Assuming Kylo Ren was telling the truth, we finally got an answer to one of Star Wars: The Force Awakens’ biggest mysteries this past December in Star Wars: The Last Jedi with the reveal about Rey’s parents. Rather than having the character be the offspring of Luke Skywalker, or Obi-Wan Kenobi, or Emperor Palpatine, or any other number of fan theories, Rian Johnson opted to go down a completely different route, revealing Rey’s parents as “nobodies” – junkers who sold her off, abandoned her, and now lie dead somewhere in the Jakku desert.
Speaking to Collider, Johnson has revealed the reasoning behind his bold decision, stating that he felt that answer would challenge Rey’s character the most:
“The truth is that was never like a driving thing for me in the movie, and I’ve talked a little bit elsewhere about the big decision with Rey and her parents. That’s one of the big things. It’s cutting loose the idea that of her being special coming from lineage. And that is true and I do like that, and I think that’s a good thing. That wasn’t, though, the motivating factor behind that decision. It was more a dramatic decision of ‘What is the toughest thing she could hear about her parents? What is the thing for her and for us what will make her have to stand on her own two feet and will make things the hardest for her?’ Because she’s the hero and that’s her job—to have things be the hardest for her.
“So it came from that and the other element came along with that, which is something I really liked. But I didn’t sit down and think, ‘How do we overturn this whole thing of Star Wars lineage?’ That wasn’t the driving factor. It was almost a byproduct of a natural process of, ‘Oh, this is what’s going to make sense for her as a character, as a dramatic turn there. And that means this, and that’s kind of nice.’ It’s a strange, organic process, I guess.”
What are your thoughts on Rey’s parentage? Is it a refreshing change to break from the Skywalker line, or did you find it unsatisfying? Let us know in the comments below…
SEE ALSO: There was no time for Han’s funeral in Star Wars: The Last Jedi, says director Rian Johnson
SEE ALSO: Andy Serkis on the Snoke twist in Star Wars: The Last Jedi and possible Episode IX return
In Lucasfilm’s Star Wars: The Last Jedi, the Skywalker saga continues as the heroes of The Force Awakens join the galactic legends in an epic adventure that unlocks age-old mysteries of the Force and shocking revelations of the past.
Star Wars: The Last Jedi sees returning cast members Mark Hamill (Luke Skywalker), Carrie Fisher (Leia Organa), Adam Driver (Kylo Ren), Daisy Ridley (Rey), John Boyega (Finn), Oscar Isaac (Poe Dameron), Lupita Nyong’o (Maz Kanata), Domhnall Gleeson (General Hux), Anthony Daniels (C-3PO), Gwendoline Christie (Captain Phasma), Billie Lourd (Lieutenant Connix), Andy Serkis (Supreme Leader Snoke), Peter Mayhew and Joonas Suotamo (Chewbacca), Tim Rose (Admiral Ackbar), Mike Quinn (Nien Nunb) and Warwick Davis joined by new additions Jimmy Vee (Pan) as R2-D2, Kelly Marie Tran (Ladies Like Us) as Rose, Benicio Del Toro (Guardians of the Galaxy) as DJ and Laura Dern (Jurassic Park) as Vice Admiral Holdo.
SUPPORT FLICKERING MYTH: Help us keep the lights on by backing us on Patreon
