SW Sequel Trilogy Metas

The Hero, the Villain and the Modern Fairytale
> An essay that focuses on hero/villain dynamics and the history of Star Wars as a modern fairytale.
http://frolickingfizzgig.tumblr.com/post/140633462530/the-hero-the-villain-and-the-modern-fairytale

Bride of the Monstrous:
> Discusses Eros and Psyche and other mythological tales, citing Rey and Ren as a modern "transformative" retelling.
http://ashesforfoxes.tumblr.com/post/141360308671/bride-of-the-monstrous-meeting-the-other-in-the

Rebirth of the "Son": the art of Kylo Ren's redemption
> An analysis of Kylo Ren's characterization and the foreshadowing/symbolism pointing toward a redemption arc.
http://frolickingfizzgig.tumblr.com/post/141751036445/rebirth-of-the-son-the-art-of-kylo-rens

The Descent of the Heroine's Journey in The Force Awakens
> Discusses Joseph Campbells' Hero's Journey" trope in regards to Rey in The Force Awakens.
http://ashesforfoxes.tumblr.com/post/138788226901/the-descent-the-heroines-journey-as-depicted-in

Mirroring, Opposites and the Personification of Yin and Yang in the Final Fight
> A detailed break down of the final battle using film terminology.
http://geminiwankenobi.tumblr.com/post/141232383249/mirroring-opposites-and-the-personification-of

The Force Bond Awakens
> A breakdown of all the canonical evidence pointing to the potential of the "Force Bond" theory.
http://frolickingfizzgig.tumblr.com/post/140929478345/the-force-bond-awakens?is_related_post=1

Death and the Maiden
> A comparative essay that focuses on Gothic horror and monster movie iconography.
https://ohtze.tumblr.com/post/137735730948/death-and-the-maiden

The Normal and Altered Futures
> An analysis of Rey's Force-back with emphasis on Kylo Ren.
http://reylo-in-the-stars.tumblr.com/post/140946870481/the-normal-and-altered-future

http://www.thefangirlinitiative.com/2016/03/in-defense-of-reylo-part-i.html?m=1
http://www.thefangirlinitiative.com/2016/03/in-defense-of-reylo-part-ii.html?m=1http://www.thefangirlinitiative.com/2016/03/in-defense-of-reylo-part-iii.html?m=1

A three part defense of Reylo covering common criticisms about the pairing and Kylo Ren's redemption.

You may like this meta I posted on tumblr about how TFA foresadows very early in the movie that Ren and Rey's future would have been bleak and lonely, but then they met, they crossed paths and their lives will no longer be parallel, cause they'll merge becoming linked for ever.

To some extent, Finn's life also gets intertwined with theirs, but while Ren and Ren's lives are meant to be joined, his will follow a trajectory of his own,whose direction is sill unknown but which will pobably be related to his past as a ST.

http://reyloeyesofmist.tumblr.com/post/141851275014/the-future-that-awaits-rey-and-ren

This other meta is about how TFA mirrors some shots, themes and tropes present in the Disney anime movie Beauty and the Beast, 1992

http://eyesofmist.tumblr.com/post/137755633549/where-the-force-awakens-meets-beauty-and-the

Guys! I found our Reylo music expert!

A Reylo Leitmotif?
http://reylo-musings.tumblr.com/post/141885876481/a-reylo-leitmotif
> Analyzes specific instruments used to represent Rey and Ren (Light and Dark) in The Force Awakens, as well as the "unfinished melody" in The Abduction.

This is fantastic, not sure if it's by someone here? http://ms-qualia.tumblr.com/post/141925375404/kylo-ren-as-persona

Hopefully it's okay for me to post this here! I've written a lot of SW meta, but the ones below are the pieces I'm most proud of and consider relevant to the discussions here.

http://starwarsnonsense.tumblr.com/post/140148577174/the-deception-of-hope

- Concerned with Rey's emotional state and its development over the course of TFA.

http://starwarsnonsense.tumblr.com/post/140526266619/the-teaching-has-already-begun

- On how Rey appears to be learning from Kylo beyond the interrogation scene, mimicking his fighting technique and drawing upon his anger as well as her own.

