It would be no understatement to say there are various mysteries that are currently unanswered in the Star Wars universe. How did Maz Kanata acquire Luke Skywalker’s old lightsaber? How was Supreme Leader Snoke able to turn Kylo Ren to do the dark side? Was Anakin Skywalker’s father actually Sheev Palpatine this whole time?
We’re expecting answers to many of our burning questions when The Rise of Skywalker releases later this year. And top of the list of things we want to be answered is Rey’s parentage. Neither The Force Awakens or The Last Jedi shed much light on their identities, leaving fans to theorize more than ever before. Here are 10 theories about Rey’s parents and who they might be.
They Might Be Nobody
The Last Jedi was a controversial Star Wars movie, one that split the fan base due to director Rian Johnson’s determination to subvert all our expectations. And one of the issues many people had was when Kylo Ren announced to Rey that her parents were mere nobodies, Jakku drunkards who sold her for drinking money when she was young.
Many believe this won’t be the case. Kylo could have been lying just to manipulate Rey into joining the First Order and turning her back on the resistance. But it would certainly be a surprise if Rey were to have no special origins given how powerful she is. Whether Disney stick or twist for the final chapter of the Skywalker saga is something only time will tell.
They Could Be Gone
Kylo Ren also claimed that Rey’s parents were buried in an unmarked grave in the Jakku desert. And, even if they turn out to be nobody, there’s a chance that they may no longer be alive - for a variety of reasons other than the fact they could have drank themselves to death.
What if Rey was so powerful growing up she accidentally killed them? We’ve seen her tempted by the dark side of the force in both sequel trilogy installments so far and it’s not entirely out of the question that she could lose control of her actions and do something she regrets. Similarly, the First Order could have murdered them and she was hidden for her own sake or they could have been people who fought up against them and were slain for their actions.
They Could Be Han Solo and Qi’ra
Solo: A Star Wars story was a solid, if unspectacular, installment of the series. One of its high points was, however, the relationship between Han Solo and Qi’ra. Separated lovers when younger, the movie spends much time playing on their chemistry, with the duo joining forces to take down villains Dryden Vos and Tobias Beckett before going their separate ways at the end of the blockbuster.
And the fact both Han and Qi’ra are rebellious, capable fighters has led to talk that Rey could be their child. Qi’ra mysteriously disappeared to work under Darth Maul at the end of the movie and it’s likely her and Han crossed paths again at some point in time. They could have abandoned Rey on Jakku due to the rising threat of the First Order or even to avoid Leia Organa from finding out. It’s a theory that would, at the very least, place greater importance on Solo within the franchise.
They Could Be Han Solo and Leia Organa
Han Solo always seemed to know more about Rey than he let on. A notoriously stubborn and individualistic person, it was rather out of character when he allowed the young Jakku scavenger to stay with him after they meet on the Millennium Falcon. He seemed paternal towards her, dishing out words of wisdom and acting as the father figure she never had while growing up.
Leia has always seemed warm to Daisy Ridley’s character as well, embracing her at the end of The Force Awakens shortly after Han’s death. They sensed darkness within Ben Solo at an early age - did they sense the same within Rey? It seems unlikely that they’re her parents given they’d of surely said something by now but, given how Star Wars loves to surprise its fans, it’s still something that can’t be ruled out.
Keri Russell May Play One Of Them
Keri Russell is joining Star Wars for The Rise of Skywalker and there’s plenty of rumours that she’ll be playing a bounty hunter named Zori Bliss. And there’s another rumour that Zori will actually turn out to be Rey’s mother and had a key reason for leaving her marooned on the planet of Jakku while as a young child.
The theory is that the First Order went around rounding up force-sensitive individuals in order to avoid any threats against both Supreme Leader Snoke and Kylo Ren. Bliss then could have hidden her away in order to avoid her becoming the latest casualty of the organization’s villainous reign. There’s even whispers Lando knows about Rey due to the fact he rubbed shoulders with some dodgy people back in the day and this would be an interesting route for Disney to go down.
Luke Skywalker Could Be One Of Them
Every Star Wars fan was excited to see Luke Skywalker in The Last Jedi, particularly how Disney had decided to hold the character back throughout much of The Force Awakens. However, he ended up being a bit of the damp squib, cutting a miserable and gloomy figure and doing barely anything of note. By the end of the movie, hopes that he was related to Rey were extinguished.
But there’s still plenty we don’t know about Luke. What if he found time to hook up with somebody while also trying to train a new generation of Jedi? Luke seemed to know Rey before even knowing her name and his decision to train her, having previously been against the idea, seemed a little too spontaneous. What if Luke, after all, is actually the father?
Obi-Wan Kenobi Could Be One Of Them
This was a theory that did the rounds immediately after the release of The Force Awakens in 2015. What if Obi-Wan Kenobi was Rey’s father? After all, Ewan McGregor remains keen to reprise his role as the Jedi and he did spend many years on Tatooine keeping an eye on Luke Skywalker. That, coupled with the fact his voice can be heard during Rey’s flashback scene, has certainly got people theorizing.
The maths doesn’t really add up - Rey must have been born well after Kenobi’s death - but nothing can be ruled out. Obi-Wan Kenobi could even have created her as a force ghost. If Yoda can use lightning despite being dead then why not, right? Again, it’s unlikely, but definitely possible.
They’re Two Jedi We Don’t Know Yet
We know that the First Order, like the Empire before them, want to rule the galaxy with an iron fist. And that means no force-sensitive individuals to threaten their positions of power using the old magic arts. Therefore, it’s possible that Rey was birthed by two Jedi in hiding who abandoned her in order to protect themselves.
Jedi aren’t perfect - they make plenty of mistakes - and it is definitely plausible that two in hiding would not want a third to bring them to harm or danger. Rey definitely was dumped on Jakku, rather than born there, and with Supreme Leader Snoke and Kylo Ren bringing much fear to the galaxy it would make sense placing your force-sensitive loved one somewhere they’d never think to look.
They Were Involved With The First Order
While Rey’s parents could be Jedi on the run who wanted to protect both themselves and her from harm, what if she was actually birthed by members of the First Order who were actually so scared of her being discovered they sent her away in fear of both her, and themselves, being punished?
Rogue One went a bit down this route with Galen Erso and Jyn Erso. She was hidden from the Empire to keep her safe while her father continued working for the enemy, trying to sabotage them from within. Richard E. Grant has signed on for The Rise of Skywalker as Admiral Pryde - so what if he was her father who hid her to avoid Kylo Ren and Supreme Leader Snoke from hunting her from within? He could be Galen Erso Round 2.
They Don’t Exist
Rey may actually not have any parents at all. Because it’s possible that she was actually created by Emperor Palpatine - or by somebody else - this theory exists due to the scene in The Last Jedi where she is tempted by the dark side and, when hunting for the identity of her parents, she comes across a mirror that shows multiple versions of herself.
This suggests that she’s a clone and, given how Palpatine went about cloning himself during the Star Wars: Legends material, that could be her origins. Palpatine may even have created her using the medichlorians, with many believing him to have done the same to Anakin during the prequel trilogy. One thing is for sure, though: we’ll know the truth about Rey’s parents when the Rise of Skywalker comes out later this year.
