Summary

• Ridley's portrayal of Rey showcases her playful personality and dry humor, adding charm to the character.
• Rey's connection with Kylo Ren highlights Ridley's ability to deliver emotionally-charged scenes with sincerity.
• Daisy Ridley's willingness to return for "Star Wars: New Jedi Order" demonstrates her dedication to continue the Skywalker legacy despite backlash.

Daisy Ridley played Rey Skywalker in the Star Wars sequel trilogy, and here are her best moments. Rey was a new character introduced in the sequel trilogy, and although she is first set up as a 'nobody,' she is quickly revealed to be the main Jedi of the sequel trilogy. Rey goes on to be trained by both Luke Skywalker and General Leia Organa, and she ultimately claims the name Skywalker at the end of Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker.

Like many new additions to the Star Wars franchise, Daisy Ridley was not universally warmly welcomed by some parts of the fanbase. Rey, and Ridley by extension, faced significant backlash and criticism for reasons ranging from Rey's powers being perceived as beyond what was reasonable for her character, to her parentage, to Ridley's portrayal. Despite that, Ridley consistently delivered performances that showed off Rey's playful personality and Ridley's acting chops. Her top 10 best moments throughout the sequel trilogy showcase not only some of the best scenes in the films but also the promise of her future appearance in Star Wars: New Jedi Order.

12 Daisy Ridley's Delivery Of "The Garbage Will Do"

Star Wars: The Force Awakens

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One of Daisy Ridley's best lines comes at the expense of a very familiar ship. As she and Finn flee Jakku with BB-8, they are redirected from a smaller, sleeker-looking ship that gets destroyed to the Millennium Falcon, and Ridley's delivery of the line is perfect. Finn points to the Falcon as an option, and Rey says the ship is "garbage." When it becomes their only option, however, Rey changes her tune and says, "The garbage will do." Rey is still pretty new to the audience at this point in the film, and she's spoken very little; this is a great peek at her personality, which is charmingly dry.

10 Rey's Frustration with Finn on the Millennium Falcon

Star Wars: The Force Awakens

That same dryness is present in one of Daisy Ridley's even better scenes in The Force Awakens, which also takes place on the Millennium Falcon. This scene is particularly delightful because it fleshes out the dynamic between Rey and Finn, developing their personalities through light banter that is reminiscent of the previous Star Wars trilogies. As Rey attempts to repair the Falcon, she directs Finn to different tools she needs, but he is completely lost. Rey gets increasingly frustrated with him, shouting, "No! No! The one I'm pointing to. No! No!" It's a precious moment between the two, and it's one of Rey's funnier scenes.

9 Rey Constantly Irritating the Ahch-To Caretakers

Star Wars: The Last Jedi

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Star Wars: The Last Jedi is not necessarily a funny film; many dark moments overshadow the plot, and it isn't infused with nearly as much humor as The Force Awakens. Despite that, a running gag on Ahch-To gets a laugh every time. Throughout her stay on the island, Rey accidentally does damage to the Caretakers' home, causing them increasing annoyance. At one point, Rey blows a hole in one of their houses, and at another, she knocks one of their wheelbarrows down a cliff. Each time, the Caretakers glare at her, and she stands frozen like a child caught doing something wrong. It's a much-needed comedic break in the otherwise heavier movie.

7 Rey's Connection with Kylo Ren in the Ahch-To Hut

Star Wars: The Last Jedi

As well as Daisy Ridley does dry humor, she does emotionally-charged scenes even better. One of the best examples of this comes in The Last Jedi, during Rey and Kylo's Force bond. Rey expresses that she has never felt so alone, and Kylo replies, "You're not alone." The two then share a silent but meaningful moment, reaching out through their bond to touch hands. It's shocking because it shows an intimacy between the two despite their opposing sides, Rey on the light side and Kylo on the dark side, and because it's in such contrast to Kylo's murder of his father, Han Solo, in the previous movie.

This is also indicative of the complexity that Daisy Ridley grappled with throughout the sequel trilogy, and she did so with grace. The sequels changed hands multiple times, and the story was not pre-established or consistent. It wasn't clear, even to Ridley, how the events would play out, including her relationship with Kylo Ren. At times, particularly in The Force Awakens, they seem like more conventional Star Wars enemies, but in The Last Jedi, their relationship takes a decidedly romantic turn. Ridley adjusted seamlessly each time, always giving a believable performance; Rey gives her all during their fights (maybe even more than Kylo), but these tender moments are sincere too.

6 Daisy Ridley's Ferocious "You're Afraid... That You'll Never Be As Strong As Darth Vader"

Star Wars: The Force Awakens

One of Daisy Ridley's best scenes as Rey takes place toward the end of The Force Awakens and is when she truly begins to demonstrate her Force powers. On Kylo Ren's ship, Rey is restrained and subjected to Kylo's mind-probing Force abilities. Although she has had minimal with this type of evil, she responds to the terrifying situation with bravery and bite. Daisy Ridley executes this perfectly in her delivery of the line, "You're afraid... that you'll never be as strong as Darth Vader." This is a great moment, not only because it shows Ridley's (and Rey's) ferocity, but also because it reveals a deep truth about Kylo Ren.

5 Daisy Ridley's Battle Cry When Fighting the Elite Praetorian Guard

Star Wars: The Last Jedi

Having certainly stepped up her confidence at this point in the trilogy, in The Last Jedi, Rey engages the Elite Praetorian Guard in a battle alongside Kylo Ren after he kills his master, Snoke. The two take on multiple guards at once, but before charging one guard in particular, Daisy Ridley releases a feral growl that shows a very different side of Rey. So much of The Last Jedi depicts Rey as lonely, uncertain, and emotional, and while those are also valid given the circumstances, seeing her break out of that and eagerly enter a battle with her lightsaber is a thrill — and the growl was all Ridley.

4 Rey's Tag Team with Kylo Ren in Snoke's Throne Room

Star Wars: The Last Jedi

Perhaps the best scene between Kylo Ren and Rey throughout the trilogy takes place in Snoke's throne room, the same one where Daisy Ridley releases that guttural snarl. After Ren kills Snoke, the two jump into action, literally fighting back-to-back, and it's the first real lightsaber action Daisy Ridley gets to show off. The scene feels like a massive callback to the fights of the prequel trilogy, and it's exciting to see the team include one blue lightsaber and one red. Of course, the best moment of the scene is Rey yelling "Ben!" and throwing the lightsaber to Ren, who ignites it next to his head, killing the last guard.

3 The Sith Rey Cameo

Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker

Of all the unused concepts in the sequel trilogy, the brief glimpse of Sith Rey, rather than her full realization, is perhaps the most disappointing. Dark Rey at first appears almost calm but then begins fighting with Rey, literally baring her (fanged) teeth. Daisy Ridley's performance as a Sith makes the sting of not getting more of this version of her even more painful. It's clear she would have excelled as this cold, terrifying, evil Rey, and that could have meant incredible things for the story. The best moment comes when the two stand as mirror images of each other, reflecting that Rey, like Kylo, was in many ways conflicted.