It’s probably safe to say that the majority of us have seen The Force Awakens. Therefore, it’s also safe to assume that we all have our favorite theories about the origins of Rey, the Skywalker Trilogy’s main character. No one knows anything about her past, not even herself, so hundreds of fan theories have been created to try and predict her origins before they are revealed in episode 8 or 9. Post your favorite ones here!
I’m gonna start with my favorite: that Rey is the reincarnation of Anakin Skywalker. This is one of the more outlandish ones (probably not as outlandish as this one), but if you rewatch episode VII with this theory in mind, it actually makes a lot of sense.
We all know that Anakin failed to bring balance to the Force. So to punish him, the Force reincarnated him as Rey and then had her parent/parents abandon him/her on Jakku until the Chosen One was needed again. We all know Anakin’s opinion on the desert, so this was the Force’s way of getting back at him. The Force was undoubtedly thrown out of balance again when the First Order formed, so the awakening that Kylo Ren and Snoke briefly discuss is likely the Force setting the events that will cause Rey to leave Jakku and begin her journey to once again restore the balance in motion.
One of the biggest pieces of evidence for this theory is the similarity between Rey and Anakin’s character. Believe it or not, she actually has more in common with him than she does with Luke. Both Rey and Anakin are skilled mechanics, with Anakin building a podracer when he was only a little boy and with Rey dismantling Star Destroyers for a living and being able to make quick repairs to the Millennium Falcon. Both Rey and Anakin are pilots, but it’s unclear if Rey’s piloting skills are comparable to Anakin’s. Droid speech also comes more naturally to the two more than it does with most other characters, and Rey and Anakin treat droids with more respect than others as well. Finally, the robes that Rey wears for most of the movie bear more than a passing resemblance to the ones young Anakin wore in The Phantom Menace.
This theory also sheds some light on Rey’s force vision. Anakin’s lightsaber called to Rey because it is, in a sense, hers. It also explains why the first thing she heard in the vision was Darth Vader’s iconic breathing (though that might have been because of Anakin/Vader’s connection to the Saber). The first thing Rey sees is the dual between Luke and Vader in episode V, which is important because that was the beginning of Anakin’s return to the light and his redemption (which is supposed to be continued through Rey). She also hears Obi-Wan’s voice towards the end. While that might also prove that she is a descendant of Obi-Wan, it could also be hinting on how he was important in Anakin’s life.
One of the biggest questions concerning Rey (aside from her origin of course) is why Kylo Ren seems so interested in her. If Rey is the reincarnation of Darth Vader, Kylo likely feels the similarities between the two through the force. Kylo is obsessed with his grandfather, so that would likely carry over to Rey if he felt she was connected to him in some way. This also explains why Luke feels conflicted at the end of the movie, according to the screenplay. Luke also feels the similarities between Rey and Anakin, and is afraid to train her because he doesn’t want to risk unleashing another Darth Vader on the galaxy.
I probably didn’t do this theory justice. Just look it up on Reddit or Youtube if you still aren’t convinced. And of course, watch the movie again with this theory in mind. It will make a lot of sense.
So that was my favorite Rey theory. What are yours?