From all the spectacular duels she’s found herself participating in, many Star Wars fans have been asking:
“Just how is Rey so darn good with that lightsaber?”
Especially for someone raised in the deserts of Jakku, with only a staff (that functionally looks more like a metal pipe, to be honest) by her side, Rey seems to have surprisingly competent dueling skills that only grow throughout the Disney Trilogy.
So, for all who are wondering, here’s why Rey can fight so well with a lightsaber.
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Why can Rey even use a lightsaber?
Given the existence of duelists like General Grievous, or (briefly) Finn, many Star Wars fans are under the impression that dueling can be picked up by just about anyone in the Galaxy.
However, while this is true to a certain extent, there’s a special quality of dueling that separates it from basic fencing or swordplay: The Force.
The Force connects a prospective user with their kyber crystal(s), allowing a special connection to the blade itself that a non-Force user can’t replicate.
This isn’t to say that General Grievous and the like can’t do ordinary swordplay with a lightsaber—in fact, they can still mimic the forms to a startlingly effective degree.
But:
Without that connection, it’s just mimicry.
Rey’s connection to the Force is strong.
Like, really strong.
Luke Skywalker admitted that she may be more attuned in the Force than even Darth Sideous, one of, if not the most powerful Sith in the Galaxy’s history!
So it should come as no surprise that her connection to the flow of lightsaber dueling is just as strong, and grows even stronger as she develops her Force abilities.
You can see a good example of this by looking at Rey’s first duel with Kylo Ren:
Early on in the fight, she seemed to rely on basic dueling techniques, pulled from her experience with a staff.
However, the turning point (after Kylo backs her against a pit) is when she reconnects with the light side, and ends up changing the tide of the battle to a draw.
This facet is made even stronger with her Skywalker lineage (although adopted), which proves that she has a special connection with the Force that no doubt affects her dueling abilities.
The experience with a staff helps too.
Undeniably, even before the awakening of her Force abilities, Rey was better equipped to stand her own in a duel than most others.
Because of her childhood and adolescence in the rough, combat-heavy deserts of Jakku, Rey learned impressive combat skills with her quarterstaff.
This clearly transitioned into her early lightsaber combat, starting her off with experience that most other duelists wouldn’t have until much later in their training.
Oh, and she trained with Luke Skywalker.
Is there any better instructor in the Force than Luke Skywalker?
One of the most capable Jedi in the history of the Galaxy, Master Skywalker no doubt would have rubbed off on Rey, even if he was looking a bit rough when she met him.
Skywalker’s training helped aid Rey in unlocking her fullest Force potential; when she came to Ahch-To to meet the secluded master, she reportedly thought the Force was, “power that Jedi have that lets them control people and … make things float.”
Suffice to say, she had a bit of learning to do.
However, Rey eventually caught on, and embraced her full potential by the time of The Rise of Skywalker, holding her own against a horde of Sith and against Kylo Ren.
Admittedly, her opponents weren’t actually that great.
Think about who actually gets in duels with Rey:
Kylo Ren, whose style is pretty blunt, unrefined, and boils down to just swinging a lightsaber around with the occasional kick.
Praetorian guards, who themselves have no connection to the Force.
And Kylo Ren a few more times, who, while improved, still lacks much of the nuance of Rey’s combat style.
So with these low bars, Rey would seem to be a massive step up in comparison.
Note also Rey’s connection with Kylo—the Force visions and shirtless Skype calls she had with him, basically.
That was a special Force bond that likely would have affected their duels, given lightsaber combat is heavily affected by Force connections.
Though of course, that doesn’t diminish her actual, undeniable skill.
So, how is Rey so good with a Lightsaber?
There’s no single reason, but some of the main factors are:
- Her special connection with the Force.
- Her training and experience (with Luke and with her quarterstaff).
- And, she might look better in comparison to the others she’s fighting.
Conclusion
Have you learned something about Rey? Maybe you’ve learned a bit about lightsaber training, too!
Make sure to tell us your thoughts in the comments, share any Rey-related fun facts or tidbits you might have, and share this article around if you found it helpful!