11 ridiculous ‘The Last Jedi’ theories that you have to read

Theorize all you want about “Star Wars: The Last Jedi.” Your best guess isn’t even close.

Director Rian Johnson recently told Screen Rant that none of the fan theories he has seen have hit on the big reveals or answered the questions featured in the new film.

“I mean, nothing that’s really nailed big stuff,” he said. “… I love reading the fan theories, you know, having been a ‘Star Wars’ fan myself and (having) been on the other side of the curtain most of my life, it’s pretty cool to be back behind, like peeking through. …”

While the statement implies that fans haven’t guessed the major plot points, it’s possible Johnson is purposefully ducking these theories to inspire people to see the film.

Theories about the film span all types of topics, from Supreme Leader Snoke to the fate of Luke Skywalker. We’ve collected a handful of theories that were published since “The Force Awakens.”

Note: We purposefully avoided any theories that included spoilers for the upcoming film — that we know of. The Deseret News has not seen the new movie, so it is impossible to know if these theories come true. If you want to avoid spoilers, it would be best to avoid these theories.

Also, we didn’t include any simple theories, like “Rey is the daughter of Luke Skywalker.” We’re going way out of the galaxy on these.

Rey and Kylo will create a better future

Forbes contributor Paul Tassi recently theorized that the new “The Last Jedi” film will change the game when it comes to how fans view the force, Jedis and Siths.

Tassi opined that Rey will unite with Kylo Ren to create a future that moves them both toward the middle of the force, not necessarily the light or dark side. The two will unite in such a way to make Luke Skywalker realize the error of his ways, too.

“This is where I can see ‘The Last Jedi’ heading, to Luke’s realization that the old Jedi ways have no place in the world, and instead by combining them with some of the freedoms the Sith enjoy, that true balance can be brought to the Force that way,” Tassi wrote. “The alternative, lonely warrior monks trying to stomp out every single evil villain from the galaxy, has proven beyond futile at this point.”

Kylo Ren is actually good

A popular theory about the new Star Wars trilogy appeared only a week after “The Force Awakens” came out in 2015. As BuzzFeed reported, the theory suggests that the villainous Kylo Ren/Ben Solo is actually playing both sides of the coin, serving as something of a double agent. The theory posits that Ren joined the dark side so that he could help the light side.

Mark Hamill’s Luke Skywalker backstory

Actor Mark Hamill recently told Entertainment Weekly that he developed his own backstory for Skywalker, since “The Last Jedi” script didn’t give him enough to work from.

Hamill said he wrote out various Skywalker scenarios, including one where he marries a woman and the two have a child, who accidentally killed himself/herself with a light saber, Hamill said.

“It’s nothing to do with the story, but when I think about gun violence and you read these tragic stories of kids getting hold of their parents’ guns and killing a sibling or themselves, I mean, I had to go to really dark places to get where Luke needed to be for this story.”

Rey is Obi-Wan Kenobi’s granddaughter

Yes, you read that correctly. Fans are still unsure about who Rey’s parents are, given that they didn’t explain it in “The Force Awakens.”

One theory posits that Rey is actually the granddaughter of Obi-Wan Kenobi, according to Digital Spy. Few details exist about Kenobi’s time on Tatooine before he met Luke in “A New Hope,” so it’s entirely possible that he met a significant other during that time. The theory also lends support to her British accent, something that Kenobi had.

There’s also a theory that combines the Kenobi theory with the “Star Wars Rebels” cartoon. Read that over at Movie Pilot.

Rey is a Palpatine

This is another theory about Rey’s parentage. Apparently, people think she’s related to Emperor Palpatine, the famous villain from the original trilogy and prequels. One theorist from Huffington Post explained that Rey’s fighting style is not unlike Palpatine’s own, and her name (“Rey,” meaning “King” or “rex”) is similar to the emperor.

There are a handful of other reasons why this theory fits, including an explanation of how Palpatine created an offspring even after he died.

Rey is Luke Skywalker’s clone daughter

Think Rey is Luke’s daughter? Think again. A theory that constantly pops up online claims that Rey is Luke’s daughter thanks to, well, cloning.

As The Guardian explained, if Luke had a daughter on his own, Leia and Han would have recognized her in “The Force Awakens.” Cloning is also an established business in the Star Wars universe, so it’s not out of the realm of possibility.

Rey’s father is Ezra from “Rebels”

This theory has popped up in multiple spots, including both Reddit and on pop culture websites. One of the theorists suggests that Jedi rebel leader Ezra Bridger turned to the dark side and fathered Rey before he left her on a planet so that the Supreme Leader Snoke could find her.

The theory suggests that Benicio Del Toro, who plays an unknown character in the film named DJ, will turn out to be Ezra.

But another version of the theory suggests that Ezra is Rey’s father because of his age. Like Luke Skywalker, Ezra was born on Empire Day, the day the Empire was established. His age would be about the same as Luke’s, meaning that if Luke could be Rey’s father, so too could Ezra.

Snoke first-ever dark side user

Who is Snoke? That’s a question that’s been on the minds of all Star Wars fans since “The Force Awakens.” YouTube user Thor Skywalker theorizes that Snoke may be the first-ever dark side user, given his age and clues from “The Force Awakens” novel that he saw the rise and fall of the Empire.

Snoke is Anakin’s father

Wait, what? Yes. A theory exists that Snoke is the father of Anakin Skywalker, also known as Darth Vader. Here’s what Kim, from London, told The Guardian about the theory:

“No one ever knew who Anakin’s real father was, then he had twins, both with his gift, but never as powerful. The next generation is Kylo and Rey, who share his bloodline and possess raw power. The question is not who are Rey’s parents, but who was Anakin’s father? Everything links back to Darth Vader, hence showing his mask in both movies. Their destinies are intertwined.”

Snoke is Darth Plagueis

Back in “Revenge of the Sith,” we learned that Darth Sidious, also known as Palpatine, served under Darth Plagueis, a character who could stop people from dying.

According to Nerdist, there’s a popular theory that Plagueis is Snoke. Some evidence indicates that isn’t the truth, but the theory still stands.

Rey is Anakin reincarnated

One more final bonkers theory. This theory claims that Rey is … Anakin Skywalker? She’s not the daughter of Leia Organa, not the daughter of Luke Skywalker — she’s literally Anakin.

According to The Inquisitr, “Ultimately, it would make the new trilogy be about the ultimate redemption of Anakin Skywalker — his full journey back to the Light. Humanity restored. It fits. It’s compelling. It would be special to one character — Anakin/Vader.”

Bonus theories:

We couldn’t find any substantive articles about these theories, but they’ve circled Reddit threads for months. Here’s a quick breakdown of those theories.

• Rey destroyed Luke’s Jedi Academy, not the Knights of Ren and Kylo Ren.
• Kylo left Rey stranded on Jakku. The timeline doesn’t really match, but the idea has still stuck in a lot of places.
• Captain Phasma left Rey on Jakku. Another interesting theory about how Rey wound up on the planet.
• Rey and Kylo have a “force bond,” meaning that they are forever connected through the force. They will begin to empathize with each other.