7 Reasons Why Kylo Ren Is The Best Thing In Star Wars: The Force Awakens

It seemed impossible, but they did it. By god, they actually did it. Despite all of the immeasurable hype and ridiculously high expectations of diehard fans, Star Wars: The Force Awakens somehow turned out to be a damn good movie, one of the year's best in fact, and more than deserves its place in the most popular film franchise of all-time. The reviews are already pouring in, and aside from a few minor quibbles, the general consensus is one of unadulterated joy. J.J. Abrams and his team successfully imbued The Force Awakens with genuine heartfelt nostalgia, while still somehow injecting new life into a franchise dishonoured by the prequels that we shall not name... Upon leaving the cinema after the first viewing (of many), different people will of course favour certain elements of the film over others. Younger audiences will fall in love with BB-8, the cutest droid this side of the galaxy, while older fans will feel their heart skip a beat when Han Solo and Chewbacca reunite together on screen for the first time in decades. Both the returning cast and new additions to the franchise have impressed us for a number of reasons, but for me, there's one character in particular who stood out among all the rest, and that was Kylo Ren. Join us, then, as we count down 7 reasons why the movie's Big Bad is the best thing about Star Wars: The Force Awakens. Of course, spoilers will follow. 7) That Guy From Girls Before The Force Awakens shattered all box office records in existence, Adam Driver was best known for playing Adam Sackler on the HBO show Girls, but now that he's forever embedded in Star Wars mythology as Kylo Ren, that's all set to change. When it comes to acting, facial expressions are usually considered key, but Driver had the unenviable task of portraying his character from behind a mask for the majority of The Force Awakens. Despite this setback, Driver successfully imbues Ren with a cruel menace that underpins how formidable this villain truly is. From each physical gesture to the intonation of his voice, Kylo Ren turns out to be one of the most fully rounded characters in the movie, long before his face is finally revealed. Towards the film's climax, the usually droll villain lets his emotions slip occasionally during the final confrontations, revealing what's left of Kylo's broken humanity. The role of Kylo Ren could have easily descended into caricature, but Driver's performance is a masterclass of control, exuding an air of cruelty without ever taking things too far. 6) That Lightsaber Though... When Darth Maul first appeared in The Phantom Menace, his double-bladed lightsaber immediately became one of the film's main talking points, so the pressure was on for the design team of The Force Awakens. Knowing that this would be the case, Abrams and his team decided to debut Kylo Ren's new lightsaber early on in the first trailer. Prior to the film's release, many were quick to dismiss the crossguard blades as a mere gimmick, but now that we've seen Ren's weapon in battle, most of these concerns have now been dismissed. On a design level, it's been revealed that the crossguard blades were created to vent raw power from the primary central blade, but in practical terms, the extra blades are surprisingly effective in battle. In the final confrontation between Kylo, Rey and Finn, the extra blades add tension to an already thrilling fight scene and perhaps most importantly of all, they just look cool AF. 5) Ren Angry, Ren Smash Mastering the Force is all about control, which is why the original trilogy needed a loose cannon like Han Solo thrown into the mix. Otherwise, all we would have been left with is a bunch of disciplined Jedi warriors having perfectly choreographed fights with their perfect Jedi abilities. What sets Kylo Ren apart from the Darth Vaders of this world are the moments when he loses control of his emotions, angrily lashing out at everything around him. Temper tantrums are bad enough from two year olds, but when you're dealing with an enraged Jedi master wielding a kickass lightsaber, those mood swings are in a whole league of their own. One of the funniest moments in The Force Awakens occurs right after Kylo discovers that Rey has escaped her restraints. Just as Kylo begins to slash the living hell out of the entire room, we cut outside to a couple of Stormtroopers innocently walking by. Upon hearing all of the commotion, the two pause and then slowly back away, keen to avoid one of their leader's petulant outbursts. 4) The Force Really Is Strong With This One The Force is loosely defined in the films, allowing those who play in the Star Wars sandbox to share their own interpretation regarding what powers are available to the Jedi forces. In the expanded universe, a variety of astonishing abilities manifest themselves on the dark side of The Force, but in the films so far, all we've seen is choking and lightning. The Force Awakens finally takes the opportunity to play around more with what The Force can actually do, expanding Kylo Ren's abilities far beyond anything we've seen before. Interrogation scenes where Kylo literally rips secrets out from his victims minds are incredibly chilling and the moment when he holds a laser blast suspended in mid-air is just effortlessly cool, instantly establishing Kylo as a force to be reckoned with (pun intended... in retrospect). All of these incredible demonstrations of Kylo's power undermine how weaker combatants like Finn and Rey were able to hold their own later in the final battle, but I'll leave that one for the hardcore fans to thrash out on the message boards.... 3) Step Into The Light The balance between the light side and dark side is pivotal in Star Wars mythology, dictating the morality of key players like Luke Skywalker and Emperor Palpatine. Much has been made of the temptations that the dark side holds, but Kylo Ren is the first evil character to openly admit that he's been tempted to turn to the light side. Darth Vader obviously redeemed himself in the original trilogy, but that was a conscious decision he made due to the circumstances that surrounded him. Ren's internal struggle with the temptation of the light side is an ongoing battle, one that is likely to fascinate more and more as the writers develop this further in the upcoming sequels. For now though, Kylo has begun to shift further into the dark side after he murdered someone extremely close to him. 2) Daddy Issues We thought Luke Skywalker had severe daddy issues, but he has nothing on Kylo Ren, who murdered his own father. In cold blood. Did we mention his father is Han Solo, one of the most popular and iconic heroes of all-time? It's likely that many fans would have wanted penance for Solo's death, but by the end of The Force Awakens, Kylo is still alive and relatively unharmed. While this may not seem particularly just, it's vitally important that Kylo doesn't die yet, as we need a villain to hate for the long run. Darth Maul was bumped off far too quickly in the prequels, which may have improved if he could have stuck around for longer. Now that Kylo will appear in at least one more film, his powers should develop even further as he completes his training with Snoke, the giant CGI reject from I Am Legend. Whether you love him or hate him, Kylo's character development and the Resistance's inevitable quest for vengeance will be key to the overall arc of the new trilogy, something that wouldn't have been possible without the death of Han. 1) Kylo Ren Is Ultimately Human No, we're not being xenophobic against the various alien races that inhabit the Star Wars universe. What we're saying is that the most horrifying villains of all are the ones that seem the most human. Supreme Leader Snoke isn't as intimidating as he should be, because he lacks that crucial humanity. On the other hand, Kylo desperately attempts to resist the pull of the light side by turning away from the love of his parents. Instead, we're shown scenes where the young man worships at the altar of Darth Vader's crushed helmet, providing his character with genuine motivations that anyone who's had family issues can understand. In fact, Kylo Ren is arguably the most human and relatable Star Wars villain yet, which makes him infinitely more terrifying. It would have been easy to simply throw out a rehash of Darth Maul or Darth Vader, but Kylo's obsession with living up to the legacy of his grandfather sets him apart from other characters of his ilk. By the end of the new trilogy, Kylo Ren may even give Darth Vader a run for his money in the pantheon of best movie villains. Tell us, who was your favourite character in Star Wars: The Force Awakens? How does Kylo Ren compare to other villains in the franchise? Do you think he should have died at the end of The Force Awakens? Let us know your thoughts in the comments section below.