"Star Wars: The Force Awakens" was a double-edged sword. While highly engaging and leaving the audience with a lot of questions to discuss and ponder on, the sheer number of questions was frustrating to a fault.

One major plot "hole" that left some fans a bit annoyed was Rey's sudden knowledge of the force. While many felt that she learned how to use the force too fast (she was more powerful in one movie that Luke ever was across three), the reality is that this plot point leaves audiences with one major puzzle to put together -- how could Rey actually be so powerful?

The answer? She was trained previously. That creates some issues for some fans as we are shown Rey left on Jakku at a very young age and from what the Star Wars universe has shown us, people do not become super powerful as children.

Then what is the possible answer to all of this? She would have to have a powerful lineage (and might I add midichlorian count) to be able to tap into that powerful force after many years of not using it.

This writer's conclusion? She is Luke Skywalker's daughter.

So let us unpack the clues we get to deciphering Rey's lineage and history. Perhaps the biggest clues presented to viewers from the get-go revolves around the helmet she wears and the doll of an X-Wing pilot she has in her abode. One can surmise that the doll was given to her at a very young age and would likely portray someone she idolizes or cares deeply for. The helmet is more of a potential red herring. She might have found it while scavenging; the same goes for the doll, but being shot in close-up, it seems too personal of an item to just be a throwaway instead of a big clue.

Then there is the location itself. Jakku is not only home to Rey, but also to Lor San Tekka. Lor just happens to be the man who has the first piece of the map that leads everyone to Luke Skywalker, meaning that he had some interaction with the legendary Jedi. We also know that he is an old friend to Leia from when she was still a Princess and also knows Ben Solo rather well.

We also know that the planet is also home to the Millennium Falcon. That is a lot of coincidence isn't it?

We never see the interaction between Lor and Rey, but there is simply no way (unless Lawrence Kasdan and J.J. Abrams are to be accused of lazy writing) that this is simply a coincidence. Luke probably left the girl on the planet with Lor as a potential guardian to watch over her from time to time.

But the clues continue mounting with perhaps the turning point of the film coming when Rey finds Luke's lightsaber in the basement of Maz Kanata's palace. It is here that she sees images and hears sounds of the past, present and future. What is curious here is that audience is unaware of whether the dream shows Rey's POV or the lightsaber's. On one hand it calls out to Rey, but on the other it intimates sounds from Luke's past and even some from Anakin's. Maz's dialogue is as cryptic as they come, explaining that the saber belonged to Anakin and then to Luke himself. Her hint that Luke is Rey's father is almost as clear as they come.

That Kylo Ren seems so disturbed by her also hints of a past relationship between them. He also seems unwilling to kill her during their duel, trying to tempt her to join instead.

Then comes the final sequence. Leia says nothing to Rey but immediately runs to hug her without ever knowing her before. Then, after going through so much trouble to find Luke, she sends Rey alone to find the hero. Why would she do that unless she knows that only Rey can bring her brother back?

The final moment with Luke says nothing and it is tough to interpret their longing glances. Is Rey asking Luke to take the burden of the saber from her? Is he looking at her as his long-lost daughter?

Of course we could always argue that Han and Leia are the parents and that this will ultimately be a saga about brother and sister fighting. Some might ask how Han has no knowledge of his daughter, but given the vagueness of their relationship's history there is a possibility that Leia had the baby without Han's knowledge.

The interactions with Leia are silent, yet as noted, Leia rushes to hug her. Who knows what the exchange was in the scenes audiences were not allowed to see? Maybe Leia made the revelation off camera. There are a lot of scenes that suggest that Rey and Han are on the same wavelength, even saying the same things at the same time.

Rey being Luke's offspring is the obvious solution at this juncture, while the latter scenario could still be plausible and possibly more enticing given the stronger dynamics of the relationship with Kylo Ren. Brother vs. Sister is stronger than cousins duking it out.

Of course we will have to wait another 1.5 years to find out the answers. Maybe more.

Related