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Jar Jar Bricks

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13-Oct-2025
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Post
#1571752
Topic
The Starlight Project Addendum: The Rise of Skywalker (Freeform Brainstorming Session)
Time

Dayum… I just realized it would even explain why Luke acts so uncharacteristic in TLJ to many people when he attacks his nephew. It’s the fact that the Skywalker bloodline was literally created to be evil Sith murderers. Yeah, like I said, this is going against canon, but in my conversations with several Star Wars fans over the past few years there are people that genuinely believe Palpatine created the Skywalkers. It’s heavily implied in ROTS, was supposed to be confirmed in that film, and was genuinely the direction George was going.

Post
#1571749
Topic
The Starlight Project Addendum: The Rise of Skywalker (Freeform Brainstorming Session)
Time

As I said before, nobody ever wanted to kill Rey in TFA. Snoke just wanted to see her in-person to assess her, and Kylo wanted to train her. In TLJ, Snoke says she must die because she “[has] the spirit of a true Jedi!” Palps says the same thing at the beginning of TROS: “Kill the girl. End the Jedi.” It’s clear she was only ever a target because of her allegiance with the Jedi. When Ben turns back to the light, Palpatine has no choice but to bank on turning Rey from the Jedi path and possessing her. Wanting to kill her himself before her experiences as a Jedi just doesn’t make a lot of sense if he specifically decided to create her. It would be like making an exquisite painting only to use a blowtorch on it because somebody else made a similar one you might be interested in buying.

Post
#1571746
Topic
The Starlight Project Addendum: The Rise of Skywalker (Freeform Brainstorming Session)
Time

The problem with him wanting to kill her as a child is that he went out of his way to create her through the Force just a few years prior. She hasn’t done anything to warrant being killed at that point - everything would be proceeding exactly as he intended. It makes sense he would start corrupting Ben and want her dead only after she disappears.

Technically all Snoke says about Rey in TFA is to have Kylo bring her to him. The fact that he wants Kylo to kill her in TLJ would still line up with the idea Palps was fully invested in Kylo at that point after witnessing she “has the spirit of a true Jedi”.

Post
#1571739
Topic
The Starlight Project Addendum: The Rise of Skywalker (Freeform Brainstorming Session)
Time

EddieDean said:

The only thing I might consider adding, is making it clear he had other experiments (implicitly including the Palpatine clone he now inhabits), but that Rey or Kylo still would be better vessels. I’d also include an angle about Palpatine wanting to kill her if he couldn’t possess her - but I think this core principle is the right angle.

I’d love to include that as the first sentence of the final paragraph, but we’d miss out on “as a Palpatine” which is essential for the rest of the movie’s dialogue to make sense.

Post
#1571732
Topic
The Starlight Project Addendum: The Rise of Skywalker (Freeform Brainstorming Session)
Time

For sure, that was always a problem I had with the clone angle. Because Palpatine would never want an artificially produced lifeform as his final host - that’s too scientific and weak. We see how his clones are falling apart when he possesses them. He’d want someone natural, constructed from the Force itself by influencing the midichlorians to produce a being like that somewhere in the galaxy. Whether his final choice is Kylo Ren or Rey, he doesn’t particularly care. This way, his clones were always a stepping stone and merely the first part to his resurrection.

As for the chosen one prophecy, it just makes it all hilariously ironic. Palpatine (and earlier Plagueis) thought he was creating the ultimate Sith host with alchemy, but instead they were creating the people the Force would use to destroy the Sith over and again.

Post
#1571725
Topic
The Starlight Project Addendum: The Rise of Skywalker (Freeform Brainstorming Session)
Time

Holy shit… I think I’ve figured it out. This is how we bridge Rey Nobody and Rey Palpatine. While this definitely isn’t canon, it’s what George Lucas would have actually preferred - according to a book he intentionally spelled this reveal out in ROTS but didn’t want to directly reveal it:

“Rey… wherever you are… you are hard to find.”

“You are hard to get rid of.”

“I pushed you in the desert because I needed to see it… I needed you to see it… who you are. I know the darkness that lives in you, Rey…”

“You’re lying.”

“I’d never lie to you… your parents were no one… junk traders burdened with a child they never planned for.”

“Don’t!”

“They grew to care for you, regardless. But someone watched them from the shadows."

“I don’t want this!”

“Palpatine wanted you."

“No!”

“Your parents were hunted across the galaxy. Remember them.”

(Rey sees the vision of her parents and her abandonment.)
“My love… be brave.”
“You’ll be safe here… I promise.”
“Come back! Nooo!”

“They paid for your protection… in more than one way.”

“Stop talking.”

