Rey: The Most Wasted Character in Film History | Star Wars Video Essay

[@billyb501stlegion5]

My God you blew it out of the park again, your analysis are just as good as star wars theory, you deserve more attention, as matter of rey indeed she had the potential to be the anakin or even greatest jedi of the new star wars Era, also I wanted another character like that jedi turned inquisitor turned rebel fighter, that women from the game jedi fallan order i forgot her name , that character should of taught rey everything about the force, his/her story of betrayal of his/her brethren and redeeming them selves giving rey a feeling of a purpose in an galaxy

[@DarthdYT]

Thanks Billy!

[@billyb501stlegion5]

And it could very well be setup, for example that rebel jedi escaping from the first order ends up on planet jacku, is seriously injured but needs a bit of help to lay low, by luck he finds rey and asks her to help him stay low, she hesitates at first but then he offers to share his food rations with her, how did he knew that food would be a good deal, he read her mind and he felt her hunger, then after the dust settles, he thanks rey's and admires her scalvaging skills and offers her that there will be more food if she joins his wing of mechanics back at the rebel base then the whole building trust with fin, finding purpose arc rolls idk this sounds too crazy but lol just wanted to add something

[@DarthdYT]

@@billyb501stlegion5 I've honestly not thought much yet about how I'm going to do Finn's character, that could be a good idea for him, to use food as a trade for her help. Otherwise she has no incentive at all to help him. Thanks for the idea!

[@richardharrison4762]

Iden. When anyone says 'Finn was wasted potential. I wish we had a good story about a Storm Trooper turned to the Light Side' I tell them: 'We have that! Iden from Battlefront!'

[@DarthdYT]

@@richardharrison4762 didn't know that, I hadn't played it beyond the pvp.

[@georgespiggott5615]

honestly this isn't just a good star wars analysis, it's good writing advice in general

[@DarthdYT]

That's actually something I was thinking about while working on this project. My brother has written several books he's trying to get published, so we've spent years analyzing story for plot flow and character traits. Guess that experience probably made writing this script much easier.

[@ericgabrielbautistajaimes9187]

@@DarthdYT what are the name of those books, I would be glad to read them

[@DarthdYT]

@@ericgabrielbautistajaimes9187 when/if he ever gets them published I definitely plan to do a video about them 👍

[@dislikebomb6680]

I knew Rey's character was wasted, but you really hit the nail on the head. Looking forward to part 2

[@DarthdYT]

Thanks, me too! This definitely has been my favorite essay so far.

[@virgovirtuoso]

So glad to hear a reinterpretation of Rey's crying spells, seeing Rey unapologetically cry, do so often, and still be able to go get shit done really spoke to me. After hearing the takes of my peers be either laziness (reverting to sexism) or intentional sexism to gain hate views and controversy, it was becoming almost laborious to imagine that being "prone-to-crying-spells" (as my mother would say) wasn't the near full extent of giving Rey a character flaw.

[@DarthdYT]

I should have focused in a bit more on the crying, it does really support the idea of how traumatized she is.

[@Raleyg]

Could have been, should have been, that's the entire story of the sequel trilogy

[@DarthdYT]

Lol true. Although I'm sure most films have a ton of "could have beens", but the ST does set a record.

[@peteypiranalover]

That is why i have a problem with rewrites. Pretty much no matter what its better but its too late to save these characters

[@Anderson0377]

@@peteypiranalover dunno, the TLOU 2 rewrite by The Closer Look is now my headcanon, the original is just that tone deaf, edgy and nonsensical.

[@peteypiranalover]

@Anderson0377 Fan rewrites would probably be drastically superior but the damage is done and Closer Look's version will never be canon. I am sure it much higher quality

[@Anderson0377]

@@peteypiranalover Yeah, unfortunately it will never fix the original. But as an exercise in creative writing, I'm often amazed how it can give a new and profound perspective on the material and sometimes point out what was so horrible about canon. Pick your poison, I guess.

[@GR8KIDMAN1]

I feel like the fact that she was a hurt and abandoned child that learns to trust and becomes a confident and powerful jedi could have been a great combination with the fact that she was a decendant to Palpatine. Had she come to fight against her blood and perhaps what could have been her destiny and overcome it, it could be a nice contrast to Anakin who fought against destiny, only for him to play unti it's hands. It took Mauler's deep dive into TFA to realize how much of a wasted potential Rey had, and this video just cements that feeling

[@Jessica-wo6px]

💯

[@gunjantripathi3340]

I am not a big fan of sequels but the picture you painted made finn and rey's story so beautiful.

[@DarthdYT]

Yeah it could have been an amazing story 😔

[@patrickmulder2450]

Holy shit dude, this video was better written then the entire sequel trilogy! This was the first video I've seen by you, won't be the last. Subscribed.

[@DarthdYT]

Thanks so much Patrick! I recently finished the follow-up video covering Finn which you'll probably enjoy as well 🙂

[@MoviesRemastered]

Damn, I clicked because of star wars and left learning/understanding more about myself own past. Incredible analyse of childhood trauma and ptsd. Thank you for such a well thought out video.

[@DarthdYT]

Love this comment so much, thanks!! I actually did a similar video covering Finn and his wasted backstory if you haven't seen it :)

[@MoviesRemastered]

@@DarthdYT I looked for it but ended up watching a bunch of your other videos and lost track. Really good content.

[@DarthdYT]

@@MoviesRemastered lol that's a pretty fantastic excuse though 😅 Thanks so much!!

[@AustinCDavis]

As foster parents, my wife and I have seen this food obsession multiple times. We would have kids for months, giving them full meals and snacks between, with the understanding that they can eat whenever they’re hungry, and we would still find food hidden in their rooms. And Darth’d is right that we constantly had to deal with selfishness and fears of trauma. They don’t overcome these things just by meeting one friendly person.

[@DarthdYT]

Great insight, thanks! And big props for helping the younglings 👍👍

[@richardharrison4762]

I believe that in the sequel trilogy, the core is there but the execution could have done with a little polishing. When I saw the 'stop holding my hand' scene I rolled my eyes thinking the message was 'strong independent woman who don't need no man' ... Having seen this essay I put forth that If the reaction was more 'Get the Frakk off me!' or even to instinctively bite and kick, that would have spoken volumes

[@DarthdYT]

Ditto, I've said the same in several other essays, that the basic ideas were decent but the execution was terrible. Thanks for watching!

[@richardharrison4762]

@@DarthdYT my pleasure, I will be defiantly be watching, sharing, commenting snd liking the rest of your essays. Never hit the subscribe button faster! Hope it helps as this channel deserves to be huge!

[@DarthdYT]

@@richardharrison4762 that made my day, thanks Richard!

[@richardharrison4762]

@@DarthdYT as an aside if you will allow me to put on my tin foil hat for a moment - the scene where Ray and Han talk over each other about the workings of The Falcon - for me and I think lots of people that was the moment where the reaction was 'Wait? What?! How does she know that?! What a Mary Sue!' What I suspect is that Han was supposed to live longer even into other movies and this scene was going to happen much later after a few shots of Han and Chewie pointing out engine parts to Ray and her looking over their shoulders as they do repairs. Then she gets this moment and we the audience think 'Ah! She sees Han as a farther figure and has been working hard to make him proud of her' I would like to know if you have any thoughts on that?

[@DarthdYT]

@@richardharrison4762 that's a really interesting theory I've not heard before. I believe she did say earlier she knew Plutt had put a compressor on the hyperdrive, but knowing exactly where it was and how to rip it out without crippling the system would make a lot more sense if she had even a little on-site training as you described.

[@LadyDoomsinger]

Struggling with chronic depression and a personality disorder myself, I love watching tragic characters with psychological issues face their trauma and overcome it, through effort, willpower, and persistence (or even just the helpful intervention of others). It gives me hope to see characters face adversity (even when they fail), because it makes me believe I can face mine too. I would've loved this version of Rey.

[@DarthdYT]

Ditto! Big franchises I think are too scared of even addressing these ideas, much less having a major character suffering from them. It'd be great for them to realize how many audience members would actually enjoy those characters instead of being repulsed by them.

