The Most Epic Fantasy and Sci-Fi Website

Daisy Ridley Admits Rey's Controversial Heritage was Out of Her Control


Rey
Credit: Lucasfilm

I think we can all agree that the Star Wars sequel trilogy started off on a promising note. However, the latter part of the trilogy undeniably dropped the ball big time on a lot of things, including Rey's arc which ended up becoming so controversial, it nearly put an end to the storied franchise.

Rey
click to enlarge
Credit: Lucasfilm


Over the course of the trilogy, there's been major speculation surrounding Rey's heritage although they made it clear from the get-go that she'll be presented as a complete nobody until of course, The Rise of Skywalker changed the narrative.

Speaking with Rolling Stone, lead star Daisy Ridley said that the controversial creative decision was beyond her control. Despite the backlash it initially generated, the actress claims she appreciates the storytelling possibilities. She explains: "Well, [Star Wars: The Force Awakens and Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker director] J.J. [Abrams] was the one who was like, she is of no one, so it wasn't just The Last Jedi where that was the message."

Daisy continued: "What was interesting about the last one, for me, was that you can be a hero and not come from anywhere or you can be a hero and come from literally the worst person in the universe. You're not your parents, you're not your grandparents, you're not your bloodline, and you're not the generations before you. So, I always was like, sure. But it's beyond my pay grade. I say the words, do the thing. I do love the version of, you can be anyone you want to be, but I also love the version where you can rectify wrongs and can't help what you're born into."

Also Read: Daisy Ridley Reveals Being Jobless Could Lead to Her Star Wars Comeback

Of course, there's nothing we can do to reverse the things that transpired during the sequels and one can only hope that Lucasfilm will be able to redeem Rey in future projects.

Meanwhile, all of your Star Wars favorites — from movies to series are available to stream exclusively on Disney+.

For more articles like this, take a look at our Star Wars and Geek Culture page.