Dork Side of the Force
Fansided

The Force Awakens Theorycraft: Kylo Ren is a Sleeper Agent

By David Harris (Razor)

facebooktwitterreddit

Now that we’ve seen Star Wars: The Force Awakens — multiple times — we’ve read some pretty darn convincing fan-theories. Here’s just one of ours, regarding Kylo Ren. Warning, SPOILERS for The Force Awakens await below…

More from Dork Side of the Force

The theories surrounding Kylo Ren are indeed vast, and almost too many to count. Is he really all bad, has the Dark Side truly taken permanent hold over him? Is he knowingly and actively working as an undercover Jedi to bring down Supreme Leader Snoke from the inside?  The questions surrounding Kylo are vast, and even after the huge reveal in The Force Awakens — regarding his parentage — there is still more to know.

What if Kylo Ren was in fact working to bring down the First Order and Supreme Leader Snoke…but he didn’t know it? What if Kylo Ren is a sleeper agent, waiting for the right word or touch from the right person to awaken him? This is pure speculation, but let’s try and follow the clues left to us by J.J. Abrams in Star Wars: The Force Awakens.

What we know about Kylo Ren:

  • He is the son of Han Solo and Leia Organa.
  • His real name is Ben Solo.
  • Ben was given to his uncle — Luke Skywalker — to train as a Jedi.
  • Han comments that Ben had too much Vader in him.
  • He tries to communicate with his grandfather’s spirit in the form of Darth Vader’s burned helmet.
  • He constantly battles with continued pull of the Light.
  • He is the Master of the Knights of Ren, and apprentice to Supreme Leader Snoke.
  • His lightsaber construction suggests that he was never properly trained to construct a true lightsaber.

We know a little about Kylo’s past, from the conversations between Han and Leia, and other characters from The Force Awakens. When Kylo Ren confronts Lor San Tekka at the village on Jakku, the old man knows who he is and tries to remind him that he came from the Light, not the Dark Side. Kylo knew Lor San Tekka, as well. His comment, “Look how old you’ve become” suggests that Lor San Tekka was involved — at one point — with Luke and the new Jedi Order.

When Han tells Leia that he saw their son on Takodana, they have a conversation that reveals a bit more, about Kylo Ren nee-Ben Solo. This is where we get the “There was too much Vader in him” comment from Han, and we also learn that Leia feels she lost their son, the moment the couple sent him to train with Luke. A caveat to this reveal is that both Han and Leia know who Supreme Leader Snoke is, as they use his name at least twice (This is something different than the secretive Sith Lords of past Star Wars films).

Here’s where the sleeper agent theory starts to form. Remember, Han did not confront Kylo on Takodana, instead he allowed him to walk with Rey’s body, through the battlefield and to his ship. Han could have yelled his son’s name then and there, but the look on his face suggested that he was conflicted about the decision. What if Han allowed his son to continue without confrontation, because the time wasn’t right to awaken him?

Leia then tells Han to bring their son home…almost as if it is as easy as speaking the right word. After this, Han and Chewie, along with Finn, fly to Starkiller base, to bring down the shields and help the Resistance destroy the super-weapon. This is when Han decides to confront his son.

Once Han sees Kylo walk onto the bridge across the chasm at Starkiller base, he makes the decision to confront him, by walking out onto the same bridge and yelling the his son’s name — Ben. Hearing his real name, Kylo stops dead in his tracks and turns to confront his father. During their brief conversation, Kylo seems to start to let go of the Dark Side. He drops his helmet, and seems to hand his saber to Han…until the clouds cover the sun, and darkness fills the room.

What if Han wasn’t the right person to awaken his son from his sleep? What if Luke is the only one that can awaken Ben Solo? If Luke’s new Jedi Order was decimated by the Knights of Ren and Snoke, then perhaps he saw the future — through his own Force vision — and decided to go on the offensive by planting an agent in his ranks. Who better than the one that Snoke wanted to corrupt in the first place?

We know that Rey had to be awakened in the Force, and it began by her Force vision at Maz Kanata’s castle. So, we know that the Force can be used to dampen or awaken someone’s memory and power.

This theory has its fair share of holes, and as I mentioned is pure speculation. But, if Luke Skywalker knew his Jedi Order was in trouble, and the only way to save the galaxy was by planting an agent so deep undercover within Snoke’s ranks, that the Supreme Leader would never suspect it, then this theory has legs.

What do you think about this Kylo Ren sleeper agent theory? Let us know in the comments and on social media.

Home/Kylo Ren