Where did the Ben Solo Challenge come from?

TikTok user @mikelovestheshrug created the first video on January 6, 2020, and shared it to Twitter under the handle @testtube27, where it went viral[4].

What does the Ben Solo Challenge mean?

The challenge celebrates a specific moment of casual confidence from the film, with the shrug seen as an homage to Han Solo's similar body language, symbolizing that Ben had fully returned to the Light Side[9].

How do you use the Ben Solo Challenge?

Reach behind your back, slowly reveal a weapon or any object, look at it, shrug, and charge into battle. Lightsabers work, but so does literally anything else[6].

Is the Ben Solo Challenge still popular?

The challenge was a brief, intense trend in January 2020 and had mostly run its course within a few weeks. It is no longer actively trending[5].

Who started the #BenSoloChallenge hashtag?

While @mikelovestheshrug created the first video and coined the phrase, Twitter user @JakeFromYavin is credited with attaching the formal #BenSoloChallenge hashtag to his own widely shared version[4].

Why is the shrug so important in the Ben Solo Challenge?

The shrug mirrors a gesture Han Solo made in *Return of the Jedi*, creating a father-son callback. As the challenge creator told TIME, "The shrug is just such a Han Solo-Harrison Ford moment"[9].

Do you need a lightsaber to do the Ben Solo Challenge?

No. Participants used wine glasses, brooms, ketchup bottles, fly swatters, plungers, Thor's hammer replicas, Girl Scout cookie boxes, and a cardboard cutout of Adam Driver[1][6].

Was there a previous Adam Driver meme challenge?

Yes. The #KyloRenChallenge in 2017 was inspired by Ben Solo's shirtless scene in *The Last Jedi*, kicked off by a selfie from singer John Mayer[7].

How did the Ben Solo Challenge relate to fan reactions to The Rise of Skywalker?

The challenge creator said he launched it to counter the negativity around the film, focusing on "a moment that seems to be universally loved"[9]. Other participants said it helped them process grief over Ben Solo's death in the movie[9].

Ben Solo Challenge

Q: What is the Ben Solo Challenge?

The Ben Solo Challenge is a viral video trend where people recreate the moment Ben Solo pulls a lightsaber from behind his back and shrugs before fighting the Knights of Ren in *Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker*[2].

2020Social media challenge / participatory video memedead

Also known as: Ben Solo Shrug Challenge · #BenSoloChallenge

Ben Solo Challenge is a 2020 TikTok trend started by @mikelovestheshrug where fans recreate Ben Solo's shrug-and-lightsaber pull from The Rise of Skywalker with everyday objects.

The Ben Solo Challenge is a viral social media trend from January 2020 where Star Wars fans recreated the moment Ben Solo pulls a lightsaber from behind his back and shrugs before fighting the Knights of Ren in *Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker*. Started by TikTok user @mikelovestheshrug on January 6, 2020, the #BenSoloChallenge spread rapidly across Twitter and TikTok, with participants using everything from actual lightsabers to brooms, wine glasses, and baguettes as stand-ins9.

star wars challenge memes participatory video memes 2020 memes fandom hype memes

Overview

The Ben Solo Challenge asks participants to mimic a specific moment from the climax of *Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker*. The move has two parts: first, slowly reveal a weapon (or any object) from behind your back, then deliver a casual, nonchalant shrug before pretending to charge into battle2. The shrug is the key. It's the part that sold the scene in the movie and the part that makes or breaks the challenge attempt.

What made the challenge so accessible was that participants didn't need a real lightsaber. Fans grabbed kitchen brooms, bottles of ketchup, glasses of wine, fly swatters, plungers, and even a cardboard cutout of Adam Driver himself6. One participant used a Girl Scout cookie box. Another pulled out Thor's hammer Mjölnir1. The only real requirement was committing to the shrug.

On December 20, 2019, *Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker* hit theaters4. Near the film's climax on the Sith planet Exegol, a redeemed Ben Solo faces his former bodyguards, the Knights of Ren, without a weapon. Rey uses their Force bond to teleport one of her lightsabers to him. Ben reaches behind his back, finds the saber, and gives a quick, cocky shrug before decimating his opponents9. Fans immediately latched onto the shrug as the best moment in an otherwise polarizing film5.

On January 6, 2020, a TikTok user going by @mikelovestheshrug uploaded a video of himself recreating the lightsaber-reveal-and-shrug combo. The TikTok only picked up about 30 likes4. But when he shared the same video to Twitter under his handle @testtube27 with the caption "I now present the #BenSoloChallenge #StarWars," things took off fast, pulling in over 11,400 likes and 1,600 retweets within a day4.

That same day, Twitter user @JakeFromYavin posted his own version and attached the hashtag #BenSoloChallenge, earning over 15,700 likes and 2,300 retweets in 24 hours4. His version was particularly popular because, as Mike later told TIME, "He actually looks quite a lot like Adam Driver so his has been really popular. It's actually got more views than mine, which I'm not bitter about"9.

