The Force Awakens may have been released, but the continuation of the Star Wars mythology has only just begun. The first film in a planned trilogy introduced fans to new villains (Supreme Leader Snoke, Kylo Ren, General Hux, Captain Phasma), new heroes (Finn, Rey and Poe), and new droids (BB-8), but more importantly, it set off a whole new wave of fan theories for the Force Awakens as to the future of the Galaxy Far Far Away. Who is Snoke? Is Rey Luke Skywalker's daughter? These questions, and others like it, had fans scratching their heads as they left the theater and wondering, what do the events of TFA mean for the remaining films and the future of the Resistance?
Well, while the actual filmmakers behind the upcoming Episode VIII have remained tight-lipped as to anything having to do with the sequel, fans have been coming up with their own theories, and some of them are not half bad. Before I get into them, though, please note that spoilers will abound, so do not read on unless you have seen The Force Awakens or do not mind being spoiled. Are you gone? Good. A quick recap of some major plot points in The Force Awakens: Kylo Ren was seduced to the Dark Side by Snoke, a mysterious figure, who took him away from Luke Skywalker's training. Kylo Ren also happens to be General Leia and Han Solo's son, Ben Solo. Kylo Ren kills Han in The Force Awakens, choosing to ignore the pull to the Light Side he feels inside of him and embrace the Dark. Meanwhile, his actions awaken the Force in Finn (sort of) and Rey, who is shown as the true owner of Luke's blue lightsaber. Got it? Great, now here are some of the best fan theories that follow The Force Awakens .
Rey Is Han And Leia's Daughter/Kylo Ren's Younger Sister
The theory that Rey is actually Han Solo and Leia's other child comes in many variations, but the bare bones are as follows. After losing Kylo Ren to Snoke, Han and Leia broke up and Han left with Chewie to return to his life as a smuggler. Leia, meanwhile, stayed with the Resistance and found herself pregnant. Worried that Kylo Ren's Darkness would find a home in her younger child, Leia kept the child — Rey — a secret from everyone and sent her away to live on Jakku. As explained by Film School Rejects' Neil Miller, this version of the Rey as Han and Leia's daughter explains why Han Solo didn't recognize Rey when he first encountered her on the Millennium Falcon. (Another version of this theory also suggests that Han and Leia don't recognize Rey because they believe their daughter to be dead.) It might also help explain how Rey was able to find the Force and fight off Kylo Ren so easily when she was captured.
Rey Is Luke Skywalker's Daughter
Similar to the above theory, if Rey is Luke's daughter, it would explain how she has the Force, and might also explain why she was abandoned on Jakku by her parents. It also explains why the lightsaber called to her and not Kylo Ren. Some theories posit that Rey was actually also being trained by Luke alongside Kylo Ren, and was sent into hiding after Kylo Ren turned to the Dark Side. (Other fans have suggested that Rey is actually a descendant of Obi Wan.)
Kylo Ren Is Actually A Good Guy
This Kylo Ren theory has been taking the Internet by storm after Letícia Piroutek shared it on her Tumblr. Piroutek's father actually came up with the theory, which is that Kylo Ren isn't actually with the Dark Side, but rather trying to destroy the Dark Side, and kill Snoke, from within. This would certainly put a twist on the traditional Dark vs. Light Star Wars narrative, and sheds a whole new light on Kylo Ren's seemingly unforgivable act of killing his father, Han Solo.
The evidence here is that Kylo Ren openly admits he is conflicted and torn between the Light and the Dark during one of his confessions to Darth Vader's mangled mask. Many assumed the scene was simply Kylo Ren confessing how he wishes to follow the Dark Side, like his grandfather, but Piroutek thinks that Kylo Ren is actually speaking to Anakin Skywalker about how difficult it is to maintain some Light when he's surrounded by darkness. When Kylo Ren confronted his father at the Starkiller Base, his major conflict was not whether or not to go to the Dark Side completely and kill his father, but rather whether or not to sacrifice his own father for the greater good. In the scene, Ren does ask Han to help him, which could be interpreted as him asking his father if he would sacrifice everything to help Ren accomplish his task of taking down Snoke.
This last theory begs a very important question: Did Ren really have to kill Han Solo to prove his allegiance to the Dark Side? It might very well be the case. Throughout The Force Awakens, Snoke only appears via hologram, and based on the fact that Kylo Ren received most of his training with the Knights of Ren, it could be inferred that Kylo Ren and Snoke have never actually met in person. After Ren kills his father, however, Snoke finally calls on him and General Hux to join him wherever he is, meaning that Ren could be one step closer to killing Snoke for good. (There is, of course, the small problem that after killing Han, Ren went after Rey and Finn.)
Personally, I hope the Kylo Ren theory is at least a little bit true and that Rey is his younger sister, but mostly, I just can't wait to see what happens next.
Images: Walt Disney Studios; Giphy (3)
