====== Rey ======
===== Part 1: The Dossier: An At-a-Glance Summary =====
  *   **Core Identity: A Force-sensitive scavenger from the desert planet of Jakku, Rey rises from obscurity to become a powerful Jedi Knight, discovering she is the granddaughter of Emperor Palpatine before ultimately rejecting her dark lineage and embracing the legacy of the Skywalker family.**
  *   **Key Takeaways:**
  *  **Role in the Universe:** As the protagonist of the Star Wars sequel trilogy, Rey serves as the central hero in the war between the Resistance and the First Order. She represents a new generation of Jedi, tasked with restoring hope to the galaxy and rebuilding the [[jedi_order]] from the ashes of the past. ((While a Star Wars character, Rey's adventures, including direct adaptations of the films and supplemental stories, have been published by Marvel Comics since 2015, making her a notable figure within Marvel's extensive library of licensed comics.))
  *  **Primary Impact:** Rey's most significant impact is the final defeat of the resurrected Emperor Palpatine and the Sith Eternal on Exegol. By confronting and overcoming her own dark heritage, she not only saved the galaxy but also redeemed the Skywalker name, choosing to adopt it as her own and carrying the Jedi legacy into a new era.
  *  **Key Incarnations:** The core of Rey's story is told in the sequel trilogy films ([[http://www.starwars.com|Star Wars: The Force Awakens, The Last Jedi, and The Rise of Skywalker]]). The Marvel Comics adaptations and tie-in series expand on her journey by providing deeper insight into her internal monologue, her training with Leia, and smaller, unseen moments between the cinematic events.
===== Part 2: Origin and Evolution =====
==== Publication History and Creation ====
Rey was first introduced to the world in the 2015 film ''Star Wars: The Force Awakens''. The character was conceived by the film's writers, J.J. Abrams, Lawrence Kasdan, and Michael Arndt, as the central figure for a new generation of Star Wars heroes. Portrayed by actress Daisy Ridley, Rey was designed to be a self-sufficient and resilient figure, whose mysterious parentage would become a central driving force of the sequel trilogy's narrative.
Her first appearance in a Marvel comic was in **''Star Wars: The Force Awakens Adaptation #1''**, released in June 2016. This comic adaptation was written by Chuck Wendig with art by Luke Ross. This publication is a direct result of The Walt Disney Company's acquisition of Lucasfilm in 2012. As Disney also owns Marvel Entertainment, the comic book publishing rights for the Star Wars franchise were transferred back to Marvel Comics in 2015, ending a long tenure with Dark Horse Comics. This strategic corporate alignment placed Rey and other Star Wars characters firmly within the publishing house of Marvel, though they exist in their own separate galaxy and continuity, completely distinct from the Marvel Universe (Earth-616) and the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU).
==== In-Universe Origin Story ====
=== Star Wars Canon (Sequel Trilogy Films & Supplemental Media) ===
Rey's origin is a tale of loss, survival, and a galaxy-spanning destiny. She was born to Dathan, a non-Force-sensitive "failed" clone of Emperor Palpatine, and his wife Miramir. Dathan had escaped the Sith world of Exegol, seeking to live a normal life free from the shadow of his progenitor. However, Palpatine and his Sith Eternal cult hunted them, seeking the "perfect" vessel for the Emperor's essence—his granddaughter, Rey, who was immensely powerful in the Force.
To protect her, Dathan and Miramir sold Rey to the junk boss Unkar Plutt on the desolate planet of Jakku when she was a child, believing the remote world would hide her from the Emperor's sight. They promised to return for her, a memory that would haunt Rey for years. Her parents were later captured and killed by the Sith assassin Ochi of Bestoon, leaving Rey effectively orphaned and alone.
For over a decade, Rey grew up as a scavenger, combing through the wreckage of a massive Imperial-New Republic battle in Jakku's Graveyard of Ships. She became a gifted pilot, mechanic, and a hardened survivalist, trading scrap parts for meager food portions from Plutt. Her life was one of isolation and waiting, holding onto the faint hope that her family would one day come back. She was unaware of her Force sensitivity, though it manifested in subconscious ways through her incredible piloting skills and intuition.
