'Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker' Theory Reveals Where Kylo Might End Up

Kylo Ren’s potential redemption in Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker is still up in the air, but the likelihood of it happening is fairly high. Now, a fascinating new theory offers up a fresh take on what might happen to the man formerly known as Ben Solo, and it involves a facet of the Jedi experience we don’t know much about: the afterlife.

Redditor u/RumHamCometh proposed the idea that Kylo would be redeemed, but only by sacrificing himself. And so Episode IX will end with Kylo reuniting with his uncle and grandfather as well as a quick peek at what the mysterious Jedi afterlife looks like.

It would make for a “really cool emotional saga-closing moment if Kylo sacrificed himself and then we got to see the afterlife that the Jedi live in rather than just their Force ghosts,” writes u/RumHamCometh.

Though we know that a Jedi afterlife does exist, the Star Wars franchise has never expounded upon what it exactly entails. Is it the Jedi version of heaven? Are the dead Jedi just relaxing and hanging out? We may never know, but this theory provides an intriguing perspective as to what that could look like.

The only thing we truly know about Jedis after death is that they can come back as Force ghosts — Luke has also been confirmed to return in Episode IX as a Force ghost. That’s basically all there is to know about the existence of such a place, but if there are ghosts then they have to have come from somewhere, right?

The redemption aspect might happen, but, if we’re being honest, the afterlife portion of this theory is far less likely. Even if Kylo is redeemed and dies sacrificing himself, how does he make it to the Jedi afterlife? Does his sacrifice absolve him of all previous transgressions? It might, especially if Darth Vader ultimately made his way there too.

Though it’s unclear if Kylo ever finished his Jedi training, the rules to get into the Jedi afterlife don’t necessarily state that someone had to become a Jedi Master to enter. After all, the afterlife, like any metaphysical concept, may not have very strict rules about who can and can’t be there. Still, Kylo would have to get to a point of wanting to help the Resistance instead of fighting them. The appearance of Luke’s Force ghost could help with that and might just be the thing that finally sets him on the right path.

The idea that Kylo ends up in a form of Jedi heaven would definitely end the new trilogy on a less somber note. Given that it’s the end of another saga, it’s unlikely the end of The Rise of Skywalker will be anything other than hopeful, and providing a glimpse into the Jedi afterlife would give fans something new to contemplate.

Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker hits theaters December 20, 2019.