Star Wars: The Force Awakens kicked off the sequel trilogy in the Skywalker family saga last year, introducing fans to a new generation of heroes and villains. At the forefront of the film was Rey, a young scavenger living in isolation on the desert planet Jakku. Though the character was the main protagonist of Episode VII, the movie revealed very little about her backstory. The now-famous "Forceback" sequence showed that Rey has been on her own since she was a child, but the reasoning for this is unknown. Rey's origins and the identity of her parents are among the biggest mysteries Star Wars 7 presented, and viewers cannot wait for the answer.

Since Force Awakens premiered, there of course has been no shortage of theories trying to solve the riddle. Some feel that Rey is the estranged daughter of Luke Skywalker. Others think she could be a descendant of Emperor Palpatine. A more recent hypothesis claims Rey is royalty. Those directly involved with the films have to be careful about what they say regarding this matter, since the tiniest slip-up could be a spoiler for Star Wars: Episode VIII. All Ridley can do right now is take it all in and protect the secrets, though she feels that The Force Awakens holds a lot of clues.

While speaking with Time Out, Ridley was obviously asked about the galaxy far, far away. When inquired about Rey's ambiguous past, the actress responded with a statement that's sure to raise more than a few eyebrows:

“I thought a lot was answered in ‘The Force Awakens’. Then after the screening I went for a drink with my agent and everyone and we were chatting away and I realized that ‘oh, in their minds it’s not answered at all!’”

Star Wars: The Force Awakens - Rey and BB-8

Ridley undoubtedly knows a great deal more about Rey's heritage and the trajectory of the sequel trilogy than the average moviegoer, so there are probably some hints sprinkled throughout Episode VII that will be clearer upon rewatch post-Star Wars 8. One bit of evidence people have pointed to is the fact that the Skywalker family lightsaber calls to Rey on Takodana and later goes to her instead of Kylo Ren during the two's confrontation on Starkiller base. As Maz Kanata says, that lightsaber first belonged to Luke, and Anakin before him. That seems like proof Rey is part of the legacy, though plot details from the canon novel Bloodline and the revelation she never met Kylo Ren prior to Force Awakens throw monkey wrenches in the theory.

Another distinct possibility is Rey being a Kenobi, since Obi-Wan tells the youngster "These are your first steps" during her vision, so it will be interesting to see what the ultimate truth is. For her part, Ridley is enjoying all the speculation and curiosity, promising that the answers will be shared shortly. Though, she does caution that Star Wars 8 may not reveal all when asked if fans will be surprised by what the Lucasfilm story group has in store:

“I’d love to see the look on people’s faces but with answers come more questions, and there’s definitely going to be enough to keep people going for another two years!”

This isn't particularly surprising, since Episode VIII is positioned as the middle chapter. It would be a shame if Star Wars: Episode IX wasn't left with anything fascinating to explore. After all, The Empire Strikes Back posed a number of questions for Return of the Jedi, such as the identity of the "other" hope Yoda mentioned and why Obi-Wan lied to Luke about Darth Vader's true nature. It sounds like fans will be fervently pouring over anything they can get their hands on in an attempt to figure it all out until Star Wars 9 premieres in 2019. How people react to the official version after building up a theory in their heads will go a long way in determining the overall quality of the sequel trilogy, but Lucasfilm is promising a satisfying conclusion.

NEXT: Star Wars 9 May Film Next Spring

Source: Time Out

Key Release Dates