Star Wars' JJ Abrams explains that Rey reveal in The Rise of Skywalker

Note: This article contains major spoilers for Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker.

The arrival of JJ Abrams' final chapter of the nine-episode Skywalker Saga has brought with it many, many answers to our Star Wars-related questions (and added a couple to the list too).

One of the biggest questions centred around Rey's lineage. 2017's The Last Jedi shook things up, with Kylo Ren declaring that Rey's parents were "nobodies" – a decision that garnered mixed reactions.

In Rise of Skywalker, it was revealed that while her parents may have been relative "nobodies", Daisy Ridley's character was actually descended from the biggest baddie in the galaxy – Emperor Palpatine himself.

Related: The Mandalorian star trashes Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker on Instagram

Director Abrams has spoken out about this reveal, giving us some much-needed background (and closure) to his decision to make Rey the granddaughter of Palpatine.

For Abrams, the important thing here was to emphasise the power of "choices", and that they were "more powerful than blood". This idea is reflected across both Kylo Ren (Adam Driver) and Rey's storylines in Rise of Skywalker.

"One of the themes of the movie is that anyone can be anything regardless of where you're from," Abrams said in a live Q&A. "I don't know if it resonates for everyone, but 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.

Related: Star Wars' Oscar Isaac came up with Poe's cheekiest moment

"Though I completely understand 'you're nobody' is a devastating thing, to me the more painful, the more shocking thing was the idea that you're actually from the worst possible place.'

So when it comes to both Kylo and Rey, Abrams insisted that what matters is their choices – not necessarily where they're from or who they're related to – and said it was "inevitable" for both characters to unite.

View full post on X

"The idea that these two main characters, both the grandchildren of these crucially important characters of Palpatine and Skywalker – these two houses coming together in this next generation felt like there was an inevitability to it," he said.

"And if one were to watch [Episodes] 1 through 9 – you know, 50, 100 years from now – hopefully you feel that these stories were inevitably leading there."

Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker is out in cinemas now.

Disney+ Sign up for Disney+

Shop at Disney+

Disney/Lucasfilm Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker

Now 34% Off

£3 at Amazon

Disney/Lucasfilm Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga Complete Box Set [Blu-ray] [2019] [Region Free]

£100 at Amazon

Century Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker (Expanded Edition) by Rae Carson

£5 at Amazon

Disney/Lucasfilm Star Wars - The Complete Saga (Episodes I-VI) [Blu-ray] [1977] [Region Free]

£18 at Amazon

Disney/Lucasfilm Star Wars: The Original Trilogy (Episodes IV-VI) [Blu-ray] [1977] [Region Free]

£33 at Amazon

Disney/Lucasfilm Star Wars: The Force Awakens [Blu-ray] [2015] [Region Free]

Now 36% Off

£5 at Amazon

Disney/Lucasfilm Star Wars: The Last Jedi [4K UHD] [Blu-ray] [2017]

£10 at Amazon

Disney/Lucasfilm Rogue One: A Star Wars Story [Blu-ray] [2017] [Region Free]

£14 at Amazon

Disney/Lucasfilm Solo: A Star Wars Story [4K] [Blu-ray] [2018] [Region Free]

£20 at Amazon

Digital Spy now has a newsletter – sign up to get it sent straight to your inbox.

Want up-to-the-minute entertainment news and features? Just hit 'Like' on our Digital Spy Facebook page and 'Follow' on our @digitalspy Instagram and Twitter accounts.

Charley Ross

Charley Ross is a freelance sub-editor at Digital Spy, with equal weaknesses for Harry Potter and Scorsese movies.