[@ShamanMcLamie]

I don't know if you've watched his videos, but David Stewart had some great analysis about Star Wars and the Sequel Trilogy and in one video he describes the Sequels as a sort of Fan Fantasy/Dream Sequence where the audience is reliving the events of the Original Trilogy, but not quite. Something in the vein of a dream. One point he makes is that Rey is effectively an audience Avatar. It's why she so virtuous and noble from the outset, it's why she's good in the force and flying and fighting and speaks various languages. It's why all the characters like her and she gets all their cool stuff. It's because you as the audience are Rey and through Rey you'll live your dream Star Wars experience. While I know the term is often overused and abused these days, the word Mary Sue very much describes Rey. As I watched The Force Awakens the first time I very much had the impression Rey was a Star Wars fan living in the Star Wars universe, and then she went on to bend the rules of that universe around her. It's the heart of the trope. When looking at your description of Rey being like a child and coupling it with the idea Rey is an audience Avatar I almost think that her child like behavior is meant to get the kids in the audience to relate to her and see themselves in her. It could also be because she acts like a kid it's suppose to get the audience to sympathize with her more. I remember one reviewer who was a fan of Rey describing some of their favorite things about Rey are what make her seem child like discovering the world for the first time. Describing her as adorable as if she were a puppy, or small child. This is why I seek out new reviews and analysis cause yeah people bitching and moaning about the same subject might get repetitive, but you also see different perspectives and insights and your definitely having me look at this character a bit differently than I did before. Then combining those new insights with others insights to form completely new ones. After hearing what you had to say about Rey the lost potential of this character is an absolute travesty. Most fans rewrites of anything are pretty god awful, but the story you described is something I actually want to see. Some random jackoff on the internet can come up with an absolutely compelling story arc for this character that a bunch of professional Hollywood writers and directors couldn't and while executing it is a whole other task you have a fairly solid bases for a story they couldn't come up with. Also your criminally under rated. Your videos and points are well made and you bring some new perspectives I haven't seen many other reviewers touch upon. I'll probably be sharing your work around and referencing your name when discussing Star Wars.

[@DarthdYT]

Fascinating insight about the audience avatar. I don't tend to watch many other SW essays, I get too easily influenced wanting to reuse points they made and it doesn't feel as original, so nearly all I watch are from other genres. That last *paragraph made my day, thanks ❤️

[@christopherbennett5858]

I know that I'm replying to an old comment but that child/small puppy comparison might point to Lily Orchard. She's an analyst who has a few mis-steps but made the "Steven Universe is garbage and here's why" video. She made a few interesting points about how rewrites after Disney saw the reception to Force Awakens ie Reylo (Ew) reflected on how some of the more vocal audience members only really saw Rey as a vehicle for their own romantic fantasies.

[@david2869]

David Stewart, the male part of The Eurythmics?

[@silverstarlightproductions1292]

Finally, someone agrees that Finn and Rey should have ended up together.

[@DarthdYT]

Being intimate platonic friends could have probably worked too, but I really think nothing could have pulled him out of the brainwashing of the FO like falling in love. I covered that idea a bit more in my Finn analysis.

[@windghost2]

@@davehandelman2832 Yeah fuck racism.

[@MegaMilenche]

Why? Just because he has a crush on her, doesn't mean that they should've ended up together. And this has nothing to do with racism, too. They simply work better as friends in the narrative. The whole racism take is nothing but John Boyega's idiotic brain on race politics.

[@expleatifdelited982]

You’re right. Could’ve been epic. The seeds were all there. In sports when you pass the ball....ah hell. Perhaps if only the writer director pass off had been...ah hell. Each movie was given too much free reign or too much interference. If only. There Was A Plan. Heavy Sigh. Star Wars should not have ended with a whimper... Nuff said.

[@DarthdYT]

Fingers crossed it could still have a bright future. A brand new story and new characters could theoretically be 100x better than even the OT/PT. Not that I have that much faith in the current regime....but it's possible.

[@rynerlute104]

This video is easily the best analysis of Rey I have seen and your channel has some of the best critiques of the sequel trilogy to ever lbe found on KZbin, on par with So Uncivilized's "Anti-Trilogy" and Empire Wreckers' video on the story development for TRoS ("How bad movies are made"). You made me realize that problems with Rey character extend vastly beyond the Mary Sue trope (even though Rey IS still overpowered and faces very little obstacles during her "journey") and her behavior, her actions during latter two acts of TFA and entirity of TLJ and TRoS actually don't make any sense given her backstory. This essay can be also a great writing tutorial as I personally am writing my own screenplay (for fun and fan purposes) and your analysis of Rey's backstory will definitely influence its main characters and their motivations and actions I haven't thought of before. Let's say my script is now going to setup one of my characters as living in abusive household and will payoff this by him starting a healthy relationship to not repeat his parents' mistakes. The story is going to show his struggles, him searching a superior way of live, falling in love, leaving his past behind and defeating major obstacles. And this won't be even the main storyline of the script!

[@michaelbaker2552]

These are excellent points! I was thinking of Tarzan. He was lost in the jungle as a child. He did not know how to read or right and the only language he spoke was with animals. He was all about survival and when found was still this way. Jane had to teach him literally everything. He had been a traumatized child, had learned to survive and, when attacked, killed. Rey should have been the same way!

[@DarthdYT]

Interesting comparison. I know one counter-argument would be that she was already 5....7(?) when she was left on Jakku and knew most of the "being human" stuff that Tarzan had to learn. Regardless, your point is valid, someone raised outside of "humanity" should exhibit very obvious signs of how different their upbringing made them.

[@KafuKemeh]

​@@DarthdYTbut wasn't she still born on a desert

[@cellytron]

I haven’t even watched the sequels and this still made me emotional, because the Rey you painted would have been such an amazing character.

[@DarthdYT]

yeah, stories of people overcoming severe trauma/hardship are really inspiring. Yet the story barely acknowledges her life was difficult.

[@saltyandthebeefcracker4863]

A direct decendent of a Sith Lord. Heir to a Galactic Empire. A Forgotten Orphan?

[@DarthdYT]

Doesn't sound like a bad plot actually had it been done well. Although this video was mostly about her backstory growing up on Jakku and how that would have affected her.

[@phoebecross8514]

@@DarthdYT Again though all that retcon did was add another very important plot point to the nether realms of nowhere... And personally done well or not I still would have preferred her to be a nobody.

[@DarthdYT]

@@phoebecross8514 yeah, that would have been a nice change. The Skywalker Saga leading into the "nobody saga". Instead they tried to mash the 2 together which led nowhere.

[@Mgauge]

So much wasted potential for the sake of lazy writing to get quick bucks.

[@DarthdYT]

Sad thing is thinking how much they could have made with a decent story. I actually own some Mandalorian merch...couldn't care less about any merch for the ST (except Kylo's saber which is really iconic even if the design is silly)

[@ch0getsu]

Hey man just found your channel glad i did you are underrated.

[@DarthdYT]

Thanks Paul, that encouragement means a lot to me :)

[@richardharrison4762]

I just found this video myself. Honestly, I am shocked that (at the time of writing) there are only just over a hundred likes

[@coyotemars444]

Im pretending that the lullaby-music and basic explaining is like youre talking down to JJ and Rian like theyre lil bbs

[@elinoirsmythe224]

It would be amazing if you did an analysis like this of Anakin's childhood. It could be argued that he is like a weird mixture of Luke and Rey. Born in a Hutt palace and growing up in slavery until the age of ten, he must have experienced some unspeakable things (physical, sexual and psychological abuse, basic necessities withheld while his masters flaunted their excesses in front of him, etc - and ALSO seeing it done to his mother - she says he had no father and was conceived through supernatural means, but Anakin isn't an idiot and would know what happens to slaves - he probably believed himself that he was conceived through rape) but also had a wonderful mother whom he adored and who adored him. So, he went through all the developmental stages and knew the love of family and friends, but was also deeply traumatised. Then he was taken by the Jedi, who unknowingly compounded his trauma by bringing him into an environment which mimicked slavery in many ways (calling authority figures master, being told how to dress, who to associate with, what to wear, what to eat, when to work, how to think, and being told to forget his former life) and who apparently didn't arrange any psychological help for him. And, worst of all, basically gift-wrapped him and handed him over to a serial abuser in the form of Palpatine. I think it's fascinating what you said about childhood amnesia because, although in AOTC Anakin tells Padme that his memories of his mother are fading, it's not complete like in a younger child and Anakin would have had a more sophisticated mental apparatus with which to reflect on his childhood and the whole situation with the Jedi freeing him but leaving his mother behind. There was that article a while ago which argued for Anakin having borderline personality disorder - I think complex PTSD is more likely. /sorry for wall of text!

[@DarthdYT]

Love this idea! I'm adding it to my list, thanks Elinoir!

