To say that The Last Jedi divided Star Wars fans would be to deal in wild understatement.
And yet, one of the most intriguing plot points to emerge from Episode VIII was the mysterious connection between Kylo Ren and Daisy Ridley’s Rey, one enabled by the Force. We should point out that Kylo and Rey – or ‘Reylo’, to be specific – actually crossed paths in The Force Awakens, at which point Adam Driver’s glowering baddie removed his Vader-esque mask for the very first time. Coincidence? We think not.
As The Last Jedi proved, Kylo Ren often displays an unusual vulnerability in the presence of Rey, and it seems that ‘relationship’ will be explored in great detail this December, when Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker will rule over theaters far and wide. But don’t just take our word for it; here’s Daisy Ridley herself teasing the revelations to come:
It does not bother me, people writing theories. It’s really fun hearing them. Plus, because I know what’s sort of going to happen, I think it’ll be really interesting to see people’s reaction to [the final film]. Obviously, there’s this whole Reylo thing and some people are very passionate about it, some aren’t… J.J. does deal [with it]. It’s a very complex issue. People talk about toxic relationships and whatever it is. It’s no joke and I think it’s dealt with really well because it’s not skimmed over.
Is it possible that Kylo Ren has something to do with Rey’s parentage? Or are the two characters in some way related? Frankly, we hope it’s neither, as it seems everyone in the mainline Star Wars franchise is somehow – almost inexplicably – connected to the same family tree. Whatever the case, all will be revealed in two months’ time.
On December 20th, the legend comes to an end with Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker. And yes, it seems tickets really will go on sale next week, when Lucasfilm is expected to drop the final trailer for Episode IX. It’ll likely keep plot points to a minimum, but we fully expect to catch a glimpse of Emperor Palpatine back in action – or, failing that, another snippet of that iconic cackle.