One of the main questions Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker will answer is "Who is Rey?" Even before Daisy Ridley made her debut in Star Wars: The Force Awakens in 2015, fans of the galaxy far, far away have wanted to know more about her character. Theories ran wild that the lonely scavenger on Jakku was the daughter of Luke or of Han and Leia. However, director JJ Abrams' mystery box approach didn't reveal too much of Rey's backstory, leaving Star Wars: The Last Jedi to tackle lingering questions over her heritage.
Writer-director Rian Johnson established in the movie that Rey's parents were nobodies, disappointing many even though it tied into the idea that anyone can save the galaxy - and not just those with the mighty Skywalker blood in their veins. But, this was one of many parts of The Last Jedi that divided fans. Now that Abrams is returning the franchise in Star Wars 9, he's teased that it will add more to the story of Rey's parents. Now, the film's writer confirms that the movie will answer questions about Rey.
In an interview with Empire, writer Chris Terrio said that "Who is Rey" is a question that fueled the development of Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker. This question doesn't just pertain to finding out more about Rey's parents though. Terrio also teased that part of the answer is in figuring out Rey's spiritual side.
One of them is a simple one: ‘Who is Rey?’ Which is a question that people not only wonder about quite literally, but wonder about in the spiritual sense. How can Rey become the spiritual heir to the Jedi? We kept coming back to ‘Who is Rey?’, and how can we give the most satisfying answer to that not only factually - because obviously people are interested in whether there's more to be learned of Rey's story - but more importantly who is she as a character? How will she find the courage and will and inner strength and power to carry on what she's inherited?
The idea of The Rise of Skywalker providing answers about Rey's parents isn't a new revelation, as it is something Ridley has confirmed fans will know the complete truth to by the end of the film. But, the good news is that Terrio's quote implies this is not the only aspect of Rey he and Abrams focused on when developing the movie. The weight of being the last remaining Jedi sounds like it will be just as, if not more, important to understanding Rey as a character. The recent Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker D23 footage teased that she may now be a Jedi master. The teaser trailer also had a voiceover from Luke saying, "a thousand generations live in you now," with the implication that he's talking to Rey.
While we don't have a clear picture of what Rey's journey in Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker will be, Terrio's quote does give us some more context for what we can expect. He recently noted her relationship with Kylo will be built upon, so that dynamic will undoubtedly play into learning more about Rey. Plus, there is still the entire aspect of Dark Rey that could also complicate Rey's story depending on the explanation. In any case, fans can rest assured that Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker will reveal much more about Rey. Now we'll just have to wait a few more months to find out exactly what the answers are.
Source: Empire
