Rey Is Luke’s Daughter: Deal With It.
(MASSIVE STAR WARS SPOILERS)
(It should go without saying that if you haven’t seen the new Star Wars movie, you should not read the following article. Unless you are a masochist)
In the two weeks since the cinematic event of the millenia, Star Wars: The Force Awakens, opened in theaters, fan theories have been swirling around what is undoubtedly the biggest question left open by the film: what is Rey’s lineage?
Out of the Internets, three theories have risen to prominence: that she is Luke’s daughter, Han and Leia’s lost child, or, the most creative, a Kenobi, granddaughter of Obi-Wan. All of these theories have their own merits, and all of them would create an interesting back half of the new trilogy.
However, a closer look at the Star Wars tale, as a whole, reveals, to me, that the likelihood is overwhelmingly in favor of one of those three: that Rey is the daughter of Luke Skywalker. On their own, these pieces of evidence could each constitute red herrings, but strung together, they create a strong probability that we’re going to be seeing a lot more of the Skywalkers in episodes 8 and 9.
Star Wars is the story of the Skywalker Family
One mistake I feel people have made when discussing theories on the new trilogy is to discard/dismiss the prequels or to consider them as secondary to the original trilogy. While they are undoubtedly terrible movies, they are (unfortunately) still part of the canon and they still need to be studied carefully in order to glean secrets from The Force Awakens.
Part of the problem is how we view the films; we see the original films first, and the prequels second, both due to release date and movie quality. However, the movies were intended to provide a succinct story through episodes 1–6 (and, eventually, 1–9), and looking at that story, one thing becomes clear: the Skywalkers are our main characters (Anakin, Luke, and Leia, along with Padme and Han by marriage).
Even the “twist” in Empire isn’t a twist if you view the series as a whole, starting with The Phantom Menace. If we were introduced first to the prequels and then to the original films, the idea that our new main character in A New Hope was Anakin/Vader’s son would feel about as obvious as the Rey/Luke connection does now. People criticize it for being “too obvious,” but creating a suspenseful twist is not the point; creating a cohesive storyline is. It just doesn’t make much sense to make 6 movies about the Skywalkers and not continue with their storylines (especially given that Kylo is of the Skywalker lineage). The Force Awakens consciously mirrors the plot structure of the original Star Wars movies, and it would make sense that our new heroine would have a familial connection to our new Sith villain.
“Luke’s Theme” Appears Multiple Times in the Film
Music is very important in Star Wars. It provides emotion and mood and is an integral part of the films. Main characters have themes of their own. Luke’s, obviously, is the most famous (the stirring string theme that first takes prominence in the sunset on Tatooine scene in A New Hope), and it plays when Luke is doing Luke things, especially using the Force.
It should be treated as significant, then, that Rey’s own theme does not play as she utilizes her newly found force powers towards the end of the film (in an undoubtedly purposeful mirroring of Luke during the scene in the Wampa cave on Hoth). What does she get?
Luke’s Theme.
The easy defense is that Luke’s theme was inserted either a) for familiarity, because it’s the song we associate with using the Force or b) because Rey is using Luke’s (and, mind you, Anakin’s) lightsaber. I disagree. In my opinion, this might be the most significant piece of evidence available, because of its subtlety and it’s historical significance within Star Wars.
Again: Rey has her own theme. That John Williams and J.J. Abrams chose to use that specific theme during that scene is hard to ignore; it suggests more of a connection than just a shared lightsaber.
The Pilot Thing
In The Phantom Menace, 9-year-old Anakin Skywalker wins the Outer Rim’s most prestigious pod race (and is the only human on Tatooine capable of even piloting a podracer). He then dominates the aerial portion of the Battle of Naboo after just getting into a Naboo Starfighter for the first time 15 minutes earlier, exhibiting greater skill than many of their professional pilots as a 9-year-old with no previous experience flying starships in space (only on the actual planet of Tatooine). Obi-Wan says to Luke in Episode IV that Anakin was “the best star pilot in the Galaxy” (And a cunning warrior).
