Who all has read The Force Awakens novelization?

Anything truly impressive from Kylo Ren? The blaster bolt freezing feat did seem like a pretty advanced force technique, but that doesn't even put him anywhere near Ventress level, who easily used the force to actually redirect several blaster bolts while being fired at by dozens of battle droids (Dark Disciple).

What's with all the hype surrounding Rey? Is it just me or was Kylo less impressive than she was impressive, despite years of force training.

Originally posted by SIDIOUS 66
but that doesn't even put him anywhere near Ventress level, who easily used the force to actually redirect several blaster bolts while being fired at by dozens of battle droids (Dark Disciple).

She did? I've read the novel but don't remember that. You have the quote?

^^Tbh

And in the novel Ren deflects Rey's lightsaber attacks with the Force:

"The weapon went flying into the snow. Unarmed, he raised a hand and utilized the Force to fend off one slashing blow after another, until finally her fury penetrated his remaining defenses."

Not sure what else.

EDIT: Found the DD feat:

With their master otherwise occupied on the other side of the bridge, the remaining droids opened fire freely. Dozens of bolts streaked toward Ventress and Kenobi. Calmly, Ventress batted back some with her lightsaber; the others she simply redirected using the Force. Three more droids fell, twitching and sparking.

Meh, sounds like she just deflected them with her hand/tutanimis.

Honestly, freezing the bolt seems more impressive to me then redirecting several. But Ventress is probably the better fighter between the two (though Kylo likely has more raw power).

Originally posted by Beniboybling
^^Tbh

And in the novel Ren deflects Rey's lightsaber attacks with the Force:

"The weapon went flying into the snow. Unarmed, he raised a hand and utilized the Force to fend off one slashing blow after another, until finally her fury penetrated his remaining defenses."

Not sure what else.

^This is Ren's sole saving grace for now tbh

Stopping a blaster bolt with TK is hardly impressive

Either they're largely kinetic energy in how they dispense destruction... in which case any Jedi that can block them has the striking power to match said kinetic energy

Or?

They're largely not kinetic energy and halting the momentum of such a Force is unimpressive regardless

Nice reflexes, that's about all you get from this though

Originally posted by ares834
Honestly, freezing the bolt seems more impressive to me then redirecting several. But Ventress is probably the better fighter between the two (though Kylo likely has more raw power).

Not to me, as she would actually have to stop the bolts in their tracks before reaching her and then redirect it. She'd actually have to move the energy rather than putting a barrier.

Good grief guys, I'm too lazy. Give me a bit. If I don't find it today then I'll find it by tomorrow.

Originally posted by ChaosTheory123
^This is Ren's sole saving grace for now tbh

Stopping a blaster bolt with TK is hardly impressive

Either they're largely kinetic energy in how they dispense destruction... in which case any Jedi that can block them has the striking power to match said kinetic energy

Or?

They're largely not kinetic energy and halting the momentum of such a Force is unimpressive regardless

Nice reflexes, that's about all you get from this though

Though to what extent he generated a general stasis field I can't say.

@S66, I edited the Ventress feat into my above post.

Originally posted by Beniboybling
Energy expended isn't everything though, I'd imagine it demanded a great deal of precision, and therefore concentration. The fact that Kylo is able to muster to effect a target travelling at sublight speeds is very impresssive.

Precision is fun until you remember random Jedi Knights in the Legends EU are trained to TK shit as small as oxygen molecules one by one to fill a bottle as a training exercise

The Jedi Path ladies and gentlemen :lmao

Speed I'll grant you, but in terms of precision its even larger in size than a Force Choke's surface area of coverage

Mmm, fair enough.

However there is remains the fact he was able to maintain it without concentration or even proximity.

Originally posted by Beniboybling
^^Tbh

And in the novel Ren deflects Rey's lightsaber attacks with the Force:

"The weapon went flying into the snow. Unarmed, he raised a hand and utilized the Force to fend off one slashing blow after another, until finally her fury penetrated his remaining defenses."

Not sure what else.

EDIT: Found the DD feat:

With their master otherwise occupied on the other side of the bridge, the remaining droids opened fire freely. Dozens of bolts streaked toward Ventress and Kenobi. Calmly, Ventress batted back some with her lightsaber; the others she simply redirected using the Force. Three more droids fell, twitching and sparking.

