The Last Jedi: Rian Johnson’s other plans for Rey’s parents

Rian Johnson reveals some “wild ideas” he had for Rey’s parents in Star Wars: The Last Jedi. Did he make the right decision with Rey being a “nobody”?

“Who are you”? — The ultimate inquiry following the release of Star Wars: The Force Awakens regarding the heroine, Rey. Was she a Skywalker? A Kenobi? Even of a Dark Side origin, having a connection to Sheev Palpatine/Darth Sidious, was a long-shot possibility. However, in Star Wars: The Last Jedi, Rey’s parents, were revealed to be nobodies.

Actually, “nobody” is a too kind a description, with Rey’s parents abandoning her, leaving Rey with Unkar Plutt. What decent human beings leave their child with that wretch of scum and villainy? One’s who wanted a quick cash grab, giving up a girl who is something truly special. Maybe a death in the Jakku desert in a Pauper’s grave is too good of fate for those pieces of junk.

Anyways, Rey’s parents came as quite a shock to most viewers of The Last Jedi, expecting her family history to be one of significance. Recently in an interview with Filmcast, the director/writer for The Last Jedi, Rian Johnson revealed he considered many options with Rey’s parents — even constructing a list of numerous possibilities.

"I honestly listed everything I could think of, even awful possibilities where I said, ‘This is not what we’re going to do.’ I mean the less silly one was, ‘Is she a clone’?"

Before the release of The Force Awakens, a rumor was gaining steam that Rey may be a bi-product of Luke Skywalker’s severed hand — being a clone of Luke, of sorts, as a possibility. If you think that idea is wild, Johnson and the Lucasfilm story group considered an idea which made them chuckle just thinking about it.

"The silliest one was, ‘Is she a robot?’ Okay, we’ve seen a biomechanical realistic flesh hand on Luke, could the technology have advanced significantly in the 30 years, and then I just started laughing."

As fun and creative as those ideas are, Johnson and company decided that Rey’s parents should be of no importance, which adds more depth to The Last Jedi and Rey’s character.

"What is the hardest thing she could hear? It shakes up Rey’s entire quest of “finding her place” in the universe and shakes up the audience’s understanding of how the Star Wars universe works. “It’s really similar to the ‘I am your father’ scene, but with the inverse answer."

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Johnson’s final decision was met with loads of backlash, upsetting fanboys across the galaxy, whose dreams of Rey being a Skywalker or Kenobi were shattered. Although it’s an unpopular choice, Rey’s parents being random junk traders adds a much more compelling element to the Star Wars story than the alternative options.

It makes Kylo Ren’s offer to rule the galaxy that much more enticing and seductive, because he is someone “special,” being of the mighty Skywalker bloodline, while she is not. It also makes it clear that you don’t have to be a Skywalker or famous Jedi to have a place in all of this.

Even though you stirred the hornet’s nest, well done Mr. Johnson. Well done. Here’s hoping that J.J. Abrams continues your vision and does not give in to the demands of a significant portion of Star Wars fans — wanting Rey to be someone else.

Next: TLJ Easter eggs you may have missed

Star Wars: The Last Jedi is playing in theatres, worldwide.