Making the case for Rey Kenobi

Rey’s parents have been discussed since Star Wars: The Force Awakens. Of all the theories, Obi-Wan Kenobi being her relative seems the most plausible.

Rey’s parentage has been a topic of discussion since audiences met the young scavenger in The Force Awakens. Her mysterious past lead to a seemingly endless array of theories from fans trying to decipher the origins of the Jakku native.

Director J.J. Abrams fanned the flames early on when he told Entertainment Weekly in 2015 that it is “completely intentional” that Rey’s last name is not yet public knowledge.

Since then, every aspect of Rey’s character has been analyzed in search for clues regarding her heritage. From her English accent to the way she wields a lightsaber, no stone has been left unturned.

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Many believe these theories were debunked by Rey’s conversation with Kylo Ren in The Last Jedi, when she calls her parents, “nobody.”

But dedicated fans know we cannot take this sitting down. The investigative bulletin boards must stay up, and the search must continue. We haven’t lost this much sleep for nothing.

Through two episodes with our heroine, Rey, the theory that holds the most weight is her familial connection to Obi-Wan Kenobi. While it is likely that he would be too old to be her father, there is still a possibility that he has a place in her bloodline.

A grandfather? A cousin? A fun uncle? Nothing is certain. But what is clear is that J.J. set Rey up for an exciting name reveal. And at the moment, it could be Kenobi.

When Rey has her force vision in the basement of Maz Kanata’s castle, various voices of the saga’s past fill the air. She hears echoes of things once said across the galaxy, such as Master Yoda’s explanation of the force, Luke’s agonizing scream on Bespin, and Vader’s iconic breathing. But one person speaks directly to Rey.

Photo Credit: LucasfilmAs she finds herself back in Maz’s castle, a young Obi-Wan Kenobi tells her, “These are your first steps,” while an older Obi-Wan calls out her name, “Rey.”

Obi-Wan is the only person Rey connects with that knows her by name. On Takodana, Han asks her, “You got a name?” Later, Maz asks Han, “Who’s the girl?” And in Episode 8, Luke presses her with the question, “Who are you?” For Obi-Wan to be on a first name basis with Rey means that he has to have some kind of special connection with her that even his fellow Jedi don’t have.

Photo Credit: Lucasfilm

After Rey calls her parents, “nobody”, in Snoke’s throne room, Kylo Ren tells her that her parents were “filthy junk traders”, who are “dead in a pauper’s grave in the Jakku desert.” While Kylo could simply be editorializing to get her to join the Dark Side, he could also be telling the truth from a certain point of view.

To the people of Tatooine, Jedi Master Obi-Wan Kenobi was seen as nothing more than a mysterious old hermit. Perhaps Rey’s parents were employing a similar strategy on Jakku to avoid any imperial entanglements.

Her parents could be dead in the Jakku desert after spending their life hiding their force sensitive daughter and their attention-grabbing Kenobi name. Or maybe, they left her there alone in an attempt to keep her safe from her own destiny.

Many questions are still left unanswered. Why was Rey left with Unkar Plutt, who is seemingly sympathetic to the First Order? Where does Rey’s intense pull to the Dark Side come from, as seen on Ahch-To in The Last Jedi? What’s with her connection to Kylo Ren, which started back in Episode VII?

All of these questions and more will hopefully be answered come next December with the release of Episode IX. As the fans all know, Rey’s parentage, like all Star Wars storylines, will be discussed long after the conclusion of the Skywalker saga. Of course, nobody knows for sure who Rey may or may not be related to. But darn it, wouldn’t it be fun if it were Obi-Wan?

Star Wars: Episode IX is scheduled to come out in December 2019.