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In Star Wars: The Force Awakens, before the battle between Kylo Ren and Rey we watch Kylo trying to force pull Luke's blue lightsaber but without success. Now, in The Last Jedi, Kylo uses the Force to move Luke's Lightsaber and

kills Supreme Leader Snoke.

What has changed and why can Kylo move the lightsaber now?

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  • 1
    Hmm, interesting. It's probably because previously, it was in contention with Rey; whereas now, it's 'free' to go to Kylo.
    – Möoz
    Jan 2, 2018 at 1:21
  • 3
    He was obviously more trained this time and he could concentrate better and there was nobody to oppose his action.
    – user931
    Jan 2, 2018 at 2:43
  • I am with @Bat - At the end of TFA Snoke even instructs them to bring Kylo to him to finish his training. I assumed that between the two movies Kylo had been given more training and was therefore "stronger with the Dark Side of the Force" - And it was possibly easier given that he did not need to pull the saber out of anything as well.
    – Odin1806
    Jan 2, 2018 at 3:04
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    In addition to being shot in the stomach, Kylo is also in quite an emotional turmoil after the recent murder during the duel in the forest, at least according to Snoke in TLJ. Snoke said that that was the real reason Kylo was as weak as he was during that fight. I don't know how much we can trust Snoke, but it seems like a reasonable claim.
    – Arthur
    Jan 2, 2018 at 9:18
  • Maybe it's like Thor's Hammer. Lightsaber is like "Oh? You're doing THAT? Ok you can move me..." Jan 11, 2018 at 3:27

2 Answers 2

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The implication was that Rey was somehow blocking him through her own efforts to move the hilt. Note his surprise that an object so small doesn't come on command.

The exertion actually causes him physical pain which in turn weakens his Force abilities to the point that Rey can overpower him and call the lightsaber to her.

He retracted his blade, turned, and reached out a hand for Finn’s lightsaber.

The hilt wobbled in the snow. Pulling it through the Force proved more strenuous than it should. The pain of Ren’s wound clouded his concentration.

Star Wars: The Force Awakens - Junior Novelisation

Spoilers for Last Jedi:

Obviously when he's in Snoke's chamber there's no opposing force, at least not initially. When he later contests Rey for the hilt (this time without an injury to distract him) they end up rending it in twain.

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    How odd. One would expect a Dark Side user to be empowered by pain, not distracted.
    – Ketura
    Jan 2, 2018 at 19:58
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    @Ketura - Except that he's a bit crap at the whole "being evil" thing
    – Valorum
    Jan 2, 2018 at 22:03
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    Obligatory "in twain" reference. Jan 3, 2018 at 4:26
-5

The lightsaber just liked Kylo more in The Last Jedi. In The Force Awakens, he was doing evil things: killing Han, severely wounding Finn, throwing Rey. Whereas Rey was on the right side of things.

In The Last Jedi, Kylo wanted to use the lightsaber to save Rey, so it cooperated. In fact, when Kylo and Rey fought over the lightsaber later, it couldn't decide whom to go to, and so split in half.

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    This reads like a load of made up waffle, is there anything you can find in any canon that suggests that lightsabers can "like" someone or something?!
    – Edlothiad
    Apr 4, 2018 at 5:02
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    Are you suggesting "the lightsaber chooses the Jedi"??
    – scott
    Apr 4, 2018 at 15:48
  • @scott I think Olivan... cough... Maz said and now it calls to you! So apparently they do. And Kyber crystals also seem to call to the younglings looking for their first one to make a lightsaber (as seen in clone wars).
    – BlackThorn
    Apr 4, 2018 at 17:13
  • 1
    Someone has been reading too much Harry Potter Jun 11, 2018 at 14:00

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