A brand new element in regards to the plans for Rey’s parentage within 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 query of who Rey’s dad and mom are hung over all the sequel trilogy, with it launched as a giant (unopened) thriller field by J.J. Abrams in Star Wars: The Force Awakens. The makes an attempt to reply it could show divisive: Star Wars: The Last Jedi stated she was a no person, 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 right, to a level not less than. Daisy Ridley responded to the Rey Palpatine controversy, and revealed that the character being “no one” did not truly come from Rian Johnson as thought, however was a part of Abrams’ authentic plan and so “it wasn’t just The Last Jedi where that was the message.” Part of the issue with the sequel trilogy was it did not have an overarching imaginative and prescient or plan, ensuing within the three motion pictures missing in cohesion, and this reveal solely highlights that additional.
Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker bringing again Emperor Palpatine wasn’t a part of the plan. There was no clear arrange for it in both Star Wars: The Force Awakens nor Star Wars: The Last Jedi, and he was absent in Colin Trevorrow’s model of Star Wars 9, titled Duel of the Fates. Palpatine returned when Abrams did, with Lucasfilm trying to course-correct after the backlash to The Last Jedi, and Rey being Palpatine’s granddaughter got here with him. Because of that, it already felt like a groan-worthy, eye-rolling revelation: an inexpensive plot twist supposed to service disgruntled followers, and to attach the Skywalker saga extra absolutely.
Although Rey Palpatine wasn’t good then and clearly wasn’t the plan, figuring out that Rey “No One” was the plan makes it even worse. Not solely was it a course right, but it surely was turning away from one of many few issues that seemingly had been arrange and supposed all alongside. Sticking with Rey being a no person in The Rise of Skywalker might have offered a a lot clearer by way of line throughout the sequel trilogy. Knowing Rey is a Palpatine ruins that within the last half, and ends in her arc being much more disjointed and confused than it wanted to be. That it additionally proved controversial was unhealthy sufficient, however this reveals simply how unnecessary it was too.
Although there are sometimes accusations about it, The Last Jedi did not retcon The Force Awakens. J.J. Abrams raised many questions however gave no solutions, which means all the things was large open for Rian Johnson to go in no matter course he wished. His obvious shutting down of the Rey dad and mom theories was seen as contradicting The Force Awakens. That was by no means the case, as a result of in reality there was nothing to essentially contradict, however the reveal of Rey’s lineage plan confirms that not solely did not he retcon it, he instantly continued the story within the correct manner.