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Rey Skywalker, or... the representation of the audience within the Star Wars universe [A THREAD]
![Rey Skywalker, or... the representation of the audience within the Star Wars universe [A THREAD]](https://pbs.twimg.com/media/EdKc0jPWoAUPne9.jpg "Rey Skywalker, or... the representation of the audience within the Star Wars universe [A THREAD]")
1. I was talking with @ReyofShadow these days and we agreed that it was impossible for the sequel trilogy to not be written as a metalinguistical exercise because these films were basically Rian's and J.J''s love letters to Lucas baby: Star Wars.
2. With that being said, of course some character would serve as a metalinguistical bridge between the movie and the audience and this character is Rey. Why?
3. Rey is the representation of the Star Wars fan. The stories she heard were watched by us through the original trilogy. The Force Awakens is basically as if we were inside a New Hope and living that adventure. That's why the plot is familiar, it is inviting her and you.
4. At the end of the story, the audience and Rey have the confirmation the legend is real and because of that, we create expectations.
5. Moving on to The Last Jedi: Rey continues to be the fan because her expectations are literally ours. She expects Luke will come back and also a legendary truth about her.
6. And what she and the audience got? Broken old man and "you're nobody." I'm pretty sure it was like a punch in the stomach for a lot of people, the same way it was for her.
7. Rey, just like the audience back then, saw Kylo as the asshole who killed Han Solo and just like her, we are forced to understand it's not that simple. Rey is our point of view for the Skywalker family drama.
8. Rian Johnson's words: "... Again it's just the reaction of her and seeing in her eyes, her kind of standing in for US, taking this in as she always has throughout the course of the movie."
8.5. I think that's is a little part of why Rey was a nobody, to be even more metaphorical that she is literally us.
9. Moving on to The Rise of Skywalker. A movie that I believe made many people think the whole "Rey as the audience" doesn't work anymore because she came from a bloodline. I disagree.
9.5. Before start discussing "why" , J.J. Abrams didn't make Rey Palpatine to please "males". "Males" hated way before The Last Jedi came out. There are bunch of interviews that says he just wanted to give a conflict to the character.
10. When people walked in to watch Episode IX, people did not expect Rey's origins to be retconned. Do you know who also didn't expect it to still receive news about origins? Exactly: Rey.
11. Just like her, we pretended, while watching the film there was no bigger truth, that things were fine, that nothing would change: "Nah, she is gonna still be a nobody."
12. If in The Last Jedi, just like her, we wanted the truth. In The Rise of Skywalker, just like her, we don't want a new truth, we were already fine with that one, all we want is for Kylo to shut up.
13. But when Rey and the audience hear the words: "You're a Palpatine" Both panic and give in to anger, thinking they are trapped in a small circle. Thinking: "We are ruined."
14. Then Rey realizes she has to confront this truth and some of the audience, not everyone, realize this. Those who did, go to Exegol with her to be face to face with the hideous truth. Those who didn't, are still trapped in Ahch-To.
15. I believe it's not wrong to say that the Star Wars universe have pop culture within and the same way we are inspired by these stories, Rey also is and that's why she becomes a Skywalker. It's her and our thank you to this saga.
16. So, just like her, we can all be the "Skywalker", the campbellian hero, the nobodies who are somebodies. Truly metaphorical, universal and beautiful.
