Dark Rey was one of the most enticing teases to come out of the marketing for Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker, but the plot point never paid off. Daisy Ridley reprised her role as Rey for the final installment of the Skywalker Saga. Aside from facing off yet again with the First Order, Rey and the rest of the Resistance had to deal with the return of Emperor Palpatine and his Final Order. J.J. Abrams returned to the helm as director in The Rise of Skywalker, but his creation was not without criticism; however, if the Dark Rey twist had paid off, the film would have been stronger overall.
Although the reception of the Star Wars sequel was mixed, the introduction of Rey as the galaxy's newest heroine was a bright spot. When she was introduced in Star Wars: The Force Awakens, the young woman was a lonely scavenger left on the planet Jakku. She was then thurst into the Resistance's war against the First Order which was how she encountered Kylo Ren. The two were on opposing sides, but she felt connected to him instantly. While Luke Skywalker was training Rey the ways of the Force in Star Wars: The Last Jedi, he realized she had raw potential but was unmistakably tempted to the dark side.
The fact that Rey was clearly drawn to Kylo Ren insinuated that there was a slim possibility she would go to the dark side. As it played out, the opposite became true and Rey was able to convince Kylo Ren to revert back to the light side. That was after The Rise of Skywalker used the concept of Dark Rey as a plot device to torment fans with what could have been.
A dark side version of Rey was first revealed during the trailer footage for The Rise of Skywalker and it instantly grabbed the attention of viewers. Ridley was briefly shown wearing a black hooded robe (popular among the Sith) while wielding a double-bladed red lightsaber. Dark Rey was shown again in a December TV spot just weeks before the film's release. This time, the Force user looked to be preparing for a duel with Kylo Ren. Although some theorized that this image was from some sort of Force vision, many fans hoped that Star Wars would pull Rey to the dark side. Instead, the movie completely wasted the tease even though it had so much potential.
The Rise of Skywalker focused on Dark Rey in the trailers as if it was imperative to the plot. Yes, Rey struggled with pulls to the dark side, but those internal struggles never transformed into a worthwhile threat. An image of hooded Dark Rey in the trailer was really intriguing, but the movie never capitalized on the moment. The sequence was just a quick vision in which Rey battled a dark side version of herself after she grabbed the second Sith wayfinder in the Death Star wreckage. When she came out of the vision, she was met by Kylo Ren, but Dark Rey was gone just as quickly as she arrived.
Rey was the central figure of the Star Wars sequel trilogy, and the franchise missed the opportunity to show another side of the character. Dark Rey could have been a compelling addition had The Rise of Skywalker dove deeper into Rey's struggle in finding an identity. From the moment she was introduced in The Force Awakens, it was clear that Rey was looking for her place amongst the galaxy. Since she was a good-natured soul, she felt a connection to the Resistance. It wasn't until she met Kylo Ren and he started to get inside her head did she start to feel a pull to the other side.
To give Dark Rey a bigger role in The Rise of Skywalker's plot, the film could have followed the character join Kylo Ren after initially resisting his offers to team up. The final installment had the opportunity to show the young heroine veer to the dark side before realizing her true nature. Admittedly, such a plot twist may have felt too similar to Anakin Skywalker's arc; however, there were other options available for making Dark Rey a proper character. For example, the film could have portrayed Dark Rey as a clone of Rey created by Emperor Palpatine.
By introducing an evil version of Rey, the normal character that fans followed for years would have still been at the front and center of the narrative as a powerful Jedi in the making. Rather than battle the darkness in her own head, Rey could have been battling her greatest fears in a human form. Another Rey added to the mix had the chance of being extremely interesting for viewers. It would give a glimpse at what Rey might have become if she grew up embracing her heritage as a Palpatine. Seeing Rey and Dark Rey actually have a legitimate lightsaber duel would have also been a fight to remember.
Whether Rey turned to the dark side or a clone was introduced, there would have been potential to greatly improve The Rise of Skywalker's plot. The Skywalker Saga had previously dealt with a bright Force user — Anakin/Darth Vader — who was drawn to the dark side before coming back to the light side. In fact, that arc encompassed the first two trilogies of the franchise. Luke also skated the line between light and dark and that struggle continued with his nephew. While most fans were focused on whether Kylo Ren could revert back to the light side and reclaim his identity of Ben Solo, it would have been smart to flip the script and turn Rey into some sort of villain.
Say The Rise of Skywalker did turn Rey down the path of the dark side. If that was the case, the movie could have used a series of time jumps to show the character fall in line with the Sith or even join her grandfather. In time, her deep connection to the Skywalker family could have got the best of her. After diving into the darkness, the final installment had the chance to deepen the themes of identity, redemption, and kinship. If she fought back to the light side and helped defeat Palpatine, it would have fulfilled her arc as a Skywalker and brought the whole saga together.
On the other side, using Dark Rey as a clone would have also given the final chapter a major boost. Months after the movie debut, it was confirmed that Emperor Palpatine was a clone of the original version of the villain. Since the Sith figure was adept in cloning, he very well had the ability to clone a member of his family. If he knew that he would have trouble winning Rey over, it would make sense that he took the time to create a Dark Rey to use as a weapon. Not only would this have better explained his role as a clone, but it would also have given Emperor Palpatine a more active presence in Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker by showing him as a more dangerous threat. Like the case with Dark Rey, Palpatine's role was arguably wasted.
