Force Material Episode VII: We Need To Talk About Kylo
We're exploring the origins and influences of the galaxy's most toxic fanboy, Kylo Ren, in this week's Force Material podcast!
The spotlight falls on Han Solo and Leia Organa's wayward son in this episode, as we drill down into the cultural and artistic inspirations for this fascinating (and often misunderstood) villain.
We discuss how Kylo sets the sequel trilogy apart from the original films, as he reflects contemporary fears about radicalised and isolated young men.
We break down the parallels between Kylo Ren and Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, school shooters and toxic keyboard warriors, and explain how Kylo Ren and Rey represent different types of Star Wars fans.
We also dig into the design choices that made Kylo instantly iconic, and the Shakespearean and Arthurian influences on his complex character arc.
Finally, we lay out our thoughts on where we see Kylo Ren going in The Last Jedi and beyond. Can he be redeemed, or are some sins just too terrible to be forgiven?
Force Material is a podcast exploring the secrets and source material of Star Wars with hosts Rohan Williams and Baz McAlister. Listen and subscribe on iTunes, Spotify, iHeartRadio, TuneIn, Stitcher, PlayerFM and Castro; stay in touch with us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram; and support the show by browsing our range of shirts, hoodies, kids apparel, mugs and more at TeePublic.