[@virgogaming6488]

It's why it makes sense George started Anakin off as a child, the psychological baggage of leaving his mother behind and failing her all those years later. 😢

[@Jessica-wo6px]

@@virgogaming6488 It does make sense when we think about that😭

[@melodysoundy7627]

Your analysis is amazing and watching this it feels like Rey should have had the same feelings as Omega from bad batch when she first went off world. Rey had the potential for such a great character arch and they threw it out of the window. I also would absolutely say that as a person who has suffered truama it does effect you later in life and then we needed to see how lonely Rey felt as a character. She had the potential to be one of the most darkest characters with one of the most darkest backstories. I really really also can clarify that your point about lost childhood memories is completely true. I lost my Gran when I was nine and now that I'm in my late teens I barley remember her as most of my found memories of her was when I was super young. My dad died when I was thirteen and I'm also feeling the effects of that I didn't get proper closure and its affected me going into my late teens. I can barley remember his voice and face and often feel the effects of not having a father figure fully in my life. I also because like with my Gran alot of my found memories of him was when I was younger they're gonna fade more easily for me. Rey as a character can't move on because she lost the only parents she barley remembers and I think they should have worked on building her chemistry with Han and Leia. Incredibly easay on Rey.

[@DarthdYT]

Thanks Melody, it's great to hear real life examples backing what I said. And I agree, she definitely could have been a very dark character, it would have been more interesting to watch her turning good instead of Kylo.

[@RusianSpy]

7:34 "It changes the basis of Han's character, from someone who kills in cold blood, to someone who isn't that bad of a guy, he was just defending himself." It's self defense both times. Greedo has a gun on Han and Greedo confirms he wants Han dead. The conversation to confirm: Han: Over my dead body. Greedo: That's the idea. I've been looking forward to this for a long time. Han: Yes, I'll bet you have.

[@DarthdYT]

I know that's the argument most people give. I grew up watching the altered scene, so I never thought much of it, but my best friend would go on rants about how much that scene changed Han's character. 🤷‍♂️

[@RusianSpy]

​@@DarthdYT I grew up with both, and I can safely say I never viewed Han differently regardless of the change. Whoever shoots first isn't going to matter, it's still going to be self-defense, he's still going to be jerk who will eventually do the right thing, and will still be a person that is lifelong friends with Chewbacca. Personally, I don't understand the bit about him being alone and cold-hearted when he has a strong friendship with Chewbacca. People might want to argue he's just a cold-blooded killer in that scene, but to me that's just looking at Han on the surface and not looking at Han for who he truly is.

[@JeffWiersma]

This analysis is next level. Wow, extremely well done.

[@DarthdYT]

Thanks so much! I've done a similar one on FInn already and trying to finish up one on Kylo too.

[@nilothesage]

Seeing this video makes me want to start a channel to dive into star wars analysis

[@DarthdYT]

That's cool to hear :) It doesn't have to be a video either, there's actually a few subreddits where people frequently post analyses like this. r/MawInstallation is probably my favorite.

[@richardharrison4762]

Go for it man!

[@lordsaladiino8851]

I like rey despite all the problems with her character development. I thought the main reason for that was because she's a luke rip off. But you've shown me it's quite the opposite

[@DarthdYT]

She really had so much going for her. I'm dying to know if they changed their minds and changed her character arc or only wrote the basic skeleton of a character they never intended to grow beyond who she began as.

[@timothyho5786]

A character is only fit for is political agenda driven plot line that is force in it no best driven story at all just meh put some of this probably mash-rip off original trilogy character development to bastardized to make a fool for them self to know what they are doing but is obviously not at all. 💢💥👿🗣️👁️💩🛢️💔☠️👽🤖

[@mariajames3230]

Finally. FinnRey😊. Thank you dude. Keep doing what you're doing.

[@DarthdYT]

Thanks Maria 😄 I just recently finished the video covering Finn and I give some more examples of how I think they needed a romantic relationship to give him a reason to leave the FO. You should check it out, I put a ton of work in it, even commissioned some artwork.

[@mariajames3230]

@@DarthdYT Already subscribed😁. See you soon 😄

[@bushello]

I honestly felt more for Rey in this video than in any of the movies.

[@DarthdYT]

Yeah, it's like they came up with her backstory and then immediately forgot that backstories influence character's personalities. I did a similar video on Finn, he had the same issue.

[@Jessica-wo6px]

@@DarthdYT She had so much potential to be an inspirational and iconic character who is a role model for those who have gone through abuse and trauma and made it out on the other side. They messed it all up😔

[@jjeaze]

This is what rey should have been. Another Great analysis. Subbed.

[@DarthdYT]

Thanks JJ!! It's actually really hard to decide if I like this one or the Finn analysis more 😅

[@raminybhatti5740]

I'm glad you justify your criticisms with a thorough grounding in writing theory. It kinda makes your points impossible to refute (as ST fans feel compelled to do) unless one wants to come across as an unreasonable supporter of the ST; support that isn't rooted in objective facts, and more of a tribal support originating mostly from subjective emotion. It's more than acceptable to like something flawed, but to then argue not only is that thing NOT flawed but also there's an insidious agenda lurking beneath the criticism itself (in order to undercut further criticism), that's when things get yucky for me.

[@DarthdYT]

Thanks! I'm trying to make a conscious effort to ground my analysis with evidence/research. Generally I don't feel like I'm giving my own opinion, more like reporting facts people haven't noticed before.

[@Ranixo286]

I really love the sequel Trio in their concepts and what their dynamic was SUPPOSED to be. Would you consider making a similar video with Poe too, to complete the trio? I know there's less to work with for him (and unfortunately plays into sterotypes too with the Latino ex Drug Dealer) but he IS the third member of the trio.The sequel should have ACTUALLY went with the found family theme it tried to present us with.

[@DarthdYT]

I would argue that it's Kylo, not Poe, who's the 3rd in the "trio". By which I mean more thematically, as Poe is part of their literal trio, but theme-wise Poe doesn't fit with them like Kylo does. And I am deep into the Kylo edit as we speak :)

[@drakeredwingofficial]

You have transformed Rey for me, man. I am a fan of the ST, and still love them as guilty pleasures, flaws and all, but *holy shit*, you have pointed out Rey's potential in a way that I don't even think JJ would have thought of. Dammit, JJ, why did ya have to do this? This has made Rey my favorite Star Wars character of all time... because I want to walk through the screen and give her a hug. Thank you. :)

[@DarthdYT]

Love this comment, thank YOU! ❤️

[@drakeredwingofficial]

@@DarthdYT you're so welcome :D

[@Alexander-lc7dx]

This channel is gonna blow up! Great stuff Darth’d.

[@DarthdYT]

It's been really hard to keep motivated lately, but comments like this help. Thanks :)

[@Alexander-lc7dx]

@@DarthdYT I can’t even imagine. Your work is very thoughtful, articulated and pieced together incredibly well. You’re gonna catch fire. I know it. Your name will start to get out there more and more.

[@DarthdYT]

@@Alexander-lc7dx ❤❤

[@wetubeerman]

I’m glad you ended up in the feed. Lately, a lot of people have discovered the industry of bashing the sequel trilogy that Disney created, and within the last few months, a lot of fakers have gleaned the points other creators have made so they can repackage it and get views. It’s a shame it’s even popular to do. I wanted to like these movies but Disney decided shallow pandering would be more profitable. I do appreciate what analysis I’ve seen of yours, so far. Keep it up. You’ll get there.

[@DarthdYT]

Awesome comment, thanks ❤️

[@donominame8859]

PERFECT. I hope many view this. THANK YOU!

[@DarthdYT]

Thanks so much Dono! I did a similar video covering Finn's backstory if you haven't seen it yet.

[@dymoure]

Amazing video. As a writer, i applaud you for your in-depth research. Also, I feel her theme song better fits the tragic emotions in this video than the trilogy itself. Her triumphant redemption could've been better than Vader's. I still love The Force Awakens... the shame about it is how much it banked on the other two movies to expand on her origin. It's nearly impossible to enjoy TFA by itself because I'm constantly thinking of how things began to make less sense in the other two. Character elements totally contradicted each other. Finn and Rey were definitely meant to end up together. It is so obvious in The Force Awakens. I can't believe they just surrendered to Reylo just for fan anticipation. Fan anticipation played a huge part in ruining this trilogy. That's another reason why TFA was still my favorite. The writers only had to make a continuation of the iconic story we all know. It may have been difficult, but it was definitely easier than managing the expectations for VIII and IX. Having said all of this, I still love Rey for who she was in TFA. Same goes for Finn. Somewhere in those characters' roots contained a story that would've made the world's heart bleed. Heck, TFA kind of got a third of the way there.

