SPECULATION Darth Rey?

It's too late for Rey to go to the dark side, Ben will have a redemption because of his sentiments for Rey

 

No, this time balance will win.

A lot of people already disliked TLJ for making Luke Skywalker "bad". This would make Luke even worse for them. He lost yet another student to the dark side. No...

Broom boy was just a symbol. He won't come back.

 

Rey turning dark feels like a twist for the sake of a twist. It offers nothing narratively, especially in the final chapter of a trilogy.
If she were going to turn, it would have been in TLJ.
She had several chances to turn when offered belonging and fulfillment (her two biggest desires) and rebuked them all. This would be like Lucas' original end to ROTJ where Luke puts on Vader's helmet. Makes no sense story-wise

 

They seem to want Rey to be a role model and a way to bring more girls into Star Wars. So Rey turning dark is 99% chance not happening.

 

If Rey doesn’t end up looking like a sexy bad girl comic book kinda thing with black high boots paired with leather “underwear” costume, why not? I doubt it but sure...

 

To put it in as many words as I can... No.

 

Personally, I think this would be the most interesting way to go. Having dark Reylo would actually be intriguing for further Saga episodes. Having a strong antagonist(s) is more important to keeping the saga going than having a powerful protagonist. So to me, in that sense, it makes more narrative sense to have Rey turn dark (with or without Ben).

However, as @Jack_Forest mentioned, the way they've built up Rey I find it unlikely they go this way. She's intended to be a role model for little girls, having her choose badly and choose evil doesn't further that idea, instead reversing it in a way that could create its own backlash.

I think however there could be other ways to go. Imagine the KoR freezing Rey and/or Kylo in carbonite as an ending. Or one of Rey and Kylo dying and the other going bad. Exile is another option, especially if they go with the idea that Kylo rules well and the people like him and don't believe the resistance, thus the resistance dies due to lack of credibility/support, only to reawaken at a later date when people tire of their current government, or Kylo's rule starts to fragment with learned atrocities.

I don't think LFL/Disney will concern themselves much with those fans who feel RJ's depiction of Luke was unflattering (or worse). Honestly, at this point I don't believe there's a middle ground, those fans (I'm myself within this group) will either have to grudgingly accept RJ's depiction of Luke or they've already refuted the ST as saga canon and they're money is no longer counted on for future installments. I don't think more "damage" will change people's opinion, if we're forced to accept Luke as depicted in TLJ, than we have to accept anything goes concerning him.

 

Using this trilogy to set up the next trilogy is what WB did on a different scale.
The trilogy needs a sound ending like the OT had.

If Rey turns at the last hour, it does nothing narrative wise. It's a shock for shock value.
They don't need her to turn to set up another trilogy because they've said this is likely it for the Skywalker saga.

You can turn Rey in a different movie, in time, but for the narrative of this trilogy it just makes no sense.

 

I think it's an interesting concept (but NOT the broom boy part), but we've had so much foreshadowing about getting Ben Solo back, that I find it highly unlikely.

 

Anakin didn't save anyone. Rey isn't THAT in love with anyone.
Reylo is a terrible idea for that reason.

Sure she could do that. But what is the NARRATIVE importance to this? What is the importance of her turning dark other than "ooh she's dark!"

 

Out of Rey going dark and Rey rejecting the Force completely the latter one is x1000000000 more likely than the former.

 

Ok, I don't think Rey goes dark, but there could be reasoning to make it work.

So lets play a little Devil's advocate.

Rey has shown herself quick to anger in both TFA and TLJ.
Rey is a chosen one, thus has more power faster than most Jedi not named Skywalker. Absolute power corrupts.
Rey has grown in skill quicker and easier than any previous Jedi or Sith we've ever seen. The quick and easy path leads to the dark side.
Rey is afraid to leave Jakku because she misses her parents/family. Fear leads to anger, anger to hate ect...
Rey has never had a real mentor. Luke doesn't count due to his being conflicted when he teaches her. Without guidance, it wouldn't be that hard to see stray and be seduced to the dark side.
Rey goes straight for the darkness once given the chance.
If Rey is a threat to Kylo, why does he keep on trying to turn her? Maybe he's seen something, or Snoke had seen something, like Rey being turned or Rey going dark on her own terms. They seem to know of her as far back as TFA.
Depending how much of a time jump we get in IX, one could argue that TFA and TLJ take up as much time combined as any single SW episode. Maybe this trilogy is going to be dragged out into 6 movies, every 2 equating one in terms of time spent for our heroes.

That's just off the top of my head. My point is not that she will, but that any decent writer can make her go that way if they choose to make her go that way. There's ample clues that stand out that could support her going dark. They can draw on ideas like going dark to meet Kylo and reach Ben to bring him back. Even if Rey did go dark, I have no doubt she'd be conflicted about it. She'd likely be the one to come back to the light and lead Kylo back to Ben.

I doubt she'll go dark, but done right, she could make a compelling villain. I think there's enough to go on to make it interesting and even claim it was planned. I'm not hoping for it, and I'm not really expecting it, but I certainly haven't closed the door to that possibility. There's enough in the story where they can say "it was all there, you simply chose to ignore our hints for your own head canon.".

 

I can guarantee, with 100% certainty, that LFL will not end the third and crowning trilogy of the Skywalker saga with the bad guys/Dark Side winning.

It works with the PT precisely because it's a prequel story setting up Luke's ultimate victory/Vader's redemption in the OT after the fact, but they can't undermine the entire saga by having the good guys lose in the end.

If Rey should turn bad (which I think is unlikely) someone else will definitely win the day for the good guys.

Finally, the third film in the trilogy is not the time, story-building speaking, to introduce major new story twists and character changes (like Plageius suddenly turning up for instance). No, the third act is about resolving the story already set up in acts 1 & 2.

Personally, I think Rey will win the day and Kylo be redemed at death's door, ending the Skywalker super-medichlorian bloodline and bringing some sort of lasting balance to the Force. The post-Skywalker era will be about normie Force Users and their normie friends.

 

Ugh... I’d miss the Skywalkers.

But you do have a point.

 

at the door, but he won't cross through it. : D
the Skywalker dynasty is ended already. balance can only be achieved if Ben and Rey work together.
we get a glimpse of that in the throne room. IX will be the fulfillment of all righteousness as they say.