Is Rey a Skywalker or a Palpatine in Star Wars?

Without a doubt, one of the biggest mysteries in the Star Wars sequel trilogy has always been about Rey. We quickly discovered who was under the mask as Kylo Ren. We learned where Luke Skywalker was hiding. But Rey? There was a trilogy-long mystery about Rey and her identity, and it wasn’t completely revealed until the very last movie.

For the entirety of the trilogy, really, it felt like no one was quite sure what they wanted to do with Rey’s identity. With no roadmap, The Force Awakens and The Last Jedi each seemed to have something different to say about her identity.

J.J. Abrams’ The Force Awakens set us up for the huge mystery about Rey’s parentage, leading some to wonder who’s long-lost daughter she was. But Rian Johnson’s The Last Jedi took that notion and said none of that really matters. Rey may be Rey “Nobody,” but she can make her own identity without having to lean on her past.

And yet, the final movie, The Rise of Skywalker, had the final word about who Rey really was. As she learned, she was in fact a descendent of Emperor Palpatine, who was her grandfather. Biologically speaking, then, Rey is 100 percent a Palpatine. And yet, there was still more.

Is Rey a Skywalker?

At the end of The Rise of Skywalker, the title of the movie becomes apparent. While the Skywalker bloodline is technically gone, Rey honors her fallen mentors, Luke and Leia, by adopting their family name.

When asked who she is by the old woman on Tatooine, the former Palpatine declares herself Rey Skywalker, and she becomes a new part of the family. So, as far as the canon goes, yes, Rey is considered a Skywalker. It’s just like how any adopted child would be considered a member of the family that they were brought into.

Depending on which Star Wars fan you ask, the identity of Rey will vary. Some would consider her a Palpatine because of her blood. Others would consider her a Skywalker because of her choice to honor the family at the end of the film. But Skywalker or not, Rey is Rey. And just on her own, she’s carved out her own legacy just by being who she is.

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