http://starwarsnonsense.tumblr.com/post/141860960214/the-power-of-love-or-reylo-in-the-wider-context

- How Reylo would fit into the wider context of Star Wars, with its focus on love and redemptive love in particular.

http://starwarsnonsense.tumblr.com/post/141919323054/if-reylo-becomes-canon-i-imagine-we-will-see-text

- A discussion of why the idea of Reylo seems to inspire such anxiety in some quarters, and the reasons why female leads are insulated from the character flaws and mistakes of their male equivalents.

http://starwarsnonsense.tumblr.com/post/139494938114/what-is-the-trinity-of-star-wars-the-force

- An argument for Rey, Finn and Kylo as the true trinity of The Force Awakens.

http://starwarsnonsense.tumblr.com/post/139007553729/i-can-show-the-ways-of-the-force

- An analysis of Kylo in the snow fight, particularly how the forest serves as a transitional place where normal conventions and loyalties can be forgotten.

http://starwarsnonsense.tumblr.com/post/138681295599/the-emotion-of-aesthetics

- About how the emotional qualities of the film are heightened through its use of colour and aesthetics.

http://starwarsnonsense.tumblr.com/post/137897542779/why-kylo-and-rey-have-met-before

- Makes the case for Rey and Kylo having met before.

http://starwarsnonsense.tumblr.com/post/137487847779/anatomy-of-a-fight

- A detailed analysis of the snow fight from a more general perspective.

http://starwarsnonsense.tumblr.com/post/137305164219/the-meaning-behind-a-mask-or-the-lack-of-one

- The implications of Kylo Ren's mask wearing.

http://starwarsnonsense.tumblr.com/post/135924987939/whos-the-traitor

- Why Kylo is screaming at himself as much as Finn when he cries "TRAITOR!"

Thank you for sharing!!!

Hi all,

I wrote a meta last night that references the fandom itself and resistance to the idea of Reylo in various corners of the fandom. It's obviously in a very different vein to people like Ohtze and Fizz's literary analysis, but I link to lots of other metas in case there are people out there who would like to read more. Just my two cents on recent fandom developments, really.
http://bastila-bae.tumblr.com/post/142001571640/some-thoughts-on-reylo-flying-this-ship-through-a

BastilaBey wrote:Hi all,

I wrote a meta last night that references the fandom itself and resistance to the idea of Reylo in various corners of the fandom. It's obviously in a very different vein to people like Ohtze and Fizz's literary analysis, but I link to lots of other metas in case there are people out there who would like to read more. Just my two cents on recent fandom developments, really.
http://bastila-bae.tumblr.com/post/142001571640/some-thoughts-on-reylo-flying-this-ship-through-a

Bastila,

I just red your meta on Tumblr.
It is beyond great - and it sums up everything I have been thinking since the movie premiered.
THANK YOU

@Darth_Awakened Thank you so much! It was very cathartic to write and I'd just been getting too angry at the way my fellow Reylos were being treated. We're talking about a potential romantic storyline between two fictional characters but the level of vitriol has just been ridiculous, not to mention, sexist a lot of the time. Someone called me something nasty when they reblogged it but she looks set on Rey and Kylo being siblings…uh oh, someone's in denial.

Yeah, this exactly waht I keep saying about the way I found other Reylo related info on the internet.
I was completely shocked of level of hate and misunderstanding.
I am not a complete newbie on the net, or forums, or fandoms...but this level of "everything negative" I have never seen.

The Fall of Luke's Academy and the Rise of Kylo Ren

I recently wrote a meta analyzing the fall of Luke's Academy. It discusses Kylo's involvement, as well as the involvement and presence of other characters.

Kinbari wrote:The Fall of Luke's Academy and the Rise of Kylo Ren

I recently wrote a meta analyzing the fall of Luke's Academy. It discusses Kylo's involvement, as well as the involvement and presence of other characters.

You're quite right about your opinion that the rainy battlefield scene and Luke's temple destruction are two separate events in two separate locations. Pablo Hidalgo has confirmed this.

I agree that it's likely in the future (moreover, I hope it is, because it would be an amazing use of foreshadowing that everybody would be able to grasp).

