Star Wars: Daisy Ridley Confirms Palpatine Connection Wasn't Planned Until The Rise of Skywalker

One of the big surprises of Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker was the reveal that Daisy Ridley's Rey was a descendant of Emperor Palpatine, with Ridley herself being just as surprised as audiences, as she was under the impression that she was a "nobody" for the first two films. Ever since audiences met Rey in Star Wars: The Force Awakens, theories emerged about whether she really was from a family of nobodies who abandoned her on Jakku or if there was a bigger story for her to discover, with the reveal that she had Palpatine blood being one of the more unexpected outcomes for the series.

Author Sariah Wilson recently had an extended conversation with Ridley on Zoom, as Wilson took to Twitter to share details of that conversation and Ridley's thoughts on her character's heritage.

"I literally was told that she was no one, so yeah, I totally understand that. I do understand that."

I apologized again for bringing up SW, and she smiled and told me, "It's all good!"

— Sariah Wilson (@sariahwilson) February 26, 2021

"I told Daisy Ridley how much I loved 'Rey Nobody,' how Rey was just powerful on her own and was sad when they made her a Palpatine. Daisy said she also loved that Rey came from nowhere and for the first two films," Wilson confirmed. "'I literally was told that she was no one, so yeah, I totally understand that. I do understand that.' I apologized again for bringing up [Star Wars], and she smiled and told me, 'It's all good!'"

Interestingly, much like Rey, Ridley went from relative obscurity in her career to being a major star, much like Rey coming from the deserts of Jakku to defeating Palpatine. Ridley explained earlier this year that this feeling of being overwhelmed and confused about what your personal journey might be that she most connected with about the character.

"Family is what Star Wars is all about," Ridley details in Star Wars: The Age of Resistance - The Official Collector's Edition book. "The family thing translated everywhere. Even on set, it felt like a family. It's that feeling of bonding, everywhere. Rey is trying to find her place in this world in the same way I was trying to find my place in the world. The similarities were really nice. Because I felt so welcomed, and taken in, and people seemed to care how I felt, that translated into Rey. She suddenly had these people who cared about her, and she was finding her place within that."

There are currently no plans for Ridley to return to the Star Wars franchise.

What do you think of the actress' remarks? Let us know in the comments below!