Where Does Star Wars Go After The Force Awakens?

Family Drama

Star Wars has always been a complex family drama played out among the stars, with the various dynamics of the Skywalker clan determining the destiny of the galaxy at large. This is the power of the franchise – intimate, emotional connections balanced with giant, universal themes. Episode VII contained many revelations about this Force-ful dynasty, a number of which have great implications for the story going forward.

Before its release, fans speculated about family connections between the new, younger cast members and the old guard, as well as the way in which the villainous Kylo Ren fits into the family tree. This was inevitable, given that all of the plot twists of the franchise so far have been based around the same. The big question mark at the end of The Force Awakens, however, hangs over Rey (Daisy Ridley).

We know that she has grown up on Jakku, having been left there by her ‘family’ – for whom she has been waiting ever since. We know that the Force is strong with her, and that she experiences similar visions when first holding Luke Skywalker’s lightsaber as Luke did, when he did the same in The Empire Strikes Back.

When Episode VII has Han Solo explain that Luke Skywalker exiled himself after his training school was attacked, the pieces begin to fall into place. It seems clear that, in Episode VIII, we can expect to find that Rey is the daughter of Luke Skywalker, and that he left her on Jakku for her own protection, in the same way that he himself was left on Tatooine as a child in an effort to hide him from his father, Anakin Skywalker (who had become Darth Vader).