As a "Star Wars" fan, I was very excited when "Star Wars: The Force Awakens" hit theaters. Let me just say that I loved it and I’m hooked on seeing the new films to follow it. After seeing the film, I started to wonder about the origins of the newest hero to the series, Rey. Who is this mysterious woman? Where did she come from before Jakuu? Probably the biggest question I had was, who are her parents?!
I know that the "Star Wars" books are very different from the movies (at least when it comes to family trees, they are very different), so let's just keep to what we know as a result of the movie. There are a number of different theories as to whom Rey’s parents may be. Some argue that she’s the child of Han Solo and Princess Leia, others argue she is Luke Skywalker’s daughter, and some argue she doesn't belong to any of them. Let’s examine these a little more closely.
Han and Leia
In the movie, it is revealed that Han and Leia have a son named Ben (or better known as Kylo Ren), who has turned to the dark side following in his grandfather’s, Darth Vader's, footsteps. One of the popular theories is that Han and Leia had a second child, Rey.
One of the theories behind this one is that Rey was born after Han had left as a result of his guilt over his son’s choice to join the dark side, and Leia never told Han that they had a second child. This would explain why, when Han meets Rey for the first time, they immediately like each other and bond over piloting skills. It also explains why Chewbacca likes her so much.
This theory also means that Rey and Kylo Ren are brother and sister. This really explains why both of them are connected to the force, Rey being the stronger of the two. Keeping the force in the family makes more sense for when the two fight each other. It is also clear to see the battle between the light and dark side.
But that raises more questions. If she is Han and Leia’s child, WHY HAS NO ONE TOLD HER? And why was she left on Jakuu as a child? Was Leia afraid that Rey would turn out to be like her brother? So many questions left unanswered... which leads us to the Skywalker Theory.
Luke Skywalker
Luke is missing for most of the movie, but events that happen in the movie hint that Rey could very well be Luke’s daughter. In the film, Rey finds Luke’s lightsaber, which after holding it, sends her through a series of flashbacks from her past, Luke’s memories and visions of the future. One of the newest characters, Maz, who has been keeping Skywalker's lightsaber since his disappearance, tells Rey that the saber is calling to her. This is a huge hint that she could be Luke’s daughter.
As stated before, Rey is really in touch with the force. This theory could be based off the books where Luke marries a fellow Jedi, Mara Jade. If it's revealed in the movies to follow this that Luke was married to Mara Jade, it means both of Rey’s parents are Jedi’s and explains why she has a stronger connection to the force than Kylo Ren. This raises the question again as to why Rey was abandoned on Jakuu?
Aside from these theories, the third and final one is that Rey belongs to neither Han and Leia nor Luke. But that raises more questions as to who she is and where she came from. I personally feel she is Luke’s daughter, but nothing can be denied or confirmed until there is sold proof. We’re just going to have to wait and see what the next Star Wars movie reveals to us.