Origin & Background

Platform

TikTok (first video), Twitter (viral spread)

Key People

@mikelovestheshrug / @testtube27, @JakeFromYavin

Date

2020

On December 20, 2019, *Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker* hit theaters. Near the film's climax on the Sith planet Exegol, a redeemed Ben Solo faces his former bodyguards, the Knights of Ren, without a weapon. Rey uses their Force bond to teleport one of her lightsabers to him. Ben reaches behind his back, finds the saber, and gives a quick, cocky shrug before decimating his opponents. Fans immediately latched onto the shrug as the best moment in an otherwise polarizing film.

On January 6, 2020, a TikTok user going by @mikelovestheshrug uploaded a video of himself recreating the lightsaber-reveal-and-shrug combo. The TikTok only picked up about 30 likes. But when he shared the same video to Twitter under his handle @testtube27 with the caption "I now present the #BenSoloChallenge #StarWars," things took off fast, pulling in over 11,400 likes and 1,600 retweets within a day.

That same day, Twitter user @JakeFromYavin posted his own version and attached the hashtag #BenSoloChallenge, earning over 15,700 likes and 2,300 retweets in 24 hours. His version was particularly popular because, as Mike later told TIME, "He actually looks quite a lot like Adam Driver so his has been really popular. It's actually got more views than mine, which I'm not bitter about".

How It Spread

The challenge blew up on January 6 and 7, 2020, with #BenSoloChallenge trending on Twitter. One of the most beloved entries came from user @ObiwanxKannoli, who posted a video captioned "The #BenSoloChallenge from a tiny sick Ben Solo who wanted to join in," showing a small child doing the shrug with a Galaxy's Edge lightsaber taller than herself. That post pulled over 11,000 likes and 1,500 retweets in a day.

Major entertainment outlets picked up the story almost immediately. HuffPost, NME, TIME, Metro, CinemaBlend, and others ran features on the trend within 48 hours of its launch. By January 7, the challenge had earned coverage from outlets across the English-speaking world and beyond, with entries arriving from Russia and other countries.

The fan account @KyloIsSad posted a side-by-side comparison of Ben Solo's shrug with a GIF of Han Solo doing the same gesture in *Return of the Jedi*, drawing attention to the father-son parallel that gave the moment its emotional weight. As Mike explained to TIME, "The shrug is just such a Han Solo-Harrison Ford moment and seeing someone as talented as Adam Driver do that...it's such a spot-on impression of that moment and that character".

The challenge also attracted participants who initially felt excluded. One widely shared post read: "At first I thought, 'I'm too old/fat/ugly/boring/etc' to join the #BenSoloChallenge, and then I did it anyway, because Star Wars fandom is for everyone". Mike told TIME he had deliberately launched the challenge to push back against negativity in the Star Wars fandom: "I wanted to take a moment that seems to be universally loved...take that moment and just let everyone have a go".

Twitter user Ty Black, who made a version using a glass of wine, told TIME the challenge gave grieving fans an outlet after Ben Solo's death in the film. "Ben Solo dying, it was very tragic for a lot of us and it feels kind of like we lost a loved one," she said. "This was the part in the film that felt like it was very Adam Driver, it was the Ben Solo we've been waiting for since *The Force Awakens*".

How to Use This Meme

The Ben Solo Challenge follows a simple formula:

Stand facing the camera (or an imaginary enemy) with one hand behind your back.

Slowly bring your arm up and over, revealing your weapon of choice. The original scene uses a lightsaber, but the whole point is improvisation.

Look at the weapon. Pause.

Hit the shrug. This is the critical moment. Some people go for Han Solo's cocky shoulder lift, while others lean toward what one fan called Adam Driver's "ta-da motion," which is more theatrical.

Charge forward or strike a battle pose.

Cultural Impact

The Ben Solo Challenge arrived at a moment when *The Rise of Skywalker* was drawing deeply mixed reactions from fans and critics alike. The challenge carved out a rare point of consensus in a fractured fandom: whatever people thought of the movie, almost everyone loved the shrug.

Winter Is Coming noted the challenge's connection to a previous Adam Driver-inspired trend: the 2017 #KyloRenChallenge, which John Mayer kicked off after Ben Solo's shirtless Force-Skype scene in *The Last Jedi*. CinemaBlend compared it to the #AryaChallenge that followed Arya Stark's knife move against the Night King in *Game of Thrones*.

The challenge also coincided with a Reddit-organized GoFundMe for Adam Driver's charity, Arts in the Armed Forces, which was nearing $70,000 at the time. Though not directly caused by the challenge, the two fan-driven efforts reflected a wave of positive energy around the character during that period.

Fun Facts

Mike's friend Jake (@JakeFromYavin) got more views than the original challenge video, a fact Mike acknowledged with good-natured sarcasm: "It's actually got more views than mine, which I'm not bitter about".

Ty Black accidentally poured wine down her back while filming her glass-of-wine version after a rough day at work.

One child participant used a Galaxy's Edge lightsaber that was taller than she was, adding an extra layer of difficulty to the shrug.

