Obi-Wan Was Rey's Original Father in Star Wars

 The mystery of Rey's parents was kept secret for years, and Star Wars actor Daisy Ridley revealed the original idea was to have Obi-Wan as her father.

For several years, Rey's heritage was the biggest question within the Star Wars fandom. But with the sudden reveal that she was the daughter of a Palpatine clone, many fans were left wondering if that was the plan from the start or if it was a left-minute decision from behind the scenes. And answers were finally given by Rey's actor, Daisy Ridley, who admitted that Obi-Wan was originally Rey's father.

With the release of Star Wars: The Force Awakens, it was clear that Rey's parents were a big part of her story. Yet, audiences were left surprised by Star Wars: The Last Jedi, which had Kylo claim her parents were no one and that she was unimportant. Whether this idea is liked, it was a bold move to make in a saga about the Skywalker family. But it didn't matter for long, as Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker chose to make Rey a Palpatine instead, meaning that Kylo was lying to her.

Obi-Wan Was Rey's Original Father in Star Wars

At first, most fans assumed Rey was the daughter of either Luke Skywalker or Obi-Wan Kenobi. And during a 2020 interview on Jimmy Kimmel Live, Ridley was asked if she knew about Rey's parentage from the beginning. She replied, "No. At the beginning there was toying with an Obi-Wan connection." That suggests that Obi-Wan had a child while on Tatooine and, for whatever reason, decided she needed to be hidden. That would've explained her Force powers but also raised questions about Rey's age.

However, with the release of The Last Jedi, Daisy claims the idea that "she was no one" was seemingly set in stone, meaning that director Rian Johnson never intended for Kylo to lie, as he believed her parents were inconsequential. But then things changed with The Rise of Skywalker, with Daisy saying, "JJ pitched me the film and was like 'oh yeah, Palpatine is your granddaddy'... and then two weeks later he was like, 'we're not sure.' So even as we were filming, I wasn't sure what the answer was going to be."

The Star Wars Sequels Had No Plan

Daisy Ridley's comments confirm what much of the fan base had expected: the sequel trilogy had little planning. For Rey's parents to be left unknown until the filming of The Rise of Skywalker, it sums up the problem with switching directors for the middle act. There's a clash of ideas for the trilogy, resulting in fans who wished Rey to be important and those who wanted her to be nobody left unsatisfied.

Surprisingly, despite the changing ideas, Daisy never mentioned Luke being her father. For most, it seemed like the obvious choice, but perhaps it was seen as too obvious for the writers, so they felt the need to think outside the box. But no matter what, it was never going to be an easy question to answer. Still, fans wish there was a clear answer before the last half of the final movie.