This theory about Rey from ‘Star Wars’ is pretty intense
BE FOREWARNED, dear reader: Major spoilers for Star Wars: The Force Awakens lie ahead, so if you haven’t seen the movie and want to go in unscathed, stop reading now and bookmark this story for later. Because you should totally read it and join in on the discussion. Just, you know, not now.
LAST CHANCE TO TURN AROUND.
NO, REALLY, BYE. DON’T DO IT!
OK, since you’re still here and have seen the movie (RIGHT?), let’s chat. When we last left our new favorite heroine, Rey, she was stretching her arm out to return Luke Skywalker’s lightsaber to him, having no clue what to do past that. Everyone watching from the comfort of their movie theaters all had one question on their minds: Is she meeting her father for the first time? After all, Rey’s parentage is never disclosed during the film, as she herself has no idea whom she is waiting for on her home planet of Jakku. The Force is obviously strong with her, as shown throughout the events of the film, and she is able to wield Luke’s lightsaber to defeat Kylo Ren in a duel with, as far as we know, zero Jedi training.
For these reasons, she could absolutely be Luke’s daughter. The other big theory is that she could be the sister (or even twin sister) of Kylo Ren. Given Rey’s rough beginnings on a desert planet and her story trajectory that’s uncannily similar to Luke’s in Star Wars: A New Hope, as well as her obvious connection to the Force and the ease at which she takes Han’s place (I’m still sobbing) next to Chewie on the Millennium Falcon at the end of the movie, we viewers are encouraged along both of these paths in the films.
But director/co-writer J.J. Abrams – one of the masterminds behind LOST, lest we forget – may not let us off that easily. According to Reddit user nyteryder79 (and me, who called it as soon as I left the theater and I’m totally taking credit, SORRY), Rey is neither a Solo-Organa nor a Skywalker. She is a Kenobi.
Dun dun DUNNNN. At first, I know there are lots of arguments against it. “But the Jedi code!” “But she was given Luke’s lightsaber!” “But Daisy Ridley looks nothing like Ewan McGregor or Sir Alec Guinness!”
But stay with me. There is so much evidence to support this theory, outlined so graciously by nyteryder79, that it isn’t even funny. Here are the biggies.
The Jedi Order is over, meaning its vows are kind of null and void
Yes, Obi-Wan was extremely loyal to the Jedi Order/would’ve been a Hufflepuff in the Harry Potter world, and this includes its vows of celibacy. But as nyteryder79 notes, the Jedi Order kind of dissolved at the end of Revenge of the Sith, meaning Obi-Wan didn’t really have anything to vow to anymore. It’s a huge possibility that he could’ve found love and fathered one or more children he either never knew about or chose not to disclose to our original heroes, who could then have gone on to have Rey.
Obi-Wan has a past with that lightsaber, too
Yes, Rey feels called to by Luke’s lightsaber and can wield it skillfully, especially considering her lack of training (though to be fair, Finn is able to do this fairly well too). But let’s not forget that Obi-Wan Kenobi was also in possession of that lightsaber, which was originally Anakin Skywalker’s, for at least 18 years before he delivered it to Luke. The Skywalker lightsaber was also based heavily on the design of Obi-Wan’s own lightsaber, so the connection is definitely significant here.
Obi-Wan speaks to her during her lightsaber-fueled vision
James Arnold Taylor, who has voice Obi-Wan Kenobi in multiple Star Wars animated projects, confirmed on Twitter three days ago that Ewan McGregor (aka Obi-Wan in episodes I-III) was the voice who called out to Rey in the hallucination she experiences after touching Luke’s lightsaber for the first time.
Why would he be the one speaking to her in a vision if Rey has never met him or has no connection to him whatsoever? This is really subtle – and simultaneously really huge.
Her mannerisms, personality, upbringing, and fighting style all parallel Obi-Wan’s
A few of nyteryder79’s observations, such as Rey’s patience and intelligence, are fairly broad speculation. But it can’t be ignored that, like Obi-Wan, Rey has survived on a desert planet in a fairly solitary environment with no known family. She also fights just like Obi-Wan; as nyteryder79 points out, she battles defensively and “moves her lightsaber just like Obi-Wan did with it extended out straight in front of her and moving it in a circular pattern.” Rey’s behaviors aboard the Starkiller Base – scaling walls, sneaking around – also parallel those of Obi-Wan aboard the base’s predecessor, the Death Star.
Her accent matches Obi-Wan’s
The fact that Daisy Ridley was allowed to keep her British accent while portraying Rey might seem like a slight detail at first. But it begs the question: Would John Boyega, who is also British, have been asked to use an American accent for Finn if there wasn’t a significant reason? After all, the Star Wars universe is far, far away from places where accent differences matter. This detail is definitely worth considering important, as Obi-Wan Kenobi is pretty much the only character in main canon with a British accent that comes to mind. Unless you count C-3PO, which I almost always do, but not in this case.
Of course, there’s also the possibility that Rey could be Obi-Wan’s granddaughter and Luke’s daughter, if Obi-Wan fathered a daughter whom Luke had Rey with. This genetic lottery win could explain why Rey is able to channel the powers of the Force so easily compared to others we’ve seen in the past, alongside her potential ingrained Padawan training (she was dropped off on Jakku as a young child, after all, and may not remember beginning to be trained) and the survival instincts she had time to build on Jakku.
Whatever Rey’s background, I think it’s safe to say that May 26, 2017 cannot get here fast enough.
(Image via Lucasfilm)
