I think those are all good observations worth thinking about, though I disagree with one: I think having Kylo’s prayer early really works. It makes him appear weak and conflicted right off the bat, which I think is a great introduction to the character. This guy looks like a knockoff Vader, in a real-world context he stands in the shadow of Vader, and having his characterisation be that he’s trying to imitate Vader because it’s important to his identity to carry Vader’s legacy is really interesting. It focuses his storyline on the ‘easiness’ and ‘seductiveness’ of the Dark Side, and then all of the characters in his life challenge that - Rey, Snoke, Luke, Leia/Han - until he turns to the light. I think it works for the arc that’s emerged since the release of TROS.
Yeah, different strokes for different folks! The thing for me is, I suppose, I don’t want the main antagonist in a story to “appear weak and conflicted right off the bat.” I want my big bad to feel terrifying… before later stripping them down and breaking them apart (on a metatextual level, not literally beating them up in-story). It would be like putting Thanos’s scene with Gamora as his first scene in Infinity War - that scene works so well because, based on what we’ve learned so far, we don’t expect our villain to act like that. It’s subversive. Or to use an example closer to home, it’s why Vader isn’t revealed as Leia’s dad when he she encounters him on Tantive IV, because it makes Vader less mysterious and thus less imposing. It’s weird, because as much as we all know these films inside and out, we also have to consider what would be the most impactful to an outsider. That’s what I meant when it said it really only works when you already know that Kylo is Leia’s son, and he would therefore be affected by hearing her voice. Because then you’re not looking for mystery; you’re looking for character.
One of the clever things about not having Snoke reveal Kylo’s identity so early is that, knowing who Kylo is adds to his conflict; so by removing that, you increase the tension surrounding the character. But then putting the Prayer so early has the effect of minimizing him anyway. No matter where the scene is included in the film, it’s going to make him appear weak and conflicted; but for me, I think it’s important that a villain be established first before then humanizing them. Especially this film, which is actively trying to set up Kylo as a Vader-wannabe (before being self-aware and turning that into a character flaw).
It’s all subjective though!