This is Dec 20 meta that said JJ Planned Reylo and we see what he wanted us to see. This needs to be reblogged more. "JJ Abrams Knows What He's Doing, People" :

http://fernlicity.tumblr.com/post/135567071750/jj-abrams-knows-what-hes-doing-people

@Gemini's meta; Ying and Yang traits and how they relate to Ren and Rey:

http://geminiwankenobi.tumblr.com/post/142116831169/yin-and-yang-traits-and-how-they-relate-to-ren-and

Here's my little contributed to the Reylo metas suggested by @SoloSideCousin, thank you

 


NOTED: Though again, Kylo can also fit the Dragon symbol and Rey as a Phoenix, it just that I found many similarity between the Phoenix and Kylo that all.I should stop writting now because I believe I have been rambling a lot already 

Moral injury, tragedy and Kylo Ren

http://ms-qualia.tumblr.com/post/142386887449/moral-injury-tragedy-and-kylo-ren

What is a meta? Not familiar with that term.

A meta on ashgate: http://nightsofreylo.tumblr.com/post/142401021194/thoughts-on-ashgate-and-star-wars-funerals

Also I really like this meta called The Inherent Eroticism of Reylo: http://littlebird92.tumblr.com/post/138560774804/the-inherent-eroticism-of-reylo

Kylo Ren, a character that would belong in a Greek Tragedy

Kylo Ren's figure is larger than life and the concept of redemption may be alien to this character the way he is constructed now. He firmly believes what he is doing is for a just cause, that he is right, so what he does is not because he obtains some kind of pleasure and satisfaction from it or for personal gain, I don't think his motivations are selfish either. He should also be considered as what he is, a warrior at war, and his actions pondered in this context, war. Does this means his actions are less horribe due to this? Of course not and they have tainted his soul all the same and make him suffer all the same, but I'll try to explain why I don't thin he should be be clasified as "evil" or a "villain".

Have a look at John Boyega's words, they are very important.

One of the most interesting things about this Star Wars movie is that kinda like the other ones before, there was kinda like a definite identity with good and evil. You knew who was on one side and who was on the other. Whereas I really have bought the idea of Kylo Ren believing what he’s doing is right and it’s true and good for the world, and I think that’s what makes it a lot more sinister.” - John Boyega

I'm going to say something that many won't agree with, but it's at the root of these problems to categorize the character we are having, I don't think Kylo Ren is a villain, I never saw him as a villain while watching the movie because he was not written or performed as a villain. I don't mean he didn't do horrible actions, he did, but he was not depicted as a villain. If you ask me what was the best thing in the movie I'll say his scene with his father, every time you ask me, because in a movie where everything seemed more or less a rehash, and a vehicle to introuduce perfect lovable Rey and funny, honourable and brave Finn, that scene stood out like an incredible sore thumb,that belonged in a f...... Greek tragedy. That's what I thought the first time I saw it, powerful and shocking like a Greek tragedy. I said this before in previous posts, but I never dared to say what this implies, that Kylo Ren was never intended to be portrayed as a villain. The concept of villain versus hero didn't  exist in Greek tragedies, and neither existed this idea of free will as something people can always exert that is so ingrained in our modern Western societies. The ancient Greeks believed in Fate and that sometimes horrible things happen to people who are intrinsically good and honourable. Also, honourable people can do "evil" actions, although this concept of evil can't really be applied to those plays.

Ben is the legacy of both the OT and the PT heroes, like many protagonists or Greek tragedies he is a prince and a warrior and his death would have a dramatic impact in his "world",but above all his is a personal tragedy that will affect and destroy the Skywalker-Solo family for ever.

@Panki and @SoloSideCousin have explained how to consider Ben Solo's predicament from a realistic point of view, and yes, you have helped me to accept him as a the damaged brain-washed, horribly abused child he must have been, because looking at AD's haunted eyes and listening to his broken voice, or observing his appaling body language that's the vibe I got. Also, he is a warrior, dressed like a warrior monk and also a figure of death, but the lives he's taken have taken a toll on him and his soul is torn and tainted. I'm sure Kylo doesn't see himself as evil, or a villain, what's more, he says Han,Finn and Chewie (Rey's friends) are traitors, murderes and thieves and is offended and really surprised that Rey wants to kill him. He thinks he is righteous and doesn't do anything for selfish personal gain, until he meets Ray, probably.

