The adorable and heroic droid BB-8 probably had a juicy backstory before he appeared in Star Wars: The Force Awakens. A new, throughly convincing fan speculation suggests the lovable droid may have been constructed by Ben Solo before he succumbed to evil and became Kylo Ren.
According to YouTuber Jenny Nicholson, BB-8 was given life by Ben Solo and hung out with the Solo/Skywalker family in the events before The Force Awakens. And once you start searching your feelings, you’ll know it to be true.
First, BB-8 is called “one of a kind” by Poe Dameron, suggesting he’s homemade or bespoke. Second, Kylo Ren also tells General Hux he wants the droid “unharmed” and seems pretty adamant about it. And, to top it all of, Darth Vader — the grandfather of Kylo Ren — was also a droid builder, having constructed C-3PO from spare parts as a child.
The theory also jokingly suggests that Ben Solo made seven previous droids each one named “Ben Bot,” and BB-8 was just the eighth one he made. This part seems a little less likely, but it’s still great to think of moody, emo Ben Solo naming droids after himself. Nicholson’s theory gets even more fun when she suggests that the Knights of Ren themselves are actually robots that Ben also built.
Jenny Nicholson is clearly having some fun with the latter assertions, but the idea that BB-8 could have been built by Ben Solo and hung out with the extended Solo/Skywalker family does make sense. Many fans have pointed out subtext in the scenes between Kylo Ren and Poe Dameron suggesting they might have known each other before Ben turned to the dark side. AND, there’s also the often-forgotten set photo from way back which seemed to show Adam Driver in an X-Wing flight suit. Is this a flashback scene to when he flew with the Resistance and was buddies with Poe? Perhaps it was a happier time when his trusty droid BB-8 was flying along with him?
Is that Ben? Who you calling Kylo?
Here’s hoping BB-8’s backstory in Star Wars Episode VIII includes confirming his droid-parentage at the hands of Kylo Ren. But for BB-8’s sake, let’s hope he won’t be forced to destroy his father.