Her solitary existence was shattered with the arrival of the BB-8 astromech droid, which carried a partial map to the missing Jedi Master, [[luke_skywalker]]. This encounter brought her into contact with Finn, a defecting First Order stormtrooper. Pursued by the First Order, led by the fearsome [[kylo_ren]], Rey and Finn escaped Jakku aboard a "piece of junk" ship that turned out to be the legendary [[millennium_falcon]]. This act catapulted her from a forgotten scavenger into the heart of the galactic conflict, setting her on a path to discover not only her own identity but the nature of the Force itself. Meeting Han Solo and Chewbacca, she was drawn to Maz Kanata's castle on Takodana, where she was "called" by Anakin Skywalker's lightsaber. Upon touching it, she was flooded with a powerful Force vision of the past and future, beginning the awakening of her true potential.
=== Note on Marvel Universe vs. Star Wars Galaxy ===
It is **critically important** to understand that Rey does **not** exist within the primary Marvel continuities. She has never interacted with characters like [[captain_america]] or [[iron_man]]. Her stories, while published by Marvel, take place "a long time ago in a galaxy far, far away," entirely separate from Earth-616 or the MCU. The structure of this entry separates her film appearances from her comic appearances to analyze the nuances between the storytelling mediums, mirroring the standard format used for Marvel characters who have both comic (Earth-616) and film (MCU) versions.
===== Part 3: Abilities, Equipment & Personality =====
Rey's development from an untrained scavenger to one of the most powerful Jedi in history is marked by a rapid and profound connection to the Force, supplemented by her innate survival skills.
=== Powers, Abilities, and Skills ===
  *   **Peak Physical Condition:** Years of climbing through starship wreckage gave Rey exceptional agility, stamina, and strength. She is a nimble and acrobatic fighter.
  *   **Expert Pilot:** Having taught herself to fly various craft on Jakku, Rey is a naturally gifted pilot, capable of flying the Millennium Falcon with a skill that impresses even Han Solo.
  *   **Skilled Mechanic & Technician:** Her life as a scavenger required her to understand the inner workings of complex machinery. She can diagnose and repair a wide range of starship and droid systems.
  *   **Multilingual:** She is fluent in various languages, including Galactic Basic, droidspeak (Binary), and the Wookiee language of Shyriiwook.
=== Force Powers ===
Rey's connection to the Force is described as "raw and untamed." She possesses a natural affinity that allows her to master complex abilities with little formal training, a trait enhanced by her status as one half of a Force Dyad.
  *   **Force Dyad:** Rey shares a unique and powerful bond in the Force with [[kylo_ren|Ben Solo]]. This dyad connects their minds across vast distances, allowing them to communicate, see each other's surroundings, and even physically interact. The dyad is a rare phenomenon described in ancient Sith texts as being "as strong as life itself," and it grants them power that two individual Force-users could not achieve alone.
  *   **Telekinesis:** This was one of the first powers she consciously manifested. She demonstrated immense telekinetic strength, from pulling a lightsaber from Kylo Ren's grasp to levitating massive boulders to clear the path for the Resistance on Crait.
  *   **Mind Trick (Jedi Mind Trick):** Rey quickly learned to influence the minds of others. Her most famous use of this was persuading a stormtrooper (played by Daniel Craig in a cameo) to release her from her restraints on Starkiller Base.
  *   **Force Sense & Psychometry:** Rey has a powerful intuition and can sense disturbances in the Force, such as Han Solo's death. She also possesses psychometry, the ability to see visions of the past and future by touching objects with a strong Force connection, such as Anakin's lightsaber.
  *   **Force Healing:** A rare and powerful Jedi ability that she learned from ancient Jedi texts. Rey can transfer her own life force to heal even mortal wounds, as she did for a Vexis serpent on Pasaana and, most critically, for Ben Solo after impaling him on Kef Bir.
  *   **Force Lightning:** A manifestation of her Palpatine heritage. While training, she accidentally unleashed powerful Force lightning, destroying a transport ship. She later used this ability consciously in her final battle against her grandfather, using her lightsabers to deflect his own lightning back at him.
=== Equipment ===
  *   **Quarterstaff:** For most of her life on Jakku, Rey's primary weapon was a simple yet effective quarterstaff she salvaged. It served as a versatile tool for self-defense and climbing.
  *   **NN-14 Blaster Pistol:** A small blaster given to her by Han Solo on Takodana, which she carried for much of her early journey with the Resistance.
  *   **Anakin Skywalker's Lightsaber:** The iconic blue-bladed weapon built by Anakin, lost by [[luke_skywalker]] on Bespin, and recovered by Maz Kanata. This "legacy saber" called to Rey, and she wielded it through most of the sequel trilogy. It was destroyed in a Force tug-of-war with Kylo Ren but was later repaired by Rey.
  *   **Leia Organa's Lightsaber:** After completing her training, General Leia Organa gifted her own blue-bladed lightsaber to Rey for her final mission. Rey used both this and the repaired Skywalker saber in her final duel with Palpatine.
