Star Wars: The Last Jedi was almost certainly the least nostalgic entry in this space saga so far, and that extends to the lack of presence that Darth Vader has in the film. Granted, the character is indeed long dead, but in The Force Awakens, the old villain came up at least a couple of times in the dialogue, and Kylo Ren was even shown to be in possession of his damaged helmet. And now that J.J. Abrams is returning to the series for Star Wars: Episode IX, some speculation has surfaced that the late Vader could have a much bigger part to play in this space saga than we’ve been led to believe.
The theory draws from the fact that Kylo seems to completely idolize his grandfather in his first big screen outing, with every decision coming across as an attempt to be more like his predecessor. While this element has been frequently interpreted as a metaphor for The Force Awakens’ attempts to live up to the legacy of the classic Original Trilogy, Screen Rant has shared the suggestion that Vader could be influencing Adam Driver’s character from beyond the grave.
The source of his influence is said to be the character’s helmet, which Kylo is seen talking to in one scene. This would explain why Kylo seems less worried about being a mini-Vader in The Last Jedi after distancing himself from his grandfather’s helmet, even urging his frenemy Rey to “let the past die.”
We’ve certainly heard wackier theories about the nature of Kylo’s behavior, but this still seems like a bit of a stretch. After all, the last two Star Wars episodes repeatedly insisted that Snoke was the one who corrupted Kylo, and based on the scenes we’ve witnessed of the pair together, the old Supreme Leader certainly looked to have a lot of psychological influence on his apprentice.
Still, it’s hard to imagine Abrams not making at least a few passing references to Vader or Anakin in his next movie, so we’ll see just how far Star Wars: Episode IX takes its nods to the past when the film hits theaters on December 20th, 2019.
Published: Oct 30, 2018 01:23 pm