In A New Hope, Luke takes his virgin flight in an X-Wing, out performs the entire rest of the Rebellion’s fleet, and blows up the Death Star by firing proton torpedoes through a hole that is around 6 feet wide… without a targeting computer. His previous piloting experience? Bulls-eyeing womprats in his T-16 (although, to be fair, those aren’t much bigger than 2 meters).
I shouldn’t have to describe, in detail, the enormous difference between flying a T-16, even through Beggar’s Canyon, and participating in a large-scale dogfight in space. Sure, he was the “best bush pilot in the Outer Rim,” according to Biggs, but his performance in the Battle of Yavin still borders on unbelievable. Beyond that, in the extended universe stories that remain Canon (the stuff that happens inbetween the movies), we know that Luke started Rogue Squadron shortly after the Battle of Yavin, an elite group of pilots that completed most of the Rebellion’s most difficult missions. He was their leader and considered their best pilot, before retiring and ceding control to Wedge Antilles.
This is connected, primarily in Phantom Menace, to the innate abilities of the Force sensitive, even those with no training. The dormant midi-chlorians inside of them provide heightened reflexes; Qui-Gon Jin tells Anakin that the only reason he is capable of driving a podracer is because of the Force — other humans are not capable of the feat. So, we can’t treat these instances as unbelievable; rather, they are the early evidence of those who are ultra force-sensitive.
In The Force Awakens, Rey hops into the cockpit of the Millennium Falcon and channels her inner Lando Calrissian. Rey clearly has a knowledge of mechanics, ship construction and parts and has some experience flying the same type of in-atmosphere based ships like Luke did with the T-16 and Anakin did with his podracer. Just like Luke and Anakin before her, she displays an unbelievable amount of tact and control over a ship she has never flown before.
There were a lot of Jedi in the galaxy, and there are a lot of Pilots in the galaxy, but two particular Jedi Pilots, who happen to be father and son, are also the two most famous pilots in the Star Wars universe. In fact, we aren’t even aware of another Jedi-Pilot who exhibits this level of skill in a starship (At least that is currently in canon. R.I.P. to the Extended Universe and Corran Horn, my all-time favorite EU side character). Just like Luke inherited his father’s considerable abilities behind a star ship, it appears that Rey is a part of the Skywalker tradition.
The Lightsaber, Duh.
I mean…
Anakin’s lightsaber quite literally calls out to her. When she finds it, she has a violent Force reaction that includes scenes both from her childhood abandonment and of the island planet where Luke is currently hiding.
If the music and the pilot thing were subtle, this is like screaming “SHE IS A SKYWALKER” at the top of your lungs. Anakin’s original lightsaber, created with his original master, Obi-Wan Kenobi, was passed down to Luke by none other than Obi-Wan Kenobi. Both Alec Guinness and Ewan MacGregor (the actors who played, you guessed it, Obi-Wan Kenobi) say lines during the flashback. Guinness just says “Rey,” in audio that was lifted from the original Trilogy, and MacGregor ends the flashback with “these are your first steps.”
Kenobi was both Anakin and Luke’s first master. The lightsaber was both of their first lightsaber. If this isn’t a symbolic passing of the torch, I’m the Queen of England.
(Side note: how the hell did Maz retrieve the lightsaber from Cloud City in the first place? That’s the question I want answered.)
Storyline Symmetry
One of my biggest pet peeves about the new movie is people who are saying that it’s just “a remake of A New Hope.” It’s not. Every Star Wars movie has an almost identical plot structure (especially the original series), and J.J. Abrams consciously mirroring that structure should be lauded, not criticized.
(For more information on Star Wars narrative structure and the conscious mirroring of the original series and the prequel, check out this excellent article by Mike Klimo: http://www.starwarsringtheory.com/)
Because of that, we have to also see the mirroring of not just the narrative, but the characters. Kylo Ren is a literal Vader-phile, and has a very odd and misplaced reverence of his grandfather. He is actively trying to take up the legendary Vader’s mantle, and the fact that he is the Sith Lord’s grandson is not by accident.
Likewise, it makes sense to assume that a similar type of mirroring would go on with whoever comes to represent the light side of the Jedi in the New Trilogy. It would make sense for them to also be a part of the Skywalker family, and for there to be a similar (but slightly different) familial connection between the two sides; thus showing the delicate balance a Jedi must maintain between light and dark.
