In the continuity of Star Wars, we’ve always recognized the Skywalker name as a family line of powerful Force-sensitive individuals, but what if the truth is something else altogether?
The Rise of Skywalker, serving as the title for the last movie in the saga, alludes to Rey taking on the Skywalker family name at the end of the story and once again fulfilling the prophecy of the Chosen One by bringing balance to the Force. Of course, in terms of characterization and execution, one could argue that the resolution isn’t earned. But if we’re talking about a conclusive thematic ending to the Skywalker Saga as a whole, this development starts to actually make a lot of sense.
In fact, the idea to acknowledge Rey as a Skywalker dates back to 2014, before The Force Awakens‘ premiere. As Lucasfilm’s Pablo Hidalgo explained in a Story Group meeting:
“I like the idea that she’s going to be our Skywalker, but she’s not a Skywalker. Then, for our purposes, ‘the Skywalker’ is really a metaphor. It doesn’t have to be something that’s directly connected to blood.”
When you think about it, through this interpretation, the Skywalker name isn’t about the prophecy of the Chosen One, but it refers to individuals who serve as agents of the balance. Anakin and his son Luke fought for balance in their own time, and Rey followed their footsteps by standing up to her grandfather, Darth Sidious. A Palpatine by blood, a Skywalker by choice.
With this definition in mind, we could argue that the first Jedi to ever live, the Prime Jedi, was technically the Skywalker of his own generation. The Last Jedi introduced us to this being when Rey meditated next to a mural of the Prime Jedi. In that film, the Prime Jedi was depicted as a servant of the balance, rather than the light side of the Force, essentially representing the philosophy of Yin and Yang in the world of a galaxy far, far away.
As ScreenRant explains:
The Prime Jedi – the original founder of the Jedi Order in Star Wars – was technically a Skywalker, based on Lucasfilm’s definition of the name. Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker ended with Rey grafting herself into the prophecy of the Chosen One by declaring herself a Skywalker. And while the scene left a lot to be desired in terms of execution, in thematic terms, it’s effective and provides a conclusive ending to the Skywalker saga.
Using this broader definition, it looks as though the Prime Jedi himself was technically the Skywalker of his generation. The Prime Jedi was subtly introduced in Star Wars: The Last Jedi, when Rey meditated next to a mural of him. Crucially, the Prime Jedi was represented as a servant of balance, rather than exclusively dedicated to the light side of the Force. The mural gave equal prominence to both light and dark, with the Prime Jedi representing the darkness in the light, and the light in the darkness. Essentially, he embodied the classic ‘yin and yang’ philosophy.
This means that the Jedi were originally founded to serve this balance, but got sidelined through self-righteous moralistic ideals, something we witnessed in full through the Prequels era. Hopefully, going forward, Rey’s new generation of the Jedi in Star Wars will work towards keeping the balance, thus avoiding the mistakes made by their predecessors.