Snoke/Kylo story about Rey parents does not hold.

There are some pretty neat ways they could have gone with this, and from the leaked TFA shooting script, we know they tried, but it didn't work in the end. Maybe it still will, but TLJ leaves me feeling very strongly that they have other plans for Rey. Her backstory, like Snoke's, may just not be important and so they didn't give her one, nor did they bother explaining how she got to be so powerful. Why did they do that? TPTB say its to show that a person of humble origins could be a Jedi, but that's a bit of a straw man. We saw the PT, we know Jedi can come out of nowhere, are not just Skywalkers & in fact we know they don't even have to be human.

Furthermore, she's far from ordinary. She may not be a Skywalker, but there's something about her that is special. So this whole narrative about her falls apart. She IS somebody and has ALWAYS BEEN somebody, and all the handwaving and platitudes to the common man don't change that.

 

Of course, but who is Rey? It's intrinsic to her story. She's not just a desert rat. She's extraordinarily gifted with the Force- to the point where she doesn't need much training at all. So the concept that anyone could be a Jedi, which is what TPTB have been trying to emphasize, is not represented by Rey. She didn't work her way up through dedication and devotion- if that's even possible.

TPTB say her origins don't matter, but they clearly do matter because her talent is innate and not acquired. That's why fans won't stop speculating about her past. If she was a more ordinary kid and trained hard to be where she is, then yes, people could accept that she's just a nobody, who rose to greatness. That, however, is not her story.

 

Exactly this. Her power serves a purpose but it seems to me that it is her moral backbone and compassionate nature that are her most important assets. It makes her the perfect counterpoint to Ren and provides her with tools required to not only redeem him but the galaxy as a whole.