There’s also the obvious storyline comparisons; Rey is also born orphaned on a desert planet (while Anakin wasn’t an orphan, he was a slave), drives around in a land speeder, has an inadvertent run-in with a beeping, charismatic droid, and eventually leaves said desert planet to assist the Resistance (the new Rebellion), discovering her own Force powers along the way.
I have a lot of respect for J.J. Abrams. He didn’t do this because it was easy. He wanted to make a movie that brought Star Wars into the modern era while remaining true to the original trilogy. He wanted to actively correct the mistakes made by George Lucas in the prequels and restore the series to its former glory. As previously mentioned, Star Wars is not the place to look for diverse narrative structure, it’s the place to look for a gritty, futuristic world filled with some of film’s greatest characters and some inventive space fun. It’s a simple allegorical tale of good versus evil that is brought alive by the people who inhabit the universe, not because of a brilliant plot.
As a writer, I believe narrative structure is important, and repeated narrative techniques are worth paying attention to. Thus, it would appear to me that the repetition of it’s preceding movies in The Force Awakens would point to Rey being the Luke/Anakin of the series, in which case… it would be silly for her not to be Luke’s daughter.
The “Jedi’s are Celibate” Retort is Hogwash
One of the big counter-arguments that has been put forth is the idea that “Jedi are supposed to be celibate,” that Anakin broke that oath when siring Luke, and that if Luke were attempting to re-establish the Jedi Order he would abide by Jedi code.
No.
First off, it’s never said that Jedi need to be celibate. They are not supposed to love, because the emotion caused by love can trigger a quick descent to the Dark Side. It makes sense — the loss of loved ones is one of the greatest causes of grief, and grief leads to fear, anger, and often hatred, depending on the situation. There’s nothing that indicates the Jedi are banned completely from the pleasures of the flesh.
The other problem with this retort is that Luke isn’t a part of the Jedi Order. While we could surmise that he did plenty of research on Jedi history leading up to establishing his own academy, he himself was never taught to adhere to the Jedi Code. He is the last of his kind, and as such was really taught only what he needed to know at the time; his actual time spent with his mentors is short-lived and most of his development comes from his own practice and training.
There’s also the issue of the portrayal of the Jedi Council and it’s participation in the politics of the galaxy in the prequels. They are a stuffy sort, bound by thousands of years of tradition and shackled to an inefficient government. They are overconfident in themselves and their strict set of rules, such that when it all goes to hell, they are so taken by surprise that they are mowed down in minutes.
In other words: the Jedi Council of the Old Republic wasn’t that great. It’s pretty obvious that they could have made improvements to the way they operated (like, I don’t know, checking into the background activities of the man who is taking control of the government before he has control). Were Luke starting his own Academy, who is to say what rules he would establish? Who is to say he wasn’t already in love when he set out to find new Jedi?
Times change. The old Jedi Order’s refusal to change led to their absolute destruction, by pushing away one of the most talented students it had ever seen. To avoid the mistakes of the past is why we are in the present. To assume Luke would blindly adhere to a set of rules that had been obsolete since his birth is anything but guaranteed.
The Other Theories Don’t Make Sense
Let’s run through a couple other theories real quick:
Rey being Han and Leia’s daughter really makes no sense, because they already have a son, and it’s pretty clear that their relationship couldn’t survive that. Given that Rey is no more than 10 years younger than Ben, the timeline just doesn’t work. The likelihood that they have a daughter, stashed on Jakku, that they didn’t know about would be baffling. There are some narrative aspects that make sense with this story (like hiding Rey to keep her safe from Ben), but they don’t necessitate Rey being their daughter.
In my opinion, Han and Leia appeared to have some inkling of who Rey was, both because of her location on Jakku, her ability to fly the Falcon, and her force sensitivity (which Leia may have been able to sense). Their faces upon meeting her betray a sense of vague familiarity, and a lack of total surprise at her competency, but not any emotional reaction one would expect from encountering a long-lost daughter.
(As for her being totally unrelated to the series’ main characters throughout the first six episodes? Even more unlikely.)
