Home Entertainment The five craziest STAR WARS: THE FORCE AWAKENS fan theories

The five craziest STAR WARS: THE FORCE AWAKENS fan theories

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Star Wars is pretty easy to explain, right? After all, it involves space wizards duelling with glow-swords while walking carpets and wise-cracking pilots lend support. Not quite, actually. There’s a massive continuity behind Star Wars, an entire galaxy of characters, storylines and events that make films such as Star Wars: The Force Awakens the mere tip of the iceberg when it comes to lore.

Which also results in a fair share of absolutely crazy fan theories. Here’s some of our favourite ones so far, that managed to escape the Internet after Star Wars went viral.

Also, spoilers. Consider yourselves warned.

Rey’s parentage

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For a galaxy that happens to be far, far away, Rey happens to be conveniently linked to everyone in it. The most important person in the universe of the new trilogy has a backstory to tell one day, one that fans are currently desperate to get to the bottom to. And that’s why just about every older character in Star Wars is seen as a possible DNA-donor.

Theories abound that Rey is the daughter of Luke Skywalker, Han Solo or even Boba Fett. Hell, there’s even a fringe theory suggesting that Jar Jar Binks may have played a role in her conception, an idea that sounds muy muy bombad in every single way possible. The best possible lineage theory however? It’s that Rey might in fact be a descendant of Obi-Wan Kenobi.

There’s plenty of evidence to back this up apparently. A convenient accent, a lightsaber stance that parallels the techniques used by the older Jedi master and a natural affinity for the Force. The theory further postulates that Kenobi found love during his exile on Tattooine, thus resulting in Rey being a potential granddaughter who was discovered in the time gap between trilogies.

Or maybe Rey is just an original character. Who really knows?

Kylo Ren is a double agent

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Kylo Ren. First Order agent of destruction, murderer of his own father and the Sith who slaughtered an entire generation of Jedi. Man, what a class-A villain, am I right? But here’s the fan theory: Maybe this is all part of Ben Solo’s master plan. The idea is that Ren/Solo has been working towards an end-goal of finally extinguishing the Dark Side of the Force, by placing himself in a position to kill Supreme Leader Snoke, no matter the cost.

It goes even further, with the theory suggesting that Ren is looking to bring balance to the Force by killing anyone associated with it. That’s why he aligned himself with the First Order, so that he could eliminate the Jedi and then focus on the Dark Side. That’s why he’s to be hunting down Luke Skywalker, as he happens to be obsessed with following in Darth Vader’s footsteps and fulfilling a prophecy of equilibrium within the Force.

Rey possesses a new Force power

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There’s been a lot of flack thrown at Rey for being so damn good at everything. Ideas which quickly shatter when you realise that spending the better part of your life scavenging to survive on a barren desert planet would turn anyone into a scrappy master mechanic. But it’s the manner at which Rey picks up her skills in using the Force so quickly, that has drawn unfavourable criticism from fans.

What took the Skywalkers years to master took Rey hours to get the hang of apparently. But how? One theory suggests that Rey is a former Jedi, tapping into some muscle memory with the Force after being exposed to it again. But the other theory suggests that Rey possesses a powerful Force ability, that gives her the power to instantaneously learn new skills and abilities after seeing them in action.

It certainly makes sense, in a Deus Ex Machina way. When the Force Awakens starts, Rey is a plucky mechanic who can fight her way out of a scrap with bandits. Two hours later, Rey is now able to take Kylo Ren on in a lightsaber duel, use the Force to control minds and various other standard Jedi abilities. Convenient. Or maybe the start of something greater as Rey begins her journey around the galaxy.

Supreme Leader Snoke is actually Grand Moff Tarkin

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Look, I know that Snoke actor Andy Serkis has already rubbished claims of the Supreme Leader being anyone other than a brand new character in the sequel trilogy. But I dig this rumour anyway. You think back to the original trilogy, and you look at the real power in a universe dominated by the Dark Side of the Force. Sheev Palpatine (Yes, his first name was Sheev) ruled with an iron fist, but when it came down to military matters, it wasn’t Darth vader in charge. It was Peter Cushing’s Grand Moff Tarkin.

An unrivalled tactical genius, Tarkin was the general in charge of keeping order in Palpatine’s universe, but was never seen again after the first Death Star was destroyed. He probably perished with it, right? But what if he survived? There’s more than enough evidence to suggest that Tarkin could have escaped the battle station, going into hiding as he recovered from his wounds and used Imperial technology to extend his lifespan.

In The Force Awakens, Snoke doesn’t show any actual Force powers, merely knowledge of the Dark Side and the training needed to master it. That’s a great theory and combined with Tarkin’s ability to lead, makes him a great candidate for the true identity of Snoke. He’s not though, but that’s what makes a fan theory so much fun: It doesn’t have to be true.

Rey is the reincarnated form of Anakin Skywalker

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And we’ve saved the best for last. Anakin Skywalker was the Chosen One. A Jedi who was so powerful in the Force, that he would bring balance to it and lead the galaxy into a new golden age. Instead, he became a corrupted dark Jedi who saw his potential severly diminished after his battle with Obi-Wan Kenobi and the need for a special suit of armour to keep him alive.

The story of Anakin Skywalker, is a tragic one that ended in redemption when he rebelled against the Emperor and chucked him into the exhaust tubes of the second Deaths Star. But what if that act led to him being given a second chance to save the galaxy? I love this theory, because it’s so crazy that it actually makes sense.

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Look at the parallels between Rey and Anakin:

  • Both come from desert planets
  • Both are skilled pilots
  • They’re orphans (Don’t give me that Midichlorian kak)
  • Both wield a familiar lightsaber
  • Rey and Anakin treat their droids with love and respect

And it goes even deeper. You see how horrified Rey was when she made contact with Anakin’s lightsaber? That’s because she starts to remember all of his pain, and his unforgivable sins such as when he slew the young Jedi in the Coruscant temple during the great Order 66 purge. Rey also bears a very striking resemblance to Shmi Skywalker, Anakin’s mother, and is naturally attuned to the Force

There’s a great detailed write-up on this by Coolshortsbro, that’s worth a read. And I can get behind this theory, because after watching Nicklelodeon’s Avatar series, it sounds plausible. And it sounds like a fitting way to redeem a character, especially when you notice both the Anakin Skywalker and Darth Vader parallels. In fact, the idea of a Chosen One may be more than just a title given to Anakin Skywalker. It may be a messianic figure in the Force, an individual born from a need to save the galaxy from the Dark Side when the balance is thrown out of whack.

There’s naturally a ton more fan theories out there. Which makes the wait for Episode VIII that much more excruciating.

This article originally appeared on Lazygamer.net.

Last Updated: January 29, 2016

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