Warning: There are massive spoilers ahead if you have not seen "Star Wars: The Last Jedi."
"Star Wars: The Last Jedi" finally gave fans an answer to one of the 2015's most-debated questions: Who is Rey?
After numerous, and creative, fan theories, the resulting answer was pretty unsatisfying. During a Q&A Friday evening after a screening of the movie, director Rian Johnson explained his choice behind the controversial answer.
This is your last chance to head back before spoilers.
Late in the movie, Ben Solo tells Rey that she knows who her parents really are, she just doesn't want to face the truth.
He says they were poor drunks who sold her into slavery for some liquor money on Jakku. She's nobody. No one. Oh, but not to him. (How nice, Kylo.)
Why is Rey established as a no one?
Johnson said when he came on board the movie he was free to come up with an answer to Rey's origin. Lucasfilm didn't give him an answer set in stone. He went from there.
"I was thinking, what’s the most powerful answer to that question? Powerful meaning: what's the hardest thing that Rey could hear? That’s what you're after with challenging your characters," said Johnson, according to Entertainment Weekly.
"I think back to the 'I am your father' moment with Vader and Luke, and the reason I think that lands is not because it’s a surprise or a twist but because it’s the hardest thing Luke and thus the audience could hear at that moment," Johnson added.
According to Johnson, the easiest thing for Rey to learn would be that she was related to one of the greats like Luke Skywalker or Obi-Wan Kenobi. Johnson wasn't down with that.
"That would be wish fulfillment and instantly hand her a place in this story on a silver platter," he said. "The hardest thing for her is to hear she’s not going to get that easy answer. Not only that, but Kylo is going to use the fact that you don’t get that answer to try and weaken you so you have to lean on him. You’re going to have to find the strength to stand on your own two feet and define yourself in this story."
As far as whether or not Ben was actually telling Rey — and us — the truth remains to be seen. Johnson says Ben certainly believes that to be the truth, but he also noted that "Episode IX" director J.J. Abrams, who directed "The Force Awakens," is currently working on the script for the final movie in the new trilogy.
Maybe Abrams will shake it up.
It looks like we'll have to wait another two years until we possibly get a resolution. "Star Wars: Episode IX" is currently set for a December 20, 2019 release.
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