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  1. In Memory of LAJ_FETT: Please share your remembrances and condolences HERE

ST Rey Skywalker/Daisy Ridley Discussion Thread

Discussion in 'Sequel Trilogy' started by Pro Scoundrel , Jan 3, 2020.

  1. CairnsTony

    CairnsTony Force Ghost star 5

    Registered:
    May 7, 2014
    I was saying back during principal photography for TFA that a dark arc for Daisy's character would have been really interesting (Reminder: I knew and stated at the time her character was FS due to inside info). In retrospect, I think Daisy would have killed it. Perhaps, as an idea, they could have given her an arc similar to Jacen Solo in the EU - make defeating Kylo an obsession of hers that drives her towards the DS, until eventually she defeats and kills him and effectively replaces him.

    I really don't like the idea of Kylo being redeemed in this scenario although I do like the idea that it looks like he might be redeemable in their showdown, only for her to choose to kill him instead. She sees the opportunity to bring him back to the light, but is given a reminder of Han's death, and drives her lightsabre through him instead as an act of revenge.

    Alas we got the vomitous sequels. Where in the name of every conceivable deity do they go with episode X?! Could they still deliver Dark Rey? Can we dare to hope?

    She's Rey Organa in the fanfic in my sig. It never even occurred to me to give her the surname Solo, even though she was the daughter of Han and Leia. I saw no reason she couldn't inherit her mother's name.
     
    Last edited: Jun 23, 2022
  2. Blastaar

    Blastaar Jedi Grand Master star 4

    Registered:
    Dec 25, 2015
    Kylo is a solo.
     
  3. Watcherwithin

    Watcherwithin Jedi Master star 4

    Registered:
    Nov 9, 2017

    How can you blame them. the story that exists says Ben Solo is related to Anakin and Luke and Rey is not
     
  4. DarkGingerJedi

    DarkGingerJedi Chosen One star 6

    Registered:
    Nov 21, 2012
    And Rey is a Palpatine.
     
  5. Blastaar

    Blastaar Jedi Grand Master star 4

    Registered:
    Dec 25, 2015
    This is also true. Rey being luke's daughter, obviously would've greatly changed how she was received. Some of her force affinity is now explained as well as anakin's lightsaber passing to her. She'd feel less like a random person that has everything heaped on her for no reason, to a character directly connected to the legacy heroes. She'd also be viewed more as a "next generation" of sorts instead of that other term that folks find offensive. Her being luke's daughter wouldn't fix everything, but it would be a strong start.
     
  6. DarkGingerJedi

    DarkGingerJedi Chosen One star 6

    Registered:
    Nov 21, 2012
    I would have loved a Luke adopts Young Rey story. That would have been fantastic. Rey becomes the student, and the Skywalker heir, that Ben never did. And throw in how Rey inspires Luke to pick up the pieces again and rebuild. Perfect. Completely inline with the themes of family in Star Wars.

    But tell that story across 3 films. Don't simply dump it on the audience in the final scene cuz you're creative bankrupt, killed off all the real Skywalkers, and need a big smile at the end.
     
  7. christophero30

    christophero30 Chosen One star 10

    Registered:
    May 18, 2017
    JJ probably shot 4 endings.
    I'm Rey Skywalker.
    I'm Rey Organa.
    I'm Rey Solo.
    I'm Rey Palpatine. Strikes down old lady with light saber. Credits roll.
     
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  8. godisawesome

    godisawesome Skywalker Saga Undersheriff star 6 Staff Member Manager

    Registered:
    Dec 14, 2010
    I mean, most of the people who are Kylo fans pretended there was something positive about Rey not being a Skywalker when TLJ came out, and tend to lovingly sacrifice other members of the family story alongside the original ST protagonists for Kylo… so I feel I can blame them for blatant, grotesque hypocrisy…
     
  9. Daxon101

    Daxon101 Force Ghost star 6

    Registered:
    Jan 7, 2016
    I don't think a Rey is adopted story would ever hold the weight. Its either by blood or nothing here. Due to Anakin and Luke carrying a similar weight by blood. Rey was never gonna fill that spot as an adopted daughter.
     
    Last edited: Jun 26, 2022
  10. DarkGingerJedi

    DarkGingerJedi Chosen One star 6

    Registered:
    Nov 21, 2012
    Adoptive children/parents already have a huge running theme and story in the saga.

    Luke taking in Rey, the way Uncle Owen and Beru take him in, or the way the Organas take in Leia, could have been powerful thematic storytelling.

    And like everything, it's all in the execution.
     
  11. 2Cleva

    2Cleva Chosen One star 5

    Registered:
    Apr 28, 2002
    [​IMG]

    Saw this meme and got a chuckle. Obi-Wan took many concepts of the ST and did them better.
     
  12. Daxon101

    Daxon101 Force Ghost star 6

    Registered:
    Jan 7, 2016
    Luke and Leia were adopted. But their bloodline still matters in a big way.
     
  13. DarkGingerJedi

    DarkGingerJedi Chosen One star 6

    Registered:
    Nov 21, 2012
    I never said it did not. You're the one who said this story could ever hold weight. Adoption is already a critical part of the saga. Leia takes the name Organa. Not Skywalker, even though she is a daughter of Anakin and Padme. And as we see from new series, Luke's upbringing on the Lars farm has as much to do with who he is as anything else.
     
