Rian Johnson Explains The Reason Behind Rey’s Parentage In Star Wars: The Last Jedi

Star Wars: The Last Jedi might be enjoying a wave of positive reviews from critics, however, a certain part of the Star Wars fanbase has been quite vocal in expressing their outrage over the film's decision to subvert fan expectations. There've been countless theories running around trying to predict Snoke's origin and Rey's true parentage, however everything came undone when The Last Jedi hit theaters.

Sitting down to speak with The Hollywood Reporter, writer/director Rian Johnson explained how he decided to turn Rey's parents into nobodies instead of linking the Jakku orphan with major characters in the Star Wars franchise.

"It was hinted at in [Episode] VII when Maz [Lupita Nyong'o] says the answers lay ahead, not behind, but it was something that was obviously still on Rey's mind and the audience's mind. It felt like a powerful thing that she was still holding onto this notion of the past defining her. And I guess I was entirely looking at it from a perspective of...what would be the thing that would be the most difficult for her to hear?"

Johnson definitely doesn't seem to be fond of easy answers, and turning Rey into a nobody definitely helped hit a spot.

"The easiest thing for her to hear would be, 'Yes, you are so and so's daughter.' Or 'Yes, here's where you fit into this. Here's the answer. The tougher thing to hear is, 'You're going to have to stand on your own two feet, you're going to have to figure out what you're worth in this world yourself. Your place in this story is not going to be handed to you. You are going to have to find it.' That to me was the most interesting and toughest thing for Rey."

It certainly does put a spin on the Skywalker legacy. Fans were half expecting Rey to be either related to Luke (Mark Hamill) or Obi-Wan Kenobi (Ewan McGregor/ Alec Guinness), but turning her into a nobody instead showed fans how it didn't matter who Rey's parents were – the story's about who Rey is and who she hopes to be.

Star Wars: The Last Jedi is currently screening in cinemas.

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