I read this theory, which postulates that Rey is the reincarnation of Anakin Skywalker, and thought it was interesting but unlikely.
On second/third/seventeenth thought though, I think this could be incredible. It’s definitely possible that this is true in a thematic sense (I don’t think they would actually reveal a reincarnation).
Now I’m not saying that all of this is definitely evidence for the theory, but it’s interesting to think of some aspects of the story and characters with this in mind.
- You can’t deny the similarities between their early life experiences. A scavenger on a desert planet vs. a slave on a desert planet? Yes, Rey’s time on Jakku also brings to mind Luke’s early scenes on Tatooine, but ultimately Luke was only there because it was Anakin’s childhood home. Surely the writers were capable of coming up with a more interesting setting for Rey’s childhood but they specifically chose a barren desert planet. Why?
- The scene at Maz Kanata’s. She says: “if you live long enough, you start to see the same eyes in different people.” She then focuses on Finn and his desire to run. By the time she turns her attention back to Rey, the scene moves on and we never get to hear her musings. But what if her conversation with Finn is a red herring, and that line was really meant to make us question whose eyes she can see when she looks at Rey?
- The lightsaber. This is the biggest piece of evidence for me. Yes, it also ‘called’ to Luke, but his experience is wildly different from Rey’s. Rey is thrown into a series of insane flashbacks and has a violently negative reaction to Anakin’s former weapon. She also hears Obi Wan’s voice – which in my fave theory points to her having Kenobi blood – but he was also Anakin’s mentor and brother.
- Maz, again: “they’re not coming back, but there’s someone who still could”. Rey thinks she means Luke physically coming back. A lot of the fandom thinks she means Ben coming back to the light. But what if she means Anakin?
- It would give us the ultimate rivalry – Rey vs. Kylo Ren as an analogue of Anakin vs. Darth Vader.
- (Side point: How exactly did Ren come across Darth Vader’s helmet? Is it possible he also came across his lightsaber? I’ve written before about how Ren’s lightsaber looks shoddy and makeshift; it doesn’t completely correlate with what we know about how powerful he is. Surely he’s capable of making a perfect saber? But what if he is clinging to this dodgy one because it contains a piece of Darth Vader’s weapon?)
- Ren (in the novelisation): “It is you”, after Rey calls the saber to her. Yeah, she could be his sister/cousin/long-lost padawan (not a fan of any of these theories personally), but I think what we’re meant to draw from this in the fact that even though Ben undeniably has Skywalker blood, the saber has chosen Rey over him as Anakin’s heir. Why?
- HOW FREAKING COOL would it be if, during their battle(s), Rey is using Anakin’s weapon while Ren is using (a piece of) Vader’s?? Amazing.
- Basically, this trilogy could be the story of the ultimate redemption of Anakin as he saves himself from the Dark Side, ends the First Order, and finally brings the galaxy full-circle: restoring balance to the Force and finally fulfilling the prophecy.
Again I don’t think a reincarnation would ever become part of the official canon, but I think the themes are definitely shining through. Of course Rey is already the spiritual successor of both Anakin and Luke in a narrative sense, but what if they decided to take it a step further?
Okay okay but what if in episode 8 Rey says to Luke: “are you my father?”
And Luke looks at her and says: “no, *you* are my father.”