It's no accident that Rey has such preternatural Force powers, according to Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker writer-director J.J. Abrams. Four years after making her grand debut as the Jakku scavenger-turned Jedi in training, Daisy Ridley will reprise her role as Rey for the third time in next month's The Rise of Skywalker. In addition to serving as a conclusion to the trilogy she and Abrams helped kick off with 2015's Star Wars: The Force Awakens, The Rise of Skywalker will wrap up the larger Skywalker Saga after nine films released across forty-two years.
For the large part, though, The Rise of Skywalker is expected to focus on bringing the sequel trilogy's story to a close and, in the process, providing a fitting payoff to its heroes' journey so far. In Rey's case, that means not only putting the matter of her parents to rest at last, but also exploring her greater purpose in the universe, and what the future holds for her. There's also the lingering question surrounding her ability to use the Force and acquire new skills exceptionally quickly - a matter Abrams says has been intentionally left unanswered, up to this point.
During a larger interview with Rolling Stone about a variety of Star Wars-related topics, Abrams was asked about Rey and how she not only feels gifted in the ways of the Force, but seems to learn things faster than either Anakin or Luke Skywalker in the Star Wars films before her time. Naturally, Abrams was coy in his answer, but made it clear this was done on purpose:
Yeah, spooky, right? [Smiles] It’s a fair point. It’s not an accident.
There's a reasonable chance (okay, a more than reasonable one) The Rise of Skywalker will reveal something very important about Rey's past, whether it involves her parents or not. That's not to say the movie will, or should, retcon The Last Jedi and confirm she comes from a famous line of Force users; one of the things many people liked about The Last Jedi was how it subverted the Chosen One trope by revealing Rey's mother and father weren't necessarily anyone of great importance (assuming you believe Kylo Ren's answer about them). All the same, The Rise of Skywalker will surely provide some form of closure to Rey's greater character arc and, in doing so, shed some additional light on why she's so dang talented at using the Force (other than, of course, because she's awesome).
Rey's Force Powers (or, rather, high midichlorian count?) are but one of several mysteries The Rise of Skywalker will steadily unravel, along with the matter of Kylo Ren's destiny, the outcome of the Resistance's battle against the First Order, and the question of how Emperor Palpatine is back from the dead and what he's been doing for the last thirty-plus years. Abrams and his co-writer on the film, the Oscar-winning Chris Terrio of Argo and Batman V Superman fame, certainly haven't made things easier on themselves, juggling as many balls as they are. Still, after the great job he did introducing Rey in the first place, it's fair to have faith in his ability to see her story through to a satisfying end.
Source: Rolling Stone