[@DarthdYT]

Thanks Superman! As for the music, yeah, I spent a lot of time trying to find a theme for her that felt right. Although even not considering the other two films, I still feel there was much that TFA could have done better, but I've got two entire videos devoted to that topic so I won't go on here :)

[@riverskipworth2657]

Could you link that theme? It’s hauntingly beautiful! Sorry am late though, I’ve rewatched the video a dozen times but just now decided to browse the comments. I fully agree on Rey and Finn endin’ up together, it was set up in TFA. I never understood why a lotta people think Rey and Ben Solo have any sorta romantic connection. If they have any connection, I’m pretty sure it wasn’t romance… or at least that’s what I think… it doesn’t look healthy to me, like hell, they were about to murder each other in two and three quarters of the goddamn trilogy! Why do people think it’s romantic? I can’t understand, but maybe I’m a big dumb idiot and these twisted relationships are the standards of nowadays?

[@MegaMilenche]

If you think Finn and Rey were meant to end up together, or if you think that's obvious just from TFA, you are blind or willfully ignorant.

[@MegaMilenche]

@@riverskipworth2657 How exactly was it set up in TFA that Rey and Finn should end up together?

[@seanmichaelmilligan2525]

This analysis was incredible, and once again I am quietly furious about how badly the sequel trilogy was handled on every level.

[@DarthdYT]

Thank you!!

[@theshyowl7301]

I subbed for the memes but I stayed for your analysis videos. I can tell you put a lot of thought into them and they're really enjoyable to watch. I was already disappointed by the new trilogy but this video really drove home how hard they dropped the ball. I would've loved to see this Rey, it's such a shame.

[@DarthdYT]

That comment means a lot, thanks! And I've got like, over 100 more comedy ideas written down I want to do, so more are coming!

[@theshyowl7301]

That's great! Looking forward to it 👍

[@nathanvarade5820]

I feel like you’re on to somethings with this, but there’s probably a more Disney friendly way to execute this (I’ve already seen the Fin video by the way.) A good way to cook this into something less raw would be to have her have a sort of mentor in her early years. It keeps her from pure isolation as a kid but keeps her “fend for yourself” mentality. From there she still gains the anguish of having to struggle for food and the vastly painful experience of loosing said mentor in her mid teen (fueling more of that dark side in her.) but clings to what little light that lingers within her. From there her portion shortages can give her more characterization. Showing that she gets siphoned because she tells the other “workers” gossip to keep them off her back. If not outright avoiding them. She still doesn’t trust people since her co-workers would just as easily take from her or rat her out for gossiping in exchange for more portions. Further cementing her lack of trust as the people on her life aren’t her friends just people she Has to be around occasionally. Tack on an introvert hobby like book reading to the mix and it explains why she knows so many languages or why she is still such a starry eyed dreamer. Over all it keeps the trauma pg enough to not cause a stir but it is still something she could talk to fin about as they open up and learn to trust and rely on each other. She had to fend for herself most of her life and the only person she remembers caring even slightly about her is dead. The only time people come near her is either to steal or trick now so having someone actually invested in her existence would be jarring. Plus it gives her more of a life than work eat or starve. Explain her know how much better and giving her a reason to be eager to be a hero when her old life collapses

[@DarthdYT]

Really love the backstory you laid out and wish I'd thought of it to have included it 👏

[@billmcdermott9647]

@@DarthdYT I sometimes wonder if they should have merged Finn and Rey into a single character

[@forlornhauntedghost]

Wow this vid made me like Rey a lot more, I love your deep insight and I wish Disney had put as much thought into their main sequel characters as you did in this vid 😩👌 💙💚💙💚💙💚💙💚💙💚💙💚💙❤️

[@forlornhauntedghost]

I'm gonna watch your Finn video after I finish this one 👍😄

[@Fangirl222]

This video was brilliant and introduced many point I’ve never considered. I am definitely taking this into consideration for my ST tinkering in the future.

[@DarthdYT]

Thanks :) This is now a series too; I've got vids on both Finn and Kylo's backstories.

[@MrKunecke]

22:13 not going to lie this sounds a lot like what Anakin had to deal with if they had any type of predators like priests on tatooine. He was a slave after all. Thank you so much for pointing this out I never actually put two and two together but yeah it actually makes Ray a better character to me even though it's horrifying.

[@DarthdYT]

I'd say Anakin seemed moderately well protected. They lived in a seemingly close knit community and all the kids ran around in the open without fear. Completely different from Rey's likely childhood.

[@MrKunecke]

@@DarthdYT Good point, I mainly made that point as a joke. But now that you say those points yeah, yeah good I'm glad. It's nice to know that George Lucas didn't accidentally create a scenario with Anakin that wasn't horrifying unlike Disney did with Ray. I must say you're Finn and Ray videos have really opened my eyes to the sequel trilogies and a whole different way. Thank you so much.

[@DarthdYT]

@@MrKunecke thanks Ian! I've done a couple other videos that are specifically breaking down why the ST failed. They're not as polished but I covered a lot of material in ways I've been told other KZbinrs haven't.

[@ShamanMcLamie]

Still watching the video when writing this, but one big misconception about the Han/Greedo scene is Han never kills Greedo in cold blood. Han is not just some murderer. From the dialog it is evidently clear Greedo is threatening Han and Han is shooting in self defense. The main purpose of having Greedo shoot first was to make it more visually apparent Han was shooting in self defense. George Lucas wants his films to operate more on a visual level. Granted I think a better way would have been to give Greedo a bigger more threatening looking gun. The actual change in Han's character is potentially more subtle though. David Stewart made an interesting point that it changes Han from a proactive to a reactive character. Where as in the original version Han is being proactive in eliminating an apparent and looming threat in the Special Edition version he's reacting and retaliating to an act of aggression.

[@DarthdYT]

Looking back at the dialogue, I could argue that Greedo did not initially intend to kill Han then and there, especially considering Jabba's later dialogue and how easily he gave Han another chance. However, look slightly beyond that scene, and Han reacts to Greedo's death like a murderer. No remorse whatsoever, not even a 2nd look at the body, tipping the owner for the "mess" and leaving the body. I should have delved into all of that as well, it's not just the shooting first, it's his reaction after that's just as important. Consider other scenes were heroes are forced to kill, frequently they'll close the victims eyes and briefly mourn for their death. But everything about that scene depicted a man with no conscience.

[@todd-2362]

A 110lb girl like Rey would've been pimp out at 13 in the real world. Hollywood will have you believe quite to opposite though. Rey would've been used up before her 16th freaking birthday.

[@DarthdYT]

I kind of skirted around that idea, but yeah, someone growing up starving like that would sell anything just to live another day.

[@peteypiranalover]

The filmmakers don't understand what backstory mean for characters

[@DarthdYT]

😔

[@derpymcgeezaks7932]

really good content! I hope you get tons of subs soon :)

[@DarthdYT]

Thanks so much! Yeah, I'm coming up on the 2 year anniversary of the channel, I had no idea growth would be this slow. But I guess no one becomes a Jedi in a day ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

[@ch0getsu]

@@DarthdYT you'll make it bro. You just have to be consistent with your content and your uploads. I see real potential in your channel you're not one of those people who just want an "easy rich card". Sadly that's not how it works. You're Passionate and your content is detailed and entertaining. Keep it up. Don't give up:)

[@DarthdYT]

@@ch0getsu thanks so much for the encouragement , that really does mean a lot. It's been extra frustrating lately, hardly having time to work on new videos at all, but one of my jobs is shutting down, so after this month of craziness finishes, I'll hopefully be able to get back to work on the channel with a bit more consistency.

[@danieldosso2455]

A wasted character? Looks like I need some alcohol!

[@DarthdYT]

😅 I'm actually very ashamed I never thought to make that joke while making this 😣

[@figrindantatooine]

Rey shoulda been just like Han was in the original version of A New Hope. She would learn to like and trust people then become a Jedi later in Ep 8. Finn shoulda been the same because he would find himself out of his safe zones but Poe would be the one to show them how to get alone and build a close friendship then all learn to use the Force from Luke. They shoulda fleshed out these psychological issues more and she still should not have so much power ever after training with Luke.

[@DarthdYT]

It would be an interesting comparison to evaluate Luke's (or even Anakin's) powers in the OT vs hers. There's an incredible difference between the two.

[@figrindantatooine]

@@DarthdYT A comparison would be awesome but seeing as she goes through no proper training and no matter what happens Rey ends up with more powers than anyone else, oh but she never stops lasers in mid air so Kylo got to keep one thing she didn't do better then him.

[@DarthdYT]

@@figrindantatooine she actually did in the final battle vs Palpatine's guards. She uses the force to redirect blasts from one guard to hit another.

