Star Wars Reveals a Surprising Character’s Sith Future (and It’s Perfect)

Love them or hate them, the Star Wars Sequel Trilogy is here to stay. While the latest trilogy was met with mixed reception, to put it kindly, there’s a lot of interesting information to collect from these events. There are even more fan theories, ranging from Ezra Bridger’s potential connection to Snoke to Finn being Force-sensitive. With the comic book adaptations of the movies well underway, the fan theories have begun anew. Enter Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker #2, which showed an interesting alternate history that has fans’ minds reeling, and in a good way. This glimpse showed a universe in which Rey Skywalker joined the dark side, and we’re here for it.

Written by Jody Houser and illustrated by Will Sliney and Guru e-FX, Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker #2 has only been out a few weeks, yet it’s making waves. The issue is part of a larger initiative to adapt the movies into comic book form. As such, it largely follows the films, panel by panel. However, there are a few exceptions, notably a potential “what if” moment based on alternate events in Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker. Let’s set the scene: Rey and Kylo Ren are battling for control over the ship that has whisked away the beloved Chewbacca. The battle culminates with the ship’s destruction, though fans are quickly assured that Chewie is on a different ship in the film. The comics, however, played with a different idea, if only for a few moments.

How Events Could Have Led Rey Down a Different Path in Life

Following the ship’s destruction and Chewie’s presumed death, the scene cuts to a different future in which Rey apparently lost herself to the Dark Side. Admittedly, the scene itself is pretty short, first showing Rey acknowledging that the power that killed Chewie came from her – and then showing Rey sitting on a throne with Kylo Ren at her side. The future that could have been. We know that the later movies were altered drastically following fan reception. Is it possible that this scene teases Rey Skywalker’s intended path?

Naturally, the comic doesn’t spend much time letting the crew (or readers) believe Chewie is gone. A mere few pages later, they’re back on the quest to save Chewie, officially putting the story back in line with the film. But for a brief moment, readers saw Rey’s early descent into the dark side, fueled by the loss of yet another family member.

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A Deeper Look at Rey’s Dark Side

This “what if” path is less abrupt than it may feel on the surface. Let’s discuss. First, there’s the obvious – Force lightning is historically used by the dark side. Yes, there are exceptions, such as Plo Koon’s use of something similar (a weaker version). But Rey’s easy access to Force Lightning shouldn’t be overlooked, and it likely would have been discussed further in the movie had they not been focused on saving Chewie. The fact that this famously Sith weapon could have killed Rey’s friend cannot be overstated, as it easily would have led her astray.

Next, there’s the simple fact that Rey has always been drawn to the dark side. Luke Skywalker even expressed a fair amount of horror at this discovery, as during her tests, she immediately dove into the cave on Ahch-To, which we learn is a manifestation of dark side energy. Translation: it’s not the sort of place most heroes would be drawn to. We can take this connection to the dark side a step further by understanding Rey’s family history. Rey is the granddaughter of Sheeve Palpatine. While one’s family does not automatically signify their side, as evidenced by Luke Skywalker, it does hint at Rey’s potential to follow a different path.

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Finally, let’s discuss the precedent of Rey’s transition to the dark side. Rey wouldn’t be the first hero to become a villain, as we’re all familiar with Anakin’s story. Throughout the Prequel Trilogy, Anakin went from a beloved hero and Jedi to a member of the Sith, ready and willing to slaughter children for the cause. It may be hard to picture Rey following that exact path, but fortunately, there aren’t a lot of children lining up to be Jedi at the moment. A fan theory helps to add even more layers and context to this possibility. We have already teased the fan theory about Finn, the one in which he’s Force-sensitive. But what if it’s true? If that’s the case, it’s only natural for Finn to become the new counter to Rey. Boy, would that be a dramatic betrayal!

No matter how we look at it, there’s something compelling about the idea of Rey Skywalker turning to the dark side. It feels natural for Rey to rise up, defeat Emperor Palpatine, and take his place on the throne. Long live Supreme Empress Rey, Queen of the Sith.

Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker #2 is available through Marvel Comics, while Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker is available to stream on Disney+.