Warning: Contains SPOILERS for Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker #2!Reyis the ultimate hero of theStar Warssequel trilogy, as she finds a way to defeat the seeminglyinsurmountable evil of Emperor Palpatineand bring an end to his galactic reign of terror forever. But, what if she did the opposite? What if Rey actually replaced Emperor Palpatine instead of defeating him? Well, that’s an idea thatStar Warshas just entertained, allowing fans a glimpse into that potential, dark future. And, honestly? That’s howtheStar Warssequel trilogyshould have gone, as the sight of Rey replacing Palpatine is just too cool.
InStar Wars: The Rise of Skywalker#2 by Jody Houser and Will Sliney (with credit to the writers of the original film), the comic book adaptation ofEpisode IXcontinues with its second issue, and it’s pretty much exactly what fans remember from the movie. Indeed, comic book adaptations are supposed to remain as close to the source material as possible, as they are simply meant to be another way for fans to enjoy their favorite story. However, this issue does a bit more than just that, as it actually gives fans something they didn’t get in the movie: Rey Palpatine, Queen of the Sith.
This happened in the scene whereRey accidentally uses Force-lightning while trying to save Chewbaccafrom being captured by the First Order. In the movie, that scene happens, and then the film simply moves on to the next scene. In this comic, however, Star Wars cuts to a ‘what if’ future that stems from the dark side power Rey just summoned. Since she’s the granddaughter of Sheev Palpatine, Rey is predisposed to the dark side of the Force, and her ability to wield Force-lightning without even trying is evidence of that. If Rey gave in to her dark side inclination, she would have become the Empress fans see in this comic.
“Rey Palpatine, Queen of the Sith” is What Star Wars’ Sequel Trilogy Should Have Done
Making Rey the Ultimate Villain of Star Wars Would Have Been Awesome
It was obvious from the start of the sequel trilogy that Rey was going to be the hero of the story, which is why it’s a little bland that she was. TheStar Warssequels had a chance to subvert fans’ expectations rather than play into exactly what fans would have expected. Rey becomes the main hero, Kylo Ren finds redemption, the good guys save the day. This formula has been done to death, butStar Warshad the perfect opportunity to do something different - and it nearly did.
The Last Jediteased Rey’s fall to the dark side, and it doubled-down on Kylo Ren being evil with no hope of redemption after he refused the chance of redemption following his murder of Snoke. Plus, it established that Rey and Kylo were Dyads in the Force, giving them a deep connection that even they couldn’t resist.The Rise of Skywalkerused their connection to redeem Kylo Ren, but The Last Jedi seemingly set up a scenario whereEpisode IXcould have corrupted Rey - especially after revealing that Rey was Emperor Palpatine’s granddaughter.
I Finally Get How Darth Vader Saw Emperor Palpatine, And It Makes Star Wars Way More Tragic
Star Wars just clarified how Darth Vader viewed his relationship with Emperor Palpatine, and honestly, it makes the entire franchise way more tragic.
Setting up Rey as the hero in a manner nearly identical to Luke Skywalker, only to pull the rug out from under fans’ feet and make Rey a villain alongside Kylo Ren - or, even better, a villain superior to Kylo Ren - would have been so awesome. Palpatine wouldn’t have even needed to return from the grave ifStar Warswent that route, as Rey would have filled the role of the new ‘Emperor Palpatine’, with Kylo Ren as her loyal ‘Darth Vader’ - and this comic just gave fans a taste of that possibility, which is almost cruel, because it looks so incredible.
Rey Being Evil Would Have Solved 1 Lingering Issue
Finn was Teased as a Jedi, but Star Wars Never Gave Him the Chance
So, if Rey fell to the dark side with Kylo Ren by her side, who would beStar Wars’ hero in the sequel trilogy? That’s easy: Finn.Star Warsset up Finn as a Jedi sinceThe Force Awakens, and the story of him going from being a nameless, faceless Stormtrooper to the Jedi that toppled the ultimate evil in the galaxy would have been outstanding. Plus, the emotional toll it would have taken on Finn to cut down Rey would have added a level of dramaStar Warsfans haven’t seen since the prequel trilogy.
Of course, this isn’t to say thatStar Warswas wrong for not making Rey the villain, as there’s something to be said about Rey standing against her base dark side nature and choosing a path for herself, which leads to her adopting the name ‘Skywalker’, and rebuilding the Jedi Order. What fans got allows for untold storytelling potential for futureStar Warsinstallments, and that’s something everyone should be excited about. That being said, it would have been really cool ifReyfell to the dark side and became Queen of the Sith, especially after seeing it in thisStar Warscomic.
Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker #2by Marvel Comics is available now.