[@anareaty]

Honestly I wish that Rey's looking for her parents was the bigger plot point. Actually I think it should be her main motivation. Reuniting with them is the one thing she wants at the very beginning, so it would be completely natural, if her EVERY decision in the plot was motivated by it (instead of, you know, not being motivated at all). It also would be very easy to do without changing the plot very much. Imagine: Rey is waiting for her parents, then she meets BB-8. But the one change is - she recognises the droid, it actually belonged to her parents! So she saves it hoping that it knows about them. Turns out the droid do not remember them, because it's memory was wiped out, but it belongs to the resistance - so maybe the resistance should know? So she goes to the resistance. They told her: "We don't know where your parents are, but you know what? Luke does!" So Rey goes to find Luke. Now, Luke knows about her parents, but refuses to tell her for some reason, so Rey gets angry with Luke. Then she has this vision with Kylo, and he goes: "BTW, I know about your parents, come to me and I'll tell you!" Now, her going to Kylo has total sense, because it aligns with her main motivation and not comes out of blue. And so on. I dislike the whole twist with Palpatine, but this reveal also would be so much more impactful, if Rey actually spent the whole plot searching for her family. It would also make her more proactive character, who takes action towards acheiving her goal, instead of doing what other people tell her.

[@killer3000ad]

Absolutely spot on with your assessment about Rey. Kids need proper parenting in their younger years and without it, they grow up maladjusted in many ways, especially socially. I have a friend who once worked in government foster care overseeing teenage kids from broken homes, and the stories she told me about how badly these kids turned out without proper parents was depressing. Alot don't know boundaries and often act out and do stupid stuff cause they want attention. Now my friend's role was to be an adult supervisor and basically keep them out of trouble and that was it and she was not to act in the role of parent. It was actually forbidden to allow the kids to form emotional attachments with them. But these kids were desperate for a parent in their lives and my friend left after a few years as it was so difficult as she desperately wanted to fill that hole in their lives but knew she couldn't (she was married with her own kids). So Rey turning out just fine and well adjusted despite her upbringing just sticks out as odd. One of the issues she noticed with the girls was that their lack of a parent figure meant they didn't know how identify dangerous people around them. One of the common stories she heard was once the girls age out of government foster care, they are considered adults and they end up on the streets or left on their own in welfare housing. What often happens next is they fall into the clutches of bad people. The girls will fling themselves at any male who showers them with attention and you can guess what happens. WHich of course brings us to Rey and her teflon-like ability to have avoided such a fate.

[@DarthdYT]

Wow, can't believe I missed that aspect of her analysis. Granted there's 0 chance they would have overtly addressed that topic, but some intentional subtext could have added a lot of depth to her story.

[@randomcat9975]

Even some of that subtext would have made her relationship with Ben/Kylo more interesting and believable (if not any less weird or concerning). He treats her like she’s special, he wants to recruit her... adding in this backstory would have made very effective fridge horror, at least.

[@DarthdYT]

@@randomcat9975 dang, looking at it like that is crazy. I've been wanting to analyze their relationship, your comment gave me an idea of how to tie in a parody I've been planning too 👍👍

[@jasonsomers8224]

Rey could have been like Vin from Mistborn, Finn could have been like Bucky Barns from Marvel, and Kylo could have been like Zuko from Avatar.

[@DarthdYT]

I only just finished all of Avatar recently and I totally get the Zuko comparisons, it's so spot on!

[@jasonsomers8224]

@@DarthdYT its one of my favorite shows ever.

[@calich33sehead]

It seems that her character was defined by her trauma, which is the only reason she rises above her trauma.

[@lionlikemessenger]

18:23 - Wait, but does Star Wars take place in the “future” or does it take place “long ago” like the opening film roll states?

[@hsds6918]

Excellent analysis, Instant like !

[@DarthdYT]

Thank you!! I recently finished the follow-up video covering Finn, be sure to check it out :-)

[@hsds6918]

@@DarthdYT Yes :)

[@peterpidrak9501]

35:18 would the reaction to the jacket, have necessarily been childlike, or could’ve been a example of her trauma. For a long time she was weak. If she ever did get anything that was worth taking besides the obvious, she could have a very strong sense of possessiveness.

[@Jessica-wo6px]

Very true!

[@DarthdYT]

Want another video? What Happened to Heroes: kzbin.info/www/bejne/Z6TOhIyLqpaqi7s --------- edit: wow, I found drafts of this script dating back to April 2019 😮 I had no idea I was working on this off and on for a full year. If you guys want to see more content like this, please consider supporting me: www.patreon.com/xxdarthdxx ------------------------------ Super proud of this one, hope you guys enjoyed it

[@billyb501stlegion5]

This might be your second best analysis for me next to Luke analysis just amazing 🔥

[@DarthdYT]

@@billyb501stlegion5 this one is by far my favorite, just because I put a ton of work into the sound design compared to other videos. Although the Luke video is far more original and intriguing of a concept. Thanks for the kind words ❤️

[@Vrex360]

Thing is I can’t really fully agree that Rey shows no signs of abandonment issues. For one she constantly tries to return to Jakku because she’s psychologically unable to move on from the idea that they will come back for her, she needs their validation. Hence why she runs away when she gets the force vision with the lightsaber. She’s also far too trusting and naive and eager for affection. She trips over herself trying to win people’s approval and falls for obvious lies. She wants external validation and craves companionship. She also carries deep pain, look at how she tearfully shouts at Kylo in TLJ about how he had a father who loved him, that’s obviously her own internal pain coming back. In fact a mere mention of her parents consistently causes her to get violently triggered. And that craving of external validation causes her to seek out Kylo Ren for validation when Luke turns his back on her. She falls for Kylo’s manipulations because she’s vulnerable. This also ties to her lack of belief in her own self worth. She keeps trying to push the responsibility of heroism to others, ties her value as a person to her parents identity and keeps wanting someone else to give her direction in life because she doesn’t trust herself to make that decision. I’m not going to say they couldn’t have done significantly more, but to say those elements aren’t there at all is misleading.

[@DarthdYT]

Agreed, I frequently speak in absolutes which I'm trying to learn to correct, as she definitely shows those traits you describe. I'd have to look back at the script to see the context I was thinking at the time; probably I was talking about some very specific trait that seemed off and I took it too far in saying that meant she displayed no abandonment issues at all.

[@Krikitt]

18:24 c’mon man, it’s not the future lol. It’s a long time ago in a galaxy far, far away.

[@DarthdYT]

😅 fair enough

[@BRONZALiVE]

5:35 that is spot on, and its my biggest problem with mcu spiderman as well where the writers are missing the point completely, Spiderman is spiderman because of Uncle Ben, and he feels like he never really effected Peter at all in the MCU, its all Tony Stark/Ironman that creates this version of spiderman, which isnt spiderman to me, they are leaving out a big part of his backstory and ignoring it, like the MCU Aunt May doesn't care her nephew is spiderman, did Peter ever tell her the truth about Bens death and how it was his fault, no, because they just ignore all this for a consequence-free spiderman, and that's not spiderman to me, and its alot like Reys problem she has no real consequences

[@DarthdYT]

Huh... Great comparison I hadn't heard before. They did make Peter's lack of a father figure such a big part of his character, that I was personally always reminded of Ben being dead, but you're right, that's not really this version. I need to watch them again and pay attention to how they handle the "Uncle Ben guilt" that has previously so defined Peter.

[@ShannonLynn21]

I don't get why people get hung up on the language thing. It's not uncommon at all for underprivileged to be able to speak or understand multiple languages. Its actually a double standard joke that the rich and poor can be multilingual, yet it's more acceptable for one class but less acceptable for the other. And the argument that, "wE dOnT sEe SpEcIeS sUcH aNd SuCh In ThE bAckgRoUnD!" is pretty lame. Maybe they're hiding under cover trying to cool down, like a cantina. Maybe they're nocturnal. Maybe they're camera shy. Who knows. Just because you don't spot some in the few snapshots of life you get doesn't mean they aren't there.

[@DarthdYT]

I don't disagree with the logic of anything you said, I would just say that it's really poor storytelling to force the audience to infer in order for a scene/character to make sense. We can infer that she learned Shriiwook from Wookie traders who came through at some point. Why/how/when/if that happened are all left up to the audience to guess. Same with her learning the other language that little dude spoke. We can infer she needed that language to barter, but we only ever see her interact with Unkar, who speaks Basic. The best filmmaking is "show don't tell", but in these examples, JJ did neither, and depended on the viewer to interject logical reasoning into his writing.

[@apreviousseagle836]

It seems that all those seeds were in fact there, but instead of being fleshed out properly, they simply glossed over them and ignored that they had to actually build an actual structure to the scaffolding they placed. Also having Rey and Finn end up together, is the logical progression of the story as seen in TFA. All your points are basic psychology 101, and hence, are thing that touch us ALL in the feels. I'm not a huge SW fan, but I wish you would have had final say in the script. I think we would have ended up with a gem instead of a turd.

