Of Course, Non-Skywalker Jedi Still Exist In ‘Star Wars,’ So Lookout, Broom Boy
The Rise of Skywalker had many reveals and significant moments for the franchise. One of the biggest arcs of this sequel trilogy was “Who is Rey?” So, the last reveal about her was shocking to some. And while it defines her story, there are other Force-sensitive people out there that could become proper Jedi themselves. Even though the Skywalkers are the main Force-wielders in Star Wars, there’s hope out there for all the broom kids in the galaxy. Spoilers for The Rise of Skywalker ahead.
Some people thought Rey’s lineage diminished the broom boy from ‘The Last Jedi’
Some people didn’t like Rey’s lineage because it made them feel like the broom boy at the end of The Last Jedi didn’t matter. That the story of Star Wars is only left up to the children of important families, like the Skywalkers, in Ben Solo’s case, or the Palpatines, in Rey’s. And that’s, of course, not it. Even though the narrative could have been more powerful or just different if Rey indeed was a nobody, that didn’t happen. But that doesn’t mean broom children don’t matter. They do, and are the future of Star Wars.
In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, co-writer of Episode IX, Chris Terrio, reveals that this debate is important, and The Rise of Skywalker in no way diminishes this “democratization of the Force.” He explained that for this story, he and J.J. Abrams just felt the answer to who Rey is needed to be “more interesting.” Having Rey be a Palpatine, “one of the families that has been at the center of this whole saga the entire time,” was too good to pass up. “In the end, the film asserts that there are things stronger than blood because she chooses a different family for herself,” he said.
Chris Terrio said that broom boys matter in ‘Star Wars,’ too
But if you’re still wondering about the little boy that showed his Force sensitivity in Episode VIII, the movie can still give you hope for the future. The Rise of Skywalker revealed that Finn was extremely Force-sensitive and can sense Rey’s death and where the signals were coming from in the battle at the end. “We wanted to begin to plant the idea that Finn is Force strong and that there are other people in the galaxy who are Force strong,” Terrio said.
And with that, the future of the Jedi — more Force-sensitive kids — exist out there, too. “Yes, of course, the galaxy is full of Force users, and you don’t have to be a Skywalker or a Palpatine in order to be strong with the Force,” Terrio stressed. “But Luke does say very explicitly in Return of the Jedi, ‘The Force is strong in my family,’ and we know that there is an inherited element to Force power.” That’s why Ben Solo and Rey were such big players in the sequel trilogies. And it would explain why Rey was so powerful from the get-go, too.
‘Star Wars’ is full of Jedi that aren’t Skywalkers or Palpatines
And to further this point, there are already tons of Jedi in canon that exist after Order 66, when the Empire mostly purged the universe of Jedi. In addition to Finn, Star Wars Rebels focuses on Kanan Jarrus and his Padawan Ezra Bridger. Along with other rebels on their ship, Ghost, they work missions that undermine the Empire around 14 years after Revenge of the Sith.
Not to mention, Ahsoka Tano survived as well. Since she was no longer a Jedi and had an edge on Mandalore, Ahsoka escaped Order 66. She went on to also work for the Rebel Alliance. While Ahsoka left the Jedi Order before becoming a Jedi Knight, she’s immensely strong with the Force. In the novel Ahsoka, she also expresses a desire to help other younglings who might also be Force-sensitive, to save them from Inquisitors and the Empire who are hunting them.
There were Jedi before Skywalkers, and there will be Jedi after. No one knows what happens after The Rise of Skywalker, but the Jedi aren’t gone, and the Force is still strong with many.
