Daisy Ridley Reflects on the Polarizing Nature of the Sequel Trilogy and THAT ‘Rise of Skywalker’ Moment

As Daisy Ridley prepares to re-enter the Star Wars fray, she can now look back on her first foray through a galaxy far, far, away from the proper perspective.

While the Star Wars sequel trilogy was polarizing for many fans, Ridley received a hero’s welcome upon her return to Star Wars Celebration 2023. However, reflecting back on the divisive nature of the sequel films is still hard for Ridley.

Photo: whatsondisneyplus

“It’s still upsetting,” Ridley said when asked about the response. “You don’t want people to feel like you’ve not served the thing they’re a fan of. But [‘The Last Jedi’] was so divisive…it felt like the first one everyone was responsive in the same way. The second, super divisive. The last one, super divisive. It didn’t change how I felt about it.”

Fans Have Embraced Ridley

While The Last Jedi and The Rise of Skywalker received mixed reviews from fans and failed to live up to the lofty box office standards of The Force Awakens, Ridley says that with the passage of time, she began to see fans embracing the sequel films in a way that that they had not upon their release.

“What was strange was before I had breakfast with Kathy last year, I had five people come to me and go, ‘Are they going to do any more with you?’” Ridley said. “And it was really strange. In the six to eight months before that, the way with which I was being greeted by people’s response to [‘Rise of Skywalker’] was quite different than it had been before. Time had passed. That was what was really strange.”

Rey’s Parentage

Perhaps the most significant controversy surrounding Rey was her parentage. In The Force Awakens, Rey’s lineage was kept a secret, leading many fans to speculate that she was a Skywalker or even a Kenobi.

STAR WARS: THE RISE OF SKYWALKER
Daisy Ridley as Rey

The Last Jedi seemed to put the speculation to bed when it was revealed that Rey was essentially a “no one.” While Rain Johnson received criticism for seemingly reversing many of the plot lines begun in The Force Awakens, according to Ridley, the idea that Rey’s parents were not tied to Star Wars lore was J.J. Abrams’s idea.

“Well, J.J. [Abrams] was the one who was like, she is of no one, so it wasn’t just ‘The Last Jedi’ where that was the message,” Ridley said. “What was interesting about the last one, for me, was that you can be a hero and not come from anywhere or you can be a hero and come from literally the worst person in the universe. You’re not your parents, you’re not your grandparents, you’re not your bloodline and you’re not the generations before you. So, I always was like, sure.”

“But it’s beyond my pay grade,” Ridley added. “I say the words, do the thing. I do love the version of, you can be anyone you want to be, but I also love the version where you can rectify wrongs and can’t help what you’re born into.”

Rey and Ben Solo’s Controversial Kiss

Finally, there was the polarizing moment in The Rise of Skywalker where Rey and a redeemed Ben Solo kiss. For many fans, it was the culmination of a relationship they were rooting for. Others, however, felt it made no sense. From Ridley’s perspective, the moment was earned.

Image: Disney

“I felt like we all…it felt earned,” Ridley. “What was interesting again is intentionality. My feeling in that moment was that it was a goodbye, and that felt earned. You can call a kiss a thousand things, but I felt it was a goodbye. That whole scene felt emotional and I felt I was saying goodbye to the job, too.”

Rey and Ben. Photo: Lucasfilm

While we don’t have a timeframe for Ridley’s return to the Star Wars franchise to hit the big screen, it is great to see the fanbase embracing the sequel trilogy star. Hopefully, Lucasfilm will give Ridley the Star Wars film she deserves.

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