Rey vs. Kylo Ren Art Reveals A Rise Of Skywalker Palpatine Twist Fix

screenrant.com:

Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker fudged its Rey Palpatine twist, but the revelation might've played out better if concept art scenes had been realized onscreen. The grand reveal that Daisy Ridley's Rey is actually the long-long granddaughter of Emperor Palpatine was among many criticisms audiences aimed toward Disney's sequel trilogy closer. The twist contradicted Star Wars: The Last Jedi's claim that Rey was "nobody," and suffered from the lack of clarity around Palpatine's resurrection. Colin Trevorrow's leaked Duel of the Fates script proves Rey's Palpatine heritage was not planned in advance, and the twist unavoidably feels cobbled together.

One of the bigger issues surrounding Rey as Palpatine's granddaughter is how Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker never properly commits to the temptation of her evil side. J.J. Abrams toys with the concept by having Rey destroy a First Order ship using Force lightning, but this is an accident she's horrified by. We then see «Dark Rey» baring her fangs and wielding a flip-out red lightsaber, but Daisy Ridley's Sith counterpart is nothing more than a fleeting mental vision. Had Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker invested in its Dark Rey, rather than tip-toeing around her, the protagonist's connection to Palpatine might've carried more weight.

Related: Palpatine's Return Rumors Show How Badly Rise Of Skywalker Messed Up

Newly-surfaced concept art from Jon McCoy suggests Rey's darkness might've actually been toned down during development. McCoy admits these scenes weren't taken directly from Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker's script, but were an early exercise in "feelingout the atmosphere and mood [they] were asked to think about." Nevertheless, one image show Rey commandeering Kylo