Rey and the sad devolution of the female character

[LJones41]

According to this guy, Rey has devalued many future female characters by being what she was in The Force Awakens and The Last Jedi:

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Does anybody agree with this, or think the commenter's full of Banthan podoo (like I do?) Respond below.

Yes and no.

I'm sorry, but Rey did come off as a Mary Sue character at times. Her ability to use a lightsaber and other Force skills with no training seemed ridiculously unreal - even for a Star Wars movie.

However . . . female characters are not the only ones who suffer from this kind of writing. The creator of the video clip should have pointed out that there are male characters who are either written as Gary Stus or borderline Gary Stus.

Luke's skills with the Force around the beginning of "Return of the Jedi" still seems ridiculous to me, considering that he had never returned to Dagobah to finish his training with Yoda. I heard from someone that he had used the Jedi books left behind by Obi-Wan on Tatooine to finish his training within a space of a year. Disney has yet to explain how his skills had increased so drastically in such a short space of time. To this day, I find his post-TESB Jedi training rather ludicrous.

Harry Potter is another fictional male character who has come dangerously close at times in becoming a Gary Stu. I'm not claiming that he is one, but there were those moments.

 

[Tuskin38]

Yes and no.

I'm sorry, but Rey did come off as a Mary Sue character at times. Her ability to use a lightsaber and other Force skills with no training seemed ridiculously unreal - even for a Star Wars movie.

However . . . female characters are not the only ones who suffer from this kind of writing. The creator of the video clip should have pointed out that there are male characters who are either written as Gary Stus or borderline Gary Stus.

Luke's skills with the Force around the beginning of "Return of the Jedi" still seems ridiculous to me, considering that he had never returned to Dagobah to finish his training with Yoda. I heard from someone that he had used the Jedi books left behind by Obi-Wan on Tatooine to finish his training within a space of a year. Disney has yet to explain how his skills had increased so drastically in such a short space of time. To this day, I find his post-TESB Jedi training rather ludicrous.

Harry Potter is another fictional male character who has come dangerously close at times in becoming a Gary Stu. I'm not claiming that he is one, but there were those moments.

What about him using the force to pull the lightsaber at the start of ESB?

 

[Infern0]

Imo Rey has become an uninteresting character.

The actress is good, and in Force Awakens i found her interesting but I think the problems with TLJ are due to disconnect from Abrahms setup in TFA

I don't know why they didn't stick with JJ as he obviously had a plan set out then Johnson comes in and probably doesn't know what that plan was so just does his best going in blind, and the plot starts falling apart

 

[Infern0]

Yes and no.

I'm sorry, but Rey did come off as a Mary Sue character at times. Her ability to use a lightsaber and other Force skills with no training seemed ridiculously unreal - even for a Star Wars movie.

However . . . female characters are not the only ones who suffer from this kind of writing. The creator of the video clip should have pointed out that there are male characters who are either written as Gary Stus or borderline Gary Stus.

Luke's skills with the Force around the beginning of "Return of the Jedi" still seems ridiculous to me, considering that he had never returned to Dagobah to finish his training with Yoda. I heard from someone that he had used the Jedi books left behind by Obi-Wan on Tatooine to finish his training within a space of a year. Disney has yet to explain how his skills had increased so drastically in such a short space of time. To this day, I find his post-TESB Jedi training rather ludicrous.

Harry Potter is another fictional male character who has come dangerously close at times in becoming a Gary Stu. I'm not claiming that he is one, but there were those moments.

With Potter though it's made obvious that he is hopelessly outmatched and it's sheer luck/circumstance that he gets out of situations. He even himself says repeatedly most of his victories are mostly down to luck.

Rey IS a Mary Sue, but I agree thats not a problem exclusive to female characters. Also agree Luke was somewhat similar. Luke wasn't AS bad though as he at least had some training under two great Jedi Masters and at the end of the day he only beats Vader by becoming enraged and just going bezerk, whilst Vader is not committed to the battle as he's already softened after meeting his son.

 

[Awesome Possum]

I like Rey. I’d rather kiss a wampa than watch a whiny fanboy cry about how awful Rey is.

 

[USS Firefly]

With Potter though it's made obvious that he is hopelessly outmatched and it's sheer luck/circumstance that he gets out of situations. He even himself says repeatedly most of his victories are mostly down to luck.

Rey IS a Mary Sue, but I agree thats not a problem exclusive to female characters. Also agree Luke was somewhat similar. Luke wasn't AS bad though as he at least had some training under two great Jedi Masters and at the end of the day he only beats Vader by becoming enraged and just going bezerk, whilst Vader is not committed to the battle as he's already softened after meeting his son.

I agree and I fount it rather distracting that Rey could do everything at first try.

 

[CorporalCaptain]

What about him using the force to pull the lightsaber at the start of ESB?

IOKILDI

Spoiler

It's OK if Luke does it.

 

[fireproof78]

Imo Rey has become an uninteresting character.

The actress is good, and in Force Awakens i found her interesting but I think the problems with TLJ are due to disconnect from Abrahms setup in TFA

I don't know why they didn't stick with JJ as he obviously had a plan set out then Johnson comes in and probably doesn't know what that plan was so just does his best going in blind, and the plot starts falling apart

This is not accurate as Abrams has stated that he reached similar conclusions as Johnson did with the character.

 

[LJones41]

What about him using the force to pull the lightsaber at the start of ESB?

There you go. A Gary Stu moment.

This is not accurate as Abrams has stated that he reached similar conclusions as Johnson did with the character.

This does not make me feel good about "Episode IX". Or else, Abrams is simply being ordered to toe the company line.

