*English is not my first language, so please excuse grammar/spelling mistakes.

Many people seem to think that Rey was sub-youngling level coming into this fight, and thus Kylo's defeat at her hands puts him also below the likes of TCW Ahsoka.

Now, if you believe this is indeed the case, then that is perfectly fine and it is not my intention to convince you otherwise. Star Wars is not science after all, the storytelling does have its fair share of inconsistencies and is usually open to interpretation.

Rather, I will try to explain the reasons why I personally disagree with such notions, if only to get a debate going.

So, was Rey superior to Kylo Ren?

Let's look at what the official TFA Novelization says about their first lightsaber clash:

Holding the haft of the lightsaber in both hands, she ignited the beam—and charged.

Ren met her with his own weapon alight. Expecting weakness, he encountered only strength. Her skill with the device was raw at best, but it was backed by a fury that was as new to his experience as it was unexpected.

--The Force Awakens Novelization

As we can see, Kylo's technique is implied to be more advanced than Rey's, which he deems as "raw at best". This is further supported by Kylo's superior showings against Snoke's Praetorian Guards.

So why did Rey defeat him? Well, there were several circumstances that need to be addressed:

• First, Kylo had been wounded by Chewbacca's bowcaster, which we know is a very powerful weapon. The novelization makes clear that he was hindered by this wound when he used the Force to send her flying against a tree, shortly before their duel:

Before she could fire, Ren raised a hand, halting her. She strained against him, her anger giving her strength. But she couldn’t fire. He was struggling also, against her newly discovered ability, as well as the wound inflicted by Chewbacca’s bowcaster.

--The Force Awakens Novelization

Kylo's wound is also implied to be a determining factor in the outcome of the duel by one other source, Lightsabers: A Guide to Weapons of the Force:

Rey bested Kylo, whose injuries had left him unbalanced.

--Lightsabers: A Guide to Weapons of the Force

• Second, Kylo didn't fight with all he had, as he didn't want to kill Rey, but instead turn her to the Dark Side:

Ren held his lightsaber, poised to strike. “I could kill you right now. But there is another way.”

Breathing hard, Rey looked up in disgust at the man looming above her. “You’re a monster.”

“No. You need a teacher.” He was beseeching and insistent all at once. “I can show you the ways of the Force!”

--The Force Awakens Novelization

• Third, Kylo's emotional turmoil after killing his father also hindered him, as the narration points out:

Stunned by his own action, Kylo Ren fell to his knees. Following through on the act ought to have made him stronger, a part of him believed. Instead, he found himself weakened. He did not hear the roar of the enraged Wookiee above, but he did feel the sting of the shot from the bowcaster as it slammed into his side, knocking him back on the walkway.

--The Force Awakens Novelization

Snoke's words in TLJ also strongly imply Kylo's conflict was relevant to the outcome of the fight:

Kylo’s eyes snapped to Snoke’s, burning with rage. “I killed Han Solo. I killed my…when the moment came I put my blade through him. I didn’t hesitate.”

“Petulance, not strength,” sneered Snoke. “And look at you. The deed split your spirit to the bone. You were unbalanced, bested by a girl who had never held a lightsaber. You failed.”

--The Last Jedi Novelization

So, all things considered, my opinion is that the duel on Starkiller Base was not a fair fight by any measure, and that most evidence points to Kylo being a greater fighter than Rey under normal circumstances.

Ok, but what was Rey's true level?

First, let's look at some scans:

--The Force Awakens visual Dictionary.

--Lightsabers: A Guide to Weapons of the Force.

Now, it's true that Rey's quarterstaff is not a lightsaber, and you may argue that they look like very different weapons to master. But not everything in Star Wars works the same way than IRL, and it's sufficiently clear that, in the context of the story, Rey was an effective lightsaber wielder as a result of her training with her staff. Remember, she contended with Kylo Ren who is stated to very skilled:

He has well earned the nickname "Jedi Killer", whispered in the First Order ranks, as it was his deadly lightsaber skills that prevented the return of the Jedi Order.

