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Star Wars Canon Proves Qi'ra Can't Be Rey's Mother
A new Star Wars theory suggests Rey is the daughter of Han Solo and Qi'ra, but there's plenty of evidence in the existing franchise canon to debunk it. The young scavenger's heritage was one of the biggest lingering questions following The Force Awakens, and audiences had to wait two years for the answer. Rian Johnson's The Last Jedi revealed Rey was born to two junk traders who eventually sold her off for drinking money. According to Kylo Ren, they're currently dead in a paupers' grave in the Jakku desert. It was the most devastating thing Rey could have heard in that emotionally vulnerable moment.
While the idea of the sequel trilogy's main heroine rising from literally nothing and fulfilling her destiny is a powerful one, the revelation left many unsatisfied. Perhaps preconditioned by The Empire Strikes Back to expect some kind of massive twist connecting Rey to the Skywalker family, some were left wanting more and have convinced themselves Kylo was actually lying in an attempt to sway Rey over to his side. Another theory has popped up and is getting some traction, but it unfortunately isn't true.
Coming to us from Film Threat, the hypothesis makes the case for Rey and Kylo Ren being half-siblings, sharing a father in Han. Following Return of the Jedi, Han left the family he started (Leia and Ben) to be back with Qi'ra, his first love. Together, they had a daughter. This would explain why Kylo Ren is so angry with Han, and why the Force connects his mind with Rey's in The Last Jedi. Their familial connection gives Star Wars the poetic balance it's well-known for; Leia, mother of the light, saw her son become the galaxy's ultimate evil, while Qi'ra, mother of darkness, gave birth to a spark of hope for the light. The theory also makes The Force Awakens more resonant, since Han's paternal actions towards Rey have more meaning. This is creative, but doesn't add up.
First off, there's been nothing to indicate Han was unfaithful to Leia at any point in their marriage. Even if he was, Rey was born well before Ben Solo's turn, so Solo's potential infidelity would have little (if anything) to do with it. Ben's transformation into Kylo Ren wasn't cemented until Luke Skywalker's betrayal at the training temple (per Last Jedi flashbacks). Considering what happened at the end of Solo, it's also highly questionable he would ever seek Qi'ra out again. Their last moment in the spinoff involved a crushing betrayal that Han never fully recovered from until meeting Luke and Leia. He has no reason to find Qi'ra (if she's even still alive at this point in the timeline - which hasn't been confirmed), and Solo's box office performance all but ensures there won't be sequels fleshing out their dynamic more. Plus, just because Qi'ra is an associate of Maul's in the criminal underworld doesn't mean her child would be Force sensitive.
Most importantly, the sequel trilogy has downplayed the significance of Rey's parents. Fans have projected their theories onto the films, potentially blinding them from the actual content. In The Force Awakens, Maz Kanata tells Rey her parents are never returning and she should look ahead for the belonging she yearns for. And one of the main themes of The Last Jedi hinges on the parents being nobody. The message that a hero could come from anywhere and isn't defined by their past was one of the greatest ways to celebrate the franchise's 40th anniversary. Episode IX director J.J. Abrams has already stated Last Jedi backlash isn't influencing his next film, so the odds of him retconning anything Johnson did (in a film Abrams executive produced, by the way) are slim. There's really nothing to gain by revisiting this topic in Star Wars 9, which has plenty on its plate to deliver a compelling conclusion to the Skywalker saga.
Release Date:
. Star Wars 9 / Star Wars: Episode IX (2019) release date: Dec 20, 2019