He is like a Greek tragedy "hero", because they are still considered heroes, although tragic ones, and seems noble and not a twisted evil villain, but some great misfortune comes to him and he does horrible actions, either by choice (like Kylo killing Han) or because he doesn't know what he he is doing or who he really is. For instance, Oedipus kills his father and marries his mother, but he doesn't know his real identity so he doesn't know the man he killed was his father or the woman he maried was his mother.

The plot is much more complicated than this, but what is similar between a tragic hero in a Greek tragedy and Kylo Ren is that they do horroble things, not just killing but killing their family members or dearest friends but they are not presented as villains for that, but as people who do heinous crimes for diverse reasons. In Kylo's case, the reason may be deception by Snoke, he's been groomed for so long that he considers Snoke his father figure and does anything he tells him to do, thinking that Snoke is right (The Supreme leader is wise). He has probably been groomed to an extent he thinks he has to kill his father, for some reason Snoke has concocted. Kylo is mistaken, he thinks he is honourable and when he kills he kills enemies (an act of war) but he is wrong. He thinks he is been unable to kill Han because he is weak, he "has to" do it, but he is "not strong enough". The fact is that he is doing things he abhors from a visceral point of view (he loves his father) but his mind (warped and twisted by Snoke's grooming)believes he is doing what he must. Perhaps he is doing these things for a greater good, or perhaps he thinks he is doing these things (killing Han included) for a greater good. In the end it is the same, his intentions are honourable but his actions horrible.

Whatever the intentions his actions taint him anyway and his soul is nearly lost, but he isn't a black seed and he still resists, there's still good in him. In Greek tragedies this idea that exerting one's free will is always possible doesn't apply and misfortune comes and makes a character kill his own father because he doesn't know who he is (Oedipus). He has to pay for his crime anyway and he does, in these tragedies it doesn't matter if the protagonist did something by choice or by mistake, it is horrible and he must pay for the horror of what he did. He feels horrified and suffers a great deal for what he did and never questions the justice of his "punishment". The ending is tragic even though the protagonist is never seen as inherently evil.

This is what Kylo/Ben seems, a warrior who has committed horrors because killing is not what Finn and Poe do, it seems they are playing videogames when they kill ST and FO pilots, but this is not true, they are real people, just like San Tekka and the villagers. I'm not going to discuss what kind of killings are justified or not, what I mean is that Kylo is introduced as a warrior and not a serial killer. And warriors very often do horrible things that lead soldiers to trauma when war is over. Killing is never clean, it destroys both the fallen and the survivors, the killers and the killed. I think this is the way to understand Kylo. Yes, he did and does despicable and horrible actions, he kills and is tainted by what he does, but not because he is evil, but because he thinks his goal, his cause is just.

As for the ashes Kylo kept in his quarters, I read on tumblr that in the Illyad it's said that Achilles burned his enemies but as a sing of respect. They burned the fallen in ancient Greece and not to keep them as trophies, but as a funerary ritual out of respect. If Kylo is based on Greek tragedy protagonists, this could be the reason why he keeps ashes in his room but I never heard of stories where Greek warriors kept those ashes in their houses.

So, this is why it is so difficult for me to accept certain things, I need all the information relevant to be on the screen and don't really want to hear about creepy concept art that was discarded or ideas that ended up cut out of the movie. If they cut them, I don't want to hear of them. Knowing that they changed things when the film was about to be released makes me doubt them, changing things like that,any time, makes me mistrust the result and doubt they really know what they are doing. Writers change things, of course they do, but once the final work is there, they'd better keep what could have been for themselves. This information affects very much the perception of a character most don't understand and is damaging. I don't like the mystery box idea, because surprise is overvalued, what matters is a consistent story that makes sense, not a roller coaster changing things in the last minute for shock effect.

Adam Driver has a charity that offers theatre performances to soldiers to help them cope with trauma and the effects of having lived under extreme circumstances. Those performances are seriuous and he was trained in classical theatre, the plays they perform are no rom coms but serious stuff. He probably has much to do with changes on the character showing him as this tragic soldier tainted by the horrific acts of war he commited.

