'Rise of Skywalker' theory: An icky comics precedent explains Rey’s origins

Rey’s parentage is still a mystery heading into Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker, though there’s been plenty of speculation regarding who her mother might be. At this point, Solo’s Qi’ra and bounty hunter Zorri Bliss seem to be the leading candidates. Rey’s parents were revealed to be lowly “junk traders” in The Last Jedi. However, a bold new theory might change how we look at Rey’s origins and it has everything to do with Anakin Skywalker’s attempts to combat the Dark side.

There’s been a lot of speculation surrounding Hayden Christensen’s potential return to the Star Wars franchise in Episode IX as a Force ghost. While his reappearance hasn’t been confirmed, a Star Wars comic book detailing the creation of Anakin may be the guiding light toward explaining Rey’s origins.

Speculative spoilers ahead for Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker.

Redditor u/skywalkinondeezhatrz suggests that Anakin, after watching Palpatine “prey” on his family and sway Kylo Ren, “took matters into his own hands and created life with the force,” making Rey to balance his grandson’s darkness quite literally bringing “balance to the force” as he was prophesied to do all the way back in The Phantom Menace.

In other words, Anakin created Rey to balance the Force because Emperor Palpatine had sought to destroy his grandson. Makes sense, right? Sure, it might be a bit outside the box, but the theory is sound precisely because it draws upon previous Star Wars comics to solidify its argument. After all, if Anakin was indeed hanging out in the Force Netherworld and saw what was happening to Kylo, he’s powerful enough to get involved. And the only way to do that is to have created someone who can draw upon the power of the Force and be strong enough to take on Kylo. Anakin is the Chosen One, after all.

This idea follows along the lines of what Star Wars creator George Lucas has revealed about Anakin’s history. We know that Darth Plagueis had the power to create, as revealed by Palps himself in Return of the Jedi. However, per Star Wars lore, Anakin doesn’t have a father in the traditional sense. Existing as a Jesus-like figure, Anakin was presumably created by the Force itself and only had a mother named Shmi. According to the novel Star Wars: Darth Plagueis, which was published as part of the Star Wars Expanded Universe, he and Palpatine influenced Anakin’s creation by “experimenting with the Force.”

However, the concept primarily draws upon the Darth Vader #25 comic, which saw Palpatine’s attempts impact Anakin’s trajectory towards the Dark side prior to his birth. But Palpatine wasn’t able to turn him to the Dark side completely. Anakin, as both the Chosen One and and having been influenced by the Sith lords, should be powerful enough to have created Rey from the Netherworld, right? The theory offers a great workaround to connect Rey’s origins with Anakin’s potential return (as a Force ghost or otherwise). And, as far as theories go, it’s incredibly plausible, even if it probably won’t play out the way we think it will.

Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker hits theaters December 20, 2019.