First they were "nobodies", and then it was later revealed they were anything but – but the true identities of Rey's parents weren't entirely explained when her heritage was discovered in Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker.
Until now, that is.
Ahead of the Rise of Skywalker novelisation's official release, an eagle-eyed Reddit user has spotted an important backstory in an advanced copy that reveals exactly who Rey's father was and exactly how the galaxy's biggest baddie got his heir – in all its horrific detail.
We've only just found out that Palpatine was a clone in The Rise of Skywalker (explaining his comeback), and now it turns out that Rey's father is actually a "not-quite-identical clone" of the villain.
Related: Disney boss confirms status of Star Wars movies after The Rise of Skywalker
In an extract from The Rise of Skywalker book series posted on Reddit, Rey's father is described as a "genetic strandcast" and a "useless, powerless failure" who is despised by Palpatine on account of his "disappointing ordinariness".
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"The boy's only worth", it claims, is his ability to continue the bloodline "through more natural methods". So yeah, we're thinking about Palpatine having sex now.
Related: Star Wars reveals Rey's final words to Ben Solo in The Rise of Skywalker
The true parentage of Rey has divided fans, after Episode IX director JJ Abrams reversed Rian Johnson's The Last Jedi reveal that Rey was actually the child of "nobodies".
Explaining his decision, Abrams said: "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."
Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker is available to pre-order on DVD, Blu-ray and 4K now. The Rise of Skywalker: Expanded Edition by Rae Carlson is also available now.
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