I'm an avid Star Wars fan, so it's no surprise that I rushed to the nearest movie theater, as quickly as possible, to watch the earliest showing of The Force Awakens that I could attend. After waiting over a year for its premiere, I had to stop myself from sprinting to my seat out of pure excitement. I wasn't sure at all what to expect, especially of the new storyline as well as the introduction of countless new characters. Throughout the previews, I could hardly contain myself and I nearly jumped for joy when the Star Wars logo flashed onto the screen and the theme music blared. I probably squealed a little.
Not much time had passed in the new installment before Kylo Ren was introduced into the Star Wars universe. He struts out of the ship onto the scene, his cloak billowing behind him, intimidating posse in tow. I won't lie, my initial impression was a good one. I was over the moon that the writers had kept the trend of the bad guy in the mask. His voice was distorted by his disguise just as Vader's was, and at first sight, you would guess this guy is pure evil.
Let's cut to the scene where Rey is held captive on the Starkiller. Kylo Ren makes yet another grand entrance, except this time, he removes his mask after being taunted to do so by Rey. I know I'm not the only person who was swooning when I saw the face behind the mask. Once you get past the lustrous hair and the good looks, if you look closely enough, you can see the insecurity (and maybe even a hint of kindness for Rey?) in his eyes in this scene. Pair this with his temper tantrums throughout the movie, and it's obvious that Kylo is still torn and very temperamental. The act of taking off his mask alone struck me as an indication that the Dark Side didn't have a hold of him yet. He was likeable, as Vader was, and I held on to a shimmer of hope that he wasn't totally evil yet.
The extent of his inner conflict is perhaps most palpable during the scene where he confronts his father. "I want to be free of this pain," he tells him, teary-eyed. "I know what I have to do but I don't know if I have the strength to do it." At this point, I was certain he was on the fast track back to the Light Side. But whenever I saw the last of the light fade (that symbolism, though), I knew all hope was lost for my new favorite Star Wars villain.
There are a ton of similarities between Kylo Ren and Darth Vader, but I believe what sets him apart from his grandfather is that his being torn is so much more obvious throughout the film. In Episode IV, Vader's debut is 100% evil. He does not remove his mask, shows no sympathy, and does not hesitate. Kylo Ren's hesitation on several instances is definitive proof of his inner conflict and vulnerability.
Adam Driver nailed this role. Every face twitch and word is articulated in such a manner that the viewer gains complete insight into the heart and mind of Kylo Ren. Such complexity, in my opinion, makes for a great and loveable villain.