[@DarthdYT]

Love this comment, thanks!!

[@apreviousseagle836]

@@DarthdYT Dude, I'm not even a huge SW fan (I'm more of a Trekkie, lol) but listening to your incredible essays actually had me close to tears in some places. If someone actually competent had taken all of your ideas, and fleshed out a trilogy based on them, Disney would have literally broke the bank. Their trilogy could have surpassed the OT, and I don't say that lightly.

[@MegaMilenche]

Having Rey and Finn end up together makes sense only if you erase two movies entirely. TFA only is not enough to justify or rationalize her ending up with Finn.

[@apreviousseagle836]

@@MegaMilenche Well, I'm basing my thoughts on the points made in the video. Sure you could have a story where they have no attraction to each other at all, but it would have played out differently. In TFA, it was clear that Finn was interested in Rey, even if at least for now, on a superficial level. I mean, both of them are ripe for madly falling for each other. Neither one seems to have ever had a chance to even hold hands with someone they liked, let alone any type of romance. Finn because he's a soldier, and The New Order or whatever could give two fucks about their soldier getting jiggy jiggy. And Rey? well, not that she has any prospects, except people that want to beat her up and take her shit. It would be kind of organic for a relationship to spark between the two. She's the first girl he's ever met up close that wasn't his superior, screaming at him to get shit done, and he's the first guy Rey has even met that is heroic (remember, she thought he was part of the resistance, and immediately thought that was so cool).

[@MegaMilenche]

@@apreviousseagle836 Yeah, this "She's the first girl he's ever met up close that wasn't his superior, screaming at him to get shit done, and he's the first guy Rey has even met that is heroic (remember, she thought he was part of the resistance, and immediately thought that was so cool)." portion is the thing that turns it off for me. I detest the whole "chick imprinting" concept.

[@Lunacorva]

People who LIKE Rey say that it's because she rises from nothing and overcomes her past. This could have given her the Rey that her fans wanted and deserved.

[@DarthdYT]

Agreed, I think she would have been my favorite character had her struggle really been focused on. Although she probably should have been the villain. Ben had a great upbringing and turned evil, she had a terrible one and was good 🤷‍♂️

[@Lunacorva]

@@DarthdYT I mean, it IS a common narrative of the priveleged villain and the rags to riches hero (Alladin is a classic example) And there is some real life precedent in that as people who experience suffering on hardship can better empathise with those who suffered, and people born into great wealth or luxury become so removed from the rest of the world that they lose the ability to empathise with or even understand them. "You grew up poor huh? That means your family only made six figures a week, right?"

[@EugenethePhilostopher]

Well done, dude.

[@DarthdYT]

Thank you! Really enjoyed doing this series; just uploaded the Kylo Backstory vid recently.

[@AP-uc7oz]

Why the actual hell does this not have more views???

[@DarthdYT]

Lol thanks Andie. The channel is very very slowly growing so hopefully it'll get more traction soon. And I recently finished an entire video covering Finn too.

[@AP-uc7oz]

@@DarthdYT I watched that in its entirety as well 🤗

[@brucejuice350]

Great video...you have a new subscriber!!!

[@DarthdYT]

Thanks so much! I recently finished the followup video covering Finn, be sure to check it out :)

[@StenBackstrom]

Brilliant analysis! 👍

[@DarthdYT]

Thanks so much Sten! I recently finished the essay on Finn, it's pretty in depth too.

[@TheMasonAguilar]

you literally fixed this character wow. smh 🤦🏻‍♂️ fucking disney man

[@DarthdYT]

Thanks! I actually really like the potential she had, same with Finn. I did another long video covering his backstory.

[@TheMasonAguilar]

@@DarthdYT i’ve been on a bit of a binge of your content over the last day or 2. fantastic stuff man, glad to have found you.

[@DarthdYT]

@@TheMasonAguilar made my day, thanks Mason!

[@DouglasLippi]

Not enough time for Rey to have a meaningful arc. And zero chance she could have even survived her childhood in the desert without adult assistance. The worst part, and why her character killed Star Wars, is that 8-16 year-old boys -- the demo that Star Wars appeals to -- cannot relate to Rey in any manner. They do not aspire to be like her as they did Luke.

[@RyanBeane]

Awesome video! Very insightful. I make video essays as well, so this kind of stuff is always way too interesting to me 😂

[@DarthdYT]

Thanks Ryan! I skimmed through a few, your edits are timed very well, great energy to your pacing, fits well with your delivery style. Love how you're goofy and you know it so you lean into it. Keep doing what you're doing and learning/improving as you go. And apparently you've written a BOOK?! Lol, nice comedy thrown in too 👏👏

[@RyanBeane]

Thanks so much! Yeah, I’ve always wanted to have a book published. I literally got the email while in school and was freaking out 😂. Also thanks for thinking my vids are somewhat funny, cuz I certainly try lol

[@MrKunecke]

20: 27 and if MatPat from game theory is correct if she was malnourished that badly she shouldn't have reached 5-ft let alone 5'7. Malnourished children grow into very small people.

[@DarthdYT]

Ooohh, great point I never thought of 😔 And I love MatPat, although I've watched way more of his game theories than film theories.

[@MrKunecke]

@@DarthdYT Nice, the malnourishing point was in his Doki Doki club game theory. apparently there was a meme going around where the pink hair character was buff. I was totally outside of that knowledge base.

[@wannabehistorian371]

A question; you did say that major character development shouldn’t occur offscreen, right?

[@DarthdYT]

Natural progression could I guess... Like Anakin being a knight in ep3 means he passed the trials in between ep 2&3. But that wasn't really "character development". He was still the same person, we weren't confused because he acted differently being a knight.

[@wannabehistorian371]

@@DarthdYT I see. I’ve been wanting to think of what a sequel trilogy rewrite could be like. And I love this concept for Rey. I’ve wanted to do something like this ever since you and Critical Drinker mention this, but you took it even further. Though since I also want to build up this contrast of loneliness between the duo of her and Finn and seemingly blessed (but actually not) golden child Kylo Ren, and make the latter a tragic villain who can be redeemed in the end, it might be a bit too much content... Like I love character driven storytelling, but if I want to tell Rey, Finn, and Ben’s tragic backstories and redemption while all giving them the time of day, while also giving the original cast their rightful send-off, AND conclude Anakin’s part in the saga... that’s probably something more for a series like The Mandalorian than a trilogy of movies. If not a full-on set of five movies. Though I’d like to think that in all this Poe is just the cool big bro who keeps everyone sane. Like he might seem less important than the other main characters, but without him they wouldn’t be going on this adventure, and their morale would have reached the bottom of the bottle a while ago. I think an appendix talking about him would have been nice too. Also I went “YEEEESSS” when you made ReyFinn canon lol.

[@DarthdYT]

@@wannabehistorian371 I do think a romantic relationship is the strongest motivator for Finn actually changing his life, that plus the depiction of the two of the overcoming their trauma together as a couple would have had a different feel than pure friendship. Also I love Critical Drinker 😁

[@wannabehistorian371]

@@DarthdYT Dawwww. Yeeessss! Didn’t expect that considering you two have such different styles lol. But still though, while you seem to be on the side that thinks Ben should be a pure villain by the end, I really think he has potential as a tragic villain. Like, if his childishness were emphasized, he could have been both a terrifying and pitiful villain. Plus it could have this wonderful contrast with our heroes. Like, in this example, Rey would have grown up completely alone, nothing expected of her, an absolute nobody, while Finn would have just been another cog in a machine. Meanwhile, Ben *was* somebody, so I can see Rey getting angry at him for seemingly throwing it all away. ...Then she finds that being somebody isn’t always a good thing either. So it’s this contrast between being seen as completely worthless and having too much expected of you from a super early age; both suck and can be psychologically damaging. I can also see some mental health themes being dealt with with him. Though on the original note I talked about; many of the examples you used had important backstory stuff happen offscreen. Didn’t you criticize that in TFA? What makes these different in your eyes? Is it because we as the audience already know, say, Batman’s story so when we see that in the animated series we go “Ohhhhh...”?