“Rey… I learned what happened to them.”

(Cutaway to heroes capture)

“Your parents sought Luke’s protection, chasing rumors of a congregation in the Jakku desert… but Ochi tracked down the ship they stole. They resisted fiercely, only to be forgotten by the sands of time."

(Rey sees her parents get killed.)

“So that’s where you are.”

“You know why the Emperor wanted to capture you. I’ll come tell you.”


“Why did the Emperor come for me?”

“Because his influence over the Force spawned two dark bloodlines. My grandfather’s. Then, perfected with you. You… are Palpatine’s heir.”

“You were created to inherit the legacy of the Sith as a Palpatine. But what he doesn’t know is that we’ve become a dyad in the Force, Rey… two, linked by raw power. We can end him and the Sith, and create something new, together…”

(Removes his helmet)

“You know what you need to do. You know.”

“I do.”


This way, we can keep every instance of characters referring to her as a Palpatine. We can also keep the Reylo kiss, because genetically they are two distinct bloodlines. The dyad existing between them makes sense because they are both products of Palpatine using the same manipulation of the Force. Later on, we’d need to reinstate “I never wanted you dead. I wanted you here, with me.” The goal would be to try to make it clear that he preferred Rey initially as his vessel, but when he lost her he shifted to Kylo. He wants Rey dead at the beginning of this movie simply because she has chosen the path of a Jedi - it’s not that complicated. He sent Kylo to kill Rey because he knew the superior bloodline would survive the encounter. Finally, Rey taking on the Skywalker name makes a hell of a lot more sense, because she was created the same way as Anakin.

Post
#1571642
Topic
The Starlight Project Addendum: The Rise of Skywalker (Freeform Brainstorming Session)
Time

Hal 9000 said:

As an audience member I’d have a lot of questions about why they’d be assigned to raise and kill a child, as that phrasing makes it sounds like a single overall assignment.

And I still have a hard time getting over that Rey’s mother looks just like her.

I agree with the first point. Currently trying to find a way to make it sound like there was a change in their directive after a few years. That’s what the next line should imply “But they’d grown to care for you…”

I can fix the second point quite easily. Deepfakes have become easier as of late.

Post
#1571639
Topic
The Rise of Skywalker: Ascendant (Released)
Time

I dunno, it seems kinda cheap that they only became junk traders for a couple days out of sheer desperation. Especially when there is a compelling reason why the Sith cult would WANT tons of people to be doing that as their regular job.

They have hundreds upon hundreds of aging Imperial Star Destroyers that need regular maintenance and parts for the dreadnaught canon upgrades (according to our new explanation). And there are tons of downed Star Destroyers on Jakku to make this possible. People in a cult don’t just sit around all day doing rituals. They have to contribute to their mini society in some way. It makes sense to me that they would send their members to retrieve these parts, and those that did the best would be “rewarded” with raising a child based on Palpatine’s DNA.

Post
#1571610
Topic
The Rise of Skywalker: Ascendant (Released)
Time

Let’s combine all of the ideas put forward so far:

“Rey… wherever you are… you are hard to find.”

“You are hard to get rid of.”

“I pushed you in the desert because I needed to see it… I needed you to see it… who you are. Darkness is in your blood, Rey…”

“You’re lying.”

“I’d never lie to you… your parents were junk traders, bartering Star Destroyer parts for favor within the Sith fleet…”

“Don’t!”

“Ascending the ranks of the cult, they were honored with raising you."

“I don’t want this!”

“You grew unnecessary."

“No!”

“Palpatine ordered your death, but they’d grown to care for you.”

(Rey sees the vision of her parents and her abandonment.)
“Rey, my love… be brave.”
“You’ll be safe here… I promise.”
“Come back! Nooo!”

“They paid for your protection… in more than one way.”

“Stop talking.”

“Rey… I learned what happened to them.”

(Cutaway to heroes capture)

“Your parents sought Luke’s protection, chasing rumors of a congregation in the Jakku desert… but Ochi tracked down the ship he’d gifted them. They resisted fiercely, only to be forgotten by the sands of time."

(Rey sees her parents get killed.)

“So that’s where you are.”

“You know why the Emperor’s always wanted you dead. I’ll come tell you.”


“Why did the Emperor come for me? Why did he want to kill a child? Tell me.”

“Because after his full return, he saw his experiments as threats to his rule. You were designed from the blood of the Emperor. You… are a Palpatine.”

“The only purpose for your creation was to be one of his hosts on the Sith throne. But what Palpatine cannot foresee is that we’ve become a Dyad in the Force, Rey… two, linked by raw power. We can end him and the Sith, and create something new, together…”

(Removes his helmet)

“You know what you need to do. You know.”

