They may not be of the same blood (as far as we know), but the connection is strong with Rey and Kylo Ren. Star Wars: The Last Jedi heightened the link between the new Jedi and her sometimes-shirtless nemesis, and a new image from Reddit shows a surprising way that bond may have manifested.
Rey’s got skills. Image: Disney
Redditor egoshoppe shared a GIF, also promoted on Star Wars Stuff, showing the strong parallels between Rey’s lightsaber training sequence and Kylo Ren’s climactic battle with Luke Skywalker.
While not exactly alike – there are a few moves Rey does that Kylo doesn’t – there are some serious similarities between their fighting styles, including specific moves. For comparison, you can watch Rey’s scene here, and Kylo’s here.
Here’s the comparison in GIF form:
Rey foreshadowing Kylo vs Luke. pic.twitter.com/VSO9r2NP4e
— Star Wars Stuff (@starwarstuff) July 2, 2018
Given how much director Rian Johnson tried to explore Rey and Kylo Ren’s connection, I’m willing to guess this isn’t a coincidence, which presents some intriguing ideas for the series and these two characters.
For example, it predicts Rey’s temptation to the Dark Side, showing her turning to a fighting style later used by Kylo Ren. Perhaps she was even being unduly influenced by him, getting “training” from him through their mental link.
It helps explain Luke Skywalker’s anger as he watches her training – given how he previously trained Kylo Ren, he can see his path showing itself in hers.
And it gives us insight into how, deep down, Kylo Ren knows he made a mistake. Luke was his teacher, his anchor, his rock – and he betrayed him.
We have a while before Star Wars: Episode IV begins to manifest itself, but it’s awesome that fans are still able to find cool nods, references and moments to explore in the latest Star Wars saga. It’s the gift that keeps on giving.
[Reddit]