'Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker' Theory Gives Rey a Shocking New Backstory
Rey might be a clone, but not the one you think.
Kylo Ren told Rey her parents were nothing but filthy junk traders in Episode VIII, but was he telling the truth? Director Rian Johnson already hinted that his decision to give Rey her humble origins might be altered in Star Wars: Episode IX — The Rise of Skywalker, and an exciting new theory explains one way the upcoming movie could do just that in an extremely surprising way. What if Last Jedi was actually hinting at Rey’s shocking origins as a clone all along?
Warning: Possible spoilers for Star Wars: Episode IX — The Rise of Skywalker below.
After Episode VII: The Force Awakens, plenty of fans speculated that Rey could be an altered clone of someone important — maybe a backup copy of Emperor Palpatine or even Darth Vader — which would explain her Force sensitivity. However, this new theory takes that concept in a bold new direction by asking if Rey might be a clone of Leia instead — and it actually makes a lot of sense if you think about it.
In a post to the Star Wars Speculation subreddit, redditor u/wesneyprydain points out that Rey and Leia always had a strong connection from the first time they met. They also note that one scene, in particular, might have telegraphed this reveal back in The Last Jedi:
But think about it - the way the filmmakers deliberately present a bond between the two. “Flying Space Leia” showing us her Force sensitivity, if only she had received proper encouragement and training…
Leia in space in 'The Last Jedi'
That Last Jedi scene may have received some criticism from fans, but it undeniably confirmed that Leia was a powerful Force user in her own right. With the proper training, she could have been as powerful as Luke. So if Rey is a clone of Leia (possibly created as a backup and altered enough to obscure her identity), that would explain where her Force powers come from.
Of course, it seems unlikely that Johnson was putting all this into motion in Episode VIII on purpose (everything we’ve heard suggests this trilogy wasn’t particularly planned out), but that doesn’t mean Rise of Skywalker director J.J. Abrams hasn’t connected the dots himself to come to the same conclusion. Not only would this theory explain Rey’s backstory in an unexpected way, but it would also be a nice tribute to Carrie Fisher’s character and a way for Leia to live on in the Star Wars universe.
Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker flies into theaters on December 20.
