Star Wars Comics May Reveal Rey's True Parents Ahead of 'Rise of Skywalker'
Rey and Luke could be related, but not in the way you think.
The biggest mystery in the Star Wars galaxy may be the identity of Rey’s parents. The Last Jedi seemed to confirm that they were insignificant, “filthy junk traders,” but all signs suggest that Episode IX: The Rise of Skywalker could undo that big reveal to give Rey a more significant spot in the Star Wars family tree. Then again, maybe there’s a way that Rey can be a direct relative of the Skywalker clan even if her parents really are nobodies.
Confused? The answer has been hiding in plain sight in the Star Wars comics all along, but it wasn’t until we saw the Rise of Skywalker trailer that it finally clicked.
Warning: This is just speculation, but if it’s right, it could be a major Star Wars spoiler.
Ok, so here’s my theory: Rey’s parents really are “filthy junk traders” like Kylo Ren said, but she was only conceived because of interference from Emperor Palpatine. That would explain her incredible Force powers and the fact that she seemed to rise up out of nowhere to challenge Snoke and Kylo. It also fits with something we’ve seen before in a canonical Star Wars comic.
In a 2018 comic published by Marvel (Darth Vader #25), Anakin has a flashback that allows him to watch as Emperor Palpatine uses the Force to put a baby (that’s Anakin) into his mother, Shmi. So it’s officially canon that Palpatine is not only capable of creating life via the Force, but that he’s technically Darth Vader’s dad.
Darth Vader #25 show's Anakin's conception was caused by the Emperor.
Why does this matter for Rey? Well, now that we know the Emperor somehow survived being chucked down that Death Star shaft, it’s totally possible he could have pulled that same trick again to create a new disciple in Rey. In that case, she’s technically Anakin’s half-brother and Luke’s aunt. Weird, right?
This begs the question of why Palpatine would create a new Force user in the first place (the last one didn’t exactly work out). It’s possible Palps thought he could control Rey better than he did Anakin. Or maybe the Emperor saw Snoke and Kylo as a threat and needed a new disciple of his own to reclaim control of the galaxy.
Either way, with the Emperor set to make a comeback in Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker, Lucasfilm has an opportunity to set the record straight about Rey’s parents in the coolest (and, let’s be real, weirdest) way possible. Then again, if history is any indication, we may not learn the truth about Rey’s Palpatine connection until another Star Wars comic reveals it years from now.
Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker hits theaters on December 20.
