During Episode 7, Abrams setup Luke’s lightsaber, which is also Anakini’s lightsaber, as a sort of relic. This is not just a weapon--it is an icon. A symbol. A piece of a larger mythological story. Abrams was right to portray the lightsaber in such a lofty light.
Unfortunately, Episode 8 tossed the lightsaber aside as if it were nothing. I understand the point of doing so. Luke threw it away. He can. It is his to begin with. It is easy to understand Luke’s action if you view the action through the eyes of a Jedi. A Jedi does not care about such trivial matters as worldly objects. A lightsaber is simply a tool. Luke’s action tells us that we should be careful what we value. Luke reminds us that having a lightsaber does not make someone a Jedi. A Jedi is a practitioner of the Force. A Jedi without a lightsaber is still a Jedi.
However, treating the lightsaber as such a trivial thing throughout Episode 8, disrespects the fans who have put so much of themselves into the mythos that George Lucas created. We hold the lightsaber in high regard, just as Rey holds it in high regard. We deserved to see Rey recapture the lightsaber if only to honor the memory of the Jedi.
Thirty-eight seconds into the trailer we see the words: Every generation has a legend. This statement appears to be Lucasfilm’s way of telling us that the new trilogy is for a new generation. The last generation had Luke. This generation has Rey, apparently. We need to talk about that word legend.
What exactly has Rey done that is legendary?
Anakin won a pod race and blew up a droid mothership in Episode 1. Luke destroyed the first Death Star in Episode 4. Rey did what, exactly? She flew the Millennium Falcon? Han, Chewie, and Lando flew the Falcon in similar fashion. Countless other pilots flew ships in similar fashion. It was exciting to watch, but the action of flying the Falcon was no different than what other pilots have done. An action is hardly legendary if so many people have done the same thing.
Did she blow up a giant spaceship? No.
Perhaps she blew up Starkiller Base? Nope. That was Poe.
Did she lead an assault against overwhelming odds and win? No. That was the other girl from that other Star Wars movie.
Did she kill Snoke? Not at all. She couldn’t even escape from Snoke.
She battled some elite guards, but so did Kylo Ren.
After two movies is there anything Rey did that is considered unique or just noteworthy? Not a thing.
Perhaps we’ll see why she should be labeled a legend in Episode 9.
There is one glaring problem with Rey. After two films what do we know about her? We are gearing up for the third film, which should be the third act of this third trilogy, and the question before us is the exact same question we had at the beginning of Episode 7: Just who is Rey? Let that sink in. The third movie is coming out and we don’t even know the last name of the protagonist.
By the time Return of the Jedi started we not only knew Luke’s last name, but we knew Leia was his twin sister. We also knew Vader was Luke’s father. Talk about a big deal! Fans were dying for Return of the Jedi because we wanted to see what was going to happen to the Skywalker family.
Episode 9 is coming out and we have zero knowledge about the main character. I’m sorry, but that’s a problem. This is not a criticism about Rey or the wonderful young actress who plays her. It is a criticism of the writers, directors, and producers of episodes 7 and 8.
Another problem with Rey and the upcoming Episode 9 is we have not watched Rey overcome anything. She hasn’t been beaten down. If she were, we could be excited to watch her rise up. Think about all of the great heroes from media that we love and admire. The single thing that makes those characters memorable and meaningful is their ability to overcome defeat and secure victory.
Joseph Campbell wrote about the Hero’s Journey. Campbell outlined how all true heroes must pass through the underworld. They must go into darkness and learn about themselves so that when they emerge into light, they bring the fire of the gods to the rest of us to admire and with which to be inspired. In other words, heroes must go through hell. They must struggle. They must learn by failing. True heroes rise above their mortal coils and ascend to greatness.
We didn’t love Lt. Ripley because she was a woman who destroyed a bunch of aliens. We love Lt. Ripley because she overcame tremendous fear and did what she had to do to survive. Ripley’s strength was not her gender, it was her ability to make quick decisions in the face of fear. Ripley’s power was her inner strength and desire to persevere. Ripley’s qualities are things with which we can all relate to and admire.
We don’t love Rocky Balboa for winning a boxing match. In fact, Rocky lost to Apollo Creed at the end of the first Rocky movie. Did you forget that? We love Rocky because he pushes against all adversity in pursuit of his dreams. We love Rocky because no matter what people tell him, he follows his heart to become a boxer. We love Rocky because he is inspired even in defeat.
If the movie Die Hard was made in 2019, John McClane would be Jane McClane. Jane would not have to run across glass barefoot. Jane would not doubt her ability to make it through the night. Jane would not get the shit kicked out of her by a German terrorist. Jane would not start with a clean white shirt and end up battered and bloody in a black shirt at the end of the film. Jane would defeat anybody who crossed her path and she would end the film having barely broken a sweat. Audiences would applaud and find it refreshing, even though the film’s writers and directors insulted audiences’ intelligence every step of the way. That’s how blinded people are by ideology.