Although her name is now canonicallyRey Skywalker, the original idea for Rey inStar Wars: The Force Awakenswas key both for the character and for the future ofStar Wars. Admittedly, I don’t dislike the idea of Rey Skywalker. I thinkRey’s name is perfect payback for Anakin Skywalker, in that Rey rejected the Palpatine name and lineage and instead continued Anakin’s legacy—effectively giving the Skywalkers the final word. Even so,the idea for Rey to be a nobody was so much more compelling, both inThe Force Awakensand inStar Wars: The Last Jedi.
This began with Rey being little more than an orphaned (presumably, at the time) scavenger from Jakku, which Kylo Ren directly referenced when he interrogated her inThe Force Awakens.The Last Jedimaintained this idea, with Kylo telling Rey she was nothing and didn’t have a place in this story.Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalkercompletely flipped this on its head, revealing that Rey was a descendant of one ofStar Wars’most powerful Sith, Emperor Palpatine himself. Despite this major switch-up, Rey being a nobody was brilliant, and it continues to be important to the franchise.
Rey Was Designed As The Ultimate Self-Insert For A New Generation Of Fans
It Was Easy For Many Viewers To See Themselves In Rey ‘Nobody’
InA New Hope, Luke Skywalker was effectively a ‘nobody’ himself. At that point, the Skywalker name did not have the meaning it now has inStar Warsmovies and TV shows, and he seemed like a starry-eyed farm boy who had this incredible opportunity to become a hero. Of course, in the time since,Star Warshas revealed that he was fated to become the future of the Jedi and was the son of a former queen and senator and one ofthe most powerful Jediin history.
InA New Hope, Luke Skywalker was effectively a ‘nobody’ himself.
At first, Rey served very much the same function Luke once had, perhaps even more so. Without a last name, parents, or any history whatsoever,Rey ‘Nobody’ became Rey Anybody, allowing viewers to truly see themselves in her. Like the viewers themselves, Rey saw the Jedi as legendary figures, so much so that she had to ask Han Solo whether they were real at all. In that sense, she became the eyes of the viewers, experiencing the galaxy as an outsider to this story.
This is what made Rey so refreshing inThe Force AwakensandThe Last Jedi. Yes, many have argued that Rey was a ‘Mary Sue’ (a heavily gendered term, despite some discourse to the contrary) because she was naturally gifted with the Force, but she was still a brand-new Force-user who seemingly had no connection tothe Skywalker family treeor the other major players in the galaxy.When she was just a ‘nobody,’ Rey was really the ultimate self-insert, allowing real-life viewers to identify with her because she didn’t come with some immense legacy or backstory.
In that sense, Rey also reinforced the original messaging ofStar Wars—that anyone can be a hero and, coinciding with that, the Force can emerge in anyone. In fact, the very notion that the Force ‘awoke’ in Rey drove this point home. InThe Force AwakensandThe Last Jedi, when Rey seemed like a true nobody, she served as a reminder that powerful Force-users can come from anywhere, as the Force doesn’t belong to the Skywalkers, the Jedi, or the Sith.
Rey Follows The Luke Skywalker Pattern As An Everyman Hero
Even Now, Rey’s Character Still Offers Viewers That Relatability
Like Luke, Rey’s arc in the sequel trilogy meant that she went from an obscure ‘nobody’ to someone tied to the history of the galaxy and essential to the future—for the Jedi in particular. For the most part, these shifts happened because of plot twists inThe Rise of Skywalker. In bothThe Force AwakensandThe Last Jedi, Rey proved to be incredibly powerful and became the hope for the future, but that still happened within the context of her being ‘no one’ in this larger story before she began her Jedi path.
WhenThe Rise of Skywalkerbewilderingly revealed that, entirely contrary to this idea, Rey was a Palpatine by blood (and Palpatine himself was still alive), it became clear that she wasn’t a nobody at all. Instead, like Luke and even like Anakin Skywalker asthe Chosen One, Rey was in a sense destined to become this powerful Jedi.I will readily admit that I found this turn disappointingbecause I had been so invested in the idea that Rey really was a brand-new character who was exceptional without having an exceptional bloodline.
Even with this shift, though, the idea that Rey was a self-insert character didn’t entirely change.