 

[JD]

I don't see why, all of the expectations that Rey's parents were important people came purely from viewers, including me, reading way to much into what was said in TFA. I know I had just assumed that since it was set up a as a big mystery, there was going to be some connection to the past, but there was nothing in the movie that even implied that, it was all just our assumptions. That was one of the things I liked about the reveal in TLJ, it went against my expectations, without contradicting anything in TFA. I honestly think her parents being nobodies works a lot better for the story, it puts her right in line with Luke and Anakin, and it also saves our favorite characters from looking bad by abandoning their daughter.

 

[fireproof78]

This does not make me feel good about "Episode IX". Or else, Abrams is simply being ordered to toe the company line.

What company line? He came up with the idea based upon some of Lucas' and his own O_o

 

[Shaka Zulu]

I don't see why, all of the expectations that Rey's parents were important people came purely from viewers, including me, reading way to much into what was said in TFA. I know I had just assumed that since it was set up a as a big mystery, there was going to be some connection to the past, but there was nothing in the movie that even implied that, it was all just our assumptions. That was one of the things I liked about the reveal in TLJ, it went against my expectations, without contradicting anything in TFA. I honestly think her parents being nobodies works a lot better for the story, it puts her right in line with Luke and Anakin, and it also saves our favorite characters from looking bad by abandoning their daughter.

My sentiments exactly.

 

[Reverend]

Yeah, Rey being a Skywalker was never a concept that appealed to me. At most I could have been down with her being a Kenobi/Kryze, but that was mostly just because it potentially added an extra dimension to certain TCW plot threads. It would have added very little of substance to Rey's story.

Indeed, before TLJ even came out I was about 90% convinced that her parentage was irrelevant since TFA seemed to pretty conclusively address it IMO. TLJ basically just reiterated that in even more explicit terms since evidently, some fans needed to be spoon-fed.

 

[fireproof78]

Yeah, Rey being a Skywalker was never a concept that appealed to me. At most I could have been down with her being a Kenobi/Kryze, but that was mostly just because it potentially added an extra dimension to certain TCW plot threads. It would have added very little of substance to Rey's story.

Indeed, before TLJ even came out I was about 90% convinced that her parentage was irrelevant since TFA seemed to pretty conclusively address it IMO. TLJ basically just reiterated that in even more explicit terms since evidently, some fans needed to be spoon-fed.

This seems to be an example of expectations being accepted as fact without checking reality first.

 

[LJones41]

What company line? He came up with the idea based upon some of Lucas' and his own O_o

Then this really does not make me feel good about "Episode IX". What is the point of the Sequel Trilogy being part of the Skywalker family saga, when neither of its two major characters are part of the Skywalker family line. It's a waste of time. Disney should have left the family saga alone and simply use characters from the previous two trilogies as minor or supporting characters.

Please do not bring up Kylo Ren. As far as I'm concerned, he is merely a villain and a supporting character . . . and not a good excuse to consider this trilogy as part of the family saga.

 

[fireproof78]

Then this really does not make me feel good about "Episode IX". What is the point of the Sequel Trilogy being part of the Skywalker family saga, when neither of its two major characters are part of the Skywalker family line. It's a waste of time. Disney should have left the family saga alone and simply use characters from the previous two trilogies as minor or supporting characters.

Because it is now the Skywalker legacy, which is really the Legacy of the Force since Anakin was conceived by the midi-clorians.

 

[JD]

Yeah, Rey being a Skywalker was never a concept that appealed to me. At most I could have been down with her being a Kenobi/Kryze, but that was mostly just because it potentially added an extra dimension to certain TCW plot threads. It would have added very little of substance to Rey's story.

Indeed, before TLJ even came out I was about 90% convinced that her parentage was irrelevant since TFA seemed to pretty conclusively address it IMO. TLJ basically just reiterated that in even more explicit terms since evidently, some fans needed to be spoon-fed.

The other thing that I just remembered is that Rey basically already knew, and all Kylo did was force her to admit it.

Then this really does not make me feel good about "Episode IX". What is the point of the Sequel Trilogy being part of the Skywalker family saga, when neither of its two major characters are part of the Skywalker family line. It's a waste of time. Disney should have left the family saga alone and simply use characters from the previous two trilogies as minor or supporting characters.

Please do not bring up Kylo Ren. As far as I'm concerned, he is merely a villain and a supporting character . . . and not a good excuse to consider this trilogy as part of the family saga.

He's still a Skywalker, and much of the story is still propelled by actions taken by Luke and Leia, so even if Rey, Finn, and Poe aren't Skywalkers, it's still a continuation of the Skywalkers' story.

 

[Tuskin38]

Please do not bring up Kylo Ren

Kind of hard not to when he's the main antagonist.

 

[Refuge]

He's still a Skywalker, and much of the story is still propelled by actions taken by Luke and Leia, so even if Rey, Finn, and Poe aren't Skywalkers, it's still a continuation of the Skywalkers' story.

That's a good point actually. There's so much competition about who is better Luke or Rey which has NOTHING to do with who a personal viewer likes the most. Something resonates for us because we are all different. However, of course Kylo is part of the legacy of previous characters and in some bizarre way it's comforting to keep that thread alive.

 

[Tom Hendricks]

You guys did see the part in the movie where she takes on three guys with her staff and roundly defeat them. She's just like Luke but with years of actual training in self defense because she was more or less on her own. She was holding her own against Kylo, then he reminded her about tapping into the Force. Which she obliged and soundly kicked his ass. Come on, handling a Lightsaber isn't that complex, Finn just showed that he could do it and he has no force ability and without the Force he got beat. We've seen that Stormtroopers are trained to fight against Lightsabers.