I could write an entire novel on the complexity of Kylo Ren/Ben Solo. I don't like referring to them as the same character, because I feel like they're really not. Kylo Ren was the mask, figuratively and literally, that Ben put on to distract everyone else from the turmoil that was going on beneath it. I'm not even going to get into what happened at the Jedi temple before everything went wrong, but Ben had some serious trauma.
Of course, Ben does get his redemption at the end of "The Rise of Skywalker," which I think was justified to an extent. In my opinion, Ben's redemption was done through saving Rey, but I don't think he had to die. But I get it, one soul to save another, whatever.
But, Ben Solo was seduced by the dark side at one of the most inconvenient times of his life. He was weak and vulnerable, and Snoke took advantage of this timing to weasel his way into Ben's head, thus turning him to the dark side and into Kylo Ren. But I refuse to believe Ben ever truly turned away from the light. He does say multiple times in the movies that he's being called to the light. He was trying so hard to fit himself into a box labeled "dark side," but his call to the light is just too strong. It's because deep down he knows where he was meant to be.
The killing of Han Solo was purely a stunt for Bento prove to himself that he could be this big, bad, emotionless Sith lord. But we see in the last movie how much he really did care for his father. Do I think the murder was justified? No. But do I understand where Ben is coming from in that sense? 100%. Ben Solo is the kind of person who feels his emotions so deeply that he doesn't know how to handle them sometimes, hence the temper tantrums.
After "The Force Awakens" premiered, I had already known that Kylo Ren was more than what met the eye. Of course, you all thought I was crazy and that I only liked him because I thought he was attractive (which he is, don't lie to yourself). But I am a sucker for a character arc like Ben's. I mean, it is so complex and full of substance; similar to Anakin Skywalker but that's a WHOLE different article.
Adam Driver, the actor who plays Ben Solo in the Star Wars saga, 100% believes Ben Solo is one of the most misunderstood characters in the entire series, to which I wholeheartedly agree. He is one of the biggest advocates for giving Ben the storyline he deserved, and he was somewhat robbed of that. Do I want to see more of Ben Solo? In theory, yes, I'd love another movie. But I think his story arc is complete. I think it should be left as it is.
