Rian Johnson Was ‘Terrified’ Of Making One Major Change To Kylo Ren In ‘The Last Jedi’

WARNING: Spoilers for Star Wars: The Last Jedi ahead

The criticism that followed the release of Star Wars: The Last Jedi seemed to be varied, with folks crying foul over character arcs, plot points, and pretty much anything that didn’t line up with their view for Star Wars. But none of that seemed to be one of Johnson’s fears before the film was released. According to The Art of Star Wars: The Last Jedi (via Screen Rant), Johnson shares his feelings about changing an important part of Kylo Ren’s visual presentation in the film.

After being ridiculed by Snoke in his throne room, Kylo returns to the elevator and prepares to head out in his fighter to join the pursuit of the rebels. But before that, he takes his mask that he kept throughout The Force Awakens and smashes it to pieces. While the story reason for its destruction isn’t an issue, the promotional material for the film is where Johnson’s fears found a home:

“That was the big design choice with Kylo: losing the mask. It was a little terrifying because, by the time we were making the movie, the first film had come out and every kid was wearing Kylo Ren masks on Halloween. It was the symbol of the movie on packaging. And I love the helmet.”

Johnson makes a fine case for the removal of the mask, though. Despite the reaction to some parts of the film, the scenes between Rey and Kylo Ren were an interesting part of the film. Removing the mask is what allowed that to happen:

“But the whole premise of this film is that you’re getting inside this guy a bit more. More than that, Rey is seeing there’s more to him than she thought. And Adam Driver is one of my favorite actors working today. The notion of getting the mask off of him so we don’t have to deal with it and can look into his eyes seemed really important.”

The removal of the mask seemed like a given after seeing where the film was going with its connection to the past films. Either the reminders or the actual elements themselves have been removed or destroyed, clearing the path for the new characters to take the galaxy in a direction away from those who fought before. It might be heavy-handed, but Kylo Ren smashing the helmet seals that.

(Via Screen Rant / SyFy Wire)

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