Rey's Palpatine twist in Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker may not have been appreciated by many fans, but it still didn't ruin her arc as the perfect Skywalker saga hero. The reveal of Rey's true parentage in Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker came after so much fan speculation that it was inevitably disappointing to many. However, the Star Wars sequel trilogy had worked hard to establish her as the hero of the Skywalker saga, and the Palpatine twist did nothing to hurt her status as the perfect Skywalker successor.
The Star Wars sequel trilogy's problems were many. Perhaps the biggest was the films' lack of narrative consistency, and this made the Disney trilogy divisive among fans. However, even among the sequels' harshest criticisms, their protagonist, Rey, is rarely the focus of its issues. This is because, despite the sequels' divisive nature, Rey was one of its most consistent characters, due to her following the formula of previous Star Wars heroes.
While Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker's Palpatine twist felt cheap and inorganic to many fans, it still wasn't enough to ruin Rey's character. Her status as the sequels' hero stems from the parallels drawn between her and the Skywalkers before her. This is something that Rey being a Palpatine couldn't undo, even if it wasn't appreciated by fans. Ultimately, through drawing on key similarities and differences, Rey had already been set up as the perfect Skywalker saga hero.
Rey's Star Wars Origin Parallels Luke & Anakin Skywalker's
From the moment Rey is introduced in Star Wars: The Force Awakens, her character parallels both Anakin's and Luke's. She lives in poverty on a desert planet awaiting the return of her parents, and the question of her parentage is central to her trilogy. Anakin was famously conceived by midi-chlorians (resulting in him being identified as the Jedi's Chosen One), and Luke's discovery of the identity of his father is one of the Star Wars franchise's most iconic moments.
These uncanny similarities in the characters' origins led many fans to believe Rey's Star Wars backstory would reveal her to be a continuation of the Skywalker bloodline. While this may have later been revealed to be untrue, by having the sequels' new hero come from such similar circumstances as its previous two, the trilogy set Rey up as their perfect successor. By drawing parallels, it added an extra layer to the final reveal of Rey as a Palpatine that cemented her as a hero by choice and not by circumstance.
What Makes Rey Different From The Skywalkers
Despite sharing similarities to their backstories, Rey is actually decidedly different from the Skywalkers. Most notably, she's less headstrong than Anakin and Luke, both of whom hurtled headlong into their respective adventures, whereas Rey was forced into hers. While both Anakin and Luke couldn't wait to leave Tatooine, Rey, despite being abandoned on Jakku, was initially incredibly eager to return.
This makes Rey a far more reluctant hero than either Anakin or Luke. Both Skywalkers left their home in search of adventure and glory, whereas Rey simply wanted to belong. This is a running theme with Rey's motivations, as it's only in finding her place in the Resistance (and among the surviving Skywalkers) that she finally seems to discover her place in the galaxy. In addition, Rey is a more cautious hero than either Anakin or Luke, who were often respectively arrogant or naive.
Rey's Star Wars Story Matches The Skywalkers' Force Journey
Despite their differences in personality, the similarities in the characters' origins seemingly transfer to their Force journeys, too. Anakin's Chosen One prophecy formed the basis of his character's journey to becoming a Jedi (and eventually a Sith lord), and Luke's quick mastery of the Force seemed to indicate he was equally powerful. However, Rey's own journey also draws parallels to both of the franchise's previous protagonists.
Anakin, Luke, and Rey all start out on their Force paths much later than they should have - in fact, both Luke and Rey are essentially adults when they begin training - and this proves their inherent aptitude for the ways of the Force. All three are shown to be innately connected to the Force and are able to manipulate it with minimal training. Until Rey, this was believed to be a Skywalker trait, but Rey being as powerful as Luke and Anakin seemingly debunks the theory. Instead, Rey's Force power drawing parallels with the Skywalkers sets her up to be a worthy hero for the sequel trilogy.
Rey's Star Wars Arc Is A Progression Of Luke's
Despite Rey's Palpatine twist being divisive among fans, it actually cemented her story as the natural progression of Luke's (which itself was a progression of Anakin's). After Anakin's fall to the dark side and his part in the destruction of the Jedi Order, Luke's journey saw him walk the path towards restoring the old ways. He also offered a form of redemption to Anakin, ultimately seeing his father turn his back on the dark side and on Palpatine.
Rey, on the other hand, attempts to embrace Luke's teaching but struggles against it. This sees Luke realize that the Jedi Order was inherently flawed, and sets Rey up to walk a new path, one that challenges convention while remaining free of the dark side of the Force. Revealing her Palpatine heritage only highlights that the way in which Star Wars' heroes use the Force ultimately boils down to their personal choices.
Why Rey's Palpatine Twist Didn't Ruin Her Arc As The Perfect Skywalker Hero
While Rey's Palpatine twist might have been unpopular with many fans, it didn't undo the character's role in the sequel trilogy. The many parallels between Rey and the Skywalkers made her the perfect new hero for the saga, and that's not something that the revelation of her origins was able to change. In fact, in many ways, the twist added context to Rey's heroism.
By making Rey a Palpatine, Star Wars asserts that it's not the manner of a character's birth that defines them. This is something that the two previous trilogies struggle with - Anakin was conceived by the Force and Luke was descended from the "Chosen One". However, Rey's Palpatine twist furthered the idea that following a moral code is more important than the fact of one's birth.
By carefully drawing parallels between Rey and the Skywalkers, Star Wars made the character a worthy successor to the franchise's top spot. The Palpatine twist that many fans disliked actually worked within the narrative to give Rey the same internal conflict as the Skywalkers both faced in their own respective ways. This means that while Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker's Palpatine twist was unpopular, it didn't stop Rey being the perfect hero for the franchise.