“I do.”

Post
#1571585
Topic
The Rise of Skywalker: Ascendant (Released)
Time

What if we simply merged our ideas at the beginning?

“You were right… your parents were no one. Initiates scavenging parts for the fleet on Exegol.”

“Don’t!”

“With their loyalty to the Sith proven, they were first assigned with raising you…"

“I don’t want this!”

“…and then killing you."

“No!”

“But they’d grown to care for you, so they hid you from Palpatine.”

Post
#1571574
Topic
The Rise of Skywalker: Ascendant (Released)
Time

I don’t disagree with anything you’re saying, DZ. But I do still think it’s important to maintain the junk trading aspect of her parents, mostly because we don’t know the exact nature of Kylo’s vision from TLJ. Was he merely shown that scene, or did the Force show him glimpses of their life? You can’t say one or the other for sure, so you have to account for both.

I think you can still have a “growing a heart” moment by having them stop selling old Star Destroyer parts from Jakku to the Sith Eternal and choosing to prioritize Rey over money. Like I said in my last post, all I’m missing is a decent reason for why they’d give a child to a couple they regularly conduct business with. That reason would have to replace the following line: “In exchange for a bonus on their hauls, they were assigned with raising you."

So something along the lines of: “Exegol’s danger required outsiders to raise their young. As trusted suppliers, your parents were chosen.”

Post
#1571571
Topic
The Rise of Skywalker: Ascendant (Released)
Time

Besides the trade thing, there’s also the problem that you’re removing the first vision of her parents - which I’d personally like to avoid. There’s also the fact that I’ve found out the Kylo line before Rey says “No!” has to be extremely brief, a few words only. I see what you’re trying to do, though - the only way the infertility and adoption angle works is if they have no choice but to take her out of all children in rather than finding a safe child like Broom Boy. But I still think it being an assignment is the simplest approach. All that being said, there are a couple of ideas here I might implement, so thanks!

The missing link for them being assigned caretakers is giving a compelling reason why the Sith cult would be giving these clones to random people in their circle. The only thing that makes sense to me is simply the fact that they don’t have the resources to raise countless children and experiments on Exegol. We see how desolate and barren the place is at the beginning of the movie. I was hoping that implication might come through in my last draft, but clearly it still needs a bit of work in that regard. This is a problem in the original movie; how is it that the Sith troopers and officers even survive on the planet? Where do they all live?

Post
#1571527
Topic
The Rise of Skywalker: Ascendant (Released)
Time

I’ve finally cracked it, I think. This explains everything so much better than the regular Rey Palpatine:

“Rey… wherever you are… you are hard to find.”

“You are hard to get rid of.”

“I pushed you in the desert because I needed to see it… I needed you to see it… who you are. I know the darkness that lives in you, Rey…”

“You’re lying.”

“You were right… your parents were no one. Junk traders selling parts to the fleet on Exegol.”

“Don’t!”

“In exchange for a bonus on their hauls, they were assigned with raising you."

“I don’t want this!”

“Even killing you."

“No!”

“But they’d grown to care for you, so they hid you from Palpatine.”

(Rey sees the vision of her parents and her abandonment.)
“Rey, my love… be brave.”
“You’ll be safe here… I promise.”
“Come back! Nooo!”

“They paid for your protection… in more than one way.”

“Stop talking.”

“Rey… I learned what happened to them.”

(Cutaway to heroes capture)

“Your parents sought Luke’s protection, searching the Jakku desert for his allies… but Palpatine’s assassins tracked them down. They resisted fiercely, only to be forgotten by the sands of time."

(Rey sees her parents get killed.)

“So that’s where you are.”

“You know why the Emperor’s always wanted you dead. I’ll come tell you.”

…etc

“Why did the Emperor come for me? Why did he want to kill a child? Tell me.”

“Because you were one of many experiments, Rey… all of which became threats after his full return. You’re based off his template. You… are a clone of Palpatine.”

“The only purpose for your creation was to be one of his hosts on the Sith throne. But what Palpatine cannot foresee is that we’ve become a Dyad in the Force, Rey… two, linked by raw power. We can end him and the Sith, and create something new, together…”

(Removes his helmet)

“You know what you need to do. You know.”

“I do.”


By the way Hal, I’m not sure if you’ve considered the fact that this version of the movie could technically be contained in its own audio track. I’m not aware of any specific cuts you’ve made to these scenes which would warrant anything else.

Post
#1571500
Topic
The Rise of Skywalker: Ascendant (Released)
Time

NeverarGreat said:

I’m continuing to tinker with splitting the chess scene. This was the first attempt, a few pages back. That version didn’t reuse any footage between scenes, just took the original and allocated shots between the two new scenes.

