"Rise of Skywalker" Abrams explains why he chose answer to Rey’s parents

One of the big questions—and for some, concerns—going into The Rise of Skywalker concerned Rey’s parents. While The Forc...

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One of the big questions—and for some, concerns—going into The Rise of Skywalker concerned Rey’s parents. While The Force Awakens set up a mystery about who Rey’s parents were, having sold Rey (Daisy Ridley).It’s not that this answer in and of itself is objectively “the best” answer, but it was that it fit perfectly in line with the thematic thrust of The Last Jedi. From Rey to Finn to Poe to Rose to Holdo, that movie was about challenging the traditional ideas of “heroism” and proving that, at the end of the day, anyone has the capability to stand up to adversity and challenge evil head on, regardless of parentage or regality. TL;DR Rey doesn’t have to be a Skywalker to be a badass Jedi.The answer was also devastating to Rey in that she had hoped all this time that her parents left her on Jakuu for a reason, and would be back for her posthaste. The worst possible thing she could learn after that Throne Room showdown was that her parents were dead nobodies who sold her into slavery for some spare change. She’s felt alone her whole life, and in that moment Kylo Ren (Adam Driver) makes her feel somehow even lonelier. The perfect position for someone he’s hoping to turn to the Dark Side.For more on Rise of Skywalker, check out what Abrams had to say about the film’s criticisms and our breakdowns of that whole Force Dyad thing, Palpatine’s return, and Rey’s lightsaber.