Was Kylo Ren Lying About Rey's Parents in The Rise of Skywalker?
One of the most contentious points in the recent The Rise of Skywalker controversy is whether Kylo Ren is lying about Rey's parents. This article aims to unpack the argument by examining the film's events and the characters' intentions.
The Initial Incrimination
According to the plot of The Rise of Skywalker, Rey herself had a gut feeling of mistrust about the information Kylo Ren provided regarding her parents. In a pivotal scene, Kylo forces Rey to delve into her buried memories, which leads to an increased hatred towards Palpatine due to the newfound understanding of his manipulative tactics. The question arises: was Kylo’s assertion about her parents truthful?
Ben Solo's Perspective on Rey's Parents
Ben Solo, under his real name of Ben, claimed in The Last Jedi that Rey's parents were drunken and sold her for drinking money. However, the storyline in The Rise of Skywalker contradicts this, revealing that Rey's parents left her to keep her safe and hidden. This contradiction seems to imply that Kylo Ren may have lied about his knowledge of Rey's parentage.
Revelations from Rey’s Mind and Palpatine
During a moment of subconscious memory, Ben Solo retrieved the information that Rey’s parents were “nobody”—junk traders who sold her to Unkar Plutt for drinking money. This snippet of information could be interpreted as truth based on what Rey herself remembered, but it was later revealed by Palpatine that these traders were actually Palpatine's son and wife. They were living a fugitive life and the phrase “for drinking money” was likely a fabricated excuse used to separate Rey from them.
The Reality Underlying the Story
The truth behind Rey's story has a more complex layer of reality. Palpatine, acting as a puppet-master, may have manipulated or concealed information from Kylo Ren. This means that the information Kylo provided might have been truthful according to what he knew at the time, albeit incomplete. Rey did not have the full story, nor did Kylo until he had a conversation with the reanimated Emperor.
Was Kylo Ren Lying or Did He Skim Surface?
Considering the evidence, it appears that Kylo Ren was not intentionally lying but rather was working with the incomplete knowledge he had gathered. It’s more plausible that he passed on what he saw or knew about Rey’s parents, even if this information was later revealed to be part of a bigger manipulation by Palpatine.
Conclusion and Final Thoughts
The controversy surrounding Kylo Ren's statements about Rey's parents highlights the nuanced nature of storytelling in the Star Wars universe. It’s important to consider the underlying context and the manipulative tactics of characters like Palpatine and the complexity of the truth. The truth is often multifaceted, and information can be misleading. As for Kylo Ren, it may have been his intention to create a certain narrative to foster Rey’s hatred towards Palpatine, making it even more effective, but his initial statements might have been based on the information he had at the time, albeit incomplete.