One of the most talked-about mysteries of the Star Wars sequel trilogy has been the identity of Rey's parents. While The Last Jedi asserted that Rey's parents were "nobodies," The Rise of Skywalker seems to be hinting at more.
The film's director and co-writer, J.J. Abrams, teased that Rey's parentage would come back into the fold and based on the marketing, it looks like Emperor Palpatine is a likely ancestor. Although, it should be noted that this is all speculation and in no way a confirmation of the events that will unfold when the movie drops.
REY AS A NOBODY
One recurring theme in the sequel trilogy is the idea that we carve our own destiny. Rey, a self-proclaimed "no one," became one of the most important people in the galaxy, a Jedi warrior who would save the universe from darkness. Finn rebelled against his Stormtrooper upbringing, defying orders because "it's the right thing to do." Kylo Ren went against his Jedi teachings, abandoning his "Ben Solo" persona to become a pseudo-Sith apprentice.
Arguably, a theme in The Last Jedi was the idea that "anyone can be a Jedi," an idea best established by one of the poor children at the end demonstrating Force abilities. As the first female Jedi main protagonist in a Star Wars film, Rey embodies this concept inherently. Kylo Ren's assertion that she was born a "nobody" in The Last Jedi might not be completely false. In The Force Awakens trailers, Rey answered Maz Kanata's question, "who are you?" with a soft-spoken, "I'm no one." That was certainly how she saw herself at that point in the series: as no one special, who merely stumbled onto a great adventure.
Her parents very well could have been the "drunks" who abandoned her on Jakku as Kylo Ren suggested in The Last Jedi, but her lineage may run deeper. Palpatine may be her grandfather or great-grandfather, making that tie a bit more significant than the parentage tie everyone else has been examining.
Rey's famous lineage would also explain how Kylo Ren was seemingly aware of her. He seemed agitated in The Force Awakens when he heard about a girl who had foiled his plans, causing him to lash out. The news of a Palpatine heir would have been big enough to spark a reaction out of him, and it also explains his interest in her in The Last Jedi.
PALPATINE, THE FAMILY MAN
Marketing materials have strongly hinted at this possibility, perhaps most notably through the "Dark Rey" imagery that has been circling since the D23 Expo footage. This scene may parallel the one from The Empire Strikes Back, in which Luke has a vision of himself fighting Darth Vader, only to see his own face beneath the helmet after striking "Vader" down. This, of course, was meant to foreshadow the reveal that Vader was Luke's father, and those shots of Rey in the black cloak might be servicing the same purpose. Palpatine famously wore a hooded cloak like Rey's from the trailer, and as Rey prepares for her fight with the ultimate evil, perhaps she also has a vision.
The idea of Palpatine having a family isn't unprecedented in Star Wars, after all. In Revenge of the Sith, he all but confirms he's Anakin's "father" while telling him the story of his master, Darth Plageuis. "Darth Plageuis was a Dark Lord of the Sith, so powerful and so wise he could use the Force to influence the midi-chlorians to create life," he says.
This idea is hammered home more obviously in Charles Soule and company's Darth Vader comics. In Issue #25, there is a not-so-subtle set of panels where the Emperor seemingly manipulates the force to create life while standing behind an already pregnant Shmi Skywalker. It's possible Palpatine had used the Force to create life yet again, giving a child to parents who didn't want her. Thus, they abandoned her on Jakku.
The "She" TV Spot might be the most interesting clue of all, in which, Palpatine declares that "it is time that she learns her story." Perhaps this is a hint that he knows what her story is because he is a part of it.
THE STORY COMES FULL CIRCLE
As previously stated, a big theme in the new trilogy is the notion that we carve our own destinies. By making Rey a Palpatine, that point is further cemented.
Interestingly, it brings the story back to its roots of "Palpatine vs. Skywalker," but with a new twist: the Palpatine is the one we're supposed to root for and the Skywalker is the villain. By blood, Rey is a Palpatine while Kylo Ren is a Skywalker, but in their morality, they are swapped. Rey embodies the Skywalker legacy more than Ben, who embodies Palpatine's beliefs more fully. In doing so, Rey becomes the one to carry on the Skywalker legacy, giving more meaning to the title The Rise of Skywalker.
While the story has hinted at Kylo Ren and Rey having the ultimate showdown, it's a possibility that Palpatine is the final battle based on his prominence in marketing materials and JJ Abrams description of the film. Kylo Ren and Rey's stories have always paralleled each other, each discovering their "true self" and fighting against their past. Kylo Ren's arc in the sequel trilogy has been about running from his ancestry, abandoning his uncle's beliefs in hopes to become more like his grandfather, Darth Vader. What he doesn't realize is he embodies Anakin more than he knows -- a young man who chose evil but will ultimately have to question if he wants to die as Ben Solo or live as Kylo Ren.
Similarly, Rey has spent the movies searching for her true self. For years, she thought this revelation would come in the form of discovering her parentage, but she's already found her family in the form of Finn, Luke, Han and company. Her final battle against then Palpatine also becomes one of self-realization, defying her bloodline and embracing her newfound family and their ideals.
The final battle then wouldn't just be one of Palpatine vs. Skywalker by lineage, it's one of Palpatine apprentice (Kylo) vs. Skywalker apprentice (Rey), leaving the heirs to end a conflict that started long ago.
The idea that "anyone can be a hero" once again becomes relevant because, despite her lineage as a Palpatine, Rey is undoubtedly a hero. Her journey would then come full circle. The girl who once declared she was "no one" because she didn't know where she came from becomes Rey Skywalker in all the ways that count; the one who continuously chooses good over evil.
Perhaps nothing demonstrates this idea more than Luke Skywalker's closing monologue in The Last Jedi where he boldly declares, "I will not be the last Jedi," as the camera pans toward Rey. She is his living legacy, the one to carry on the ideals of Luke Skywalker and all that he stood for.
Of course, this is all just speculation and this theory could be completely off base. Rey's lineage has been one of the most discussed aspects of the sequel trilogy, but on Dec. 20, those questions will be answered. Other popular theories include the idea that Rey is a Skywalker, a Solo or even a Kenobi. And as of right now, all of those theories could still turn out to be true.
Directed and co-written by J.J. Abrams, Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker stars Daisy Ridley, Adam Driver, John Boyega, Oscar Isaac, Lupita Nyong’o, Domhnall Gleeson, Kelly Marie Tran, Joonas Suotamo, Billie Lourd, Keri Russell, Anthony Daniels, Mark Hamill, Billy Dee Williams and Carrie Fisher, with Naomi Ackie and Richard E. Grant. The film arrives Dec. 20.