J.J. Abrams Says Rey's Parents Not In Star Wars: The Force Awakens, Then Clarifies Comments

The director caused an awakening in The Force with his remarks, seeming debunking popular fan theories

By Corinne Heller Apr 16, 2016 3:20 PMTags
Daisy Ridley, Rey, Star Wars: The Force AwakensWalt Disney Studios

There was an awakening in The Force and a collective gasp was heard among Star Wars fans across the world Friday as J.J. Abrams dropped a major bombshell.

During a Q&A at the 2016 Tribeca Film Festival, a fan asked the Star Wars: The Force Awakens director and producer the most burning question of them all: Who are Rey's parents?

"Um, Rey's parents are, uh, not in Episode VII," he said, referring to Star Wars: The Force Awakens, which was released last December. "So I can't possibly, in this moment, uh, tell you who they are."

"But I will say that it is, uh, this is all I would say—it is something that Rey thinks about, too," he added, drawing laughs from the audience.

But let's analyze this, shall we? According to Abrams' comments, this means that, despite popular fan theories, Rey's parents, who seemingly abandoned her on the planet Jakku as a child, are neither Han Solo, Leia Organa nor Luke Skywalker.

Abrams later clarified his comments, telling EW, "What I meant was that she doesn't discover them in Episode VII. Not that they may not already be in her world."

Many fans said on social media the director appeared to be "backtracking" and did not appear to be persuaded. 

Some also brought up another controversy—how Abrams opted not to reveal identity of Khan, Benedict Cumberbatch's villain character in his 2013 movie Star Trek: Into Darkness, a before the film was released, despite widespread speculation. Abrams later told MTV News he thinks "it probably would have been smarter just to say upfront, 'This is who it is.'"

Meanwhile, fans were quick to bring up alternative theories about Rey's history. Some suggest Rey is Obi-Wan Kenobi's granddaughter, which could explain her powerful connection to The Force, not to mention the lightsaber of his former Padawan, Anakin Skywalker, aka Darth Vader. Others say she could be a descendant of the villain Emperor Palpatine, another Force-sensitive character.

In addition, shippers of Rey and villain Kylo Ren, Han and Leia's son, were particularly elated by Abrams' comments, as they signaled that the scavenger-turned-heroine and dark Knight of Ren are not siblings or cousins, making the possibility of a romance more possible.

Walt Disney Studios
Walt Disney Studios

Many of them think Rey and Kylo forged a Force bond and that she will end up redeeming him and leading him away from the Dark Side into the Light—a theory boosted by a tweet Mark Hamill, who plays Skywalker, posted last weekend after Daisy Ridley, who plays Rey, won Breakthrough Performance and Adam Driver, who plays Kylo, won Best Villain at the 2016 MTV Movie Awards.

"Dark&Light @mtvmovieaward Wins!" Hamill wrote. "Adam(U should smile more)Driver&Daisy(the adorable)Ridley! Hope 2C you more in #EP8."

The two reprise their roles in the still unnamed Star Wars: Episode VIII is set for release on Dec. 15, 2017.

Watch: Adam Driver Goes to the Dark Side in "Star Wars"