By allowing ads to appear on this site, you support the local businesses who, in turn, support great journalism.
11 ridiculous 'The Last Jedi' theories that you have to read (plus 4 bonus theories)
08cd718df74a80f28fc10505a800d1385758c3035040d35bcbca8c4bd38dccbd
A scene from "Star Wars: The Last Jedi." - photo by Herb Scribner
Theorize all you want about Star Wars: The Last Jedi. Your best guess isnt even close.

Director Rian Johnson recently told Screen Rant that none of the fan theories he has seen have hit on the big reveals or answered the questions featured in the new film.

I mean, nothing thats really nailed big stuff, he said. I love reading the fan theories, you know, having been a Star Wars fan myself and (having) been on the other side of the curtain most of my life, its pretty cool to be back behind, like peeking through.

While the statement implies that fans haven't guessed the major plot points, its possible Johnson is purposefully ducking these theories to inspire people to see the film.

Theories about the film span all types of topics, from Supreme Leader Snoke to the fate of Luke Skywalker. Weve collected a handful of theories that were published since The Force Awakens.

Note: We purposefully avoided any theories that included spoilers for the upcoming film that we know of. The Deseret News has not seen the new movie, so it is impossible to know if these theories come true. If you want to avoid spoilers, it would be best to avoid these theories. Also, we didnt include any simple theories, like Rey is the daughter of Luke Skywalker. Were going way out of the galaxy on these.

Rey and Kylo will create a better future

Forbes contributor Paul Tassi recently theorized that the new The Last Jedi film will change the game when it comes to how fans view the force, Jedis and Siths.

Tassi opined that Rey will unite with Kylo Ren to create a future that moves them both toward the middle of the force, not necessarily the light or dark side. The two will unite in such a way to make Luke Skywalker realize the error of his ways, too.

This is where I can see 'The Last Jedi' heading, to Lukes realization that the old Jedi ways have no place in the world, and instead by combining them with some of the freedoms the Sith enjoy, that true balance can be brought to the Force that way, Tassi wrote. The alternative, lonely warrior monks trying to stomp out every single evil villain from the galaxy, has proven beyond futile at this point.

Read his theory on Forbes.

Kylo Ren is actually good

A popular theory about the new Star Wars trilogy appeared only a week after "The Force Awakens came out in 2015. As BuzzFeed reported, the theory suggests that the villainous Kylo Ren/Ben Solo is actually playing both sides of the coin, serving as something of a double agent. The theory posits that Ren joined the dark side so that he could help the light side.

Read more about this theory at BuzzFeed.

Mark Hamills Luke Skywalker backstory

Actor Mark Hamill recently told Entertainment Weekly that he developed his own backstory for Skywalker, since The Last Jedi script didnt give him enough to work from.

Hamill said he wrote out various Skywalker scenarios, including one where he marries a woman and the two have a child, who accidentally killed himself/herself with a light saber, Hamill said.

Its nothing to do with the story, but when I think about gun violence and you read these tragic stories of kids getting hold of their parents guns and killing a sibling or themselves, I mean, I had to go to really dark places to get where Luke needed to be for this story.

Read more about the theory at Entertainment Weekly.

Rey is Obi-Wan Kenobis granddaughter

Yes, you read that correctly. Fans are still unsure about who Reys parents are, given that they didnt explain it in The Force Awakens.

One theory posits that Rey is actually the granddaughter of Obi-Wan Kenobi, according to Digital Spy. Few details exist about Kenobis time on Tatooine before he met Luke in A New Hope, so its entirely possible that he met a significant other during that time. The theory also lends support to her British accent, something that Kenobi had.

Theres also a theory that combines the Kenobi theory with the Star Wars Rebels cartoon. Read that over at Movie Pilot.

Rey is a Palpatine

This is another theory about Reys parentage. Apparently, people think shes related to Emperor Palpatine, the famous villain from the original trilogy and prequels. One theorist from Huffington Post explained that Reys fighting style is not unlike Palpatines own, and her name (Rey, meaning King or rex) is similar to the emperor.

There are a handful of other reasons why this theory fits, including an explanation of how Palpatine created an offspring even after he died.

Read more about this theory at Huffington Post.

Rey is Luke Skywalkers clone daughter

Think Rey is Lukes daughter? Think again. A theory that constantly pops up online claims that Rey is Lukes daughter thanks to, well, cloning. As The Guardian explained, if Luke had a daughter on his own, Leia and Han would have recognized her in The Force Awakens. Cloning is also an established business in the Star Wars universe, so its not out of the realm of possibility.

Reys father is Ezra from Rebels

This theory has popped up in multiple spots, including both Reddit and on pop culture websites. One of the theorists suggests that Jedi rebel leader Ezra Bridger turned to the dark side and fathered Rey before he left her on a planet so that the Supreme Leader Snoke could find her. The theory suggests that Benicio Del Toro, who plays an unknown character in the film named DJ, will turn out to be Ezra.

But another version of the theory suggests that Ezra is Reys father because of his age. Like Luke Skywalker, Ezra was born on Empire Day, the day the Empire was established. His age would be about the same as Lukes, meaning that if Luke could be Reys father, so too could Ezra.

Snoke first-ever dark side user

Who is Snoke? Thats a question thats been on the minds of all Star Wars fans since The Force Awakens. YouTube user Thor Skywalker theorizes that Snoke may be the first-ever dark side user, given his age and clues from "The Force Awakens novel that he saw the rise and fall of the Empire.

