Kylo Ren, Calligraphy and Bushido
Lots of fans have noticed that Ben Solo was into calligraphy. A random hobby it may seem, but I have a feeling this was quite deliberate and inspired by historical figures like Yamaoka Tesshu. I think this is also a clue as to what kind of school Luke had formed.
The art of calligraphy is called Shodo in Japanese, and it’s relationship with martial arts is profound and long-standing. A samurai’s education was not considered complete without it, and several famous swordsmen were also equally famous for their calligraphy (and the samurai influence on the Jedi cannot be overstated) To be a master of the sword, one needed to be a master of the brush - these were equally important skills. Each brush stroke had to be perfectly executed - there was no going back to touch up your work - it was about training to be decisive and accurate. It required a certain kind of serene, meditative state, and your mental/spiritual state would be revealed in the marks you made.
If i were to guess, I’d say Ben’s calligraphy set was a gift from Luke. I’d guess Luke was running quite a traditional kind of academy with an emphasis on the spiritual and religious side of the force. Many of his students were probably encouraged to practice calligraphy/music/art/etc. I feel that just this little glimpse into Ben’s jedi training regime hints that the filmmakers have returned to some of the old samurai influences as a model for how Luke envisioned his new jedi order to conduct itself.
^A rare example of the young Ben Solo’s penmanship for his master.
