SPECULATION Is Luke Rey's Father? - The Evidence For and Against

It’s pretty clear what happened. JJ wrote Rey as having no parents. That aligns with all of his comments leading up to TFA. But it was of course not set in stone by TFA and so Johnson was free to write whatever he wanted. Clearly, he had conversations with JJ and that is documented as well. RJ then opted to write what he felt the best thing was for Rey’s character - and it was exactly in line with what JJ set up with TFA (which the majority of involved fans thought too).

I can’t do it now but perhaps someone could just post the comments by JJ where he talks about how genetics aren’t the be all and end all and how you don’t need a special bloodline to b special...

 

Sure. And I get it. I do understand why people went down the Rey Skywalker route. I just wish they'd accept the logic and argument of the other camp.
Again, I think this comes down to JJ Abrams. He loves those mystery boxes. He likes setting up mysteries that have literally nothing in them.
I don't like that. I think it's short term storytelling that is essentially vacuous and in the long term results in disappointment. But it is how he operates.
TFA is indeed full of mystery boxes and there is the odd hint in the campaigns and film that Rey might be this or that.
But essentially, it is meaningless. When TFA is analysed with an objective, rational mind - and not with the emotive "Puhlease let her be a Skywalker" mind, then the truth seems pretty clear. It seems clear to me what JJ had in mind for the character and why RJ rightly took it in the direction he did. A lot of us predicted exactly what happened and gave clear rationale for it. That wasn't a lucky guess. It was cold, dispassionate reasoning. And story wise, it makes perfect sense.

What people need to do is ignore what they think the trailers etc are telling them and go by the films. And if you try and imagine what the most dramatic, character driven story would be, it's much more likely that the professional storytellers will make the same choices. But if you go by your emotions and attachments and reject rationale, then it is likely that you'll be wrong. The films cannot be made to try and please fans. They can only be written in a way that makes the best out of the story (conflict, tension, drama, action). If done well then the fans by and large will be pleased.

 

It's boring when we all agree. Debate (and war) brings progression.

 

There is clear evidence against this. Clearly, RJ was understandably trying not to tread on JJ's toes or speak for him. There are numerous quotes that show that RJ and JJ did talk about the story and that JJ always had it in his mind that Rey's folks were dead nobodies. RJ was simply taking ownership of his film and his decisions. He doesn't say what JJ had in his mind, just that he could write and do whatever he wanted. But they both went with the Rey Random story.

That's where the evidence leads us. I find your total faith (no evidence) in your idea...disturbing.

--- Double Post Merged, Feb 21, 2018, Original Post Date: Feb 21, 2018 ---

JJ and Daisy actually said it post TFA and leading up to TLJ but people either ignored it or spun it.
I don't get what people want to achieve by denying this:

That RJ made the wrong choice? Sorry, but it was the best choice for Rey's character - as agreed by the majority of fans.
That the films are being made up as they go? Even if true (which it isn't), Lucas made up the OT on the fly.
That Rey could still become a Skywalker? Just ain't gonna happen. Would be stupid if it did.

They'd be much better off just accepting the facts and at least attempting to try and get their heads around what we have been saying for 2yrs +.

 

The whole ST is about the legacy of Darth Vader.
It has had Luke, Leia and Kylo Ren in it.
Luke and Kylo Ren will likely be in IX.

And you think fans wouldn't have been pissed if LucasFilm had passed on the opportunity to bring back the old 3 and just made a new series? I doubt that.

 

And had the films been set in the future with little to no Skywalker's, people would've likely complained then.
At the end of the day, you were promised a continuation of the Skywalker family saga and that is exactly what you have got.
Had Rey just been another Skywalker, then we'd only be getting a rehash of that which has come before. Just even milder (Rey's dad isn't the ultimate villain).
Kylo Ren is more than enough to continue the story of Darth Vader and we still have had Luke and Leia anyway!
Rey being unrelated simply provides the best drama, the best conflict and the best means of presenting something fresh in this old story.
It's like in Blade Runner 2049:

Spoiler: Blade Runner Spoilers

Joe believes he is the child of Deckard but finds out in the end that he is not. But this is what provides the beauty to the story. He finds his place, his humanity, in doing the right thing despite not being related. It's actually incredibly similar to the ST story. Old legend is lost. New hero seeks him out to find answers. It would've been so easy to make Joe the child but what would that have really added to the story? It would've made Joe's choice too easy in the end.

The fact is, it's never going to be perfect for everyone. The best thing LucasFilm can do is try and make the best films possible with stories that work the best - more drama etc. Perhaps people would've enjoyed Skywalker-less stories more? Perhaps not. We will see when RJ brings out his trilogy. But I think it right personally that they take the opportunity to use the old legends whilst they were still around. Better to regret something you have done and all that. And to be fair, there was definitely a story in there - in the rebuilding of the Republic and Jedi and the trials the heroes would face. The idea of the legacy of Darth Vader is a strong one but also an end point for the Skywalker's. It would definitely be pointless to go beyond that with this family.