Thanks to J.J. Abrams’s mystery ridden “Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens,” many are looking to “Rogue One: A Star Wars Story” to fill in the blanks for what will happen in later installments of the series. Here are what people are thinking.
Jyn Erso is Rey’s mother
The biggest mystery spawning from Episode VII was the identity of Rey’s parents. Naturally, because Felicity Jones, the actress who plays Jyn Erso, is a brunette and her story takes place before the events of Episode VII, it must be true. False. In a video posted by MTV, Jones confirms that there is no genetic connection between Rey and Jyn.
On top of that, the entire main cast of Rogue One, including Jyn, all died. Unless there is some truly miraculous force-ghost action in Episode VIII, I doubt Jyn Erso will be making an appearance as Mama Rey.
The Rogue One crew become The Knights of Ren
Remember the group of Sith that Kylo Ren was hanging out with? Some speculated that the Rogue One crew would eventually become the Knights of Ren. Considering much of the crew did not appear to be force-sensitive, this theory was quite an assumption.
Again, Jyn Erso was not the only one who died at the end of the film. The entire mission to steal the Death Star plans was successful, but still ended with the entire crew biting it on screen. Clearly the fan theorists did not expect this much death to happen.
More information on Snoke will be revealed
The bacta tank featured in Rogue One immediately made the internet scream that we would get more details on Snoke, the leader of The Knights of Ren. However, the tank actually held Darth Vader, much to the disappointment of fan theorists everywhere. Darth Vader makes a very short, but action packed, appearance at the end of Rogue One.
Snoke, whose mysterious identity and origin sparked a lot of curiosity in Episode VII, is still a bit of an enigma, especially since Snoke didn’t even make an appearance in Rogue One.
Mon Mothma is Rey’s mother
There are a few new theories that sprouted after Rogue One’s release. Sadly, fan theorists are still attempting to draw lines between the spin-off and the future of the series.
Since Jyn is obliterated by the Death Star at the end of Rogue One, someone in the cast must be Rey’s parent. Right? RIGHT? This obsessive need for answers leads us to yet another article explaining a tenuous connection between Rey and another Star Wars universe character.
According to this Bustle article, Mon Mothma, a galactic senate leader who turns rebellion organizer after Emperor Palpatine takes over, is a solid option for the parentage of Rey. Bustle cites Star Wars Extended Universe canon when Mon Mothma steps down from leading the rebellion because of illness, thus creating the circumstances for her to send her child off into hiding. Playing a key political role and facing a life threatening illness makes this theory possible to Bustle.
However, Star Wars is in new hands, and the extended universe canon has been thrown away. All that is canon now is what we see in the movies. Who knows whether Mon Mothma will have an illness. Only time and more movies will tell.
As long as Star Wars exists there will be speculation, and until the next movie is released, we won't be any closer to figuring it out than we were before.
