'Star Wars 9' leaks say a dead character's surprise return redeems Kylo Ren

Kylo Ren’s redemption (or Bendemption, as fans have lovingly come to call it) is well on its way to becoming a reality in Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker. The idea of Kylo ditching the Dark side in favor of the Light has sparked numerous theories, including one suggesting that his refusal to kill his parents in a Star Wars comic stemmed from his incomplete conversion to the Dark side, meaning there may still be hope for Bendemption yet.

But who will help Kylo right his wrongs? It should come as little surprise that Rey has been a prominent figure in Bendemption speculation. Another theory claims Luke and Anakin’s Force ghosts will offer help to Kylo. However, a new leak implies that another character’s surprising return will help Kylo see the error of his ways.

Warning: Possible spoilers ahead for The Rise of Skywalker.

Over the weekend, Redditor u/JediPaxis, known for reputable pre-release spoilers, posted a lot of new information on the StarWarsLeaks subreddit regarding the second act of The Rise of Skywalker, including information about the surprising return of Han Solo, who Kylo killed in The Force Awakens.

According to JediPaxis, a vision of Han will visit Kylo, telling his son it’s “never too late to return to the light and make the right choice.” Apparently, this exchange prompts Kylo to give up the Dark side completely.

This sounds too easy, right? After all that Kylo has done — manipulating Rey to join the Dark side, killing his own father, abandoning his Jedi studies to join the First Order — you’d think that the road back towards the Light side of the Force would involve more than a visit from Ben Solo’s dead father.

However, if we’re to think more deeply about Kylo’s journey as a character (and the fact that he believed his Uncle Luke would betray and kill him), it’s easy to see how he was swayed toward the Dark side. While that doesn’t excuse his decision to kill his father, it makes sense that Han could be the one to convince him there’s still time to change his ways and do the right thing. Even in his last moments, the former captain of the Millennium Falcon tried to warn Kylo that Supreme Leader Snoke was just using him. He wasn’t thinking of his own safety but that of the son hell-bent on killing him.

Does Kylo feel remorse for killing his dad? Will he realize Han was correct not to trust Snoke? Han never stopped believing his son could change his ways and return home. Perhaps this scene in The Rise of Skywalker will parallel the moments prior to Han’s death in The Force Awakens, only this time Kylo will actually heed his father’s advice.

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