'Star Wars: Rise of Skywalker' Leak Says Rey's Backstory Will Be Retconned

The closer we get to the premiere of Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker, the more certain I am that one of the biggest mysteries that didn’t really need to exist in the Skywalker saga — the identity of Rey’s parents — will be solved. I’m not alone, either, plenty of Star Wars fans, including our very own Eric Francisco, have #BigFeelings about Rey’s parents. Now, a new Rise of Skywalker leak strongly hints at the possibility of the film retconning this key bit of Rey’s backstory by choosing to address it head-on.

The latest rumor around Rey’s parentage and The Rise of Skywalker comes from the Twitter account of writer and podcaster Dave Gonzales (via Reddit), who claims to have some insider information about Episode IX. The entire thing began innocently enough on July 3 when Gonzalez tweeted about a recent Daisy Ridley quote in which the Star Wars actor replied to a question about her parents’ identity in the upcoming movie, telling USA Today, “At the end of the film, you do know what the dealio is.”

Gonzales reacts to the interview, initially writing, “There’s not a lot that makes me NOT excited for Star Wars - but here’s my biggest worry about RISE - this plot point that doesn’t matter getting beaten like a dead horse.”

He goes on to say, “Us LAST JEDI stans and STAR WARS battlers who are out here defending one of the best entries in the ‘Skywalker Saga’ represent the majority of Star Wars fans. If Lucasfilm bends back towards the middle (or towards the toxic fans), that’s real sad.”

The conversation continues with Yahoo producer Adam Lance Garcia mentioning that The Last Jedi director Rian Johnson was offered the opportunity to direct Rise of Skywalker before J.J. Abrams signed on. This prompts Gonzales to reply, “I have heard…things…that now I cannot elaborate on. But I’m worried again.”

Gonzales doesn’t reveal any further information, nor does he hint at his sources. The big takeaway here is that Gonzales has made mention of knowing things during a conversation discussing Ridley’s confirmation Rise of Skywalker will talk about Rey’s parents head-on. Everyone has a right to feel how they want to feel about Rise of Skywalker talking about Rey’s parents, especially with so many leaks and soundbites confirming it’s coming down the pike.

It’s at this point I should make it very clear and state it plainly: I want to know who Rey’s parents are. Just share the answer you’re so keen to share, Mr. Abrams, and let me get back to my life. No need to keep dangling it in front of me. I’m ready to know.

I’m not going to bemoan the inevitability of the reveal because Star Wars has always been laser-focused on the concept of lineage. Who gives birth to whom, who is a parent, who isn’t a parent, who is a surrogate parent, who doomed the bloodline forever… all of it is there, woven into the backstories of every Star Wars character. 

Knowing where someone comes from and who they are tied to has been a way to predict character arcs and developments not just in Star Wars but in stories across genres, mediums, etc. At this point, not revealing who Rey’s parents are (even if it’s really just for the hell of it) would feel out of step with Star Wars considering how integral lineage is to these movies. Rise of Skywalker discussing Rey’s parents more will, at minimum, add some color to the inevitable Skywalker saga re-binges we’re going to have for years to come.

If Rise of Skywalker is going to retcon anything established in previous films, it may as well be this part of Rey’s story. It makes sense to address it as Rey is poised to embrace her true Jedi nature and evolve emotionally, physically, spiritually, and so forth. Finally knowing where she comes from may end up playing an integral part in understanding where she is going.

So, grab a stress ball, sip some chamomile tea, and embrace the chill as we wait for Rise of Skywalker to reveal the inevitable. We’ll get through this together.

Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker will be in theaters December 20, 2019.