[@wannabehistorian371]

@@DarthdYT But really though, I think maybe there could be short note on what Poe’s role in this would be. After all, when you’ve got two deeply mentally scarred heroes who might not be invested in this cause at first, I think we can’t discount the lighthearted pillar who keeps the gang going. He would be the most static character, but he’s nowhere near useless; it’s him who keeps the tone from being too dark, its him who helps teach Rey and Finn to laugh, he could even be the one who tries to earn Rey’s trust at first. Poe could even be the ultimate reason why Finn decided to defect. All the other stuff like his friend dying, the war crimes, that would factor in it too, but Poe would have been the final turning point. Finn could have been Poe’s prison guard, and it was Poe who broke a hole, even if small, in the already cracking wall that was sealing off Finn’s humanity. While I don’t know if there would be enough time to fully show this onscreen (maybe if this were a TV series), Poe could have, probably slowly, befriended Finn, told him about life outside the FO, about how Han and Leia are like parents to him, show him that there’s another way. He would give Finn his name, would treat him like a human being, and teach him about humor. On Poe’s part it could just be because he wants someone to talk to because he’s bored, but he realizes that there’s a human under that helmet. And when Poe was about to be sent to be tortured or executed and Finn was to take him to his fate, he chose to take Poe and make a run for it instead.

[@LordOfAllusion]

Your MRE calculations are incorrect. An entire MRE is actually designed to be 3,000 calories, or an entire day’s worth of calories in a single meal. Men going through Ranger school do operations for 20 hours a day and are only allowed 1 MRE a day,

[@benjaminjacob3151]

If Rey SHOULD'VE been obsessed with food, then does that mean she WOULD'VE worshipped toilet paper? No wonder she kept to herself,,,,, probably having a stank @ss rash

[@JP-1990]

I really hope you do one for Po and Kylo.

[@DarthdYT]

Currently in the middle of editing one on Kylo. Huge edit too so it's taking a bit.

[@JP-1990]

@@DarthdYT I imagine. I'm curious if you've seen the Collin Treverow for Rise of Skywalker script that didn't have The Emperor in it.

[@rosscarruthers8752]

Although I enjoy your analysis i draw the line at putting rape into Disney films aimed at kids. Better writing could have covered this. Some sort of bodyguard protection o r fighting spirit.

[@DarthdYT]

Well, it definitely would have had to be handled properly. I also don't think these movies should be considered "for kids". Kylo keeps a tub of the ashes of everyone he's killed, he kills his dad in cold blood, we see Finn traumatized by war and death, etc, etc. I definitely wouldn't classify it as a kids movie.

[@virgogaming6488]

I think Rey could have been great too. I kinda like her in The Last Jedi because Luke is the only character keeping her grounded with his grumpy mean demeanor when everyone else automatically likes her or things are handed to her on a diamond platter.

[@DarthdYT]

I really like the idea of her and Finn both being super broken basically neutral evil characters that grow together over the trilogy and change for the better.

[@virgogaming6488]

@@DarthdYT That's a rewrite I can get behind. I think Poe also could have been the straight character of the trio who notices and comments how odd they are at first. I really feel like he should have been there with Rey and Finn on Jakku to better setup the trio and hes the one who inherits the Millennium Falcon from Han.

[@virgogaming6488]

@@DarthdYT Handing Rey everything and giving her every skill/ability that could have been a special trait for another character really made her reek of a Mary Sue in TFA. She ended up feeling like a power fantasy self-insert for KK instead of someone with nuance or complexity and Finn was just there to be her purse puppy.

[@poproxycodone6409]

i really hope a clone wars style show is made about the sequels, because as characters the main trio are great. a traumatized hobo who becomes a wizard, an escaped child nazi slave, and a jock would have a great dynamic. the story and dialogue just sucks.

[@DarthdYT]

Agreed, I've said several times the sequels could have worked if there was another trilogy before them setting everything up.

[@kalzium8857]

I think that the biggest sin of tfa is that they copied anh and then they change some parts without considering the rest. Reys backstory? doesnt matter as they left jakku. They thought that they could just make reys backstory sadder than lukes and be done. Her parents? Not important. Reys problem is that she has no reason to be the main character. Luke lost his family to the empire. A common writer mistake is to compensate a flawed character with too many skills (mary sue). A Mary sue hurts the story because its a traits are how you write the antagonist.

[@DarthdYT]

Great point, I'll probably do a short follow-up pointing out how important losing Luke's family was to his character arc, and how Rey's parents death was so different.

[@LorcanWard_]

Just a question here, why did you fast for a whole week? If you don't feel like discussing it, I fully understand.

[@DarthdYT]

Lol yeah, people don't get that at all, but it was me being curious about my limitations and wanting to test myself. Plus it was a super interesting experience that most people will never have and I learned some first hand info on how the body and mind function when food dissappears. I still fast on occasion, frequently only eating one meal a day. And my favorite diet has been eating once every 2 days, mostly due to how much you're able to eat at once 😅

[@LorcanWard_]

@@DarthdYT lol Intermittent Fasting has never been for me

[@DarthdYT]

@@LorcanWard_ it takes some getting used to that's for sure

[@ericgabrielbautistajaimes9187]

Have you ever watch the cloud atlas movie?, if the answer is not I totally recomend that movie for you

[@DarthdYT]

Not yet but I've had it on my watchlist for a long time. I'll try to make time to watch it soon 👍

[@kerrychristensen7204]

😁👍👍 This was cool!

[@DarthdYT]

Thanks Kerry!

[@cjtrules1]

Saying Rey was sexually assaulted is definitely reading way too much into things. Why does she know how to fight.... in a Galaxy where there are thousands of bounty hunters, pirates, Space Nazis, hostile alien races, and deadly beasts? Hmm no clue. Not to mention she is on her own and she scavenges for a living along with tons of other people. I guarantee you she had fights over pieces of loot or even rations.

[@leahvolmer9210]

That is indeed a weird thing to assume. If a lone male knew how to fight in a harsh environment, we'd just say he's self-preserving, not some potential victim.

[@cjtrules1]

@@leahvolmer9210 Yep. It would be weirder for a guy to NOT know how to fight because of the male gender stereotype.

[@bIametheniIe]

Rey should've had a form of Reactive Attachment Disorder and been more cold towards others. She shouldn't have been smiling when she first met Finn and Finn shouldn't have been a goofy guy. Finn was literally a blatant racist stereotype and trope known as the Uncle Tomfoolery. Both Rey and Finn should've had the same type of mentalities. Both should've been deeply mistrusting of others, frequently having outbursts or throwing tantrums (ironically they gave those characteristics to Kylo Ren), and disconnected from everyone. The character arc of both Finn could've been them growing to form healthy relationships with others, but instead JJ Abrams decided to write them as tropes that made zero sense.

[@DarthdYT]

Agreed, I said the same things in my video covering Finn.

[@bIametheniIe]

@@DarthdYT I'll have to check that video out. :) I don't see how anyone could say any of the Disney Star Wars movies and TV shows are "woke" in any meaningful sense of the term. I just assume those people are mindlessly parroting each other.

[@DarthdYT]

@@bIametheniIe I think people tend to cry "woke" when they see too obvious an attempt at inclusion. For example: even if the ST was amazing, because it overtly starred a woman and black man for the first time in the live action films, it's a "woke" trilogy. One could also argue "woke" because the creators were only focused on sex/race for casting their leads (Boyega was in casting for many weeks before Abrams totally rewrote the script). I think the difference you're seeing is lack of "successful wokeness", where minorities/women are purposefully included but in a beautiful way that adds to the story instead of being token additions so the company can tout how progressive they are.

[@MarsMellow84]

I enjoyed this video but please don't call her Rey Skywalker in the title. I'm still not over it.

[@DarthdYT]

😅 Me neither, I just had to do it for the SEO.

[@MegaMilenche]

Did you get over it yet?

[@CJDM310]

I think it's a bit much to call Han a cold blooded killer, even in the original version. The other guy had his gun pointed at him and Han was cornered, for me a shot in self defense is already justified. All the change managed to accomplish was show what an awful shot bounty hunter Greedo was that he missed Han point blank.

[@DarthdYT]

I believe the intent of the original scene was that Greedo was not ever going to shoot Han, just take him to Jabba, and he only shot as a flinch reaction. Looking at the very first cut of the scene that interpretation is a bit more clear. Then add in the fact that even if it was in self defense, Han doesn't care whatsoever and says something like "sorry about the mess". That's pretty cold blooded imo, to not even acknowledge he took a life, only refer to it like he spilled a drink.

[@jurassicskyrimatfreddys6258]

Rey Palpatine, nothing will change that

[@DarthdYT]

true, but this video was looking at the very foundation of her character. For probably nearly everything I discussed in this video, her parentage is irrelevant, because it's focusing on how she would have grown up without said parents.

[@spearfisherman308]

mystery box of course.

[@benjaminjacob3151]

Nope. TLJ ends with Rey going with Kylo. Ep lX starts with her having a bun in her oven, but barely, if not showing at all. Enter Luke to battle with Kylo and Rey, but trying to redeem her and Ben. She turns back to the light just before Luke sacrifices himself shielding her from Kylo's death blow. Rey defeats Kylo, but Skywalker bloodline saved,,,, hence the Rise of Skywalker actually making sense with plural significance,,, Like ROTJ had.

