Hello friend!! It is I, Keeblo from ao3 ^v^ First, I wanna ask how you are doing? I hope all is well! Second, I couldn't possibly wait, so I just have to ask about your Star Wars head canons either in your universe or canon or both :O (Especially with Kylo and Hux, I mean, of course~)
Hey there! I’m doing well :3 thank you!
lol I have a lot of Star Wars headcanons, but for now, I’ll talk about the kylux ones since we’ve only interacted through the comments on my kylux fic XD
So, it was stated by J.J Abrams that he wanted Hux to have a tragic backstory - it might not be one we get to hear unfortunately, seeing as Hux is a secondary character (eveN THOUGH HE IS AMAZING AND I LOVE THAT EVIL TRASH CAN). He commented that he tried to bring that air of tragedy to Hux by making him look so young - sort of the same disarming effect of Kylo, but where Kylo looks harmless and wants to harm you, Hux is meant to look harmful - act the part of someone mightier than he feels he is, but really be rather empty inside. We’re meant to wonder, what happened to Hux? How did he rise to power so quickly? Why is he alone?
Domnhall Gleeson stated that he thinks a lot of the animosity between Kylo and Hux comes from the fact that Kylo was born with power and Hux “had to take it.” This sort of implies that, at some point, Hux was powerless. So powerless, he became fixated on gaining influence and that Kylo can be close in age to him and so cosmically more powerful is probably a real kick to the balls for whatever he’s been through to get to where he is.
Totally lacked a mother figure. I feel like he is looking for maternal approval (warmth and comfort - not to say that this is a strictly feminine trait, but I think it’s what he’s seeking and he doesn’t associate it with men) - but he is surrounded by angry, dangerous men. Probably the only people he has ever been around. He has no social skills or tools to connect to anyone on a deeper level, despite wanting to. And probably no skills or tools to admit that he wants to connect to someone emotionally.
He designed the stormtrooper program to avenge himself. With no mother figure and a father who is the Commandant of the First Order, I doubt he had much attention and was likely groomed from birth to be the man he is now. He sees himself as a success - he rose to power from nothing, and so he thinks deprivation and isolation are the keys to success. There is also something to be said about the taking of children in the Star Wars universe. It isn’t deemed wrong of the Jedi, but it is of all other establishments. (I know the First Order is supposed to be a gigantic mirror of the Nazi Regime - please believe me that as Jew and someone highly educated on WWII, I recognize this and I am in no way condoning or supportive of it.) My point being that Hux’s program seems a lot like that of the Jedi - take young, instill specific moral code, train physically and mentally to fit specific regime, produce whatever you name them - Jedi, Knights, Sith Lords, Stormtroopers, etc) then lather, rinse and repeat. I just think it’s an observation worth revisiting.
He is probably super bad ass in combat (and honestly, I would give my right arm to see him go hand-to-hand with Kylo because I think that’d be fucKIN LIT). My husband is a marine and once they complete combat training (which is about 4 months day-in and day-out) they’re legally considered a “deadly weapon.” Meaning, if my husband got in a bar fight and someone pressed charges against him, he’d be faced with the charge of “assault with a deadly weapon.” If in our world the marines are that bad ass, I get the feeling that the “Academy” of the Star Wars universe probably produces a lot of super soldiers.
He is great in combat, but better at strategy and psychological warfare. He comes off as an intellectual and he’s notably thinner than a lot of other characters - Phasma looks like she could break him in half over her knee. This gives me the idea that he’s a “don’t work harder, work smarter,” sort of guy.
I think he makes himself just as feared as Kylo - he just does it in the entirely opposite way. By lack of emotion, by biting his tongue, with some cold sideways glances and intimidating body language, he probably makes Mitaka shit himself in fear the same way Kylo does by smashing control panels in fits of rage. (I also tend to think Hux’s crew is probably /more/ scared of Hux than Kylo for that reason - Kylo’s anger is visible and loud, where Hux might just come out from the shadows in the night and fuckin take you out lol.)
