Summary
- Rey’s upcoming Star Wars movie has the opportunity to acknowledge and explore the significance of Anakin Skywalker’s role in the Skywalker saga.
- The sequel trilogy failed to mention Anakin Skywalker by name, despite his strong connection to Rey and the Skywalker legacy.
- It is important for Rey’s character development and the overall narrative to address Anakin’s history and impact on the Jedi Order in her upcoming movie.
Rey’s upcoming Star Wars movie has the chance to remedy the sequel trilogy’s lack of Anakin Skywalker. The Star Wars sequels represented both a new beginning for the franchise and a swan song for some of its legacy characters. Mark Hamill returned as Luke Skywalker, the late Carrie Fisher returned as Leia Organa, and Harrison Ford reprised his role as Han Solo, providing each of their characters closure in different ways. Audiences were also introduced to a new generation of Star Wars heroes in Rey, Finn, and Poe Dameron. As Rey slowly but surely became the sequel trilogy’s protagonist, her story became more and more intertwined with the Skywalker family legacy, something that will surely affect her character arc in her upcoming movie.
Rey’s future Star Wars movie will take place approximately fifteen years after the events of Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker and delve into the development of Rey’s New Jedi Order. Most of what she learned of being a Jedi came from Luke and Leia and the knowledge from the ancient Jedi texts that Luke had found scattered across the galaxy. But considering who Rey’s teachers were, and her close connection to Kylo Ren/Ben Solo as well, it’s strange that the source of all their family history, trauma, and Force-related abilities was never once mentioned in the Star Wars sequel trilogy.
The Star Wars Sequels Mostly Ignored Anakin’s Legacy & Never Even Said His Name
Anakin Skywalker’s name isn’t mentioned once in the entire sequel trilogy. His lightsaber is used by various characters, and Rey hears his voice during her confrontation with Palpatine in Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker, but that’s it. Darth Vader is mentioned multiple times, but never the man he once was, or the man he became again after Luke redeemed him in Return of the Jedi. He is an undeniable part of the Skywalker saga, and given Rey’s relationships with Luke and Leia, it’s strange that his name never comes up, even in passing. She has claimed the Skywalker name for herself – she needs to know it’s full meaning.
Luke could have mentioned his ordeal with Vader/Anakin when explaining to Rey what happened with his nephew and why he was so scared of Ben’s darkness. Leia, who never forgave Anakin for the hurt and pain he caused, could have told her what she knew of her father, a warning of the dangerous legacy her son was drawn to. Leia’s part in The Rise of Skywalker was of course limited due to Fisher’s untimely passing, but Anakin Skywalker’s impact is everywhere in the sequel trilogy’s story. He is tied to everything and everyone, and the absence of any reference to his character is an egregious oversight.
Rey’s New Jedi Order Movie Needs To Do Better By Anakin Skywalker
Perhaps Rey’s upcoming Star Wars movie can reference Anakin’s importance to the story. Considering Rey will be working to maintain a Jedi Order of her own, it’s likely she’ll be looking into the Jedi’s history in more depth, too. It’s possible Luke left some notes alongside the Jedi texts with findings of his father and his history with the Order, or she could somehow stumble across the remains of the Jedi archive Cere Junda worked so hard to restore in Star Wars Jedi: Survivor. Maybe Leia left some letters and diaries for her as well. Anakin’s impact on the Jedi Order and the Skywalker saga as a whole is irrefutable, and while Rey’s Star Wars movie should be able to stand on its own, there’s no harm in referencing the past when trying to look toward the future.