Kylo getting hit by Chewie. Sure.
Kylo holding the bolt after killing the old man. Eh.
I just prefer other demonstrations of Force power that feels more consistent with what I know of it and has been shown of it. To add to that, the Force seemed more interesting as an idea of "skill", something that even Force sensitive people had to become more skilled at using, to hone their natural ability more effectively rather than straight a contest of power levels.
That's still the case. When talking about Jedi. For the Sith or Dark Side of the force, it is different.
And to that train of thought, how is Kylo Ren's skill shown when his ability justification is through some emotional story beats and a non-trained Force user can kick his ass with a weapon she's never touched before? Is every Force user the Star Wars Hulk now, where it's all about anger and emotion rather than skill and training?
Rey adapted her own stick fighting style that she has used to survive all on her own to a Lightsaber. You can see the way she awkwardly thrusts and swings it.
Plus its a sword. We all know how to use a sword. And even though the weapons are different, Rey has the skill and the coordination to use the lightsaber to defend herself. She wasn't doing anything advanced. She was fighting about the same as Finn.
But still,
the Lightsaber is a Jedi's weapon, but it doesn't define a Jedi's true power.
Her skill in beating Kylo, who was wounded mentally and physically,
had more to do with her getting over her fear and remaining calm and relying on her already honed fighting ability, more than the Force "making her win".
That calmness allowed her to tap into the Force. The same thing Yoda stresses to Luke thru out his whole training sequence.
A portion of Yoda's own words in ESB:
Yoda: Yes, run! Yes, a Jedi's strength flows from the Force. But beware of the dark side.
Anger, fear, aggression; the dark side of the Force are they. Easily they flow, quick to join you in a fight. If once you start down the dark path, forever will it dominate your destiny, consume you it will, as it did Obi-Wan's apprentice.
Luke: Vader...
Is the dark side stronger?
Yoda:
No, no, no. Quicker, easier, more seductive.
Luke: But how am I to know the good side from the bad?
Yoda:
You will know... when you are calm, at peace, passive. A Jedi uses the Force for knowledge and defense, NEVER for attack.
This is in the OT and gives a glimpse into what Kylo is going thru and able to achieve, and why he probably chose the Dark Side over the Force.
This observation/speculation about Kylo's possible journey down the Dark path seems plausible and gives reason why he isn't consistent with his abilities.
What drives Kylo is fear. He is afraid that he is weak. He is afraid that he can't live up to his legendary parents and grandparents. He is afraid of people looking down on him, and seeing him for the nervous weakling that he is. So he clings to the idea that the Dark Side gives power. Following the legacy of Darth Vader and commanding armies of Stormtroopers gives him feelings of power and confidence he never felt as the son of Rebel heroes. However, he still can't escape his own fear and anxiety, especially since he still has a lingering conscience. So he gets trapped in an endless cycle of anxiety.
But don't confuse going over to the Dark Side as having to become an emotional wreck. Kylo is at his most cruel yet calm when he kills the old man which allows him to "hold" the blaster in place.
Although I too don't want this to turn into DBZ, Force Unleashed levels of absurdity, I feel that a force "hold" is a natural evolution of the Force. The Force is a living breathing thing, and its only natural for a new generation of Jedi and Sith a like to discover new ways/techniques/skills of using it. Especially if they are gifted/seduced by the Force/Dark Side.
Again I don't want this to turn into DBZ, Force Unleashed levels of absurdity, but Push, Pull, "Hold" doesn't seem like that big of a stretch when thinking about someone who didn't grow up in the Golden age of the Jedi, using their imagination to come up with new skills/techniques. The Force is a living breathing thing, and its only natural for a new generation of Jedi and Sith a like to discover new or just more complex ways ways of using it. Especially if they are gifted.
But it's alright if you feel that crosses the line.
I'll be right there with you if they throw a Kamehameha blast.
I may cheer for a second, but then I'll be like
