Star Wars: The Last Jedi - What The Ending Really Means

8. Supreme Leader Kylo Ren

He may waver in his convictions, but Kylo Ren merely fulfils the destiny of every apprentice (at least on the Dark Side) by destroying his master and taking his place. At first, it appears that he is genuinely turning and that the conflict within him has pushed him back to the Light Side, but his agenda is still a fundamentally dark one - he wants to rule, wiping out his enemies (and that includes his own past allegiances that he can't use to his benefit).

By the end of the movie, Ren has ascended to the position of Supreme Leader, commanding the First Order's army and insisting on General Hux's allegiance, while seeking to wipe out the Resistance, the Jedi AND the Sith. In the end, he seems to follow his former master Luke's manifesto to redefine how the universe is balanced, but he can't remove himself from the picture as Luke intended to.

Whether his conflict still exists will be a matter of debate for the next couple of years, but given that Snoke could (mostly) read his mind and saw resolve where there was once conflict seems to suggest he's moved on from his emotional turmoil. Then again, having him follow Vader's path and find his way to the Light Side at the end of Episode IX would be another of those infamous Star Wars rhymes.