Even with this shift, though, the idea that Rey was a self-insert character didn’t entirely change. Once viewers saw themselves in Rey, that connection wasn’t so easily undone, even if it was at least partially undercut by the changes made to her story inThe Rise of Skywalker. Similar to Luke’s continued status as an everyman hero inStar Warsin spite of all that has been revealed about the Skywalker legacy, Rey is still ‘Rey Anybody’ because, despite her Palpatine connection, her story remains relatable.
No matter who her parents ended up being, Rey still grew up on her own, feeling alone and ordinary, if not downright insignificant. She wasn’t raised with an understanding of the Jedi or the Force and, like Luke, she wasn’t trained until adulthood. EvenThe Rise of Skywalker’splot twists and her relation to Palpatine couldn’t reverse all that had been established about her character as a hero who began as no one more than an abandoned child who had to survive on her own.
Rey’s True Nature Explains Why She Proved So Controversial
Not Everyone Could See Themselves In Rey, And That Caused Issues
It’s sadly impossible to separate Rey from all the controversy and backlash that followed her and Daisy Ridley throughout the sequel trilogy, and while that response was multi-layered, it partially connects to this notion of ‘Rey Anybody.’ While Rey was intended to be a self-insert character,not everyone could see themselves as Rey. Unfortunately, this included a large portion of the fanbase that has always been able to see themselves inStar Wars, which led to harsh criticism of and even vitriol about the sequels, Rey in particular.
There are plenty of valid criticisms to be made about the sequel trilogy. There were undeniablyproblems with theStar Warssequels, many of which I take issue with myself. However,when complaints about Rey come down to accusations thatStar Warsis pushing an ‘agenda,’ they are no longer about the quality of the movies. That line of thinking is a dead giveaway that the issue one really has with the sequels—specifically, Rey—is that the main character was a woman.
Many will argue that other characters, such as Ahsoka Tano and Jyn Erso, were positively received despite being girls/women. While Ahsoka is now firmly considered one ofStar Wars’best characters, though, that was far from the truth initially. There’s also simply no way around the fact that arguments aboutStar Warspushing an ‘agenda’ with Rey are in reference to the sequels having a female lead, rather than another Anakin or Luke Skywalker.
Whereas Luke was largely celebrated as an everyman hero, some viewers bristled at the idea that Rey was the new face ofStar Warsand was meant to be relatable. This pushback really is a shame because it misses the point of Rey, especially inThe Force AwakensandThe Last Jedi.For decades, audiences embraced and saw themselves in Luke, and they didn’t have to share all aspects of Luke’s identity to do so. Rey was meant to provide the same for a new generation.
Rey’s New Jedi Order Future Will Draw In The Next Generation Of Star Wars Fans
Rey’s Star Wars Story Isn’t Over Yet
One way or another,Rey Skywalker’s story is continuing inStar Wars, although the exact shape that will take remains to be seen. There are severalupcomingStar Warsmoviescurrently in the works, and those movies have raised a number of questions about Rey’s future in the franchise. There have long been discussions about Rey’sStar Warsmovie, rumored to be titledStar Wars: New Jedi Order, which would presumably see her running her own Jedi Order.
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However, with news of Simon Kinberg’sStar Warstrilogy, which will evidently see Rey in an Obi-Wan Kenobi role, it’s unclear where Rey’s story will go next. No matter the movie or the arc, though, Rey will continue to play a role in the franchise’s future. Hopefully, even in light of all that happened inThe Rise of Skywalker,Star Warswill continue the storyStar Wars: The Force Awakensbegan, withRey Skywalkerstill representing a hero audiences can identify with.
Star Wars: Episode VII - The Force Awakens
Cast
Star Wars: The Force Awakens takes place 30 years after the fall of the Galactic Empire. It follows Han Solo and new allies, including Finn and Rey, as they confront the rising threat of Kylo Ren and his army of Stormtroopers while seeking the elusive Luke Skywalker.
Star Wars: Episode VIII - The Last Jedi
Star Wars: The Last Jedi continues the saga as Rey hones her powers under the guidance of Luke Skywalker. As her abilities unsettle her mentor, the Resistance faces the First Order in a pivotal battle.
Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker
Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker, released in December 2019, follows the surviving Resistance as they confront the First Order. The film continues the journey of Rey, Finn, and Poe Dameron as they harness the power of past generations to engage in a climactic battle against the forces of tyranny.
