Star Wars: Episode IX: Should Reylo be a thing?

There was a lot of tension between Rey and Kylo Ren in The Last Jedi, many fans are rooting for a Reylo ending in Star Wars: Episode IX?

When we left Kylo Ren at the end of Star Wars: The Force Awakens, he had killed San Tekka, we learned of his murdering the other Jedi apprentices of Luke Skywalker, he had tortured Rey, and just for good measure, he killed his own father, Han Solo.

Heck, who wouldn’t fall in love with someone like that?

Oh, and TFA also had some underlying flirtations between Rey and Finn, which was cute, and sweet, and made us root for it to happen. Want to know what wasn’t in TFA? A budding romance between Rey and Kylo Ren.

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Somehow, that all changed in The Last Jedi. Now, I have previously written about my feelings about The Last Jedi. From a storytelling standpoint, I felt there were so many things wrong with it, that it felt like the script was a first draft in a student’s screenwriting class. So many things felt forced, and wedged in just to make a statement, whether it fit the narrative, but chief among them was romantic tension between Rey and Kylo Ren.

Yes, I know that it parallels the Luke Skywalker trying to find the good and save Darth Vader, and Vader gaining redemption, but that was drawn out to give it time to develop. This was a snap of the fingers, and suddenly Rey feels the need to save him? After all she’s been through? After all she’s seen him do? After all he’s done TO HER?

The scene when he invaded her thoughts and memories, and she was trying to fight him off, was basically a mind-rape, and now she’s attracted to him? This was ripped from the Luke and Laura, General Hospital Playbook. (Younger readers, go Google the reference, I’ll wait)

I know there’s a section of fans who want and root for it to happen, but from a storytelling aspect, it makes zero sense and is akin to reading the trashiest and worst of romance novels.

I mean, Luke Skywalker just seemingly died because of a confrontation with Kylo Ren, while trying to save Rey (another storytelling failure, which I’ll rant on at another time), but then to turn around and have Rey and Kylo Ren become involved in a relationship? Kylo Ren is responsible for the deaths of the two father figures she’s had in the series, and then she’d decide this makes a fine quality for dating? It’d be like if in The Princess Bride, Inigo Montoya decided that there’s something decent in Count Rugen and wondering if they’re compatible. “Hello, my name is Inigo Montoya. You killed my father. What are you doing Saturday night?”

The whole start of this Reylo relationship was manipulative, forced, and none of which made sense for the overall arc of the story.

Can Rey save Kylo Ren? Or, at least, redeem him? I’m sure that’s going to happen. But, if history, or Star Wars history, has taught us anything, then that redemption is going to come at a price. After what he’s done, it NEEDS to come at a price.

Does she see the humanity in him as he takes his dying breath, and sheds tears as he goes? That’s possible, and perhaps a fitting end, but full-fledged romance? With the way TLJ went, I wouldn’t be surprised, but really, it shouldn’t.

So, in an ending that everyone saw coming, we can re-ask the question. Should Reylo be a thing?

In a word . . . No.

What do you think of Reylo? Hit the comments and let us know.