Most news outlets such as Colliders Jedi Council have been reporting the news that during the audio commentary for the 3D Blu-Ray collectors edition of Star Wars: The Force Awakens director J. J. Abrams reveals a surprising little piece of information, that has caused many fans to rethink the many theories that have been postulated in an attempt to uncover the truth behind the identity and lineage of the movies primary protagonist Rey.
“One of the new relationships that we were focusing on was between Kylo Ren and Rey. They’ve never met but he’s heard of this girl. And so, now comes a moment when their meeting is inevitable. […] And now we’re back to our heroine. And this moment where she is about to, for the first time, be confronted by Kylo Ren, a character who she’s going to have a very interesting relationship with moving forward.”
This piece of commentary accompanies the epic lightsaber duel between the two characters on Takodana AKA the surface of the Starkiller Base planet. While seemingly light on any actual revelations, the ramifications of Abrams comments are wide reaching. Many fans have been speculating that Rey could be Luke Skywalkers daughter, but in the light of Abram's comments, this would seem unlikely as had she been the daughter of Luke then she and Kylo Ren would most likely have met before. This statement by the director also seems to infer that the element of Rey's force vision featuring Kylo and his Knights of Ren is likely a scene depicting future events and something we will see again in either episode VIII or IX.
Of more interest is Abrams comments that state that despite never having met Rey, Kylo Ren knows of her - a seemingly innocent bystander that is thrust into the ever continuing galactic war. This statement, along with Reys later awakening in the ways of the force and the mystery surrounding her life before being left alone on Jakku strongly suggest that Rey is a force (sorry) to be reckoned with, and possibly even a threat, especially when taking into account when and how she uses the force.
Upon finding Anakin's lightsaber in Maz Kanata's castle Reys affinity in using the force is awakened, hence the movie's title. Though she undoubtedly will have tapped into the Force beforehand, such as when piloting the Millenium Falcon in ways Chewbacca could only dream of, it is after receiving her force vision that Rey actively and purposefully uses the force such as when being interrogated by Kylo Ren, using the Jedi mind trick to escape and of course when duelling with Kylo Ren on the snow-covered surface of the Starkiller Base. While it could be argued that she is calm and collected when calling upon the force to help her, so too was Darth Vader when he used the dark side of the force to choke subordinate imperial officers or when dueling with his son Luke Skywalker and his former master Obi-Wan Kenobi. The there is the matter of Rey's lightsaber fighting style with which she used to attack Kylo Ren, which echoed the style used by Emperor Palpatine when Jedi Master Mace Windu attempted to arrest the Sith Lord. Master Yoda stated to Luke Skywalker on Dagobah that a Jedi and a user of the light side of the force uses the force for defense and guidance, and that to attack and use one's emotions is the way to the dark side, as Luke found out when he allowed Palpatine to manipulate his emotions while he faced his father, Darth Vader in combat for the last time.
Aside from her obvious affinity for using the force above and beyond that of a semi-trained Knight of Ren and former Jedi student, and her as-of-yet unknown backstory, another aspect of Rey that is worrying is Luke Skywalker's somewhat cold reaction to her. Although it could be argued that Rey brandishing his father's lightsaber or just simply finding him is the reason for his look of reluctance towards Rey, it could also be argued that he knows Rey and is therefore far from happy to see her. Luke may never have met Rey but it is possible, as with Kylo Ren, that he knows about her, and too felt her "Awakening in the Force" that Supreme Leader Snoke and Kylo Ren felt. Upon reflection, Luke Skywalkers reaction to seeing Rey reminds reminiscent of the same expression we saw on the face of Yoda in Episode II: Attack of the Clones when Anakin slaughtered the village of Tusken raiders and again when he demanded that Obi-Wan lands the transport to save Padme after she was thrown overboard. In both of these moments, Master Yoda felt Anakin's leaning towards the dark side of the force. Rey's reaction to seeing Luke however almost seems mournful rather than hopeful, almost as if she knows some terrible truth about herself.
Another element of Rey's character that stands out is that she was left or possibly hidden, in the care of a scrupulous character (Unkar Plutt) on a desolate desert planet inhabited by the survivors of the battle for Jakku, most of which were probably former imperial stormtroopers and officers; a far from ideal place of refuge for a young girl. At least Luke was put in the care of his uncle Owen and aunt Beru with Obi-Wan Kenobi nearby, whereas Rey is left to fend for herself, even having to earn her food. Beyond Rey's immediate predicament is that of the planet itself, with most of its inhabitants likely to be formerly of the Empire; the bad guys. Following in the wake of Abrams commentary revelation it could be perceived that Rey was left on Jakku as a means to keep her hidden, much like Luke and Leia were during their childhoods, but is Rey being kept hidden for her safety or for the safety of the galaxy? Why is Rey left to fend alone on an almost barren world sheltering former enemies of the galaxy?
In contrast, Kylo Ren's abilities with the force are never outright claimed to be of the Dark Side, and it is likely that having been trained by Luke Skywalker before he was seduced by Supreme Leader Snoke that Kylo still uses the ways of the light side of the Force, while being pulled towards the seductive nature of the dark side, as he expressed to his father Han Solo before murdering him. In many ways, Kylo echoes the struggle experienced by Anakin in the prequel trilogy, though unlike Vader, Sidious or Maul, Kylo Ren has not been tainted physically by the dark side of the force, as can be seen with his eyes remaining naturally brown rather than the evil yellow seen in the eyes of the former Sith lords. While Kylo Ren is inferred to be the villain of The Force Awakens, his list of alleged crimes are, as Obi-Wan once inferred a matter of perspective - the villagers murdered on Jakku were most likely former imperials, Finn was an AWOL Stormtrooper and Rey could very well be the most powerful user of the dark side of the force in the galaxy. Kylo's only true crimes were against X-Wing pilot Poe Dameron and his father, Han Solo.
Rey's affinity with the force, together with the many questions surrounding her living situation on Jakku, raise the vague possibility that Rey may not be the heroine of the Star Wars sequel trilogy but rather its villain. Could it be that J. J. Abrams and Lawrence Kasdan have thrown us a curve ball with characters on opposites sides of the conflict than where they will be upon reaching the climax of Colin Trevorrow's Episode IX? Will we see General Organa's love for her son see him being redeemed and reunited with Luke Skywalker? Will Rey become seduced by Supreme Leader Snoke's alleged neutrality and control of the force?
