Warning: MAJOR Rogue One spoilers ahead. If you haven't seen the latest Star Wars movie yet, feel free to check out one of our other fine articles.
After a long and tedious wait, Rogue One: A Star Wars Story finally hit theaters and blew us all away. The first standalone Star Wars movie has become an absolute phenomenon at the box office, and its story has gone a long way towards fleshing out the backstory of the The Rebellion, and The Empire. However, out of all the things that Rogue One does right, its best contribution to the Star Wars lore is the rational explanation of the Death Star's fatal weakness.
That being said, the idea of the Death Star's exhaust port weakness being an intentional design flaw existed as a fan theory long before Rogue One hit theaters. With that in mind, we have combed through some of the Internet's coolest Star Wars fan theories and picked out seven that have the distinct possibility of entering the canon at some point in the near future. It doesn't matter if these theories relate to the original trilogy, the prequels, or even the new films; they all improve the Star Wars canon in some specific way. Without further ado, let's get this list started with a fan theory that helps add new layers of depth to everyone's favorite bounty hunter.
Boba Fett Killed Luke's Aunt And Uncle
This is one of the oldest and most plausible Star Wars fan theories currently available online, and it's a fascinating way to tie everything together. There's a scene in The Empire Strikes Back in which Darth Vader specifically chastises Boba Fett about his use of "disintegrations" in his line of work, and many fans have begun to theorize that this is because Boba Fett was actually responsible for the deaths of Owen and Beru in A New Hope. Logistically it makes perfect sense; Fett was on Tatooine at the time of their deaths (he's seen in the Millennium Falcon hangar when Jabba faces off against Han), and the scene Luke discovers when he returns to his far is far more grisly than anything we have seen from Stormtroopers throughout the Star Wars saga. This theory really fleshes Boba Fett out, and shows us how brutal he's willing to be, so we seriously hope that a future movie centered on the character makes this theory a reality.
There Is A Third Skywalker Sibling
If you happen to be a grammar snob, then you likely picked up on the error during the opening crawl of The Force Awakens. It reads that Leia "is desperate to find her brother Luke and gain his help in restoring peace and justice to the galaxy." Although it seems relatively innocuous, the fact that Luke Skywalker's name is not placed within two commas serves as evidence for a fan theory suggesting that there may actually be another Skywalker sibling present somewhere in the galaxy. J.J. Abrams and the rest of The Force Awakens' crew spent so much time on seemingly minor details, and it seems incredibly unlikely that they wouldn't hire a skilled copy editor to take on the opening crawl. The Star Wars franchise loves big, family-based reveals, so we wouldn't be surprised if a future movie drops a previously unseen Skywalker sibling into the mix at some point. In the words of Yoda: "There is... another... Skywalker."
Rey Is Somehow Related To Palpatine
This has unquestionably become one of the more thoroughly researched Star Wars fan theories on the Internet, and it actually makes quite a bit of sense. The theory in question suggests the possibility that Rey has some sort of genetic or familial connection to Emperor Palpatine -- daughter, granddaughter, clone, etc. -- and that connection will factor into the narrative of future movies. There's actually a fair amount of evidence to support it: Rey and Palpatine are the only two Star Wars characters to use fighting styles based on thrusting and stabbing motions, she feels a clear pull to The Dark Side, and the fact that Snoke and Kylo Ren (who are obvious Sith fan boys) seem incredibly intent on finding her and bringing her over to their side. While there are obviously a ton of Rey fan theories online, we think this one has a genuine shot at panning out; think about it, making her Luke's daughter would be a huge let down after all this build up. We need something cooler and darker than that.
The Emperor Wanted The Death Star To Protect The Galaxy From An Invasion, Not To Fight Rebels
Despite the fact that the Yuuzhan Vong War has been stricken from the Star Wars canon, there's still a possibility that a version of this narrative could potentially play out in a future Star Wars movie. The theory in question suggests the possibility that Emperor Palpatine actually formed The Empire and commissioned the construction of the Death Star in order to bolster the galaxy's defenses against a massive invasion that only he could see coming. The primary rationale for this theory is the fact that a planet-destroying weapon isn't ideal for taking on a clandestine rebel force, but it is an effective way to stifle a large-scale foreign invasion. When viewed on a long enough timeline, this makes Palpatine's actions seem less wholly evil and more darkly pragmatic.
Padme Never Actually Loved Anakin, He Was Manipulating Her
Rogue One: A Star Wars Story proved that fan theories can be incorporated into the Star Wars saga in order to rationalize weak points in earlier movies, and there are few aspects of the prequel trilogy more reviled than the love story between Anakin Skywalker and Padme Amidala. This fan theory suggests the possibility that Anakin unwittingly used his Force powers to slowly but surely wear down Padme's defenses and make her fall in love with him over the course of their time together during Attack of the Clones. He was like Lennie with a rabbit; he didn't know any better. If you're one of the many people who looks back on the love story of the prequel trilogy with complete and utter disdain, then this fan theory paints those films in a much darker light and adds a tragic layer to the very existence of Luke and Leia.
Kylo Ren Is Not Very Skilled With The Force
At first, this may seem like a bizarre statement, but there's actually a fair amount of evidence to back it up. Kylo Ren is only really shown using his Force power against novices and non-Force sensitive individuals throughout the run of The Force Awakens. To help explain this, one Reddit fan theory has posited the idea that Kylo Ren is skilled enough to pull off some impressive feats with The Force, but he isn't anywhere near the skill level of the Jedi or Sith that we have come to know over the course of the Star Wars saga -- and his frustration over this fact eventually led him to abandon Luke Skywalker's Jedi teachings. This is a fascinating theory with a fair amount of potential because it has the ability to rationalize Ben Solo's deep-seated anger, while also explaining why Rey (who is more naturally skilled with The Force) could resist him. After all, his biggest fear is not being as strong as Darth Vader.
Chewbacca Was Always A Rebel
George Lucas could easily rationalize why C-3PO and R2-D2 remembered none of the prequels by having their memories wiped, but the same cannot be said of Chewbacca. A long-running Internet fan theory has suggested that Chewbacca was actually a Rebel long before before the events of A New Hope because he clearly remembered the events of Revenge of the Sith. It makes quite a bit of sense upon closer inspection, as the legendary Wookie saw the carnage of Order 66 19 years before meeting Luke Skywalker, and he's the first crew member of the Millennium Falcon to speak to Obi-Wan Kenobi in the Mos Eisley cantina -- not Han Solo. Based on this theory, they're not just haggling about transportation costs in that scene; they're planning something much bigger. At this point, it's only a fan theory, but we won't be surprised if the Star Wars saga makes Chewbacca's long-standing involvement in the Rebellion canon over the course of the next few movies.
What's your favorite Star Wars fan theory? Let us know in the comments section below!