--The Force Awakens Visual Dictionary

But Rey's abilities do not only derive from his years of practice with her quarterstaff, but also from Kylo himself. During the interrogation scene in TFA, Rey was able to access Kylo's thoughts and learned some skills directly from his mind:

Kylo had retreated at finding Rey in his head--had practically fled from her. But that had not been the end of that strange, sudden connection. She had seen more--far more. Somehow, almost instinctually, she knew how he accessed some of the powers at his command--even though she didn't understand them. It was as if his training had become hers, unlocking and flinging open door after door in her mind.

--The Last Jedi Novelization

Therefore, even if she had no formal Jedi training, that doesn't mean she didn't acquire a fair amount of skill on her own, more so given her huge potential.

By the time of TLJ, she was able to defeat some of Snoke's guards, who are said to be trained in Teräs Käsi, Bakuuni Hand, Echani unarmed forms and Nar Kanji "Blind Alley" techniques, and are specifically equipped to deal with lightsaber wielders. Later, she was also able to lift tons of rocks with the Force, one of the best TK feats in canon, roughly comparable to Count Dooku's while training Savage Opress:

She also matched Kylo's power during their tug of war over the lightsaber. Keep in mind that Kylo performed some amazing feats with the Force, such as crushing a hut, holding a blaster shot mid-air or knocking people unconscious with a wave of his hand, although Kylo's mastery is probably still superior to Rey's.

Finally, let's look at what Matt Martin (member of the Lucasfilm Storygroup) thinks of Rey's expertise by the end of TLJ:

Now, I don't think this claim is necessarily to be taken at face value. Martin was trying to draw parallels between Rey's training and Luke's (another Jedi whose instruction was rushed) and said that Rey held some advantages over him, some of which have already been discussed, such as her tougher prior life fighting thugs and her intrusion of Kylo's mind:

Martin also mentions that Rey's mindset is more favorable than Luke's:

Even so, I think ROTJ Luke is a more accomplished Jedi than Rey. Maybe the point Martin was trying to make is that TLJ Rey > ESB Luke, which I can definitely get behind. After all, Rey's boulders feat does surpass Luke's failing to lift the X-Wing. However, both Rey and Kylo seem to have a greater control of the Force than lightsaber skills, so there's that too when comparing them to characters from the OT or PT.

Anyways, if TLJ Rey is indeed superior to ESB Luke, then perhaps her TFA version is roughly on par with him, though that is admittedly pure speculation on my part.

Hopefully this was readable even if you disagree with me. I'm aware there are several points of contention to be discussed, so please do share your thoughts :)

SW callouts:

Good points. I always see people try to lowball Kylo because of his circumstantial loss to Rey. He has some really good force feats. I would put him at the same level as AOTC Anakin in terms of the Force.

@neutronstar666: Yeah I feel like he should be around that level.

Kylo Ren is a beast who unfortunately has been lowballed by ST haters and that’s too bad. He is a fascinating character with a ton of potential

Nice. Kylo and Rey are pretty powerful.

"Mini Rant initiated"

Ok, look I have no problem with Ren's fighting style, No problem with the circumstances around his defeat but as Snoke said "YOU ARE NO VADER!" Stop crying please you are a darksider who has powers beyond most of our dreams yet you wish to cry? If you want a villain or even a character he cannot be torn like Ren is. I need him by 9 to kill Leia without flinching and blow some planets to pieces and then I will appreciate his character ark. He is an unsympathetic villain who makes the darkside look like a type of devotion anyone can have and for that I am disappointed in the potential that he has, but the inevitability that he will be redeemed just like Vader and be another forgettable villain.

"Mini rant completed"

BTW @rgr Great Work

@grinningf0x: I agree, his character development so far is great. By TLJ he gets over trying to live up to the expectations of others (Luke/Snoke) and begins to come into his own.

@dark-sith123, @vitisid, @in-sidiousvader: Thank you for your kind words.