The challenge name specifically uses "Ben Solo" rather than "Kylo Ren," which fans noted as significant since the shrug marked the character's full return to the Light Side.

Mike tweeted, "I expect to see people pulling baguettes and umbrellas from behind their backs. Don't let me down." Fans delivered.

Derivatives & Variations

Han Solo comparison GIFs:

Fan account @KyloIsSad posted the Han Solo shrug from *Return of the Jedi* alongside Ben's version, turning the father-son parallel into its own shareable format[3].

Shirtless variant:

At least one participant recreated the challenge shirtless with a fly swatter, nodding to the *Last Jedi* shirtless scene and the earlier #KyloRenChallenge[3].

"Broom Girl" variant:

One fan dedicated their entry to "broom boy" from *The Last Jedi*, using a broom as their lightsaber in a nod to Rian Johnson's film[7].

Dark Souls crossover:

A participant dressed as the Solaire of Astora character performed the challenge, blending Star Wars and Dark Souls fandoms[7].

Baby Yoda version:

One viral entry featured a tiny "age-appropriate Baby Yoda" performing the shrug[7].

Frequently Asked Questions

References (11)

Ben Solo Challenge

2020Social media challenge / participatory video memedead

Also known as: Ben Solo Shrug Challenge · #BenSoloChallenge

Ben Solo Challenge is a 2020 TikTok trend started by @mikelovestheshrug where fans recreate Ben Solo's shrug-and-lightsaber pull from The Rise of Skywalker with everyday objects.

star wars challenge memes participatory video memes 2020 memes fandom hype memes

Overview

The Ben Solo Challenge asks participants to mimic a specific moment from the climax of *Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker*. The move has two parts: first, slowly reveal a weapon (or any object) from behind your back, then deliver a casual, nonchalant shrug before pretending to charge into battle. The shrug is the key. It's the part that sold the scene in the movie and the part that makes or breaks the challenge attempt.

What made the challenge so accessible was that participants didn't need a real lightsaber. Fans grabbed kitchen brooms, bottles of ketchup, glasses of wine, fly swatters, plungers, and even a cardboard cutout of Adam Driver himself. One participant used a Girl Scout cookie box. Another pulled out Thor's hammer Mjölnir. The only real requirement was committing to the shrug.

On January 6, 2020, a TikTok user going by @mikelovestheshrug uploaded a video of himself recreating the lightsaber-reveal-and-shrug combo. The TikTok only picked up about 30 likes. But when he shared the same video to Twitter under his handle @testtube27 with the caption "I now present the #BenSoloChallenge #StarWars," things took off fast, pulling in over 11,400 likes and 1,600 retweets within a day.

Origin & Background

Platform

TikTok (first video), Twitter (viral spread)

Key People

@mikelovestheshrug / @testtube27, @JakeFromYavin

Date

2020

On January 6, 2020, a TikTok user going by @mikelovestheshrug uploaded a video of himself recreating the lightsaber-reveal-and-shrug combo. The TikTok only picked up about 30 likes. But when he shared the same video to Twitter under his handle @testtube27 with the caption "I now present the #BenSoloChallenge #StarWars," things took off fast, pulling in over 11,400 likes and 1,600 retweets within a day.

How It Spread

How to Use This Meme

The Ben Solo Challenge follows a simple formula:

Stand facing the camera (or an imaginary enemy) with one hand behind your back.

Slowly bring your arm up and over, revealing your weapon of choice. The original scene uses a lightsaber, but the whole point is improvisation.

Look at the weapon. Pause.

Hit the shrug. This is the critical moment. Some people go for Han Solo's cocky shoulder lift, while others lean toward what one fan called Adam Driver's "ta-da motion," which is more theatrical.

Charge forward or strike a battle pose.

Cultural Impact

Fun Facts

Ty Black accidentally poured wine down her back while filming her glass-of-wine version after a rough day at work.

One child participant used a Galaxy's Edge lightsaber that was taller than she was, adding an extra layer of difficulty to the shrug.

The challenge name specifically uses "Ben Solo" rather than "Kylo Ren," which fans noted as significant since the shrug marked the character's full return to the Light Side.

Mike tweeted, "I expect to see people pulling baguettes and umbrellas from behind their backs. Don't let me down." Fans delivered.

Derivatives & Variations

Han Solo comparison GIFs:

Fan account @KyloIsSad posted the Han Solo shrug from *Return of the Jedi* alongside Ben's version, turning the father-son parallel into its own shareable format[3].

Shirtless variant:

At least one participant recreated the challenge shirtless with a fly swatter, nodding to the *Last Jedi* shirtless scene and the earlier #KyloRenChallenge[3].

"Broom Girl" variant:

One fan dedicated their entry to "broom boy" from *The Last Jedi*, using a broom as their lightsaber in a nod to Rian Johnson's film[7].

Dark Souls crossover:

A participant dressed as the Solaire of Astora character performed the challenge, blending Star Wars and Dark Souls fandoms[7].

Baby Yoda version:

One viral entry featured a tiny "age-appropriate Baby Yoda" performing the shrug[7].