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Why You Should Question Kylo Ren's Comment About Rey's Parents in Star Wars

by Rachel Simon
Walt Disney Studios

Spoilers ahead for Star Wars: The Last Jedi. As the second out of three movies in the new Star Wars trilogy, The Last Jedi was bound not to answer every single question fans had about certain mysterious characters and plotlines. But even still, no one would blame you if you went into the movie hoping to at least find out who Rey's parents are, considering how much attention has been been given to the question over the past few years. Unfortunately, we don't ever get an actual answer in The Last Jedi, unless you believe what Kylo Ren says to Rey in an intense, emotional moment: that Rey's parents are really nobodies from Jakku, and that they abandoned her younger self on the planet without a second thought.

When Kylo tells this to Rey, she gets teary-eyed, and it's no wonder why. For her entire life, Rey has wondered who her parents could be, and has hoped badly that they'll one day reveal themselves and return to her. Maybe, she thought, they'd have important reasons for why they left her as a child to fend for herself, and all could be forgiven. So to hear Kylo say that her parents were probably no one special, just poor scavengers like her who didn't care for her well-being, is understandably emotional for Rey.

But it's probably not the truth, despite how much of an impact Kylo's words have on our heroine. Sure, it's possible that Rey's parents are just random people from Jakku, but more likely than not, one or both of them are characters who have large presences in the Star Wars universe. A major theory held by many fans is that Leia is Rey's mother, which would make some sense seeing that the two share a close bond and that Rey is strong with the Force. Some fans think that if this is the case, Rey's father is Han, making her full siblings with Kylo Ren, but others believe that while her mother might be Leia, her father is a character we haven't yet met.

There's also the theory that Luke is Rey's father, which, while a little less likely considering he's been holed up on his Jedi island for years, is still a possibility. As The Last Jedi shows, the duo have a strong connection, and it'd be extremely moving if it turned out that Rey's Jedi mentor was actually her father. As said, though, this theory is less plausible than the Leia one, despite how heartwarming it would be if it were true.

Whoever Rey's parents actually are, fans can rest easy knowing that we'll undoubtedly find out the truth in the next Star Wars movie, Episode IX, set for release in December 2019. Yes, that's still a frustratingly long time from now, but it makes sense that the filmmakers behind the franchise would choose to save one of the series' biggest reveals for the very last movie — and for all we know, at the very last second. Don't be surprised if, two years from now, you sit through nearly two hours of Episode IX before finally getting to learn the secrets of Rey's backstory and her connection (or lack thereof) to Star Wars' biggest characters.

For now, keep theorizing, and take comfort in knowing that whoever Rey's parents do turn out to be, it's seriously unlikely they're just nobodies from Jakku, no matter what Kylo told her. It's be shocking — and not in a good way — if Star Wars put so much emphasis on a mystery solved in the most simple and least exciting way.