In Greek tragedies there's no redemption or free will because those are modern concepts present in our society but there is horror for what one has done and resposibility. The tragic hero pays the price. SW is not a Greek tragedy, but Oedipus went into exhile after his crimes, although he never wanted to commit them. His mother commited suicide for a crime she didn't know she was committing. Kylo has been brainwashed and grommed by a monstruous predator and really thinks his cause (whatever it is) is just,but he is still tainted by his actions. Kylo can't stay with the DS and neither can he go back to his mother and the Resistance, perhaps self-inflicted exhile will be his option, like Oedipus (Oedipus also blinded himself for a crime he commited unintentionally). Or perhaps he won't be a Greek tragedy figure to that extent.

Anyway, these possibilies make more sense to me than saying he is just a black seed and so he was born evil,that he is "a villain" but they he will fall in love and this will make him see the light and change. That's too simplistic. I expect much more from him, he is too good a character for any less.

These two fantastic posts on Tumblr helped me a lot to put my ideas together, because they point in the same direction.

http://ms-qualia.tumblr.com/post/142409686970/moral-injury-tragedy-and-kylo-ren
http://oldadastra.tumblr.com/post/142400975449/a-post-about-ashes-and-the-iliad

Father and Son

http://starwarsnonsense.tumblr.com/post/142477624764/father-and-son

Parellels TFA/ROTS

http://starwarsnonsense.tumblr.com/post/142508335989/parallels-force-awakensrevenge-of-the-sith

Mini-meta on animalistic Kylo and Rey:

Anonymous asked:
In their own ways, both Kylo and Rey are somewhat feral creatures: he's the jungle panther stalking around Starkiller Base and she's the desert scavenger trying to survive on Jakku. How do you Reylo's dual animal natures add to their chemistry, sexual and otherwise?

I think this is a great observation, and it has definitely got good grounding in the film. Both characters have a wild, animalistic edge to them, which is heightened under particular circumstances - so you can hear Kylo ‘purring’ when he’s stalking Rey through the forest, and you can see Rey’s lips curl into a snarl as she paces around a wounded Kylo on Starkiller Base. This is very, very deliberate, and one of the most amusing behind-the-scenes stories even explains that Kylo’s Force rumble is a pitched and slowed version of a cat’s purr.
As for what it contributes, I definitely think it makes their interactions more striking and visceral. It has already been pointed out that Rey and Kylo are, to a certain extent, parallel characters with parallel stories - their histories are characterised by abandonment, trauma and isolation, and The Force Awakens finds them both confronted with truths that threaten the foundation of their lives (for Kylo, that ‘truth’ is that Snoke is merely using him; for Rey, that truth is that her family is not coming back for her).
As J.J. Abrams has explained, the ‘awakening’ referred to in the title of The Force Awakens occurs in Kylo as well as Rey. Kylo and Rey are, in that sense, the two characters at the thematic heart of the film - and this is alluded to through the parallels between them.
The strange affinity between them extends to their behaviour and mannerisms, and that’s where their both possessing feral and animalistic traits comes in - it means that they almost always seem to be on an equal footing to each other, matching each other in terms of their anger, fierceness and intensity of feeling. This is also a big part of why people tend to view any potential relationship between them as being characterised by extreme passion and emotion - everything is heightened when Rey and Kylo are on screen together, and the tension between them is palpable. That’s why the dynamic between them is so fascinating and interesting to explore.

http://starwarsnonsense.tumblr.com/

There are your first steps:

http://littlebird92.tumblr.com/post/142778442289/the-ways-of-the-force-kylo-ren-and-rey

Kylo's a great teacher:

http://loveyournightmare.tumblr.com/post/142911311619/reylo-trash-lives-here-we-always-talk-about

The Psychology of SW - Relationship Dynamics

http://dearmisskitty.tumblr.com/post/143330823289/the-psychology-of-star-wars-relationship

Reylo meta library (regularly updated):

http://could-reylo-be-canon-today.tumblr.com/post/143655702421/reylo-meta-library-20