There is no shortage of fan theories about Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker considering that it will be the final film in the Skywalker Saga. Unfortunately, none of these speculations have been confirmed since Star Wars Episode 9 is still a few months away from release. But, is it possible that J.J. Abrams has just revealed that a particular theory is actually correct? The Star Wars: The Force Awakens director has hinted at a major spoiler that could spoil Kylo Ren's fate.
The fate of Kylo Ren has been up for debate after everything that happened in Star Wars: The Last Jedi. While others believe that Kylo is well on his way to becoming the true Big Bad in The Rise of Skywalker, some argue that the former Ben Solo could eventually resurface in Episode 9 and the character will be set for a major redemption arc. Interestingly, fans pointed out that Kylo's repaired helmet was a clue to his storyline. After all, it looked a lot like an ancient Japanese process of fixing broken ceramics.
The theory was kickstarted with the release of the first Star Wars Episode 9 trailer, which showed Kylo Ren's helmet being repaired. Several fans noticed that the helmet looked like ceramic vases and bowls that have been fixed through Kintsugi, the Japanese art that requires lacquer mixed with gold to put together broken things. People believed that the look of Kylo's helmet represents his road to redemption and not surprisingly, director J.J. Abrams has stated that it's supposed to look that way.
J.J. Abrams spoke about the Kintsugi connection to Kylo Ren's helmet in an interview with Empire magazine (via Esquire). "Having [Kylo Ren] be masked, but also fractured, is a very intentional thing," Abrams said. "Like that classic Japanese process of taking ceramics and repairing them, and how the breaks in a way define the beauty of the piece as much as the original itself."
The director went on to state that "the mask is a visual representation" of how "fractured" Kylo truly is. "His mask doesn't ultimately hide him and his behavior is revealed," Abrams said.
So far, it sounds like J.J. Abrams is confirming that the helmet is supposed to look like broken things fixed through Kintsugi. But could it also mean that Kylo Ren will still go back to the Light Side of the Force? The truth could finally be revealed in Star Wars Episode 9.
Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker hits theaters on December 20.