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  14. godisawesome

    godisawesome Skywalker Saga Undersheriff star 6 Staff Member Manager

    Registered:
    Dec 14, 2010
    I think this is the catch that a writer has to be aware of: in some ways, the fact a biological family is something you can’t choose lends itself much more intuitively to operatic drama than an adopted or found family. Don’t get me wrong - blood brothers, romantic partners, etc., show that found family and adopted family can and often *does* get to the same level of depth as a biological family - but they take time to develop, while a biological family tie automatically applies that upon its reveal.

    And that “head start” is why so many Kylo Ren apologists and TLJ fans have no shame in promoting Kylo above Rey and Finn, and are so callous and quick to dump any found family idea, especially once it gets pitted against Ben getting better treatment then them.

    And I’d argue that LFL and Rian Johnson have shown that they might not have even been capable of pulling off the kind of emphasis on Rey and her ties to other characters that an adoption story would need, and were entirely too lazy and arrogant about the idea that Kylo’s blood ties automatically create that drama… a trait shared by most of TLJ’s fans.

    It’s part of the reason why, frankly, there really wasn’t any advantage to Rey in the concept of her being an “Everyman” character - which can also be observed in how contemptuous most TLJ fans are towards an actual Everyman character in Finn.
     
  15. Nobody145

    Nobody145 Force Ghost star 5

    Registered:
    Feb 9, 2007
    I don't think the sequels were interested in having Rey interact with most of the other characters anyway, aside from that awful "romance" with Kylo. In TLJ Johnson uses Rey as a prop for Kylo and Luke's storylines, then in TRoS it feels like she's still talking to Kylo more than anyone else. They even call it her "first mission" there, so sounds like Rey didn't go on much adventures with Finn or Poe during that year in between, instead training with Leia, but that's mainly to write around Carrie Fisher's death rather than to imply Rey has gotten closer to her (and their usage of old footage was already pretty cringeworthy). And then Rey splits off from them after Endor, there's a group hug at the end but the last shot of the sequels is only Rey and the mascot droid. Compare that to RotJ's big group shot, of everyone celebrating together, and it feels even more like the sequels were just a waste of time, as Rey is still just alone on a desert planet, rather than with her new friends.

    Its too bad, as TFA starts out with some potential, with Rey alone on Jakku for years, then she meets BB-8, Finn, it looks like Han could be a mentor/parental figure to her then he's killed by Kylo. Then TLJ sneers at the idea of training or wisdom, but the sequels were just rushing along to flashy lightsaber fights, they never cared about the spiritual stuff, or having a cast of characters bond with each other. Neither director understood the characters anyway (such as Leia ignoring Chewie at the end of TFA, and TLJ only cared about Kylo), most of them were just props as the movie changed scenes.
     
  16. ScorpioGirl

    ScorpioGirl Jedi Knight star 3

    Registered:
    Jan 2, 2019
    Actually in supplemental materials like Star Wars Adventures, Star Wars Poe Dameron (Well, in 26 and 27), Resistance Reborn, Spark of Resistance, and Rey's story in Stories of Jedi and Sith; she DID interact with Poe, Finn, and Rose.

    But, yeah, I really wish she interacted more with the Resistance. Rey and Chewie couldn't reach the Resistance from Ach-To, but Finn and Rose could?! So ridiculous.
     
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  17. Maythe14thBeWithYou

    Maythe14thBeWithYou Jedi Master star 4

    Registered:
    May 26, 2014
    Yea, I don't know if we'll see Rey any time soon. Though I think I heard there'd be a comic with her but I forget when.
     
  18. ScorpioGirl

    ScorpioGirl Jedi Knight star 3

    Registered:
    Jan 2, 2019
    Was it called "Hyperspace Stories"? 'Cause that series debuts in August. It's another anthology comic.
     
  19. Maythe14thBeWithYou

    Maythe14thBeWithYou Jedi Master star 4

    Registered:
    May 26, 2014
    I'm not sure. I'll keep an eye out for that though.
     
  20. Ancient Whills

    Ancient Whills Force Ghost star 6

    Registered:
    Jun 12, 2011
    I found Rey likeable in TFA and TLJ. Her introduction on Jakku is one of the best introductions in the saga to me. No dialogue but I could guess Rey's resourcefulness and her loneliness all through visual storytelling and Daisy Ridley's performance of course and I have to give credit to JJ for that, he certainly knows how to introduce characters, more hit or miss when it comes to end their character arc. Yes, Rey is a badass and knows how to fight due to her upbringing but I feel like she's at her best during the quiet moments on Jakku and Takodana. TFA doesn't give her a lot of time to reflect once the pacing kicks off that's part of why I didn't have an issue with her more introspective story in TLJ than some did. I liked how TLJ showed both the good sides of Rey and the bad (her thinking that turning away from the darkside is as easy as turning the light switch off/on, her anger was also more apparent in this one and TROS), I would have added believing a vision to be the only future rather than a potential one but that is not an issue that is unique to Rey, most Force wielders seem to struggle with that.
     
