New ‘Star Wars’ novel finally reveals the names of Rey’s parents

It’s a great time to be a Star Wars fan. In just a week, Obi-Wan Kenobi on Disney Plus is taking us 10 years after the events of Episode III — Revenge of the Sith, while Star Wars Celebration 2022 will no doubt be packed to the brim with exciting news and updates for fans about all the stuff the Mouse House has lined up in the world of the galaxy far, far away.

Amid all of these blood-pumping developments, let’s not forget that two legacy characters are also making a comeback through Adam Christopher’s Shadow of the Sith novel, taking place 20 years after the Battle of Endor and depicting Luke Skywalker and Lando Calrissian as they come together to seek out the resurgence of dark elements in the galaxy.

Now, an excerpt from the novel courtesy of USA Today has given Star Wars fans a first look at the prose and revealed the name of Rey’s parents after more than three years. Here’s the part of that excerpt unveiling what Palpatine’s clone offspring is called, wherein Rey’s parents are running away from Darth Sidious’ agents.

Those options now seemed decidedly more limited as they floated adrift. They’d escaped Jakku, only to . . . what? Die in the cold reaches of space, the old freighter now nothing but a tomb for the three of them, lost forever on the outskirts of the galaxy, their passing unmourned, their names unremembered.

Dathan, Miramir.

Rey.

The freighter’s interior was as old and battered as the exterior—the flight deck was cramped and functional, the old-fashioned design re­quiring not just pilot and copilot but navigator, the third seat at the back of the cabin, facing away from the forward viewports. For this trip, they’d had to make do with a crew of just two.

Rey’s father, who we now know is called Dathan, was created by the Sith loyalists on Exegol to sustain a decaying Palpatine after his escape from the second Death Star. Dathan didn’t possess any Force abilities, which is why the Emperor disdained him. The genetically modified clone eventually escapes Exegol and meets Rey’s mother Miramir, and through their union, Rey is born into the world, not only carrying Palpatine’s bloodline but also his immense strength in the living Force.

To know more about Dathan and Miramir and their journey escaping from Palpatine’s outstretched shadow, you can read Star Wars: Shadow of the Sith when it comes out on June 28.