While fans were optimistic that Star Wars: Episode IX – The Rise of Skywalker would end the Skywalker Saga on a high note, that did not end up being the case. The final film in the main Star Wars timeline fumbled quite a few elements of the story’s ending. Perhaps no crimes, however, were so egregious as those committed to Rey’s character.
While Rey was meant to be the main character of the sequel trilogy, the final film decimated everything her arc had been building towards. While there were a few elements of the movie that were okay, ultimately, The Rise of Skywalker let down Rey’s character in some major ways.
10 Rey Nearly Kills Chewbacca But Experiences No Growth
Perhaps one of the most shocking moments in The Rise of Skywalker comes when it seems that the audience has just seen Chewbacca die. Not only that, but it seemed that Rey was the one responsible for his death. In the end, however, the movie ended up pulling back.
Chewbacca was still alive and completely unharmed, and Rey experienced no repercussions from what she had nearly done — and even believed to have done. Despite believing she had killed Chewbacca, she gained no meaningful character growth from this moment.
9 Rey Consistently Insists On Being Completely Alone
When Rey was first introduced to the Star Wars universe, she had spent her life all alone after being abandoned by her parents. As such, she was constantly seeking connection and companionship. Despite this, The Rise of Skywalker saw Rey consistently insisting on being completely alone as often as possible.
In fact, at times, her determination to be independent often backfires, like when she nearly kills Chewbacca while trying to stop Kylo Ren. This is also, unfortunately, out of character, and seems to only serve narrative purposes, while directly letting Rey’s character down.
8 She Never Got To Actually Explore Her Dark Side
A moderately compelling aspect of The Rise of Skywalker was the apparent opportunity for Rey to explore her own Dark side. Much like Luke and Anakin Skywalker before her, those who are powerful in the Force, like Rey, also experience extreme temptation from the Dark Side.
While the Dark version of Rey was briefly teased, she ended up having very little space to explore this aspect of herself. The plot moved swiftly onward, and Dark Rey got incredibly little screen time compared to how excited fans had been hoping to see of her.
7 Rey Should Have Remained Nobody, From Nowhere
Perhaps the biggest fumble in the Star Wars sequel saga was changing Rey’s origin story. Having Rey be nobody, having her parents be nobody, and having her be from nowhere made the Skywalker Saga more impactful and powerful.
The lessons of The Last Jedi taught viewers that anybody could be a hero, even without the powerful heritage of characters like Anakin and Luke. The Rise of Skywalker walked back on all of that by giving Rey a Palpatine ancestry. One of Star Wars’ greatest lessons was completely ruined for no better reason than weak fanservice.
6 Leia Has To Help Rey Beat Kylo Ren In A Fight
Over the course of the sequel trilogy, Rey slowly builds herself up into somebody who can take on Kylo Ren in a fight. When the trilogy began with The Force Awakens, Kylo Ren was inarguably one of the greatest fighters in the galaxy, as well as one of the best warriors with a lightsaber.
In order to take him on, Rey had to undergo some truly rigorous training. However, when it came right down to it, Rey never actually won her fight against Kylo Ren on her own. At the last moment, she nearly lost, and Leia ended up saving her. Not only that, but Leia gave her life to save Rey’s.
5 Without Luke’s Help, Rey Wouldn’t Have Fought Palpatine At All
There was a time in The Rise of Skywalker where Rey decided she wanted to walk back on her entire plan. Rather than continue fighting, she was considering doing as Luke did and fleeing, never to confront the ills of the galaxy. However, rather than commit this specific betrayal to her character, the movie gave her Luke to talk her down.
Without his guidance — or his assistance later on, which will be addressed — Rey never would have gone to fight Palpatine. Not only that, but she never would have had Leia’s lightsaber to do it with. Without Luke and Leia, Rey couldn’t have won — while her character spent so much time trying to become someone strong enough to fight against massive bad guys and win.
4 Rey Is Important Because Palpatine Wants Her Genetic Force Power
At first, it seemed that Rey wasn’t important or desired for any particular reason. She got involved in the Resistance, she wanted to help, and she ended up becoming one of the most influential members of the group.
Unfortunately, by making everything about her heritage as a Palpatine, everything that made Rey special — that is, Rey herself, and not her genetics — was stripped from her. It gave her a strange outside value in the universe rather than letting her build her own, as she had been doing before this point.
3 Rey Kisses Kylo Ren Despite Him Having Tortured Her
From the moment Kylo Ren and Rey first met, it was clear the two of them were relatively antagonistic towards one another. In fact, Kylo Ren actually tortures Rey. The two of them then go on to spend quite a bit of time dueling each other and/or attempting to kill one another, or stop them from achieving their goals.
Even when they fight together, or interact as a Force dyad, it was with some level of respect for their abilities, while never quite getting along themselves. Having Rey kiss Kylo Ren before he died felt like it came out of nowhere, as their dynamic never seemed quite romantic as it was simply tied by Force fate.
2 Rey Needed Kylo Ren And The Other Dead Jedi To Help Her Beat Palpatine
At the end of the original trilogy, Luke Skywalker ultimately needed Darth Vader’s assistance in order to take down Palpatine. However, this was actually in service of both Luke’s character and Vader’s, and provided meaningful development for them both.
When Rey has to face Palpatine and needs help from Kylo Ren, Luke Skywalker, and all the other dead Jedi in order to do it, it simply makes her seem ineffectual. With such a massive bit of assistance, it seemed impossible that Rey could have ever won — and, if that was the case, what has the story been building up to for Rey, and where does that leave her?
1 Giving Her The Surname “Skywalker” Is Functionally Meaningless
The film ends with Rey being asked what her name is. When Rey looks past the stranger who asked the question, she sees the Force ghosts of Luke and Leia. Being that she’s on the planet Tatooine, which is important to Luke, not her, it’s not an invalid question. She also buried Luke and Leia’s lightsabers there, effectively ending their stories — which is okay closure for the audience, but has nothing to do with Rey or her character.
When she answers the stranger’s question, she says her name is “Rey Skywalker.” It may be nice to her, but, in the end, it doesn’t serve Rey in the least. In fact, giving her a surname so tied into the fact that you have to be somebody, when her whole point was that you don’t have to be anybody, is more an insult to Rey’s character than a service to her.