Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker reveals that Rey is actually the granddaughter of Emperor Palpatine and that the villain sent men to kill her when she was a child to ensure she could never become more powerful than him. It's an out of the blue reveal, especially as Rian Johnson's The Last Jedi claimed that she was the daughter of "filthy junk traders."
Now, director J.J. Abrams has shed shed some light on why he decided to reveal that the orphan is actually Rey Palpatine. "One of the themes of the movie is that anyone can be anything regardless of where you're from," the filmmaker explains. "I don't know if it resonates for everyone," he continues. "I think there are quite a few people who appreciate that idea of not coming from a place that you're particularly excited about or proud of."
As for why he essentially undid Johnson's reveal of Rey being "no one," Abrams added: "Though I completely understand 'you're nobody' is a devastating thing, to me the more painful, the more shocking thing was 'you're from the worst possible place.' And is your destiny, is that thing that you feel, that you know is part of you, somehow, that you're haunted by, is that your destiny? The idea that choices -- there are things more powerful than blood, as Luke says. That feeling was an important thing to convey for us."
What did you guys make of this reveal? Did it work or feel forced to you after what we previously learned about Rey? Let us know your thoughts in the comments section below.