Theory Roundup: Who or What is Rey in the Star Wars Universe?
Ever since The Force Awakens was released, debate has been hot on one topic: just who is Rey? With her heritage shrouded in mystery, and the movie offering no definitive answers, fans were left clamoring among themselves as it became apparent we’d receive no answers until the next movie came out. Then, surprise, when The Last Jedi came out, there was what I’d call an “anti-reveal”. The movie tells us that Rey’s parents are nobodies. Filthy drunks. Many people, myself included, didn’t buy this at all. Kylo was apparently shown this, and took it as fact. However, we all know that Snoke had a hand in this, and he’s not a man that I’d trust. So, what are some theories…?
1) Rey is a Clone or Man-Made Creation
In The Force Awakens, Rey has a connection to Luke/Anakin’s lightsaber. A connection that has yet to be explained. It calls out to her, and she has several visions upon touching it. Visions where Obi-Wan Kenobi himself utters her name. This implies a direct connection to many of these characters. However, Rey herself is quite young, and a connection like that is impossible. That is, at least, from a conventional perspective. One of my main theories is that Rey is a clone, or creation from remnants of Luke Skywalker’s severed hand. He lost both his hand and his lightsaber during his duel with Vader in Episode V.
The saber was retrieved, so it makes sense to assume that his hand was, as well. If Rey was somehow spawned from this, it would explain her connection to past characters, her mastery with The Force, and account for the age discrepancy between all of these characters. This theory is my personal favorite. Clones typically look like those they were made from, but it’s not unreasonable to assume she was created to look different, and remain hidden until she was needed to bring balance back to the Force. Hey, it makes sense.
2) Rey Really is a Nobody
This theory is less exciting, and would take what we were shown in The Last Jedi as truth. However, it sends a nice message: anybody can be a Jedi. Much like the force-using child before the end credits, perhaps you don’t need to be connected to a legendary figure in order to become one of your own. I’m hesitant to believe this theory, but again, it delivers a nice message. Not all historical figures need to be connected to other historical figures.
This one is all about the message, and lacks a connection to Star Wars lore. That’s why I don’t think they’ll go this route. I truly believe that Rey has a deep connection to the Star Wars Universe, and we just don’t know it yet. She’ll be instrumental in making all nine movies come full-circle. Anything less than that truly does make her seem like a Mary-Sue, and even poorly written.
3) Rey is a Force-Baby
Much like Anakin Skywalker, she could be a Force-Baby. A child birthed using The Force, and being super-adept at it with minimal practice has happened in the franchise before. In fact, in the old Pre-Disney canon it was revealed that Darth Plagueis had a hand in Anakin’s creation. He wanted to use The Force to create a living Sith weapon. Anakin was the end result of this experiment, and though Anakin had a long stint as a Sith Lord, he ultimately let his true allegiance shine when he turned his back on Palpatine. A little ironic, he suffered the same fate as his former Master. This theory is solid, however it brings with it a few important questions: how was Rey created…?
Though Plagueis was not successful in creating a living Sith weapon, perhaps Palpatine tried to do the same. The Sith legacy always involves The Apprentice overcoming The Master. If Plagueis created Anakin, it’s possible that Palpatine created Rey. This would hinge on the fact that he survived his fall in Episode VI. However, due to the latest trailer, where he appears to sit in some sort of space wheelchair, it’s safe to assume that he’s not in peak physical condition. Anakin may have succumbed to the dark side, and we have seen an image of Rey looking mighty evil, but maybe she won’t go as far as Anakin did. At least, I sure hope that she doesn’t. Evil Rey sounds cheesy.
It’s also possible that Rey is a creation made by The Force itself, and she is the chosen one in the prophecy that is meant to bring balance to The Force. It would make sense if her and Kylo bury the hatchet and end up creating a new world order. No more Jedi, no more Sith. The new title? Skywalkers. This would remove Plagueis entirely from the equation, and confirm in the Disney canon that Anakin as well, as birthed directly by The Force. This one works. It could also fit in with the explanation of her “nobody” parents, right?
4) Her Parents Don’t Matter. Her Grandparents Do
After seeing the movies, everyone seems to be fixated on the question of Rey’s parents. However, maybe that’s what they want us to do. It would keep us off the track of something that could connect her even deeper to the Prequel/Original Trilogies. Perhaps she’s someone’s granddaughter. Maybe Palpatine, maybe Obi-Wan. In the old canon, Palpatine had a secret servant, Mara Jade. She was known as The Emperor’s Hand.
It’s not unreasonable to assume that he’s good at keeping secrets. Especially if he wanted to lead to the creation of somebody he could use when it came time to bring back The Empire. We’re also getting a standalone series about Obi-Wan Kenobi on the new Disney+ streaming service. Why dive into Obi-Wan’s backstory all of a sudden? Perhaps his actions between episodes III and IV have more of an impact on the overall franchise than we think they do. That one actually fits. We could learn this revelation, and then learn more information behind it when the series ends up dropping.
This also doesn’t retcon what we learned in The Last Jedi. Her parents might not have been important, or even have known who they were related to. Perhaps being “abandoned” by Obi-Wan is what led one of her parents down the path of being a drunk. I feel like J.J. Abrams will want to weave any revelations into what we were told in Episode VIII, so a generational gap may be the answer, and connect her deeper to the Star Wars lore.
Well, that’s about it! I believe that Rey’s heritage will be revealed in Episode IX, and that it will be close to one of the above theories. A lot of theories have been struck off the list over the years. I know a lot of us thought she could be Luke’s daughter due to the ambiguous ending of The Force Awakens, but now we know that’s just not possible. There are a couple theories that rely on knowledge from the animated series The Clone Wars and Rebels (mainly a theory involving Mortis), but I strike this off my list. With as popular as Star Wars is, Disney wouldn’t introduce something unless everyone could follow it. Dropping a big reveal that only people who watch the animated shows could follow is just not something they’ll do. I could be proven wrong, though!
What do you think? Have any theories of your own? I’m excited to put this debate to rest after four long years, and three epic movies. Say what you want about The Last Jedi, but the way J.J Abrams handles The Rise of Skywalker could shine a new light on that entire movie, and redeem it in the eyes of several fans. I trust J.J to do a good job, and leave us all satisfied. Do you?
