J.J. Abrams Explains Unanswered Questions About Rey Reveal, Finn's Message, Rey And Kylo Ren In 'Star Wars: The Rise Of Skywalker' [Updated]
Update: The original poster of the video asking J.J. Abrams about Rey and Kylo Ren's relationship clarified the context of the answer.
This weekend, Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker brought about the long-awaited end of the Skywalker Saga, capping off decades of storytelling and wrapping up dozens of loose threads about beloved characters and arcs. Or did it? Turns out there are still plenty of unanswered questions that only director and writer J.J. Abrams and co-writer Chris Terrio can explain — or else can be found in the visual dictionary and other supplementary materials.
But if you don't want to do hours of research after watching a movie, then click on ahead to find out what that Rey and Kylo Ren moment meant, why the Rey reveal had to happen, and what the heck Finn kept trying to say to Rey.
Warning: Spoilers ahead for Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker
Rey and Kylo Ren Have an Open-Ended Relationship
After two movies of unresolved sexual tension, Rey and Kylo Ren finally have a moment of shared connection, when Kylo — now shedding his Dark side persona and embracing his original identity as Ben Solo — sacrifices himself for Rey. They stare deeply into each other's eyes and share a kiss before Ben dies and dissolves into the Force. You know, like a brother and sister would, according to Abrams. In a conversation with a fan posted to Twitter, Abrams dunked on all the Reylo shippers and said he saw Rey and Kylo Ren as more of a "brother-sister thing":
"There's as much a brother-sister thing with Rey and Kylo Ren but also a romantic thing. So it's not like literally a sexual/romantic thing, it's more like they're bound together in this movie in a spiritual way. Again, felt romantic to me."
Update: The original poster of the video with Abrams, Kaila Spencer, clarified that Abrams was referring to Rey and Kylo Ren's relationship in Star Wars: The Force Awakens, saying that when he introduced the characters, he left the potential for romantic development. Her new tweet is below.
Abrams went on to compare the two to the Luke and Leia dynamic in Empire Strikes Back, saying, "It's like John Williams, if you listen to the — when he first wrote the Luke theme. It was a romantic theme for Luke and Leia. That was kind of what he was thinking because he didn't know where it was going."
Um, all right, Abrams. But the difference here is that you did know where it was going, since you directed The Force Awakens, which is where the Rey-Kylo romantic chemistry all started. But sure, they're just friends.
What Finn Was Going to Tell Rey
Early in the film, Finn, Rey, Chewie, C-3P0, and R2-D2 head to Pasaana to search for clues in their mission to find Emperor Palpatine. But they soon get caught in sinking sand, and as their heads are about to get swallowed up by the Earth, Finn tries to tell Rey...something. Later, he refuses to tell Poe what he meant to say, and the question — which becomes a running joke for the rest of the film —never gets resolved. Considering Finn's fixation on Rey since Force Awakens, it would be easy to assume that Finn was going to declare his love. But Abrams revealed in an audience Q&A that Finn was actually going to tell Rey that he was Force-sensitive.
This is hinted at later in the film when Rey dies during her battle with Palpatine, and Finn is seen on the Falcon reacting with sadness. But it's never explicitly stated in the film, leaving that question open-ended. Guess we know now!
Why Rey Needed to Be a Palpatine
The Dead speak! Why was Palapatine back? Who knows? Does it ever get explained? No! But it was a choice that made sense to Abrams and Chris Terrio, who in a Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker Q&A, explained some of the plot holes and themes of the film.
"The Skywalker-Palpatine family dynasty tragedy, like any great tragedy between two great houses, was deep in the DNA of Star Wars," Terrio said, adding:
"So we knew that Palpatine had to be a presence in the film in some way. As it turns out there was this gift that George Lucas wrote, it was sitting there, because there was a scene in one of the prequels in which Palpatine says to Anakin Skywalker, 'The Dark side of the Force awakens many abilities considered to be unnatural.' And it was hanging there as this tease of unnatural abilities that the Sith had. So J.J. and I thought it would be crazy not to pick up that thread."
So why tie Rey into that whole conflict between two great houses when she was already reeling from the earth-shattering revelation that she was nobody? Abrams and Terrio said that, while that revelation that she came from nothing was compelling, it wasn't quite as devastating as learning that she came from evil:
"One of the themes of the movie is anyone can be anything regardless of where you're from. I don't know if it resonates with everyone, but I think a lot of people appreciate the idea of not coming from a place you're particularly proud of. Though I completely understand you're nobody is a devastating thing, to me the more painful, the more shocking thing is the idea that you're from the worst possible place. The idea that the choices, that there are things more powerful than blood, is more powerful to convey."
You can see all of Abrams and Terrio's answers in the Twitter thread below.
Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker is currently playing in theaters.