If shown affection? I think Hux would react poorly at first. Someone so smart and strategic wouldn’t like being put in a situation where he has no idea how to act. He’d probably think it’s someone else’s own psychological attack on him. He’d be on-guard and tense, unwilling and unable to share himself in a meaningful way. (ahem, with Kylo, he’d never /have/ to say anything to be understood just sayinnnnn ;DDDDDDD)
Once Hux’s trust or faith is gained, it’s probably a delicate thing and a very big deal for him. He really only seems to think of himself as competent - he even questions the “Supreme Leader.” I think in their military and their world, Hux’s good word goes far.
Once someone falls out of his favor, they lose his favor forever. “Never forgive, never forget,” kinda guy.
I don’t think Hux is redeemable and I think he knows this as well. There’s a lot of emotion in Hux’s face when Starkiller destroys the Hosnian system. Pride, certainly - he made the most impressive weapon the galaxy has ever seen, but probably a lot of terror too. Because he’s made the most impressive weapon the galaxy has ever seen. Once he gave the green light to fire, I think he knew he was obliterating his humanity along with the planets he destroyed. So, if ever someone could thaw his heart and force him to feel, I think he’d be devastated by, not necessarily his actions, but the person he has been.
Kylo is canonically “grey” - he doesn’t fall toward Jedi or Sith. He is somewhere in between, it just so happens that what he wants can be better achieved through use of the Dark side of the Force. He also, in canon, doesn’t know that Anakin eventually redeemed himself and died Anakin Skywalker and not as Darth Vader - so a lot of his ideas about the Dark side of the Force are probably inserted and exaggerated by Snoke.
A lot of people see this scene (where he removes his helmet in front of Rey) as a manipulation tactic. Frankly, I don’t think Kylo is smart enough for that. He’s not that strategic. He’s not good at manipulation - he’s good at being a blunt weapon. I think his purpose in showing his face has more to do with no being defined as a “monster.” I don’t think he wants to be anything with all certainty. Also, canonically, Kylo’s eyes are supposed to be fairly intimidating and almost fanatic.
Adam Driver is an amazing actor for this role for several reasons, but he is someone who plays a lot of emotion through his eyes and that makes Kylo Ren.
I think he probably resents Han and Leia for a couple reasons; they probably argued a lot, making a tense home for a child who already seems predisposed to disordered personality and mind (I think Kylo shows a lot of BPD symptoms, but I can’t even get into that tangent rn), I think Han made a habit of not being home, which made his connection to Han weak at best. I think Leia may have been worried by how much power and connection with the Force Kylo had as a child and so, hid some information from him (like the useful parts of the Dark side of the Force, the ones that aren’t necessarily evil or harmful). I think they sent him to Luke having let him grow way too old to become a Jedi, so he ended up even more socially isolated than the social isolation Jedi training already demands and he blames them for his failure to appease Luke or control his power.
I think Kylo resents his own power. He seems angry, but not at anyone or anything in particular, besides Luke. Luke was supposed to teach him how to control his powers, educate him and protect him. While I am positive Luke tried his hardest to do those things, Kylo was probably beyond help in the realm of controlling his powers by the time he reached Luke, Luke hid useful information from him as well and clearly did not protect him from the creepy predator that is Snoke. (Important to remember that Kylo was 15 when he killed all those kids in an effort to “kill” Ben Solo - Kylo clearly feels too much emotion to be a sociopath, so the only explanation that remains is that he was and still is being highly emotionally manipulated.) So, I think that Kylo feels burdened by his own powers - he wants others to fear him and respect him, but without control, being torn between having to choose the Light or the Dark, it’s probably constant torture.
Was probably shown a lot of love by Luke, Han and Leia, but couldn’t see it for what it was. When he could sense they were all lying to him or hiding things from him, it would give him reason to believe he was unwelcome in the family, unappreciated and unloved. Little kids are highly susceptible to covert behaviors. Even if all of them were “careful” about handling Ben, odds are, none of them knew what he really needed or how to safely give him what he needed to feel loved and supported.
He was probably put through a lot of difficult training with Luke and then, once he was psychologically groomed and essentially brainwashed by Snoke, I’m positive that he went on to go through really horrific training that he is not emotionally immune to. One of the reasons I think he looks so intense when he’s basically begging Rey to let him teach her the ways of the Force, is that he doesn’t want to be alone in his struggles anymore. I think he wants an ally (*cough cough* HUX *cough cough*) and he sees promise in Rey and if Rey can control her powers, there’s hope for him. I think that’s what was really going on here:
When he says, “you need a teacher,” it’s so desperate. It’s like, “accept me or I’ll have to kill you, but if you come with me you won’t be alone like I was.” I think Kylo’s character is inherently tragic. I get a lot of feels for him. I did for Anakin too - I’m a sucker for these too-powerful-too-emotional Skywalkers lmao
These are just fun things to put in your brain.
