Poe Dameron, the lovable Resistance pilot, has emerged as the heartthrob from Star Wars: The Force Awakens . Alongside his BFF BB-8 and his new "buddy" Finn, Poe helped the Resistance track down a map to Luke Skywalker in the film. Granted, Poe wasn't in the movie much — his scenes were much too few and far between, if you ask me — but he certainly made an impression. In the month since the film's release, fans have been obsessing over the pilot, whether it be by shipping FinnPoe or starring at photos of actor Oscar Isaac. And while fans have been eagerly dishing out theories about the origins of Poe's fellow heroes Finn and Rey, there's been relatively little talk about Poe's roots. But just who are Poe Dameron's parents, and what is his origin story?
The reason there haven't been as many wild theories about Poe as there have about every other character introduced in The Force Awakens is simple: a huge chunk of his origin story was revealed in Before the Awakening, an anthology book that detailed Poe's past prior to the events of TFA, and, more importantly, in Star Wars: Shattered Empire, a four-part Star Wars comic book series that included the story of Poe's parents.
Poe Dameron is the son of Kes Dameron and Shara Bey, both fighters who served as Rebels during the fight against the Empire. Poe, it would seem, takes after his mother, Shara, who was a Rebel pilot, while Kes worked as a sergeant. Kes and Shara were present for the final battles against the Empire, including the Battle of Endor, and Kes was even part of a special team led by Han Solo called the Pathfinders that helped take down Death Star II. Shara also had ties to the original Star Wars heroes, working closely with Princess Leia and Luke Skywalker after taking down the Empire. After being separated on missions, Kes and Shara finally reunited months after the events of Episode VI and settled down to live on Yavin 4, which fans will recognize as the site of the medal ceremony at the end of Episode VI.
For his part, Isaac has embraced Poe's backstory with pride. Born in Guatemala, Isaac was thrilled when he learned that Poe was born on Yavin 4 — which was originally shot on location in Guatemala. "One of Guatemala's claims to fame is that last shot, when they show those temples, that's Guatemala. Me having been born there, I thought, maybe Poe's from there," Isaac revealed at a press conference. "So that's an amazing thing! I think that's the first time that talking about where a character came from ends up in a comic book! It's a beautiful thing. It feels like we're creating these things together."
Shara reportedly died when Poe was a young boy, but her legacy inspired the pilot to join the Resistance after the rise of the First Order. Some fans think that Shara might have passed down more than just her piloting skills to her son. On her last mission with Luke Skywalker, Shara was given a piece of a Force-sensitive tree for safe keeping, which she planted in front of her home on Yavin 4. Theories suggest that growing up in close proximity to the tree might have made Poe Force-sensitive as well.
Whether or not Poe is somehow connected to the Force, it seems unlikely that his childhood would ever be explored in future Star Wars films. However, it is possible that his parents will make some kind of on screen appearance. The next Star Wars film Rogue One takes place around the time Shara and Kes were still fighting for the Rebellion. Little is known about Rogue One, but it has been confirmed that the film will tell the story of a group of Rebel fighters who go on a mission to steal the plans for the Death Star — a mission sometimes called the Battle of Yavin. It has already been established that Shara and Kes were part of the assault on the Death Star, so it wouldn't be much of a leap to think that one, or both, of Poe's parents could be a character in Rogue One.
We might never get to see Poe's origins on the big screen, but we will undoubtedly be getting more Poe Dameron in Episode VIII, and that just might have to be enough.
Images: Walt Disney Studios; Giphy
