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It's almost hard to believe, but The Rise of Skywalker is quickly approaching its one-year anniversary. Following the departure of Colin Trevorrow, J.J. Abrams returned to the galaxy far far away in an attempt to wrap up the nine-film Skywalker Saga. One of the many overarching questions hanging over the sequel trilogy was Rey's parentage, and Daisy Ridley recently spoke to how that changed throughout the years, including one wild alternate choice for her lineage.
When Rey debuted in The Force Awakens, countless theories popped up regarding who she might be related to. The newcomer showed an aptitude with The Force that previous characters took years to master, leading many to believe she could be related to someone like Luke. In the end she was a Palpatine by blood, but it turns out that a few alternate versions of her lineage were tossed around. One of which being none other than Obi-Wan Kenobi. As Daisy Ridley recently recounted in conversation with Josh Gad,
At the beginning, there was toying with an Obi-Wan connection. There were different versions and then it really went to she was no one. And then it came to Episode IX and J.J. pitched me the film and was like, 'oh yeah, Palpatine's granddaddy,' and I was like 'awesome.' And then two weeks later he was look 'oh we're not sure.' So it kept changing.
Well, this is interesting. Because while the audience sees the finished product of Star Wars movies, they're ultimately just made up of people trying to do their best. And that means throwing some ideas at the wall to see what sticks, as well as keeping even Daisy Ridley in the dark regarding her character's true family heritage.
Daisy Ridley's comments come from her recent conversation with Josh Gad, who was substituting on Jimmy Kimmel Live. The two actors worked together in Murder on the Orient Express, and Gad would famously prod her for spoilers regarding the Star Wars franchise. And while he wanted to know Rey's lineage like the rest of us, it turns out that not even Daisy Ridley knew the truth ahead of filming The Rise of Skywalker.
Star Wars fans can re-watch Daisy Ridley's tenure in the franchise on Disney+. You can use this link to sign up for the streaming service.
Obi-Wan Kenobi being Rey's father was a popular fan theory when Daisy Ridley's character debuted in The Force Awakens. Much of Obi-Wan's life in isolation is a complete mystery, in the years between Revenge of the Sith and A New Hope. While that time will be expanded in Ewan McGregor's upcoming live-action series on Disney+, it seemed possible that he might have broken his Jedi vow and had a child during those decades.
Daisy Ridley's conversation with Josh Gad is interesting because it shows how there wasn't a concrete plan for the sequel trilogy. Each movie was seemingly approached as its own beast, with the writers and directors not following one narrative throughline. This is especially true for Rey's parents, as The Last Jedi claimed she was nobody, while The Rise of Skywalker retconned that to reveal she was actually a Palpatine by blood.
CinemaBlend will keep you updated on all things Star Wars as more details become public. In the meantime, check out our 2020 release list to plan your next movie experience.