I want to give special credit, however, to the creative minds that came up with the “Rey is Obi-Wan’s grandaughter” theory, because it is unique and makes a lot of logical sense (which doesn’t lend it legitimacy — there was a fantastic article about Jar Jar being the ultimate Sith Lord as well, but that’s certainly not coming true).
While the idea fits thematically (going back to that “mirrored” narrative structure with the Kenobi now as the student), the problem with the Obi-Wan theory is two fold: first off, they’d have to create an elaborate backstory that explains her lineage, who Obi-Wan had a child with, who that child had a child with, how Rey got to Jakku, and how the storyline connects back to our main plot of Light vs. Dark (Republic/Rebellion/Resistance vs Trade Federation/Empire/First Order). This is hard to do in a series of three movies, especially when there is so much more to address. Do we really want to watch half a movie explaining the love life and family line of Obi-Wan Kenobi?
Secondly, some of the bigger pieces of information, like Guinness and MacGregor having lines in the flashback, can be easily explained away (see my explanation above) or are stretch connections at best. For example, Rey is the only character besides Obi-Wan and C3PO that has a British accent, while fellow British actors like Liam Neeson and John Boyega spoke without it. Boyega actually explained, in an interview, that he started doing Finn with his accent but decided it didn’t fit the character and stopped. Meanwhile, MacGregor had no choice but to speak in an accent in the prequels because Guinness did so in the originals. Is this evidence? Or just a connection trying a little too hard to be made?
Like I said, it’s a good theory, but just because “it’s not obvious,” doesn’t make it any more likely.
(Edit, 01/11/16: After some discussion with a friend, he postulated that Rey could actually be descended from both Luke Skywalker and the hypothetical daughter of Obi-Wan Kenobi. I like this theory a lot, and really have nothing to outwardly disprove it. It makes direct sense in combining both this theory and the Kenobi theory, and the unity of their lines would also make sense narratively towards the final battle between the Light and Dark sides of the Force, i.e. the daughter of Anakin’s master and Anakin’s son end the legacy of Vader continued by Anakin’s grandson.
The only negating comment I will make is, in this scenario, we still need to find out how Obi-Wan had a daughter and how that daughter came to meet Luke, a narrative aside that would take too much time from the central storyline to feasibly fit into the movie. Perhaps a side-novel.)
The Bottom Line
At the end of the day, the “plot twist” that will inevitably involve Rey’s lineage does not need to be surprising or lack convenience. It does not need to be strained, complex, or intricate. Just like Luke being Anakin’s son is plainly obvious from the opening of A New Hope (assuming you watch the movies in chronological order), Rey seems too connected to Luke for them to not be related.
I have seen this tendency before. The Naruto community spent close to a decade debating the true identity of the series’ penultimate villain, desperately trying to convince themselves that the obvious answer was wrong. As the series wound down and the big reveal happened… It was Obito, all along.
(Naruto makes a good comparison because both stories are roughly structured on the “Hero’s Journey,” or “monomyth,” a common narrative in the fantasy genre.)
It didn’t ruin the series. Just because it was predictable doesn’t make it negative. In fact, it actually brought the story full circle and provided a better ending, at least thematically, than it would have if the villain hadn’t been so intricately related to the protagonists.
Rey being Luke’s daughter would do the same to Star Wars. It puts her in the lineage of the “chosen one,” thought to be Anakin, then Luke, and now Rey. It sets up another Skywalker v Skywalker duel — Rey vs Ben — and allows for a more natural culmination of the themes put forth in the original series; Rey following Luke’s legacy and Ben following Anakin’s, leading towards a final battle of good and evil, the Light side of the Force versus the Dark.
It would be the most natural direction to go in, and while that might not make for shocking cinema, it does make for a more cohesive story and gives Episodes VII, VIII, and IX more reason for being. Shock and awe is great, but narrative consistency is far more important; just like we saw in Naruto, the move that makes the most thematic sense is for Rey to be Luke’s offspring.
The bigger question for me is: will we find this out in Episode VIII? Or will it be put off and misdirected in an attempt to make the reveal more dramatic? Who is Rey’s Mother? (MARA JADE LOL?) Am I completely wrong?
One thing is for sure; I can’t wait to find out.
