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Who is Rey? ‘The Force Awakens’ fan theory offers an intriguing new explanation

Updated Dec 26th, 2019 9:48PM EST
Star Wars Force Awakens Rey Identity
Image: Disney

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Yes, the following fan theory will offer a plausible answer to one of our most pressing questions about Star Wars: The Force Awakens. And yes, this Star Wars fan theory contains spoilers, so don’t read any further if you haven’t yet seen J.J. Abrams’s latest blockbuster.

Who is Rey?

She’s the main character in Episode VII, a strong hero type who reminds us of Luke Skywalker in many ways. She’s very handy with the Force and she seems to pick up tricks immediately after seeing them, but we’re not sure how that’s possible. She doesn’t have a last name and she’s been left on a deserted planet for years after being told someone will return for her at some point.

That’s pretty much all we know about her after the first new Star Wars episode.

There already are various fan theories that explain who Rey is. One says that Rey might be the daughter of Luke or Leia, and therefore the cousin or sister of Kylo Ren. A different theory says that Rey is Luke’s daughter with Obi-Wan’s granddaughter. A third one even goes on to suggest that she’s Obi-Wan’s granddaughter, not necessarily related to the Skywalkers. All of those options make plenty of sense, given the fact that the Force is strong with her.

But musically gifted Star Wars fans took apart the music of The Force Awakens looking for clues of who Rey might be, as Business Insider explains.

After all, the score for Episode VII was composed by the same John Williams who created the music for all the other episodes. And Williams is known for his love of certain motifs and recurring themes that tie characters together. With that in mind, it makes perfect sense to seek a potential relationship between Rey and older Jedis or Dark Side masters in the music.

According to people who dug into the new soundtrack, Williams’ music for Rey contains clues that seem to indicate she’s related to Luke and Darth Vader. Like Ren, she might be one of Darth Vader’s grandchildren. Such lineage would explain her power with the Force, and it fits well with other fan theories.

Business Insider listed various YouTube videos that dissect the soundtrack of Rey’s song, comparing it with earlier scores for Darth Vader and Luke.

Rey’s Theme – check the 2:30 to 2:40 mark and listen to the horns

Darth Vader’s The Imperial March has the same horns in the opening

Rey’s Theme reversed – the horns seem darker and more sinister than in Vader’s theme

Rey’s Theme compared to Star Wars: Episode VI – Return of the Jedi

Rey’s Theme compared in great detail to other Star Wars songs

Chris Smith Senior Writer

Chris Smith has been covering consumer electronics ever since the iPhone revolutionized the industry in 2008. When he’s not writing about the most recent tech news for BGR, he brings his entertainment expertise to Marvel’s Cinematic Universe and other blockbuster franchises.

Outside of work, you’ll catch him streaming almost every new movie and TV show release as soon as it's available.