Meh, sounds like she just deflected them with her hand/tutanimis.

Yeah, that's it.

I disagree. The writer made no mention of her hand as she did the lightsaber. Both techniques require some manipulation of the force, so why mention lightsaber but hand, if she was indeed using her hand? It seems she relied purely on the force for bolts she wouldn't have been capable of deflecting had they actually made contact.

Welcome back.

Originally posted by ChaosTheory123
^This is Ren's sole saving grace for now tbh

Stopping a blaster bolt with TK is hardly impressive

Either they're largely kinetic energy in how they dispense destruction... in which case any Jedi that can block them has the striking power to match said kinetic energy

Or?

They're largely not kinetic energy and halting the momentum of such a Force is unimpressive regardless

Nice reflexes, that's about all you get from this though

No. To all of this. If Kylo merely halted the blaster bolt with TK it wouldn't have proceeded to move again after he released it.

Originally posted by SIDIOUS 66
Not to me, as she would actually have to stop the bolts in their tracks before reaching her and then redirect it. She'd actually have to move the energy rather than putting a barrier.

What?

Originally posted by Beniboybling
Mmm, fair enough.

However there is remains the fact he was able to maintain it without concentration or even proximity.

The latter is fair enough too

The feat itself in terms of how impressive it is probably falls somewhere inbetween both of our initial interpretations at any rate

Originally posted by ares834
No. To all of this. If Kylo merely halted the blaster bolt with TK it wouldn't have proceeded to move again after he released it.

Oh

You're right

I was just ignoring that for the sake of even trying to label it at all

Unless the novel indicates he accelerates it again anyway

The sequence is ****ing nonsense though without such a stipulation barring some unhinted localized time stop

Originally posted by SIDIOUS 66
Yeah, that's it.

I disagree. The writer made no mention of her hand as she did the lightsaber. Both techniques require some manipulation of the force, so why mention lightsaber but hand, if she was indeed using her hand? It seems she relied purely on the force for bolts she wouldn't have been capable of deflecting had they actually made contact.

However I agree with Ares, tbh all that would be required here would be to exert enough telekinetic force on the bolt to throw it off course. She wouldn't have had to stop it in its tracks, and manually change its direction, just hit it essentially with the Force.

Originally posted by ChaosTheory123
The sequence is ****ing nonsense though without such a stipulation barring some unhinted localized time stop

Originally posted by Beniboybling

EDIT: Found the DD feat:

With their master otherwise occupied on the other side of the bridge, the remaining droids opened fire freely. Dozens of bolts streaked toward Ventress and Kenobi. Calmly, Ventress batted back some with her lightsaber; the others she simply redirected using the Force. Three more droids fell, twitching and sparking.

Meh, sounds like she just deflected them with her hand/tutanimis.

Interesting..

Thank you, Skillz. How much did you miss me?

Originally posted by ares834
What?

It shouldn't be any different than Yoda stopping objects thrown at him by Sidious or Dooku before redirected elsewhere.

Originally posted by Beniboybling
However I agree with Ares, tbh all that would be required here would be to exert enough telekinetic force on the bolt to throw it off course. She wouldn't have had to stop it in its tracks, and manually change its direction, just hit it essentially with the Force.

Yeah, that could be it. I just got the 'magneto redirecting bullets vibe' when I first read it. Plus that, she is a master level in an era far more advanced in regards to force usage. I mean, we can assume that wouldn't apply to Kylo since he is being trained by someone who comes from less primitive era (again, in regards to the force), but then again Kylo wasn't even shown doing basic force physicality, other than speed, that would even put him on someone such as the 7th sisters level, but then we see him doing force stunts that seem pretty advanced. I know that being a Skywalker, he's stronger than most, but that wasn't a showing of sheer raw power, but rather a showing of refinement as you said, which isn't what I got from his character.

Originally posted by Beniboybling
I think its the same technique he uses to paralyze Rey later in the film, which in the novel is described as actually freezing her muscles and slowing her breathing etc. seems Kylo can create some kind of energy field or effect that freezes matter...

Ah, I missed this post. Perhaps he is more refined than depicted in the movie, as he seems to lack control over himself (even his lightsaber is falling apart lol jk). Maybe I should just read the novel then.

Then again, she isn't trained, so complete control over her body shouldn't be difficult.

BTW, sorry for the triple posts.