Snoke is Anakins father

Wait, what? Yes. A theory exists that Snoke is the father of Anakin Skywalker, also known as Darth Vader. Heres what Kim, from London, told The Guardian about the theory: No one ever knew who Anakins real father was, then he had twins, both with his gift, but never as powerful. The next generation is Kylo and Rey, who share his bloodline and possess raw power. The question is not who are Reys parents, but who was Anakins father? Everything links back to Darth Vader, hence showing his mask in both movies. Their destinies are intertwined.

Snoke is Darth Plagueis

Back in Revenge of the Sith, we learned that Darth Sidious, also known as Palpatine, served under Darth Plagueis, a character who could stop people from dying.

According to Nerdist, theres a popular theory that Plagueis is Snoke. Some evidence indicates that isnt the truth, but the theory still stands.

Rey is Anakin reincarnated

One more final bonkers theory. This theory claims that Rey is Anakin Skywalker. Shes not the daughter of Leia Organa, not the daughter of Luke Skywalker shes literally Anakin. According to The Inquisitr, Ultimately, it would make the new trilogy be about the ultimate redemption of Anakin Skywalker his full journey back to the Light. Humanity restored. It fits. Its compelling. It would be special to one character Anakin/Vader.

Read more about the theory over at the Inquisitr.

Bonus theories:

We couldnt find any substantive articles about these theories, but theyve circled Reddit threads for months. Heres a quick breakdown of those theories.

  • Rey destroyed Lukes Jedi Academy, not the Knights of Ren and Kylo Ren.

  • Kylo left Rey stranded on Jakku. The timeline doesnt really match, but the idea has still stuck in a lot of places.

  • Captain Phasma left Rey on Jakku. Another interesting theory about how Rey wound up on the planet.

  • Rey and Kylo have a force bond, meaning that they are forever connected through the force. They will begin to empathize with each other.

Sign up for our E-Newsletters
How to avoid 'sharenting' and other paparazzi parenting habits
ce406c66b9871a104ac24256a687e4821d75680dcfc89d9e5398939543f7f88f
A recent study revealed parents often spend up to two hours staging a single photo of his or her child to post online. - photo by Amy Iverson
Before having kids, some people just dont appreciate their friends baby posts. But after having a child of their own, three fourths of new parents jump right on the parental social media bandwagon. If you have become a member of this group, there are some rules to follow for posting responsibly.

Much of a parents worry is how to teach their children to use social media responsibly. We talk with our kids about privacy, oversharing, and setting restrictions on their devices to keep them safe. But parents themselves need to look in the digital mirror once in a while. Before having children, it doesnt take as much effort to think about what to post online. Its up to us to decide what we share about our own lives. But once you become a parent, there are many questions to think about regarding what is appropriate to post about your kids on social media.

In a recent survey, kids clothing subscription company Mac and Mia surveyed 2000 new parents to find out how they are documenting their kids lives on social media, and what concerns they may have.

First of all, people without children seem to feel a bit differently about the onslaught of baby pictures online than those who are parents. 18 percent of people say before they had kids, they were annoyed by their friends baby posts. But after having children of their own, 73 percent admit they post progress pictures of their little ones every single month.

Not only are new parents letting the world know each time their baby is a month older, but they are posting about their kids every few days or so. Men and women report they post 6-7 times per month about their baby.

And while 70 percent of new parents say the benefit of using social media is how easy it is to help family and friends feel involved, there are some downsides. Here are a few tips to avoid the pitfall of becoming paparazzi parents.

Dont miss the moment

In the Mac and Mia survey, some parents admitted to spending up to two hours to get the perfect shot of their baby. That seems a little extreme. New and old parents alike should be careful about spending so much time taking pictures and videos that they dont enjoy the moment. Years ago, I decided to never live an experience through my phone. A study by Linda Henkel, a psychology professor at Fairfield University in Connecticut, found that when people took pictures of objects in an art museum, they didnt remember the objects as well as if they simply observed them.

This photo-taking impairment effect can happen to parents as well. If we are so consumed by getting the perfect photo, we can miss out on the moment all together, and our memory of it will suffer.

Dont forget about privacy

60 percent of couples say they have discussed rules and boundaries for posting their babys photos, according to the Mac and Mia survey. Even so, men are 34 percent more likely to publish baby posts on public accounts. If parents are concerned about their childrens privacy, keeping photos off of public accounts is a given.

In the Washington Post, Stacey Steinberg, a legal skills professor at the University of Florida, and Bahareh Keith, a Portland pediatrician, wrote that sharing too much information about kids online puts them at risk. They write that all that sharenting can make it easier for data thieves to target out kids for identity theft. Check that your privacy settings are where they should be and never share identifying information like full names and birth dates.

Dont be paparazzi parents

36 percent of parents say they take issue when their childs photo is posted online by someone else. Responsible social media users will always ask permission before posting a photo of another child. But parents should also think about whether their own children will take issue with their own posted photos a few years down the road.

When parents are constantly snapping pictures and throwing them on social media, it can be easy to forget to pause and make sure the post is appropriate. I always use the billboard example with my kids. I ask them to picture whatever they are posting going up on a billboard in our neighborhood. If they are okay with that, then their post is probably fine. Parents should ask themselves this same question when posting about their children. But they should also ask themselves if their child would be OK with this post on a billboard in 15 years. If it would cause embarrassment or humiliation, it might be best to keep it private.

Once children reach an appropriate age, parents should include them in the process of deciding what pictures are OK to post. Researchers at the University of Michigan surveyed 10- to 17-year-olds and found children believe their parents should ask permission more than parents think they should. The kids in the survey said sharing happy family moments, or accomplishments in sports, school and hobbies is fine. But when the post is negative (like when a child is disciplined) or embarrassing (think naked baby pictures or messy hair), kids say to keep it off social media.
Latest Obituaries