Kylo enjoying Hux’s mind as a place to escape his own chaotic one.
Kylo using Force Horror or Force Insanity on anyone who harms Hux.
Kylo being the one to first kiss Hux - not even passionately that first kiss. He’d be able to sense how frightened and unsure Hux is at this show of affection and it’d be a tender, sweet thing that neither of them would know how to deal with.
Hux being a better teacher of control than Snoke.
Hux allowing Kylo to follow him around the ship, shadowing him wherever he goes until anyone who’s looking for Kylo just needs to find Hux and anyone looking for Hux just needs to find Kylo.
Kylo speaking directly into Hux’s mind during meetings to say snarky, annoying shit and Hux indulging him and the two of them just silently talking shit about everyone else in the room.
Kylo needing praise, validation and some degree of flattery regularly and it being an addictive high for him when he receives that from Hux.
Both of them willing to kill and die for each other, but no one else.
Kylo vowing to protect Hux. /WEEPING/
Kylo never finished regular primary schooling, so - Hux teaching Kylo some common knowledge and begrudgingly finding it endearing when Kylo has no idea about some major historical event.
Hux asking Kylo to use mind tricks on his officers and troopers when he’s bored.
Hux understanding the ebb and flow of Kylo’s disorders and remaining supportive, grounding Kylo when he needs it basically just still loving Kylo and all his BPDness
Kylo and Hux not being able to spar in hand-to-hand combat because things get super physical and steamy too quickly.
Kylo going off on some important mission that might be super dangerous and Hux giving Kylo his dog tags to wear for good luck.
Kylo levitating and shaking things around the room in his sleep, but if Hux whispers to him or even just pets his hair or touches his chest gently, it all stops and Kylo calms down in his sleep.
Hux being contradictory for the sake of being contradictory and loving how easy it is to rile Kylo up.
Hux showing disgust and disdain for anyone that comes within three feet of him, but allowing Kylo to standing shoulder-to-shoulder with him.
Kylo instinctively holding Hux’s hand when he sleeps.
Kylo’s dry sense of humor making Hux laugh and Hux’s laughter being contagious and the fact that Kylo can make Hux laugh giving Kylo a feeling of accomplishment and joy.
Both of them yelling at Mitaka.
Both being obsessed with the other’s hair.
The first time Kylo sees Hux in his most formal uniform with all of his medals pinned to his chest, asking about how he got all of them and giving Hux an ego boost he definitely doesn’t need.
Hux being the first to admit to being in love with Kylo and Kylo never having thought being loved was a possibility, being shocked by the admission and needing time to process it before finally being like ‘oh shit wait omg no i love you too???? this is awful oh god i’m in love with you and you’re terrible’ and Hux would be like ‘you are also terrible. this is a nightmare.’ But whatever is terrible about the both of them are things they both love about one another and i am groSS.
Kylo hugging Hux from behind and propping his head over Hux’s shoulder.
Hux adoring Kylo’s scar and being fixated on his beauty marks.
Kylo forging their wedding bands for when he proposes.
Hux and Kylo bathing together and both their long legs making it difficult, but they’re able to laugh about it.
Kylo killing Snoke, not for the sake of anyone or any cause, but to avenge some sort of attempt on Hux’s life.
Kylo wanting to run away with Hux and Hux being willing to leave all his life, identity and success behind if it means getting to spend the rest of his natural life with Kylo.
Kylo being passionate and heady and constantly flustering Hux, who, even years into a relationship with Kylo, doesn’t stop blushing whenever Kylo touches him of kisses him.
Things in the room shaking, levitating or breaking whenever they have emotionally intense sex and Hux knowing that’s dangerous, but really loving the thrill of making Kylo lose control and focus of his powers to that degree.
Kylo and Hux actually finding happiness in one another. Like. Real happiness. And never needing anyone else because they have each other and that’s all they need or want.
titsay
baratheonpilled
romaincrisis
andulkaphoto
kianamaiart
stormborns
