With Star Wars sequel trilogy has come to a close, and J.J. Abrams stuck the landing as well as anyone could’ve expected him to – which, considering the rushed nature, ever-changing storylines, and disted trajectory of the trilogy, was not particularly well.
When the trilogy began with The Force Awakens, Star Wars fans were optimistic. Part of that optimism was a result of the trilogy’s new hero, Rey, who started off as an exciting prospect. So, here are 5 ways that Rey was initially a promising character, and 5 ways that Disney’s sequel trilogy let her down.
PROMISING: Daisy Ridley Was A Great Find
Unlike her co-stars John Boyega, Oscar Isaac, and Adam Driver, who were all vaguely familiar to audiences before The Force Awakens hit theaters, Daisy Ridley was a complete unknown who was cast without any prior on-screen acting work. She’s clearly very talented, with a lot of emotional range.
If Rey was written as consistently throughout the trilogy as, say, Obi-Wan Kenobi in the prequels, then Ridley would’ve undoubtedly brought her arc to life. Unfortunately, the trilogy relied too much on gimmicks to let her shine.
TRILOGY LET HER DOWN: She Was Inexplicably Great At Everything
Rey has been criticized as a “Mary Sue,” which isn’t quite accurate (and it’s a term with a very loose definition anyway), but she does seem to be bizarrely great at everything she attempts. When she jumped in the Millennium Falcon, she could suddenly fly it better than Han and Chewie combined. There’s no indication that she’s ever left Jakku, so how would she even know how to fly, let alone fly that well?
And the second she had a lightsaber in her hand, she could use it more masterfully than the greatest Jedi who ever lived. When she attempted to use the Force on a whim, she was great at it. Everything Rey touches inexplicably turns to gold.
PROMISING: She Was The Star Wars Saga’s First Female Protagonist
When it was first announced that the new Star Wars trilogy would have a female protagonist, fans were excited. The franchise had always had great female characters, from Leia Organa to Ahsoka Tano, but this was the first time that a female hero had anchored a trilogy in the core saga.
However, just setting out to create a “strong female character” and calling them that doesn’t make it so.
TRILOGY LET HER DOWN: The Force Awakens Made Rey’s Parentage An Unnecessary Discussion
Using his “mystery box” method of storytelling, J.J. Abrams established Rey’s parentage as an important debate with the flashbacks and Easter eggs in The Force Awakens. As a result, a lot of the conversation surrounding Rey simply involved guessing who her parents were.
Rian Johnson wasn’t interested in giving Rey a significant parentage, so he revealed through Kylo Ren in The Last Jedi that her parents were “nobodies,” which would’ve worked for the character if her parentage hadn’t been hyped so much between Episodes VII and VIII.
PROMISING: Her Force Connection With Kylo Ren Made An Intriguing Hook
Although it overused a dramatic tool that was used just the right amount throughout the original trilogy, the Force connection between Rey and Kylo Ren made for an intriguing hook.
Rey was constantly trying to sway Ben Solo back to the light side, while Ben was constantly trying to sway her to the dark side. A lot more could’ve been done with this plot device.
TRILOGY LET HER DOWN: The Out-Of-The-Blue Kiss
Rey’s Force connection with Ben Solo was set up to be more than just a mere romance. It was about bringing peace to the galaxy. Ben returning to the light side was necessary to abolish the Sith, as his power combined with Rey’s to finally bring balance to the Force
However, right after Ben’s redemption, when he and Rey have killed Palpatine and saved the galaxy, he gives her his lifeforce and then they kiss before he dies. It was supposed to be a Romeo and Juliet-style tragic ending, but it just felt weird and forced in an attempt to appease Reylo shippers.
PROMISING: She Seemed To Be A Nobody
When Rey was established as a scavenger, clawing for scraps of food, fighting her way from one meal to the next, she seemed to be a different kind of Star Wars protagonist. Anakin Skywalker began as a slave on Tatooine, and his son Luke was a farmhand on the same planet.
But they both hailed from the prized Skywalker bloodline. Rey was self-sufficient. She didn’t come from a special family; she didn’t even have a family. The fact that she could be anyone was inspiring.
TRILOGY LET HER DOWN: The Palpatine Reveal Worked Against Her Development
In order to give the trailers a stinger that would guarantee that skeptical Star Wars fans would still buy a ticket for the sequel trilogy’s conclusion, The Rise of Skywalker revealed that Rey was the granddaughter of Emperor Palpatine. One of the costs of this twist was undermining Rey’s character arc.
The whole point of Rey seemed to be that anyone can be the hero, even a no-name desert scavenger – The Last Jedi’s “pauper’s grave” revelation and “Broom Boy” ending hammered this home – but the Palpatine revelation undid all that groundwork.
PROMISING: She Was Luke Skywalker’s First Student Since Ben Solo
In the cliffhanger ending of The Force Awakens, Rey goes to see Luke Skywalker on Ahch-To, where he’s exiled himself. This set up Luke’s training of Rey in The Last Jedi, where she became his first student since Ben Solo.
Unfortunately, since Luke was recharacterized as a bitter, cynical grump who couldn’t care less about the Jedi, the training wasn’t as fun or exciting as it could’ve been.
TRILOGY LET HER DOWN: Taking The Skywalker Name Felt Forced
In the final moments of The Rise of Skywalker, Rey travels to Tatooine to bury Luke and Leia’s lightsabers at the scorched remains of Uncle Owen and Aunt Beru’s farm. Unusually, a er-by asks Rey, a complete stranger, for her surname, which sets up Rey taking the name Skywalker. This scene has become the basis of countless memes, because it’s ridiculously forced and it comes out of nowhere.
Why can’t Rey just be Rey? Why does she need a last name at all? It seemed like J.J. Abrams was ending Rey’s arc with the conclusion of what Disney branded “the Skywalker saga” in mind, not what felt right for her.
