J.J. Abrams Just Confirmed a Popular Fan Theory About Kylo Ren’s Helmet

Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker director J.J. Abrams recently spoke about Kylo Ren's notorious helmet, and as fans had suspected, it is more than just a Darth Vader-esque costume choice.

Nerdist reports that the helmet has been pictured in both trailers and advertisements with glowing red cracks. At first, many fans thought this was simply a nod at the fact that Kylo (played by Adam Driver) smashed the helmet in The Last Jedi, but theories then began forming about its deeper meaning.

Abrams explained to Empire why the villain decided to remake his helmet, saying:

“Having [Kylo Ren] be masked, but also fractured, is a very intentional thing. Like that classic Japanese process of taking ceramics and repairing them, and how the breaks in a way define the beauty of the piece as much as the original itself. As fractured as Ren is, the mask becomes a visual representation of that. There’s something about this that tells his history. His mask doesn’t ultimately hide him and his behavior is revealed.”

The ceramic process Abrams describes is a Japanese art form called “Kintsugi,” or “Kintsukuroi,” in which the artist repairs broken pottery by dusting the glue used to piece it back together in gold or silver. The intention is to include the damage as part of the piece’s valued history. This theory had been floating around the internet for the past few months by fans.

This could mean that Kylo Ren, a.k.a. Ben Solo, is damaged, but that there is still beauty and purpose to his overall history. If he ends up redeeming himself and going back to the light side of the Force, this metaphor will hold an even deeper significance.

I guess we will have to wait and find out if Ben will be put back together or stay broken as Kylo Ren when The Rise of Skywalker hits theaters Dec. 20.