SPECULATION The Force Awakens and the Ring Theory

So I recently read the entirety of the Star Wars Ring Theory, and whether or not the parallels were intentional, they are there. It works for the first six movies, but how does The Force Awakens fit into the theory? After a probably insufficient amount of time thinking about it, (and I apologize beforehand, because I don’t know how to work graphs and pictures in posts well) I think that TFA pairs best with Revenge of the Sith.

I’m not going to be breaking down the movie into analyzing seconds and whatnot, I just have a few points that both movies possess that I think make them compatible for the theory.

SPOILERS FOR TFA AND ALL OTHER EPISODES

NOTE: I have not read Douglas’ published book on the subject (yet), so I profusely apologize for any and all misrepresentation that occurs.

1. The Rescue Mission That Propels Character’s Trajectory

In both TFA and RotS, the character propelling (not character defining) rescues occur very early on in the movie. They give the audience a show of the character’s true allegiance. In RotS, Anakin’s rescue of Palpatine ends with him decapitating a disarmed (pun intended) Dooku. It showed his loyalty to Palpatine over the Jedi code and his willingness to slaughter those who couldn’t defend themselves. He expressed guilt over the action, but from then on, the darkness lurking in the Chosen One comes to the forefront. In TFA, Finn’s rescue of Poe is equal parts an act of rebellion, self-preservation, and moral righteousness. Finn chose not to obey Kylo Ren in killing unarmed civilians, and in doing so showed the moral fortitude to stand up for those who cannot defend himself.


2. Subterfuge and Guilt

Here, the parallels are even easier to find. Finn choses to lie to Rey about being part of the Resistance in order to gain her respect (and affection), but later admits to his crimes and separates from her. Anakin, like Finn is praised in a way for his subterfuge, but because of the honesty of the act, is not trusted. Unlike Finn, Anakin has mentors on both of the sides he’s supposed to be spying on, and the conflict nearly tears him apart.


3. Visions and Rejection

Both Rey and Anakin experience visions, and both have a strong connection to the theme of family, whether it is person or simply hope or the idea of family. For Rey, her largest arc is not her Force powers, but coming to terms with the fact that her family will never come back to Jakku, and what her journey going forward might bring her. Anakin too is burdened by family – the fear that his soon-to-be-born child(ren) will destroy the fragile life he’s built, along with the visions of Padme dying in childbirth (as well as a Kenobi showing up in the visions, creating feelings of jealousy). Yoda, like Maz, tells the young Force user to accept the loss given to them, and that it will heal with time (more or less). Anakin rejects the advice and turns to darker arts as a response. Rey is a bit more tricky to figure out however. I would say that unlike Anakin, she lets go of the idea of her family, but honestly we don’t know. In quick succession, she’s captured and interrogated by Kylo Ren, discovers her Force powers, sees her mentor die, defeats Kylo in a duel, nearly loses her (new) best friend, and goes off to find a living legend. We don’t know what her mindset or her feelings about her family are after this. I guess that’s what Episode VIII is for. But if I was a gambling man, I’d say that Rey still has a strong connection to whatever family means to her, and because of that we’ll see her take a darker path (whether or not she recovers from that has yet to be seen).

4. Skywalkers and Horror

Order 66 and Starkiller Base. I really don’t have much more to say on that other than one was an act of desperation and despair while the other…well…I don’t know why Kylo Ren went along with it. Because he follows Snokes orders and Snoke is the (Supreme) leader of the FO, so he just went along with it…?

5. Loved Ones and Hope

Alas, the loved ones of Skywalkers were never a lucky bunch. Han, much like Padme before him, tries to talk Ben off the metaphorical edge, and only ends up falling into the endless pit himself which in turn probably mirrors Vader throwing Palpatine down the never ending shaft. Both try to appeal to their loved one’s Light Side, giving them a sense of hope and reminding them of the bond of family. Both fail, and die soon thereafter. Again, this is mirrors RotJ, when Vader finally makes the right choice in saving his son but dies not too soon after. Will Anakin’s grandson experience the same fate?

6. A Song of Ice and Fire

This is the strongest parallel of the two movies to me (although it could be argued that the final fights in TFA and the first act of RotS are actually the parallels). This is also used as a major piece of evidence to the theories explaining Rey is a Kenobi (due to the fight location) or a descendant of Palpatine (the stabbing technique she uses against Kylo). I just want to use it as a parallel to RotS (however if Rey WAS a Kenobi, the parallel would be SO much stronger). A damaged and weakened Dark Side Skywalker is scarred, loses his lightsaber, and is left for dead by his opponent, only to be saved by his mentor for later use.

7. Unveiling the Skywalker vs Cloaking the Skywalker

Here is the biggest inversion of the two movies. In both movies, Luke’s being missing is a major motivator. For RotS, it’s the last connection Vader could have had to his old life, due to him not knowing about Leia and Padme dying. In TFA, Snoke destroyed an entire system to keep Luke away, and finding Luke remains one of the primary objectives of the Resistance. The inversion comes from the ending, where Obi-Wan, hooded hides Luke away, while in TFA Luke unhoods and revealing himself, seemingly announcing his presence to the world. One cloaks, the other unveils.

Anyways, that’s all I got for this theory. Feel free to add more to the theory if you notice more, or make other parallels if you want. Did you like the theory? Is it crazy? Am I crazy? Thanks and let me know!