    Last edited: Jul 5, 2022
  21. godisawesome

    godisawesome Skywalker Saga Undersheriff star 6 Staff Member Manager

    Registered:
    Dec 14, 2010
    Rey's far more introspective in TFA than she is in TLJ, because *any* amount of introspection in TFA is better than the anti-introspective nature of TLJ’s arc for her. You’re both underselling TFA, and following Rian Johnson’s “party line” propaganda about his film.

    You can’t have introspection if a character becomes shallower, less complex, and one-dimensional, and it’s even more impossible if a character is refused introspection about things the story doesn’t want to dwell on.

    TFA may only have Rey’s introspection be communicated largely through silent but clearly telegraphed acting from Daisy Ridley… but it’s there in her introduction, there in the confession scene with Finn, in her reunion with Finn after discovering the Force, and in her largely silent ending of the film when she’s had to confront her denial about being abandoned, and the discovery of her found family being brutally countered by Kylo tearing it apart, radicalism her against the First Order and Kylo almost out of necessity and sheer trauma.

    There is NO introspection in TLJ, because TLJ can’t have her think, or even experience, actual human reactions and thoughts to the events of both the previous film and TLJ itself, because that's going to require acknowledging trauma caused by Kylo, and a combination of red flags from Kylo and a profound lack of anything remotely sympathetic or interesting from Kylo. She’s simultaneously not allowed to think about Finn or Han too much and what they meant to her. And it's not introspection that makes her sympathize with Kylo, or else she’d show similar introspection towards the First Order’s slave soldiers.

    It can’t even have her be introspective about a moral conundrum it proposed on its own and decided to skip past - we can’t have Rey think on whether or not she should capture or kill an unconscious Kylo after he’s restated his goal of murdering and enslaving the Galaxy.

    And the entire “show me my place in all this” is some sexist crap that’s also just too plain stupid to be introspective - NO ONE who actually paid attention to the previous film would have her think that.

    Her “place in all this” was pretty damn clear when she got assaulted, captured, tortured and violated by a mass murdering slave master with plans of Galactic conquest before he maimed and murdered her found family and she had to help the last members of that group escape him with her newfound power.

    Rey’s “Introspetcion” in the last Jedi is nothing more than Rian Johnson having the character wonder why a non-Skywalker, non-sad-white-guy is supposed to be the main character.
     
  22. Ancient Whills

    Ancient Whills Force Ghost star 6

    Registered:
    Jun 12, 2011
    Rey's story in the ST has always been about her journey to become a Jedi and TFA didn't have the same excuse ANH had at the time it was made (being a standalone hence why it always felt like the odd one out of all the movies to me). TFA was always meant to be the first part of a trilogy. However, TFA didn't show Rey's motivations beside her wanting to go back to Jakku to endlessly wait for her family to came back for her at several points in the movie. Did Rey ever say she wanted to become a Jedi in TFA? What is her goal in TFA? She's also shown more as a passive protagonist, doing other people's bidding or just reacting to events without ever questioning anything she's told by anybody like a good obedient girl rather than being a more proactive protagonist.

    On its own, TFA is an average action movie with likeable protagonists, a strong first act and some moments of brilliance sprinkled here and there due do rushed pacing.

    In TLJ, characters are finally asking Rey "why?". She's pushing back against Luke's lessons on the Force and the Jedi history lesson, she actively seeks out what the mirror cave meant for herself despite Luke's warning. After realizing she couldn't hurt Kylo in the Force Skype scenes, she took the opportunity to learn more about him and what created Kylo Ren and since she knew Luke was able to help Vader come back to the light, she thought she could do that too. And since Kylo is high placed in the FO, maybe he will help end the war faster. When that plan didn't work out as she hoped, she finally stopped looking for a hero, she IS the one who will save the Resistance, the Galaxy and the Jedi.
     
  23. anakinfansince1983

    anakinfansince1983 Skywalker Saga/LFL/YJCC Manager star 10 Staff Member Manager

    Registered:
    Mar 4, 2011
    I liked Rey in TFA, but I found her always wanting to go back to Jakku to be really annoying, to the point where I was ready to clap in the theater when Finn asked her why everyone always wanted to go to Jakku.

    She was great in the rest of the film though, a smart and self-sufficient badass who knew how to hold her own and survive, and didn’t take bull****.

    TLJ and parts of TROS showed her the opposite of that though, and she was terrible.
     
  24. Ancient Whills

    Ancient Whills Force Ghost star 6

    Registered:
    Jun 12, 2011
    "Badass" and "strong female character" doesn't have any meaning to me. Give me something I can latch onto, either in the character's personality, the actor's performance etc.
     
  25. anakinfansince1983

    anakinfansince1983 Skywalker Saga/LFL/YJCC Manager star 10 Staff Member Manager

    Registered:
    Mar 4, 2011
    Badass is something I can latch onto. So is independent, self sufficient, and takes no bull****. I did not say “strong female character” so I’m not sure why you’re pinning that one on me, especially since in some circles recently the definition of “strong female character” is “successfully fixes evil man.”
     
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