For me, a Kylo Ren redemption arc is so much more than a chance for Reylo to happen, and I’m sick of antis saying that’s the only reason we want that to happen.
Kylo Ren is realistic portrayal of an abuse victim. He’s not a timid little boy who’s been broken by his abuser or a valiant champion fighting to save others from what he endured, but he’s angry, hurt, confused, he lashes out, and he’s trapped. His ability to trust has been broken by the realization that his family’s lied to him and by that being exploited by his abuser. He’s desperate for some sort of control in his life to make up for the skewed power dynamic he’s suffered because of. He’s not an ideal survivor, but a realistic victim.
He’s done bad things, but the circumstances surrounding his actions aren’t entirely black and white. He’s been influenced by Snoke for a lot of it, and there could have been a million different triggers for his decision to kill Han, from mercy killing to fear of Snoke himself. We don’t entirely know what’s going on with Ren, but we have plenty of subtext to work with.
Snoke is an abuser. He’s been haunting Ren since his birth. He’s lied to Ren, exploited his pain and insecurities, turned him against his family, made him give up his name, and, this you can see in TFA, has tried to isolate him. Snoke is an actual abuser and an actual villain. He’s manipulative, dishonest, and cruel. To our knowledge Ren has never lied, he’s shown mercy, and he’s proven to be straightforward, if also erratic and irrational.
Snoke is the one I want to see destroyed. The creepy bastard deserves it. But Kylo Ren, the man who’s been tormented since fetal development, lied to by his family, forced to give up his own name, isolated from those who actually care about him, used for a goal he might not actually agree with, and abused by an alien with pale pink skin and a fucked up face, that’s the man I want to see saved. It’s not because I want to see him kiss and cuddle Rey, it’s because I want to see an abuse victim who’s shown the ugly effects abuse has on person, work past his trauma and recover. I want to see him get revenge on his abuser, and I want to see him get better.
The galaxy deserves Order. The galaxy? It deserves Supreme Leader