The co-writer of Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker, Chris Terrio, explains how Rey brings balance to the Force. The latest Star Wars installment is in its second week of release. Although it is currently crushing the competition at the box office, it had the lowest opening of the sequel trilogy.
Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker has received plenty of social media discussion. As the final installment in the Skywalker saga, this is to be expected. Interestingly, the film has been received the worst critically out of the sequel trilogy. Its Rotten Tomatoes score is 54%, putting it as one of the lowest-rated Star Wars films on the website. A number of fans have also expressed displeasure with the film, including one actor from The Mandalorian. Nonetheless, The Rise of Skywalker sought to conclude the saga, and it accomplished that with little loose threads. Chris Terrio recently said he wished the film could have been split into two parts, which certainly would have been interesting. There are a number of notable things in the The Rise of Skywalker, including Rey's stand against Emperor Palpatine.
In an interview with IndieWire, The Rise of Skywalker co-writer Chris Terrio was asked about the balance in the Force after Rey's defeat of Palpatine. According to Terrio, it can be said the dark side of the Force was overpowering the light, but thanks to Rey, that critical balance has been restored.
"The balance of the Force always, as George [Lucas] has said, means that the dark and the light exist,” Terrio said. "There are corners everywhere in the galaxy where the dark still exists, except that with the rise of Palpatine and the original trilogy, I think the way George would describe it is that the dark had become too powerful to the point where the light had almost disappeared. So in winning this victory against the First Order and the remnants of the Empire and the Sith loyalists, I think that the balance is restored, because the dark had been growing much, much more powerful than the light. By Rey striking this blow, it doesn’t mean that everything is happily ever after forever, but it means that at least for this moment in time, the dark has been held off as the light has pushed back."
In The Rise of Skywalker, Palpatine reveals he has been pulling the strings, and has been crafting an army of Star Destroyers. If Palpatine had succeeded here, the dark side of the Force might have defeated the light. However, after being empowered by the Jedi before her, Rey is able to defeat Palpatine, halting the dark's takeover of the light. Although it doesn't mean things will always be good as Terrio notes, Rey's success means the light was able to push back.
Rey's journey from The Force Awakens to The Rise of Skywalker is interesting to see. She went from being a scavenger to the key in preventing universal domination. In the latest film, Rey sees what she could become if she let the dark side take over. However, unlike Anakin Skywalker, Rey never takes that step into the dark side, instead staying the course and eventually saving everyone. With Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker billed as the end of a saga, it remains to be seen if Rey is ever brought back. There are certainly ways her story can continue.
Source: IndieWire