The hard thing about Rey realizing she is a nobody in TLJ, and that her parents had no special reason for leaving her, was that she had no purpose or destiny to follow. She is looking for her place in this universe, this story, and having a “special backstory” would’ve given her that. So in IX, Rey needs to forge her own destiny. Choose who she is going to be. Will she become a Sith? Become a Jedi? Begin a new order with Kylo Ren?

In a way that was probably 100% unintentional, Rey’s white outfit represents this tabula rasa aspect of her character. She’s a blank slate, but she’s weighed down by the burden of choice. She’s faced with her inner darkness and inner light, and she’s trying to find that balance within her, and I think that is empowering for people that are also having to go on these journeys of self-discovery in their own lives. Rey being a Palpatine is totally unnecessary to tell that story. If anything, it makes things easier for her because the evil lineage storyline has already been told with Luke and Vader. Plus, it’s more repetitive for us as an audience.