Who is Rey and who are her parents in 'Star Wars: The Force Awakens'?

Spirit of Adventure

"Star Wars: The Force Awakens" has succeeded in creating a new generation of Force-sensitive characters- Kylo Ren and Rey. However, fans are left to wonder whether the two are related, and if they are, how the two are connected to one another and to other characters in the storyline.

Caution: Plot spoilers are present from here onwards.

In the film, it is explicitly revealed that Kylo Ren (once Ben) is the son of Han Solo and Leia, who has turned to the Dark Side of the Force. What is unresolved after episode seven though is the origin and lineage of Rey.

The theories have so far been narrowed down to two possibilities: either Luke Skywalker is Rey's father, making Kylo Ren her cousin, or Han Solo and Leia are her parents, thus concluding that Kylo Ren is her brother.

Bustle's Maura O'Malley points to clues in the film that point to Luke Skywalker, who is currently in hiding after Kylo Ren destroys his plans to restore the Jedi order, as the father of the scavenger Rey. O'Malley looks to Rey's clothing, background, and speeder bike (an X-34 just like Luke's) as similarities that point out to Luke being Rey's father.

There is also a scene in "The Force Awakens" where Rey gets visions after touching a lightsaber that is similar to what Luke sees in the Dagobah Cave. Visions of her path, and that of Luke's is revealed to her, which signals a connection between the two.

Vox Culture also gives strong evidence to the claim that Han Solo and Leia are Rey's parents. Rey lived close to the Millennium Falcon, which had been abandoned in a junkyard for years, and the moment Rey and Han Solo meet, they strike up a chemistry that one would expect from a father and daughter separated for many years.

Also in the scene where Ren (huge spoiler ahead) kills Han, the villain taunts Rey and calls Han the father she never had.

Needless to say, both theories have strong evidence on their own, and fans will have to be left holding on to both until the next two instalments of the new "Star Wars" trilogy emerges.

Rey is played by 23-year-old newcomer Daisy Ridley and is the main protagonist for the latest trilogy of the "Star Wars" franchise.