Annlyel explores the questions J.J Abrams’ finale to the Skywalker saga needs to answer…
After the cryptic storyline of The Force Awakens, there were a LOT of questions that many Star Wars fans possessed for the sequel trilogy. Such as: Who Was Snoke? What happened to Luke Skywalker? Who were Rey’s parents? What exactly happened to Ben Solo to make him become Kylo Ren? Who was Maz Kanata and how did she have Luke’s lightsaber in her possession?
The Last Jedi managed to answer some of these questions but because it was such a complex story I came away from the film with even more questions that needed answering. And while Episode IX shouldn’t feel like a fix-it movie it does need to provide some conclusions to the mysteries that have alluded us this entire sequel trilogy. So, on that note, here are five questions that need to be answered in Episode IX.
1. Who Are Rey’s Parents?
Even though this topic “seemed” resolved in The Last Jedi after Kylo Ren told Rey her parents were drunk vagrants who died somewhere in the Jakku desert I clearly believe he was lying and there is literal proof that he was. How can I be so sure he was lying? Let me gladly explain.
During Rey‘s vision in The Force Awakens, she saw herself as a child screaming for someone to come back. When her horrified gaze turns to the sky a ship is seen flying away, symbolizing that those were her parents leaving her on Jakku. So, when Kylo Ren says that her parents were dead on Jakku that is a straight-up fib because they clearly–via her vision–flew off to some unknown destination.
That means the identity of her parents is still very much up in the air and if my intuition is correct I think The Americans actress, Keri Russel, maybe playing Rey’s mother, whoever that may be.
2. Who Is Snoke?
Even though Snoke is supposedly dead I still feel that we need more information about him, such as a reference to his origins in the Unknown Regions. That would be very helpful and it would help provide us with a much-needed answer to a character we got next to zero information about.
3. Why Is Rey So Powerful?
When we first met Rey in The Force Awakens she was a simple scavenger, surviving day by day off the scraps she bartered for food. And yet, it took her a day to become one of the most powerful wielders of the Force that has ever been seen in the galaxy. After just discovering that she had the Force she was able to defeat Kylo Ren twice and would end up proving to be very powerful indeed, singlehandedly saving the Resistance as she used the Force to lift many boulders and release them from the cave they were trapped in.
These are all extraordinary feats that shouldn’t have been achievable in less than a week by someone who knew next to nothing about the Force. That means that she is remarkably special and it makes me wonder, why was she on Jakku in the first place, the very planet that Palpatine used for his Contingency plan?
Is there more to Rey than we know? If so, Episode IX should reveal to us the details of her past and her present importance so these questions will go away.
4. Why Hasn’t Lando Helped the Resistance Before Now?
In both The Force Awakens and The Last Jedi we got to see our favorite characters from the Original Trilogy come back to the fray. Even Admiral Ackbar and Nien Numb were able to join the party. So how come Lando wasn’t anywhere to be seen? He wasn’t even so much as mentioned. Isn’t that a bit strange?
When we see him in Episode IX we need to know why he’s been so absent because I don’t think J.J Abrams can make another movie of coincidental occurrences like The Force Awakens and get away with it this time.
And finally…
5. Are Kylo Ren and Rey Going To Get Together?
I know this isn’t the most tantalizing question ever but it is, in a way. I mean, after the shocking development of their relationship in The Last Jedi I can’t help but ask myself this question time and time again. Of course, it seemed like they were enemies by the end of The Last Jedi but are we really supposed to buy that. They sure enough looked to be enemies at the end of The Force Awakens and look how that turned out. Yes, Kylo Ren and Rey having a romance should be the last thing considered, especially since their relationship hasn’t been on the friendliest terms, but no one can deny their connection. That’s why the Reylo fandom exists.
Those of us who loved the Reylo concept were all delightfully flabbergasted by the chemistry the two characters had and I have to admit, I’m really into them having a thing. I don’t want them to be mortal enemies. I mean, I do, because then how is Episode IX going to have an epic lightsaber duel, but I would love to see them become allies in some form or another at the film’s conclusion. And this scenario also will keep Episode IX from feeling too much like Return of the Jedi or Revenge of the Sith which would be very appreciated.
I know it’s a long way from Episode IX entering theaters but as the days go by its arrival is coming imminently closer–hence the potential answers to these questions–and that is very exciting indeed.
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Author
Hello everyone. My name is Annlyel James. I’m a young woman who loves movies of all genres (specifically ‘Star Wars’ and Marvel movies.) I am also a Senior Correspondent for The Future of the Force.
