New Rey Parentage Reveal Makes The Rise Of Skywalker’s Palpatine Twist Worse

A new detail about the plans for Rey’s parentage in the Star Wars sequel trilogy serves to make Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker‘s eventual reveal that she’s Emperor Palpatine’s granddaughter even worse. The question of who Rey’s parents are hung over the entire sequel trilogy, with it introduced as a big (unopened) mystery box by J.J. Abrams in Star Wars: The Force Awakens. The attempts to answer it would prove divisive: Star Wars: The Last Jedi said she was a nobody, to accusations of throwing away the setup; The Rise of Skywalker made her a Palpatine, which felt like a rug-pull.

The latter has been confirmed as correct, to a degree at least. Daisy Ridley responded to the Rey Palpatine controversy, and revealed that the character being “no one” didn’t actually come from Rian Johnson as thought, but was part of Abrams’ original plan and so “it wasn’t just The Last Jedi where that was the message.” Part of the problem with the sequel trilogy was it didn’t have an overarching vision or plan, resulting in the three movies lacking in cohesion, and this reveal only highlights that further.

Related: What If Rey Was Luke Skywalker’s Daughter In The Star Wars Sequels?

Rey Originally Being No One Makes Rise Of Skywalker’s Palpatine Twist Worse

Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker bringing back Emperor Palpatine wasn’t part of the plan. There was no clear set up for it in either Star Wars: The Force Awakens nor Star Wars: The Last Jedi, and he was absent in Colin Trevorrow’s version of Star Wars 9, titled Duel of the Fates. Palpatine returned when Abrams did, with Lucasfilm looking to course-correct after the backlash to The Last Jedi, and Rey being Palpatine’s granddaughter came with him. Because of that, it already felt like a groan-worthy, eye-rolling revelation: a cheap plot twist intended to service disgruntled fans, and to connect the Skywalker saga more fully.

Although Rey Palpatine wasn’t good then and clearly wasn’t the plan, knowing that Rey “No One” was the plan makes it even worse. Not only was it a course correct, but it was turning away from one of the few things that seemingly had been set up and intended all along. Sticking with Rey being a nobody in The Rise of Skywalker could have provided a much clearer through line across the sequel trilogy. Knowing Rey is a Palpatine ruins that in the final part, and results in her arc being far more disjointed and confused than it needed to be. That it also proved controversial was bad enough, but this shows just how needless it was too.

Rey “No One” Coming From Abrams Proves Last Jedi Didn’t Retcon Force Awakens

Although there are often accusations about it, The Last Jedi didn’t retcon The Force Awakens. J.J. Abrams raised many questions but gave no answers, meaning everything was wide open for Rian Johnson to go in whatever direction he wanted. His apparent shutting down of the Rey parents theories was seen as contradicting The Force Awakens. That was never the case, because in truth there was nothing to really contradict, but the reveal of Rey’s lineage plan confirms that not only didn’t he retcon it, he directly continued the story in the proper way.

This was true of many elements – it was, after all, Abrams who decided to have Luke Skywalker vanish in the sequels and be stranded on an island that was almost impossible to find – but it’s particularly interesting with Rey’s parentage. With many possibilities seemingly open going into The Last Jedi, having Rey be no one seemed a bold choice given the plethora of Star Wars characters to have her related to (not just Palpatine but Skywalker, Solo, and Kenobi were all plausible). It still approached it in ways that challenged the character, but knowing it was always the plan makes The Force Awakens‘ setup better in hindsight, yet all that is undone by The Rise of Skywalker.

Related: Star Wars: No, The Last Jedi DIDN’T Retcon Force Awakens

The Force Awakens Set Up Rey Nobody (So Abrams Reversing It Is Weirder)

Not only did the plan for Rey to be a nobody come from J.J. Abrams, but the crumbs of it can actually be seen in Star Wars: The Force Awakens. The key is Maz Kanata, who tells Rey: “Whoever you’re waiting for on Jakku, they’re not coming back… The belonging you seek is not behind you. It is ahead.” This can at least be interpreted as a big clue that Rey is no one, because the people she’s waiting for are her parents. To dismiss them as “whoever” and say they won’t return means they can’t be characters audiences know; the belonging she seeks being ahead means she will have to forge her own identity.

With that, then it’s even stranger Abrams decided to retcon Rey’s parentage in The Rise of Skywalker. Even though part of the point of his return was seemingly to get the sequels back on track after The Last Jedi ostensibly derailed things, going down the route of Palpatine doesn’t achieve that at all and instead works counter to it. It further shows that it was a desperate move, a result of Disney hitting the panic button rather than doing what was right for the story and Rey as a character.

Rey Being A Nobody Was Always The Best Choice

Whether it came from J.J. Abrams or Rian Johnson, Rey being no one was always the best choice over her being a Palpatine, Kenobi, Skywalker, Binks, Crumb, Sleazebaggano, or anything else with Star Wars connections. That’s not because it subverts audience expectations (although it did), but because it subverts Rey’s own expectations. She sets out desperate to find her place in the Star Wars galaxy, and believing she comes from somewhere special – she transplants those hopes onto her relationship with Han Solo, and it can be seen in her desire to find and work with Luke Skywalker. Rey coming from a powerful bloodline is what she wants; her being a nobody is the most devastating twist possible.

The Rise of Skywalker committing to that makes the sequel trilogy as a whole far stronger. The longing for the discovery of her parents, the crushing reveal they were nobodies, and then overcoming that to prove great power isn’t just something inherited is a full hero’s journey. It ties into the core themes of Star Wars and strengthens them, showing anyone can be a hero, which is exactly what it should represent not only to the other characters in the galaxy (see: Broom Boy), but for audiences as well.

Related: Why Rey Skywalker Was The Only Way Star Wars Could Have Ended

Star Wars: The Rise Of Skywalker ending with Rey Skywalker actually makes logical sense as part of this. After all, Rey’s entire journey was about her identity – so, upon discovering she doesn’t have one, her claiming that as her own and continuing on its legacy, but turning it into something new that extends beyond the one special bloodline, is a fitting and even inspiring twist for her character. But to have her do that from the starting point of already being part of all-powerful lineage weakens it, making the choice less impactful since her identity was already somewhat defined, and making the galaxy feel smaller in having its greatest heroes and villains all narrowed down to the same pool of people.

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