'Star Wars 9' Theory May Reveal the Shocking Truth Behind "Dark Rey"

Ever since Disney released that new Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker footage featuring Rey with a red lightsaber, we’ve been investigating every leak, rumor, and fan theory in an attempt to figure out what Dark Rey really means. Is she a Force vision? A clone? Does Rey actually turn evil? Or is she pretending to get close to Emperor Palpatine?

We still don’t know for sure, but after asking for your theories in a recent edition of Inverse’s Multiverse newsletter (sign up now!) we got some very interesting responses. My personal favorite comes from Multiverse reader Eric Hernandez, who pointed out that a quote from Yoda in The Last Jedi may reveal Rey’s true backstory as a Sith apprentice working under Emperor Palpatine.

It might sound ridiculous, but Eric makes a compelling argument that’s worth checking it. See for yourself…

After reading the theory about the possibility of Rey being mindwiped, and now about Dark Rey, I wondered whether or not the latter could be Rey’s past rather than her future. Just like with Darth Revan then, Rey could have been mindwiped to turn her towards the light.

It could, therefore, tie into other moments in the previous two movies, one being the lightsaber battle between Rey and Kylo Ren in The Force Awakens. After opening herself to the Force, Rey became very aggressive and beat Kylo despite supposedly having no previous training (with the Force anyway). Then there’s the moment in The Last Jedi where Rey shows neither hesitation nor fear in reaching out to that cave of dark side energy. Both would make more sense if Rey not only had prior training with the Force but if she had experience with the Dark Side.

There’s also Yoda’s words to Luke about the Jedi texts:

“Page turners they were not … Wisdom they held, but that library contained nothing that the girl Rey does not already possess.”

Now I’m not trying to disrespect the ancient Jedi masters, but those texts were written during the earliest days of the Order’s history when the Jedi were probably still just coming to understand the Force and its abilities. What I mean to say is that the texts could have contained nothing more than vague theories and perhaps descriptions of some of the abilities —even those accessible by both light and dark side users. So Yoda could be alluding to the fact that Rey did have prior force training (with the Dark side).

Of course, if Rey was a Dark side apprentice or a member of a Sith cult (or something else), then she would have needed to have been concealed since not even Snoke had been aware of her having had any training (or that there was a potential rival to him and Kylo Ren). And which Sith Lord in the Star Wars saga has already succeeded in concealing his connection to the dark side? Palpatine!

With theories and leaks about Palpatine possessing Vader’s helmet/acquiring mechanical implants, Rey could have been his apprentice for years. As for the new double-bladed lightsaber, what if Dark Rey killed her own parents as part of her training?

Anyway, these are my thoughts on all this. Oh, and as for how Yoda would have been aware of Dark Rey, I think its most likely due to his death and becoming one with the Force (relating back to Ben Kenobi’s final words to Darth Vader in the original movie).

Thanks again to Eric for sending in his awesome Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker theory with us. Eric also asked me to share a link to the Spina Bifida Association, so check that out if you’re feeling charitable.

Also, be sure to subscribe to the Multiverse newsletter for all the latest news about Star Wars and all our other favorite shows and movies — plus weekly streaming recommendations. And if you have a Star Wars theory of your own, email it to me at jacob@inverse.com. Thanks!