Will Kylo Ren Become Most Hated ‘Star Wars’ Villain After ‘The Force Awakens’ Shocker? [Spoilers]

Kylo Ren, played by Adam Driver, will certainly make many people very angry after one of the most shocking scenes in Star Wars: The Force Awakens. Will this make him the most hated villain in the franchise?

J.J. Abrams had a lot riding on the new Star Wars movie, and in light of the massive numbers The Force Awakens has seen at the box office worldwide, we can venture to say he succeeded. Most critics and fans love the new installment in the massively successful franchise, as it brings them back to the feel of the original trilogy, which is beloved by millions almost 40 years after A New Hope‘s release.

A collective sigh of relief was heard all around the globe on December 18, when the first reviews of the most awaited film in recent memory started to trickle in, as critics rushed to see if Abrams lived up to the incredible expectations. Many have been positive, and are in tune with the huge interest shown by fans.

We warn you that if you haven’t seen The Force Awakens, this article contains a major plot spoiler and you may want to reconsider reading the next few paragraphs.

One of the most talked about characters ahead of the Star Wars debut was the new villain Kylo Ren, a young man obsessed with following in Darth Vader’s footsteps, after he vows to “finish what [Vader] started” and succumbs to the Dark Side. It’s the classic conflict between good and evil.

The Force Awakens reveals that, as some suspected, Kylo Ren is, indeed, the child of Han Solo (Harrison Ford) and Leia Organa (Carrie Fisher). The two have fallen out of love, or there have been circumstances which led to their falling out, and Han reluctantly approaches Leia before he goes looking for Kylo Ren, whose real name is Ben Solo, after he spots him while he carries away an unconscious Rey (Daisy Ridley) into the clutches of the First Order.

Leia, who is now a General, begs her old flame to recover their son and bring him back to her, and he readily obliges, not knowing that this action will lead to his demise. This is not something many were anticipating, though there was increased talk about a major character dying in The Force Awakens. It was hard to imagine Star Wars without Han Solo.

But that is exactly what happened, and it will earn Kylo Ren the anger of millions of fans who loved the cheeky smuggler. Moreover, the way in which the villain led his father to believe that he was conflicted and perhaps willing to return to his family only to betray him and stab him with his cross lightsaber is not something fans will forgive easily, if ever.

In an interview with Entertainment Weekly, Abrams says killing off Han Solo was bold, but necessary, because the character had nowhere to go and was at risk of becoming irrelevant. He has no powers, like Luke and Leia (or even the villains), and is still running from his debts in his golden years. Ford wanted Lucas to kill Han earlier, but obviously it didn’t happen.

SPOILERS: Behind the scenes of #StarWars‘s Kylo Ren x Han Solo scene https://t.co/68T3B1qFzV pic.twitter.com/vnroiHKMEM

— MTV UK (@MTVUK) December 22, 2015

How bad was Kylo Ren? Worse than Darth Vader? Yes, because at least his grandfather took pity on his own son, Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamill), and killed Emperor Palpatine before he could destroy his own flesh. Kylo Ren didn’t have such scruples, and killed his old man in cold blood in one of the most moving scenes in the Star Wars franchise. It didn’t matter that Han gently caresses his cheek to see if he can appeal to his humanity.

We don’t actually see a dead Kylo Ren, so we expect he will be back to create more havoc and continue chasing Rey, who is still a bit of mystery. Abrams said the plot related to why Kylo Ren turns evil will develop in the upcoming Star Wars episodes, but we will never forgive him for killing one of the most beloved characters in the franchise. Han Solo.

[Image via Lucasfilm]