'Star Wars 9' theory may reveal how Palpatine created Reylo
Death-cheating Sith Lord and a fantastic matchmaker: Is there anything Sheev can't do?
Star Wars: The Force Awakens introduced Kylo Ren and Rey’s Force connection, and The Last Jedi solidified its strength. Did Rey’s Force sensitivity lead Kylo to connect with her, or was someone else pulling the strings? Finn might also be Force-sensitive, but Kylo didn’t connect with him in the same way. With Palpatine set to return in Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker, one fan posits that the Emperor may have been behind their Force bond.
Speculative spoilers and potential leaks ahead for The Rise of Skywalker.
In an early leak from Making Star Wars, editor Jason Ward claimed Sheev Palpatine’s ultimate goal included using Kylo and Rey as a “dyad” to siphon off Force energy and return to full power. MSW claims the idea of ruling the galaxy with Rey by his side entices Kylo to do Palpatine’s bidding. Building upon this alleged leak, Redditor u/BrokeRichGuy suggests Palpatine planted visions of Rey’s past and future in Kylo’s head. That’s what influenced him to find her and persuade her to join the Dark side.
The theory also pulls information from the previous movies to explain how Kylo knows so much about Rey. “Palpatine made Kylo see his future, visions of Rey’s past,” the redditor writes, and that’s how he knew that her parents were “filthy junk traders.”
Did Palpatine plan for Kylo and Rey to bond? Possibly.
After all, if Palpatine’s plan was to bring Rey and Kylo together this whole time, then it’s possible he’s been manipulating them both all along to fulfill his goals in The Rise of Skywalker. Perhaps Palpatine planted visions in Kylo’s head to get ahead of the game. Sheev is one of the strongest Force users in the galaxy, and if he’s powerful enough to have influenced Anakin Skywalker pre-birth, he also could have influenced Kylo’s mind, even after death.
So far, it’s not clear whether Kylo sought Rey out because he sensed her power as a Force user, or whether he simply craved companionship. If Palps’ plan is to ultimately bring them together, then making Kylo aware of Rey in advance is a clever way for them to forge a Force connection without realizing the emperor’s true intentions.
Although there’s still no concrete evidence regarding how Palps will actually return in The Rise of Skywalker, this theory provides a neat explanation for Kylo and Rey’s connection and the Emperor’s sudden reappearance. What Palpatine truly has in store remains to be seen, but we wouldn’t put it past him to have pushed Kylo and Rey together for his own diabolical plan.
Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker hits theaters December 20, 2019.
