‘Star Wars: The Last Jedi’ Reveals Rey’s Parents

When audiences met Rey in The Force Awakens, we knew very little about the character other than her parents abandoned her on Jakku where she was forced to learn how to survive on her own. With her proficiency in ways of the Force, audiences have spent two years speculating who her parents were, a mystery that has finally been answered.

***WARNING: Spoilers for The Last Jedi below***

Fans may have been desperate to learn about Rey’s parents, yet the character herself was more interested in learning how to hone her skills from Luke Skywalker throughout The Last Jedi. Ultimately, it was an encounter with Kylo Ren that supposedly revealed the identity of her parents.

According to Kylo Ren, Rey’s parents are “nobodies.” He claims her parents sold her off and are now dead, buried in “pauper’s” graves. Rey seemingly embraced this answer, as it felt like a truth she had been forced to confront.

One interpretation is that Rey’s parents truly were nobodies and Rey has no Jedi heritage that resulted in her abilities. With how little attention The Force Awakens gave to this plot point, it’s possible the mystery only gained attention due to fan speculation.

It’s also possible, however, that Kylo merely lied to Rey to get her to join his side. One of Kylo’s major themes was the destruction of his past, so telling Rey that her parents were nobodies would get her to stop trying to discover them. In reality, it’s possible Rey’s parents are still out there and potentially could surface in Episode IX.

Despite the attention audiences have given to Rey’s parents, the film’s cast and crew have often reminded fans that it’s not so much who her parents are as what discovering her parents would mean to the character.

“Whatever the answer is, I hope everyone will enjoy that moment,” Daisy Ridley told Yahoo! Japan earlier this year. “I knew the answer a few years ago, but the story that [The Last Jedi writer/director] Rian Johnson created was so wonderful I couldn’t believe it, honestly I was very moved. I think that everyone will be in that moment.”

The Last Jedi is currently in theaters.