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'His Idea Was Almost The Opposite': Adam Driver Once Revealed How Star Wars Changed Real Character Arc For Kylo Ren
Adam Driver’s Kylo Ren was built up as an antagonistic force for the Disney-produced Star Wars sequel trilogy, which polarized the fanbase. Here's what he said.
Star Wars Day, celebrated on May 4, 2024, is a time for fans to appreciate the iconic franchise. However, some aspects of the franchise, such as the redemption of Kylo Ren in the sequels, have been criticized for their negative impact. Adam Driver's portrayal of Kylo Ren as an antagonistic force in the Disney sequel trilogy polarized the fanbase, partly due to an ineffective storyline. Driver talked about how Kylo Ren's character arc changed and how it impacted the sequels.
Star Wars is an American epic space opera media franchise created by George Lucas, which began with the eponymous 1977 film[a] and quickly became a worldwide pop culture phenomenon. The franchise has been expanded into various films and other media, including television series, video games, novels, comic books, theme park attractions, and themed areas, comprising an all-encompassing fictional universe. Star Wars is one of the highest-grossing media franchises of all time.
Adam Driver revealed how Star Wars changed his character's arc
Adam Driver, known for his role as Kylo Ren in the Star Wars sequel trilogy, revealed the original arc for his character during an appearance on The Rich Eisen Show.
“I had an overall arc in mind that [J.J. Abrams] wanted to do,” Driver said. “His idea was that [Kylo’s] journey was the opposite journey of Vader, where Vader starts the most confident and the most committed to the dark side. And then by the last movie, he’s the most vulnerable and weak. He wanted to start with the opposite."
The actor further added, "This character was the most confused and vulnerable, and by the end of the three movies, he would be the most committed to the dark side. I tried to keep that arc in mind, regardless if that wound up not being the journey anyway, because it changed while shooting. But I was still focused on that.”
Driver explained that Darth Vader initially exhibited confidence and commitment to the dark side, but became vulnerable after discovering his twin children's existence, while Kylo Ren shifted from confusion to commitment to the dark side.
The Rise of Skywalker, according to Driver, altered the plan regarding Kylo Ren, focusing on a force dyad and resulting in her redemption, despite the divisive nature of this aspect of her arc.
Star Wars fanbase criticized Kylo Ren's redemption as underdeveloped and unearned, as the character initially doubts and struggles to embrace the dark side after an interaction with Han Solo.
The Rise of Skywalker's change to Kylo Ren's character arc in The Rise of Skywalker undermines the momentum built in previous installments, making his redemption feel unearned. Ren's belief in the dark side becomes stronger by the end of The Force Awakens and The Last Jedi, as he assumes control of the New Order after Snoke's demise. Additionally, viewers see little of Ben Solo in previous installments to empathize with Ren's change of heart.
In the third film, there is also a lack of motivation for Ren to undergo such a drastic change of perspective regarding the dark side. Ultimately, Kylo Ren’s arc in the sequels was poorly handled and it lacked any sort of cohesion, failing to land the emotional impact of Ren’s redemption. Therefore, the Star Wars sequels royally screwed up by altering Ren’s arc.
Adam Driver won't be returning to the Star Wars movies
Adam Driver has confirmed that he will not be returning to reprise his role as Kylo Ren in future Star Wars movies, as he stated in a January interview with the SmartLess podcast. He also clarified that he would not be returning to the franchise. He said, “They’re doing stuff, but not with me. I’m not doing anymore.”
The host asked him if he was done with ‘Star Wars’ because of his character’s journey. The host asked, “You’re done because the character’s done?” To which Driver replied with a "Yes".
Driver spoke about his character earlier on The Rich Eisen Show. He said, “This character was the most confused and vulnerable, and by the end of the three movies, he would be the most committed to the dark side... The last one, it changed into being, you know, about them and the dyad, and things like that. And evolving into Ben Solo. That was never a part of it. He was Ben Solo from the beginning, but there was never a version where we’d see Ben Solo when I first signed up for it.”
“‘Star Wars’ was way more exhausting for me … I made it more exhausting than it should have been,” Driver added. “I hadn’t quite figured out the momentum of a set that was that big before. All the things I had worked on were pretty small and moved pretty fast … The director sets the pace of the set. I don’t like to control that. I have to adjust. Spike Lee and [Steven] Soderbergh shoot really fast. For me that’s not comfortable, but it’s there movie and their film so I adjust.”
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