Would Rey’s Story Work Better If She Was a Solo or a Nobody?

I used to go back and forth a lot on Rey’s story. The trilogy didn’t exactly make it easy. One movie said one thing, the next changed it, and the last one changed it again.

After all that, I took a step back and really looked at what worked and what didn’t. Here’s what I figured out.

Being a Nobody Felt Right

What hit me the most in The Last Jedi was how strong it felt when Rey didn’t come from some famous bloodline. She still had this powerful connection to the Force. She didn’t need a legacy to be someone. That whole idea – that anyone could rise up and make a difference – that’s what made it special for me.

The mirror cave scene? That was wild. She’s asking who her parents are, looking for answers, and the Force just shows her… herself. Like, that’s it. No one else matters. It’s all about what she chooses to do. That moment stuck with me.

And that broom kid at the end of TLJ? That scene gave me chills. It made the whole galaxy feel open again. Like maybe there were Force-sensitive people all over the place, not just in one family tree.

Also, Rey’s dynamic with Kylo made more sense when she was a nobody. He had everything – famous parents, a Jedi master, a strong legacy – and still threw it all away. Meanwhile, she had no one, and still stepped up. That contrast made their connection more meaningful.

The Palpatine Reveal Didn’t Work for Me

When they dropped that she was a Palpatine, I honestly didn’t know what to feel. It didn’t match the direction TLJ set up. It made the message feel weaker. Like, now she had to come from someone powerful? That took away a lot of what made her stand out.

Later on, I read that her dad was actually a failed Palpatine clone. That confused me even more. They never explained that in the movie. It felt like a weird patch to make the twist fit somehow. It just didn’t land.

Yeah, TFA Hinted at Something… But

To be fair, The Force Awakens kind of started this whole thing. The way the lightsaber reacted to her, and how Maz talked about it – like it was meant for her – it really made it seem like she had some important connection. Even the way they avoided giving her a last name felt like a setup.

So I get why people expected a big reveal. The problem is, the movies didn’t stick to a single plan. TLJ tried to move on from the mystery, and then TROS brought it back with a totally different answer. That made things messy.

Would Rey as a Solo Have Been Better?

If they had planned it from the beginning, I think Rey being a Solo could have worked. Imagine her being Ben’s sister. That would’ve given their fights way more emotional weight. It would’ve mirrored some of the Legends stories where siblings took opposite paths – one to the dark, one to the light.

That kind of story could’ve made the whole Skywalker arc feel more complete. Ben rejects everything, while Rey, raised away from it all, ends up carrying on the legacy. That would’ve been powerful. But again, it only works if it was set up from the start. Without the groundwork, a late reveal like that wouldn’t hit the same.

And honestly, Rey being a Solo would’ve taken away from how different she and Kylo were. That contrast – legacy vs. nobody – is what made their relationship interesting in the first place.

Her Best Moment Was Choosing Who She Wanted to Be

No matter what her background was, the strongest part of her story was when she chose her own path. Whether she called herself Rey, or Rey Skywalker, it meant something because she decided it. That’s what made it powerful.

And yeah, her taking the Skywalker name felt right to me – not because of who she was born as, but because of what she stood for. It connected with one of the core Star Wars ideas: family isn’t just about blood. It’s about choice, connection, and what you believe in.

George Lucas built a lot of Star Wars around found families. Leia was adopted. Luke found his family through Obi-Wan and his friends. Rey choosing that name fit into that pattern.