It appears the debate over Rey’s parents will indeed continue inStar Wars: The Rise of Skywalker. Ever sinceDaisy Ridley’s Rey was introduced as our new protagonist inStar Wars: The Force Awakens, fans have speculated that she’s somehow a relative of the Skywalkers. That’s a fair assumption given that the protagonist of both the prequel trilogy and the original trilogy is a Skywalker, but this new trilogy has appeared to veer off in new and interesting directions, so there remained the possibility that Rey was not, in fact, a Skywalker.
Confirmation of Rey’s lack of Skywalker blood seemingly came inStar Wars: The Last Jedi, when during an intense confrontation withAdam Driver’s Kylo Ren (aka Ben Solo), Kylo tells Rey her parents were nobodies, noting that she’s always known deep down that she doesn’t hail from any “special” lineage. Rey seemed to accept this, and the answer fit thematically withThe Last Jedi’s idea that you don’t have to hail from privilege or noble blood to save the galaxy.
And yet, some fans were not satisfied with this answer and hoped thatEpisode IXwould reveal that Kylo Ren was lying inThe Last Jedi, thereby changing Rey to someone ofsome“importance.” While Abrams has been tight-lipped about what will or won’t be revealed inStar Wars 9, he curiously said during an interview withABC Newsthat there’s “more to the story” with regards to Rey’s parents:
“I will say that we knew going into this that this movie had to be a satisfying conclusion, and we’re well aware that [Rey’s parentage is] one of the things that’s sort of been out there. I don’t want to say that what happens inEpisode VIII—you know, we’ve honored that. But I will say there’s more to the story than you’ve seen.”
Abrams stops short of saying that they won’t be negating the revelations inThe Last Jediwith regards to Rey’s parents, but it’s interesting that he saysRise of Skywalkerwill “honor” whatThe Last Jediwriter/directorRian Johnsondid with Rey’s character in that film. Of course, it’s also interesting that he says there’s more to the story than we’ve seen.
WithThe Force Awakens, Abrams did what he does best: ask intriguing questions. The same was true of theLostpilot, for which he andDamon Lindelofthrew in a bunch of mysterious attributes without exactly knowing how they would pay off. InForce Awakens, there was a flashback to young Rey being left alone on Jakku, and then also that weird trippy sequence when she touches Luke’s lightsaber for the first time. It’s possible that Abrams hadsomespecific answers in mind when crafting that intriguing footage, and that could be what he’s referring to when he says there’s more to the story “than you’ve seen.”
Additionally, there’s been some confusion over the years as to whether Abrams knew who Rey’s parents were while makingThe Force Awakens. As part ofa 2017 Rolling Stone profile, Abrams said he told Ridley who Rey’s parents were on the set ofThe Force Awakens, and that it ended up being the same answer that Johnson came to while writingThe Last Jedi:
Unlike almost everyone else in the world, Ridley has known for years who Rey’s parents are, since Abrams told her on the set ofThe Force Awakens. Ridley believes that nothing ever changed: “I thought what I was told in the beginning is what it is.” Which is odd, because Johnson insists he had free rein to come up with any answer he wanted to the question. “I wasn’t given any directive as to what that had to be,” he says. “I was never given the information that she is this or she is that.”
Subsequently, in April 2018,Simon Pegg—who not only played Unkar Plutt inThe Force Awakensbut also served as an uncredited story consultant for Abrams on the film—maintained thatAbrams had a different answerfor Rey’s parents than the one inThe Last Jedi:
“Well I know what J.J. kind of intended, or at least what was sort of being chucked around. I think that’s kind of been undone slightly by [The Last Jedi]. I don’t know. I don’t know (laughs). I think Unkar Plutt is Rey’s real father.”
It’s unclear which of these two stories is “true”, and it’s also possible that when Abrams signed on to co-write and directStar Wars 9that he changed his mind.The Force Awakenscertainly went through a tumultuous period of upheaval and major story changes, so it makes sense that years in between films—and the act of actually seeingThe Last Jedi—could have spurred a better idea in Abrams’ head.
All this being said, I’m going to be incredibly bummed ifThe Rise of Skywalkermakes some grand revelation that Rey is Ben’s secret sister, or that she’s Luke Skywalker’s long lost lovechild. The thematic impact ofThe Last Jediworks so well specifically because Rey is a “nobody,” and to suddenly turn her into a Noble Hero kind of undercuts her arc throughout this entire trilogy.
So we’ll see. Many questions remain, and I’m sure some questions will still linger by the end ofStar Wars: The Rise of Skywalker. What say you, folks? Are you down with Abrams retconningThe Last Jediand turning Rey into a Skywalker, or would you rather he stick with Rey as a “nobody” and flesh her character out from there? Sound off in the comments below.
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