[@virgovirtuoso]

i was lowkey expecting full Disney takeover like because Rey is the only full grown jedi, she turns against both light and dark, achieving a perfectly balanced grey, rebrands the whole sith/jedi thing into the one title Skywalker, and starts a whole Skywalker School for Children ready for an animated kids show that is essentially Elementary X-Men.

[@Froggsroxx]

I wasn't expecting to be so triggered by this character breakdown jesus

[@DarthdYT]

Triggered in what way? 👀

[@MizanQistina]

The problem is TROS, her character arc somewhat fixed in TLJ, but JJ Abrams insisted to undo TLJ. Rey Nobody is the turning point of everything that being established in TFA, she got her identity there, at the revelation. She reject Kylo offer and soon afterward she and Finn "romantically" get back together. But JJ Abrams wasting that scene. In TROS, there should be a love triangle between Rey, Finn and Rose, and Rey should discover all about "attachment lead to dark side" thing in which echo or rhyme with the Prequels trilogy, the core problem of Jedi world. This will fit nicely with her background being all alone since childhood, she just learn how to make friends and involved in romantic relationship, but now she have to sacrifice all that because of Jedi teaching. But again, it is all wasted because JJ Abrams insist on Rey being a Palpatine and want to win Reylo fans.

[@DarthdYT]

agreed, TROS didn't help the situation at all, although this video was mostly addressing the personality she has when we first meet her.

[@MizanQistina]

@@DarthdYT Surely Rian Johnson as a good movie director already see the flaw of Rey's character like you mentioned in this video, that's why he make Rey as what we see in TLJ, but the problem is JJ Abrams ego... JJ Abrams style of directing is a problem for SW, his "mystery box" way is not compatible with George Lucas style. The problem of JJ style is he never have a story, but plots, the rest of things are either explained or left for the viewers assumptions. For example, the movie begin with Poe get a mission to find Luke Skywalker...who's Poe? At that moment the viewers have no idea who is Poe. Yes we see he run to the X-Wing, but who is he really? SW fans assume he's a pilot of "The Rebellion" because of the X-Wing, but for new viewers, have no idea at all. Then things happen to the point of Finn meet Rey. Again, the same process going on and on and on...in the end Rey meet Luke Skywalker, not Poe. So what the story is about? There is no story. That's JJ Abrams style of making a movie. Compare that with George Lucas style in ANH. The movie begin with a princess got kidnapped by the villain. Then cut to Luke Skywalker a boy who live in the desert with his adoptive family. Then the boy get involved in the conflict that lead to rescuing the princess, and so on become the hero of the movie. The story is about the boy who become a hero saving the princess and her kingdom. So character background for Luke Skywalker is important to establish his hero journey in the movie, while Rey exist just to fill in a plot in a movie.

[@DarthdYT]

@@MizanQistina oh I definitely agree with you about JJ's style not being right for this franchise. I actually did a 2 part video essay explaining how that style was so destructive to future films.

[@vanheath5382]

Having different people write and direct each movie was the flaw. Whether it be JJ or Johnson, if either would have had control of the full trilogy it would have turned out 1000x better. Johnson didn’t respect what Abrams laid out for him and Abrams resented Johnson for TLJ and went for fan service to end it. There was no need for a love triangle in this series, just as there was no need for one in the prequels. Creating a triangle with Finn-Rey-Kylo or Rey-Finn-Rose is nothing but another copycat of the original Han-Leia-Luke.

[@MizanQistina]

@@vanheath5382 I agree that one director only will sure make the sequel better, but I vote for Rian Johnson over JJ Abrams for obvious reason as I mentioned above. TFA isn't good because of JJ Abrams style, he favor action scenes to carry the plot over drama build up in which not suitable for SW. We can see how George Lucas always reserve actions only on certain places in Ep1 to Ep6. It is always started with action, then drama. For example, in TPM, two Jedi sent to settle dispute but then engaged in a fight, later talk and talk, then Anakin swoop racing, and then and talk, then Qui Gon vs Maul and so on. The same goes to AoTC, started with a boom, then talk and talk, then Obi Wan jump off the window...up to Ep 6 it always follow the same format. Like George Lucas said, it rhymes...so the love triangle also rhyme with the previous movies. Rian Johnson do follow this format. But JJ style, in TFA, Poe talk with old guy, then shooting, then space battle, then Rey fight some bad guys, then they got attacked, then Millennium Falcon scene, then Han Solo and monsters scene, then First Order attack planets, then Finn fights...actions to the finish. The same with TROS, started with Kylo fight, then Millennium Falcon scene, then Rey training scene, then they off to search the thing, then First Order attack, then snake scene, then Kylo attack Rey, then mercenary attack the group, then First order arrive, then the trio fight in the ship, then Kylo vs Rey skype fight, then Kylo vs Rey again and so on...action scenes to the finish. It is because JJ Abrams DON'T CARE about a story, he only make plots and let the viewers guessing who's who, their motivations and what is going on. He only provide visual entertainment with action scenes.

[@orangutansoda]

I disagreee that Finn and Rey should end up together but I agree with everything else lol

[@DarthdYT]

I think it was in the followup video covering Finn that I said I'd have been fine if they were extremely close platonic friends, however Finn falling for Rey is one of the only logical explanations for him deciding to leave the FO, so that's why I tend towards the romantic angle.

[@MegaMilenche]

People are desperate for anything that could've come between her and Kylo/Ben. Usually, they conflate their dislike of certain romance pairing with "these two are not attracted to each other at all".

[@nickcalderon2637]

⁠@@MegaMilenche Just like how Reylo is a terrible ship that makes no sense, and was made because they didn’t want Rey to end up with the Black guy.

[@Mr.Starpop]

What would be her enneagram then? Just wondering?

[@DarthdYT]

Honestly I had to Google that, I'm not familiar with that model, but after a very brief look I'd guess 1 (The Reformer). Although I'd have to study that model a lot more that's just a first thought.

[@Mr.Starpop]

@@DarthdYT It's okay, I was just wondering because the way you changed the character was pretty cool but I didn't see the one in her anymore. She could be a six (the Loyalist) or 9 (the Peacekeeper) now but idk.

[@nosfonader8792]

If only Rey was a untrusting, anti-social character we might have had some sympathy for Rey. If only she sold BB8 to get a week or so worth of food we would have gotten her situation more. The First Order was still invading Jakku, so it's not like would have never seen BB8 again. Rey should have just been Han and Leia's daughter. This would have easily solved any of this needless drama and plot holes. Harry Potter was living with awful people and was forced to live in a broom cupboard for 11 years and he turned out ok. Nobody bitches about Harry not being distrustful of people. Nobody bitches about Harry having hidden talent in magic and learning "difficult even for adults to learn" magic spells. Why just Rey is complained about when dozens of characters have her terrible writing?

[@DarthdYT]

that's a really interesting comparison with Harry. I'm gonna file that in my ideas folder to explore one day 👍

[@nosfonader8792]

@@DarthdYT No problem, it's just a thing I noticed

[@MegaMilenche]

Second movie portrays her trauma better.

[@nionashborn7626]

39:00 not yet

[@DarthdYT]

Referring to "the closer you look the more you see?" or "a character we can feel doesn't make sense"? 🤔

[@b1akn3ss93]

Was she wasted? or just pushed into the limelight too hard?

[@DarthdYT]

I maintain that the character was wasted based entirely off her presentation within the first 20min of ep7. Regardless of how quickly she was pushed into the leading Jedi role, her personality did not whatsoever fit her backstory.

[@bushello]

This video is better than The Force Awakens.

[@DarthdYT]

Thanks, I worked pretty hard on it :)

[@bushello]

These video essay/analysis things are how i experience the new tar wars movies lol. Cuz I have always felt that WOKENESS in entertainment is deliberate and serves a purpose beyond what we see on the surface, It creates differing opinions and division. This seems to be a popular tactic among politically motivated people/entities. I mean with a government you are controlling people with division. But what does Disney have to gain? Are they trying to make people VOTE a certain way?

[@DarthdYT]

@@bushello yeah, I haven't yet done a video examining the "why" behind their decisions, but I did a very in-depth video that's a compilation of all the subtle racism/misogyny moments in the sequels and there's so much it's pretty striking.

[@colinafobe2152]

I like good critics and agree on most but we dont really know how rich their food is on her planet and what portion means there. for all we know she got more than enough. sometimes i lick plate too if i prepare something very nice. maybe their culture is to lick plates?

[@DarthdYT]

True. I think the point stands just as an example of the depth to which the writers were working, if that makes sense.