is something that will always be nagging at my mind whenever I see The Last Jediand I will always wonder what could have been.