  *   **Rey's Lightsaber:** After the Battle of Exegol, Rey constructed her own unique lightsaber. The hilt was fashioned from parts of her old quarterstaff, symbolizing the integration of her past life with her new identity as a Jedi. It produces a rare yellow-colored blade, signifying her role as a guardian of the Jedi Order.
=== Personality ===
Rey is defined by a fierce independence born from a lonely upbringing. She is deeply compassionate and forms strong, loyal bonds with her friends, including Finn, Poe, and BB-8. For much of her journey, she is driven by a profound search for belonging and identity, desperate to know who her parents were and where she fits in the galaxy.
This search also fuels her greatest internal conflict: the fear of the immense power within her and the dark lineage she eventually discovers. She is tempted by the dark side, particularly through her connection to Kylo Ren, but her unwavering hope and belief in the good of others ultimately allow her to forge her own path. She is resilient, resourceful, and embodies the principle that one's choices, not their bloodline, define their destiny.
===== Part 4: Key Relationships & Network =====
==== Core Allies ====
  *   **Finn:** Rey's first true friend. Their bond is immediate and powerful, built on a shared desire to escape their pasts and do the right thing. Finn's devotion to Rey is a driving force in his own journey from stormtrooper to Resistance hero.
  *   **Leia Organa:** Leia becomes Rey's Jedi Master after Luke Skywalker's death. She sees in Rey the future of the Jedi and the hope for the galaxy. Leia provides the maternal guidance and structured training Rey never had, completing her journey and sacrificing her own life force to reach her son, Ben, in a critical moment.
  *   **Luke Skywalker:** Rey's relationship with Luke is initially contentious. She seeks a legendary hero to save the galaxy, but finds a broken, disillusioned man haunted by his failure with Ben Solo. Through their interactions, Rey challenges Luke to reconnect with the Force, while Luke teaches her crucial lessons about failure and the true nature of the Jedi. As a Force spirit, he later provides the final encouragement she needs to face Palpatine.
  *   **Poe Dameron:** While they initially have a more distant relationship, Rey and Poe develop a strong friendship as leaders of the Resistance. They share the burden of command and a deep-seated desire to protect the galaxy, eventually forming a new "founding trio" with Finn.
  *   **Ben Solo / Kylo Ren:** See Arch-Enemies section.
==== Arch-Enemies ====
  *   **Kylo Ren (Ben Solo):** Rey's most complex and defining relationship. He is her primary antagonist for two films, her mirror image, and the other half of their Force Dyad. Kylo Ren is obsessed with turning her to the dark side, seeing in her a powerful equal. Rey, in turn, senses the conflict within him—the light of Ben Solo struggling against the darkness of Kylo Ren. Their connection is a "tug-of-war" between the light and dark sides of the Force itself. This culminates in his redemption and their brief but powerful alliance against Palpatine, with Ben sacrificing his life to resurrect Rey.
  *   **Emperor Palpatine (Darth Sidious):** Rey's ultimate nemesis and her grandfather. The resurrected Emperor represents the ultimate evil she must confront and the dark heritage she must overcome. He seeks to have her strike him down in anger, allowing his spirit to possess her and usher in the "Sith Eternal." Her final victory is not one of aggression, but of defiance and defense, using the spirits of past Jedi to turn his own power against him, ending the Sith threat once and for all.
  *   **Supreme Leader Snoke:** The mysterious leader of the First Order and Kylo Ren's master. Snoke serves as a major antagonist who orchestrated the Force connection between Rey and Kylo to exploit their weaknesses. His underestimation of their bond proves to be his undoing when Kylo betrays and kills him in his throne room.
==== Affiliations ====
  *   **The Resistance:** Rey fully commits herself to the Resistance after the destruction of Starkiller Base. She becomes their symbol of hope and their most powerful asset in the fight against the First Order.
  *   **The Jedi Order:** By the end of her journey, Rey stands as the last Jedi. Having studied the ancient Jedi texts she recovered from Ahch-To, she is positioned to rebuild the Jedi Order from scratch, learning from the successes and failures of the past to create a new, more balanced future for the light side of the Force.
===== Part 5: Iconic Events & Storylines =====
==== The Awakening on Takodana ====
This sequence in //Star Wars: The Force Awakens// marks the true beginning of Rey's Jedi journey. After being drawn to a vault in Maz Kanata's castle, Rey discovers and touches Anakin Skywalker's lightsaber. The resulting Force vision floods her with images of the past (Cloud City), present (Kylo Ren and the Knights of Ren), and a potential future (a snowy forest duel). Terrified by the power, she rejects the saber and flees, only to be captured by Kylo Ren. This event forces her to confront the power awakening within her and sets the stage for her first duel, where she embraces her destiny and calls the lightsaber to her hand, choosing to fight.
