Star Wars: The Last Jedi Director and Star On The Importance of Rey’s Origin

The Force Awakens provided Star Wars fans with answers about their favorite characters, offering a glimpse into the future of Han, Luke, Leia, and Chewbacca, but the introduction of new characters created a series of new mysteries that fans have been waiting to get answers to.

Audiences didn’t learn much about Rey’s origins, knowing little more than her family abandoned her on Jakku when she was young, forcing her to find her own ways to survive. Throughout the film, we saw that she was smart, resourceful, and one heck of a pilot, in addition to the final scenes showing off her powers with the Force and skills with a lightsaber.

Rey faced off against Kylo Ren, who we learned was the son of Han and Leia, explaining his knack for the Force. If Kylo had a lineage of powerful Force-wielders, does that mean Rey also had a similar lineage?

When speaking with Entertainment Weekly, writer/director of The Last Jedi Rian Johnson and star Daisy Ridley reveal how much of the character’s past we’ll learn in the new film and if her history is really that important in the first place.

“Where she comes from will help define where she’s going.”

“To me, it’s important insofar as it’s important to her,” Johnson says about detailing the character’s family. “And I think it’s important to her in terms of what is her place in all of this? What’s going to define her in this story? She was told in the last movie that the answer’s not in the past; it’s looking forward. But she’s showing up on this island to talk to this hero from the past.”

Although the reveal of who her parents are might not be a groundbreaking revelation for audiences, it could prove to be incredibly important for Rey herself. 

Johnson notes, “You can be told [‘the answer’s not in the past’], but I think she still has a lingering hope that she’s going to find the thing that’s going to say: This is where you belong. This is where you are. I think she still holds onto the thought that where she comes from will help define where she’s going.”

“I think it’s less important than even she may think.”

As far as Ridley’s thoughts on her character’s past, the actress explains, “You can always look for answers and that doesn’t mean that the rest of your life is so easy. It’s not like, oh, I know who my parents are so now everything falls into shape, especially in the Star Wars world.”

One issue with revealing her ancestry is that, considering the answer was avoided in The Force Awakens, there’s a tremendous amount of expectation that her history will give clues to her future, which isn’t necessarily the case.

Rey, however, clearly wants closure about her past as much as the audience does.

When speaking to how the path of her ancestors could impact her life, Ridley reveals, “Yes, it would potentially change her mind, or at least give her a little bit more peace in moving forward. But ultimately what’s coming is coming, and whatever abilities she has are there. So, personally, I think it’s less important than even she may think.”

More The Last Jedi

Star Wars: The Last Jedi is the second film in the new Star Wars sequel trilogy that began with Star Wars: The Force Awakens in 2015. The film will deal with Luke training Rey to become a, and possibly the last, Jedi. Meanwhile, the Resistance, including Poe Dameron and First Order defector Finn, continues to fight against the First Order, led by General Hux, while Supreme Leader Snoke and his Dark Side follower Kylo Ren continue their mysterious plot.

The Last Jedi will land in theaters on December 15.