Will Rey’s real parents please raise their hands?
The reveal of the trailer of Rogue One: A Star Wars Story has everyone talking… but not just about that particular film. All of a sudden, the internet is abuzz with the potential of the film’s lead character, Jyn Erso (Felicity Jones), being the mother of none other than Rey from The Force Awakens. Though Daisy Ridley has shot down these rumours herself (apparently she knows her character’s story but isn’t saying), it hasn’t stopped fan boy culture from firing on all cylinders about it.
So, since everyone is talking about it, let’s enter into the conversation ourselves. With that in mind, here are five likely candidates who may have passed on their DNA to the young Jedi-to-be.
- Luke Skywalker – In many ways, he is the most obvious and likely of choices. Arguably the most powerful Jedi, for him to have conceived a child over the last three decades and run from the responsibility (like his father) seems like a logical progression for his character.
- Leia Organa & Han Solo – The most convenient of choices, to be honest. By making Han—or, as Ren calls him, ‘the father you never had—and Leia her parents, Rey’s battles with Kylo Ren have a brother/sister dynamic we’ve never seen before.
- Mara Jade – One of the most beloved characters of the (now) unofficial extended Star Wars universe, it would be a love letter to the fans to bring Mara Jade’s character to the big screen. She, the one-time love interest of Luke Skywalker, could be an excellent edition to the next generation of storytelling.
- Supreme Leader Snoke – This theory that the epitome of evil would conceive a Jedi daughter isn’t far fetched either. (Again, see Vader, Darth.) He seems surprised by her abilities—but that’s easy enough to lie about publicly. If Snope is Rey’s father, it creates another opportunity for a character grappling with generational sin. (Although, let’s be serious, we’ve been down this road before…)
- You know, another Jedi… – Here’s a fun idea. Wouldn’t it be amazing if, somewhere in the galaxy, there was another Jedi who’s last name wasn’t Skywalker? While Han seems to indicate that he’s aware of the identity of her parents, that doesn’t necessarily mean that she’s directly related to him or members of his family. While the Star Wars universe is used to having everyone connected, there is no definitive reason why she needs to be anything more than the offspring of another mysterious Jedi.