Who is your favorite bad guy? *SW7 Spoilers* (Destiny)

by CruelLEGACEY , Toronto, Tuesday, February 09, 2016, 15:38 (3017 days ago) @ Durandal

I think he's a pretty good character who happens to be the antagonist.

As a proper foil for the heroine of the movie, he fails. Measured against any of the other characters he doesn't seem intimidating much at all, and certainly doesn't seem like as big a challenge to overcome. It's bad enough Rei is just a mary sue pilot/mechanic/fighter who multiclasses into Jedi master half way into the film and our plucky POV stormtrooper is lovably incompetent, but their interactions with Ren are like a videogame cutscene where you would wipe the floor with some mooks but because it's a cutscene you lose to one blow to the head or something.

Darth Vader is never seen at a disadvantage in a fight until Revenge of the Jedi. He never seems troubled by Kenobi in III, and only gets shot by Han because he's focused on Luke. In Empire he pretty much kicks everyone's butt. Going up against Vader, or even failing him, is a serious proposition that adds tension and gravitas to the plot.

The latest movie needed someone similar. Phantoma could have been the icy competent Boba Fett, but she gets all of two lines and is never used to good effect. There was really no one to be afraid of.

There's so much more to Ren. First of all, the guy is clearly a powerhouse. Freezing blaster fire in mid air? Taking a shot in the gut from Chewie's bowcaster and not only surviving, but running out into the freezing cold and fighting for his life in a saber duel? Remember how we spent half the movie watching Chewie's bowcaster obliterate things? That was on purpose. They were making a point of how freaking powerful that gun is. So when we see Kylo get hit and not drop dead instantly, we understand it is taking some serious power and control of the force just to keep his guts inside his body. It's very obvious. The movie just expects the audience to pay attention.

What makes that final battle so brilliant is that all 3 main characters come out of that scene looking better, even though 2 of them get their butts kicked. Fin stands alone against the person he fears most. Ren shows his determination and strength, fighting through an injury that should have killed him. And Rey takes a major step towards accepting and understanding her power. (Side note: your use of the term "Marry Sue" really bothers me here. We've seen plenty of male characters in Star Wars and other franchises make great leaps in power. But because Rey is female you can't accept it? Not cool.)

Finally, when it comes to Ren's bursts of rage... Yes, he is losing control. But if you think Vader never lost control, you're fooling yourself. Vader killed subordinates at the drop of a hat, often for reasons beyond their control. Anytime anything went wrong, someone gets force-choked. But look at when Ren loses his temper; when he realizes that Fin had made off with BB8. When Rey escapes her cell. Both events were directly his own fault, and he knows it. He sensed something was up with Fin, right at the start of the movie, but does nothing about it. He left Rey in her cell with just a single guard after he realized how powerful she was. He is consumed by rage due to his own failures, his own lack of perfection. And that drives him. It motivates him to make himself "better". It's what pushes him to kill his own father, despite the conflict he feels. THAT is what makes him such a fantastic antagonist. It's not that he's the most powerful or established. Precisely the opposite. We're watching a character who is in the process of becoming more than they already are. To me, that is far more interesting than Vader ever was.