The Big Picture

• Rey's original connection was meant to be with Obi-Wan Kenobi, which would have added depth and continuity to the Star Wars saga.
• Rian Johnson's decision to make Rey's parents nobodies was controversial among fans, as they felt it squandered the mystery surrounding her lineage.
• The final decision to connect Rey to Emperor Palpatine as his granddaughter was not finalized until filming of Episode IX, and has received mixed-to-negative responses from fans.

When Star Wars made its massive return to the big screen with The Force Awakens, it brought us a new set of leading protagonists and all the mysteries and questions a fan could ask for. One of the main sources of intrigue for viewers revolved around Rey's (Daisy Ridley) family and lineage. Who was this orphaned girl left alone on a desolate desert planet? There was a clear parallel between her and the Skywalker boys from the previous two trilogies, but the inclusion of Ben Solo (Adam Driver) became a more poignant parallel. The enigma seemed to be unraveled in The Last Jedi when it was revealed that her parents were just some nobodies; non-players in all the drama of this expansive space opera. But that itself ended up not being the final revelation, as Rey was firmly connected as Emperor Palpatine's granddaughter (yes, the Emperor Palpatine) in The Rise of Skywalker.

The culmination of that movie saw her reject that family and legacy, choosing instead to carry on the mantle of the Skywalker name. For all the twists and turns that came with this family reveal, fans might be surprised to know that the original idea for Rey did not have her connected to the Palpatines, Skywalkers, or even random nobodies scattered across the galaxy. Instead, the earliest plans intended for Rey to be a descendant of the Obi-Wan Kenobi, connecting her to one of the most important figures in all of Star Wars.

In 'Star Wars,' Rey Was Originally Meant to be a Kenobi

In an interview on Jimmy Kimmel Live, Daisy Ridley revealed that a connection between Rey and Obi-Wan was one of the initial ideas around her character's creation. When asked if she was aware of Rey's connection to Palpatine, Ridley noted that "No. At the beginning, there was toying with like an Obi-Wan connection.” After the release of Episode VII, fans were enthralled by the mystery of Rey's parents and who she was connected to. At the time, Ridley thought that "a lot was answered in The Force Awakens", leading to fans scouring every part of the movie to develop their theories. The idea that Rey was connected to Obi-Wan was one of the leading theories at the time for several strikingly convincing pieces of evidence. Ridley was allowed to keep her British accent, making Rey and Obi-Wan two of the only characters that had similar speaking patterns in that vast universe. When Rey first picks up Anakin's lightsaber in Maz Kanata's palace, it is Obi-Wan's voice that is most recognizable. Even Rey's talents with the Force seemed very Kenobi-esque, as she demonstrated a talent with the Jedi mind trick, which is a technique closely associated with Obi-Wan. From character design to dialogue, it seemed apparent that Rey was destined to have a connection with Obi-Wan.

However, though Rey Kenobi may have been the original intention, the plans were not set in stone and Rian Johnson took a different direction when he wrote and directed TLJ. Johnson, instead, chose to emphasize the expansive reach of the Force by making Rey's parents a pair of nobodies who weren't a part of the greater Star Wars lore and universe. This decision was received controversially, to say the least, as fans felt that this decision squandered all the set-up of the mystery with very little payoff. With the switch back to J.J. Abrams for the final installment in the trilogy, they began considering that Rey could be Palpatine's granddaughter instead. But as Ridley recalled, the decision wasn't even finalized until the filming of Episode IX was already underway. This reversal of a reversal connecting Rey to Palpatine was widely seen as a retcon of Johnson's earlier pivot with her character but has also received a significantly mixed-to-negative response from fans as well. Regardless of how favorable either of these decisions has been received, the canon has firmly established Rey as a Palpatine, but with her own chosen decision to carry on the Skywalker name instead.

What if Rey Was a Kenobi?

For a moment though, it's always fun to think about hypotheticals or alternate versions of Star Wars even if it can't be canon (see all the Legends media fans still beloved by fans). So, what if the original idea carried through, and Rey was a Kenobi? Connecting Rey to Obi-Wan would have strengthened some of the greatest traits of Star Wars. One such strength is the ability to draw parallels and connections across generations of films. George Lucas expressed the idea that "It's like poetry, they rhyme" when talking about some of his plans for the prequel trilogy. This could have carried into the sequel trilogy by having a Kenobi learn from a Skywalker, the way multiple Skywalkers have learned from a Kenobi. Further, with both a Skywalker and Kenobin play, scenes such as Rey and Kylo Ren's duel surrounded by raging waters in The Rise of Skywalker would have been a visual reversal of Obi-Wan and Anakin's legendary battle on the fiery Mustafar.

Though the mainline films are dubbed the Skywalker Saga, Obi-Wan was one of the most integral parts of the overarching narrative. Kenobi was one of the few characters to appear in all 6 of the original films, even if it was only as a Force ghost in some. He was essentially Anakin's brother in the prequels, and Luke's first mentor in the original trilogy, but then was surprisingly absent in the sequels. Obi-Wan had taught multiple Skywalkers, so it would be poetic to have Luke and Leia teach a Kenobi in return. Even if the focus was centered on the Skywalkers, Kenobi's connection to that family should never be understated. Through Ben Solo we got the continuation of the Skywalker clan, so including Rey in the Kenobi family line would have added emphasis to family bonds not dictated by blood relation. Obi-Wan received redemption for his failures when he helped Luke on his path to defeating the Emperor and saving his father, but when the sequel trilogy brought Palpatine back, the Kenobi lineage should have played a bigger part in finally putting an end to that reign of evil. Theories and discourse aside, Daisy Ridley is set to make a return to Star Wars in an upcoming film, so fans everywhere should be excited to see what Rey Skywalker has been up to all these years later.

Star Wars: The Force Awakens is available to stream on Disney+ in the U.S.

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