==== The Throne Room Duel on the Supremacy ====
In //Star Wars: The Last Jedi//, Rey allows herself to be taken by Kylo Ren to Supreme Leader Snoke's flagship, believing she can turn him back to the light. Snoke reveals he created their Force bond and, after torturing Rey, orders Kylo to kill her. In a shocking turn, Kylo uses the Force to ignite the Skywalker saber and slice Snoke in half. What follows is one of the most visually stunning duels in the saga, as Rey and Kylo fight back-to-back as a perfect team against Snoke's eight Praetorian Guards. This event crystalizes the power of their Dyad but also highlights their ideological divide when Kylo asks Rey to join him and rule the galaxy, an offer she tearfully rejects.
==== The Revelation on Kef Bir ====
In //Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker//, Rey travels to the ocean moon of Kef Bir, seeking a Sith Wayfinder amidst the wreckage of the second Death Star. There, she confronts a dark-side vision of herself, a "Dark Rey," who wields a double-bladed red lightsaber, representing her deepest fear of her own potential for evil. Shortly after, Kylo Ren arrives and reveals the truth of her parentage: she is not a "nobody," but the granddaughter of Emperor Palpatine. This revelation is Rey's ultimate test, forcing her to confront the fact that the galaxy's greatest evil flows through her veins. The emotional turmoil leads to a ferocious lightsaber duel, culminating in Rey impaling Kylo after being distracted by Leia's death in the Force, a moment of aggression that pushes her closer to the dark side than ever before.
===== Part 6: Variants and Alternative Versions =====
  *   **Dark Rey (Force Vision):** Seen in //The Rise of Skywalker//, this is not a separate character but a manifestation of Rey's fears about her connection to the dark side and her Palpatine lineage. Clad in dark robes and wielding a unique, hinged double-bladed red lightsaber, this vision taunts her with the promise of power, forcing the real Rey to confront her potential for corruption.
  *   **LEGO Star Wars:** In various LEGO animated series (like //The Freemaker Adventures//) and video games (like //LEGO Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga//), Rey appears as a more comedic and lighthearted character. While her core story beats remain the same, the presentation is filled with slapstick humor and charm typical of the LEGO brand.
  *   **Star Wars Legends Continuity:** Rey does not have a counterpart in the "Legends" continuity (the original Expanded Universe that existed before the Disney acquisition). The Legends timeline was declared non-canonical before her creation. However, fans often compare and contrast her character arc with Legends figures like Jaina Solo (Han and Leia's daughter who faced her fallen brother, Jacen Solo/Darth Caedus) and Ben Skywalker (Luke's son), who navigated similar themes of legacy and the balance between light and dark.
===== See Also =====
  * [[kylo_ren]]
  * [[luke_skywalker]]
  * [[leia_organa]]
  * [[palpatine]]
  * [[jedi_order]]
  * [[first_order]]
  * [[finn]]
  * [[poe_dameron]]
===== Notes and Trivia =====
((Rey's character was originally named "Kira" in early drafts of //The Force Awakens//.))
((The yellow blade of Rey's final lightsaber is significant. In Star Wars lore, yellow blades were often wielded by Jedi Temple Guards, signifying a role as a protector of the Order's knowledge and future. This fits Rey's position as the one to rebuild the Jedi.))
((The actress who portrays Rey, Daisy Ridley, was largely unknown before being cast in //The Force Awakens//, mirroring Rey's own journey from a "nobody" to a galactic hero.))
((The concept of a Force Dyad was introduced explicitly in //The Rise of Skywalker//, but the groundwork for the connection between Rey and Kylo was laid out by director Rian Johnson in //The Last Jedi//.))
((Source Material (First Appearance): ''Star Wars: The Force Awakens Adaptation #1'' (June 2016), published by Marvel Comics.))
((The design of Rey's final lightsaber, built from her quarterstaff, was meant to symbolize her acceptance and integration of all parts of her identity: the scavenger from Jakku and the Jedi Knight.))
((In the novelization of //The Rise of Skywalker// by Rae Carson, it is confirmed that Rey and Ben Solo's kiss was one of love and gratitude, not purely platonic. The book also clarifies that Palpatine was inhabiting a clone body that was failing, which is why he so desperately needed Rey.))