STAR WARS: THE FORCE AWAKENS presented us with several mysteries to ponder during our wait for STAR WARS: THE LAST JEDI, but the one which has kept fans talking the most is the mystery of Rey's (Daisy Ridley) parentage. There are plenty of theories out there, ranging from Luke Skywalker, Obi-Wan Kenobi, and even Emperor Palpatine, but while we'll finally get our answer in THE LAST JEDI, the revelation itself won't be as important as how that information will shape Rey's destiny.
Although fans have been obsessing over the question, STAR WARS: THE LAST JEDI director Rian Johnson told Entertainment Weekly that "it’s important insofar as it’s important to her. 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." Whatever the answer is, Johnson says that Rey is still holding onto the thought that her origins will help define where she's going, but Daisy Ridley cautions that it won't matter all that much at the end of the day.
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…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.
THE LAST JEDI won't only explore Rey's origins, but it will also touch upon where Finn (John Boyega) came from and what led him on the path he's chosen. "We will learn more about his past and where he came from, and potentially why he made the decision [to escape] that he made," Boyega says. "I’m also very curious. The question that needs to be answered is why he decided to leave as a stormtrooper in the first place. We will find out just a little bit more about him." Boyega added that Finn's family may not be explored in depth in THE LAST JEDI, but that he "definitely has a past that is troubled. … I don’t know how all that’s going to play out."
Place your bets. Which STAR WARS character do you think Rey will turn out to be related to?
STAR WARS: THE LAST JEDI will hit theaters on December 15, 2017.