When Star Wars: The Last Jedi opens, Luke Skywalker does not know who Rey is. Ever since The Force Awakens premiered in 2015, fans have been buzzing with theories about the young scavenger's heritage, with a popular belief being that she is the estranged daughter of Luke. Though Episode VII was brief on any Ray backstory details, there seemed to be some evidence suggesting that could be the case - including the Skywalker family lightsaber calling to her and little clues contained in the movie's script. After all, the saga has been a generational tale.

Star Wars 8 writer/director Rian Johnson has promised the question of Rey's parentage will be addressed in the upcoming sequel, suggesting he has some twists and surprises up his sleeve for audiences. Though there are still eight months to go until The Last Jedi opens, it would appear viewers can cross one item off the growing list of possibilities. Unless the creative team is intentionally misguiding the fans, Rey is very unlikely to be a Skywalker.

While at Star Wars Celebration Orlando, Daisy Ridley spoke with Erik Davis of Fandango and was asked how Rey's relationship with Luke differs from the ones Luke had with his mentors Obi-Wan and Yoda. The actress surprisingly revealed some juicy details, saying Skywalker doesn't even know who Rey is when she arrives on Ahch-To with his old lightsaber.

Talent involved with massive blockbuster projects such as this have a history of being very coy with the media (John Harrison will live in infamy forever), so there's always a chance Ridley is fudging the truth to throw people off the scent. However, she doesn't exactly dodge the question and seems to provide a straight response, indicating she's being honest. For all the "Rey Skywalker" hints in Star Wars 7, franchise canon also provides a number of counterpoints. Rey believed Luke Skywalker was nothing but a myth when Finn first mentioned his name, and in the novel Bloodline (set six years prior to Force Awakens, when Rey was already on Jakku), Luke is still training Ben Solo to be a Jedi and the family is together. Skywalker not knowing who she is seems to be the final nail on the coffin; even if he didn't recognize a grown-up version of the child he left behind, Luke would still be able to sense her with the Force.

Ultimately, this could be the best decision for the series moving forward. The galaxy is a very expansive place, and there's no rule that says everyone has to be connected to each other. Arguably, having Rey be a "nobody," so to speak, would only reinforce the notion of the everyman (or everywoman) Star Wars hero; instead of being a descendent of the so-called Chosen One and destined for great things from birth, Rey could simply be a dreamer plucked from obscurity, making her even more relatable. As for her "mysterious connection" with the one and only Kylo Ren, that's a debate that will continue to rage on until December at the very least.

NEXT - Star Wars: The Last Jedi Trailer Breakdown

Source: Erik Davis

Key Release Dates