Here’s the new version: https://mega.nz/file/fMd1DbSb#TOE1DBzQHkpRwucpALML8Ol0LJ0kgVFG8Q2Ro7-Iwms

I reused both shots of Chewie, but cut the first one down so it would be less noticeable and the second one is used to extend Poe’s and Finn’s lines in the final scene. I think that both of these scenes could stand rather well on their own, at least with a bit more audio work. It would be nice to keep the lines in the first scene with ‘cheating’ changed to ‘stalling’, and maybe make some AI Poe and Finn banter for background as Rey leaves the Falcon.

Yeah, I still really like this idea. I like having a mini sub-plot that isn’t “resolved” until the end there, it makes it feel more like it was intended to be there all along. And those AI lines wouldn’t be very hard to make, either.

Post
#1571379
Topic
The Rise of Skywalker: Ascendant (Released)
Time

As for the overall goals:

  1. Maintain the ‘Nobodies’ Theme: Consistently depict Rey’s parents as ordinary individuals (“nobodies”) throughout the background story, reinforcing TLJ’s theme that greatness and significance in people can emerge from humble beginnings.

  2. Deepen Rey’s Character Complexity: Provide Rey with a more complex and nuanced origin story that includes a more direct genetic link to Emperor Palpatine, creating internal conflict and exploring themes of identity and destiny due to the sinister reason behind her existence as a person (to be a vessel).

  3. Emphasize Personal Choice and Agency: Rey’s adoptive parents are able to make the correct choice in the end despite being involved with the wrong crowd - similar to Vader. Also, highlight that despite her origins, Rey’s choices and actions define her, aligning with the overarching message that individuals shape their own destiny.

  4. Explore Nature vs. Nurture: By making Rey a clone/genetically derived from Palpatine, the story delves into the debate of nature versus nurture in twins, questioning whether one’s genetic makeup or upbringing plays a more significant role in defining their path.

  5. Strengthen the Emotional Narrative: Enhance the emotional depth of the story by detailing the sacrifices and struggles of Rey’s adoptive parents, adding a layer of tragedy and human emotion to her backstory - instead of being mere plot devices.

  6. Align with Established Canon: While introducing new elements, ensure that the revised backstory remains coherent with as much of the established Star Wars universe as possible, respecting its lore and thematic essence.

This is where I’m at with the story itself, formatted as dialogue a few posts above. I don’t see anything particularly wrong with any of it.

Rey’s Parental Background:

  • Rey’s parents are depicted as ordinary, unremarkable individuals throughout.
  • As nobodies, they are easily lured into the Sith cult because they want to find some sort of purpose in life.

Rey’s Origin:

  • Rey’s parents were assigned an infant (Codename: Rey) by cultists from Exegol.
  • However, when Palpatine orders the termination of his clones, they want out of the cult.

Parents’ Sacrifice:

  • Rey’s parents have grown to love her, finding their purpose in life, and decide to hide her from Palpatine.
  • They leave her with Unkar Plutt for her safety, paying for her protection instead of selling her (Kylo misinterpreted the currency exchange direction).

Parents’ Demise:

  • Seeking further help, they look for Luke Skywalker’s allies in the Jakku desert.
  • Palpatine’s assassins eventually find them.
  • Rey’s parents resist but are ultimately killed, their story forgotten by the galaxy.
  • Ochi takes their Sith ship for his own most likely because he wants Rey to recognize it and be drawn to it.

Palpatine’s Motivation:

  • Palpatine sees his clones as unnecessary and a threat after his return, leading to the order for Rey’s termination.
  • Rey is revealed to be a clone experiment based off of Palpatine’s genetic template to prevent confusion.

Rey and Kylo Ren as a Dyad:

  • Kylo Ren reveals they’ve become a Dyad in the Force, a powerful and rare connection.
  • Subtly imply that the power is so strong that Palpatine cannot use his foresight to be made aware of it
  • He proposes using this power to end Palpatine and the Sith, and to create a new path together.
Post
#1571371
Topic
The Rise of Skywalker: Ascendant (Released)
Time

I for one think it’s a bad idea for her parents to spend any time on Exegol. Baby Rey needs to come from there, sure. But it stops them from being junk traders and nobodies at heart. Plus, we know how dangerous and complicated it is to travel to and from there. Which is why in my previous post they would basically return to their boring lives after receiving Rey.

I think giving her parents character motivations is important for all of it to make sense narratively. Just spouting out everything that happens without answering “why?” is a recipe for trouble.

Post
#1571367
Topic
The Rise of Skywalker: Ascendant (Released)
Time

They should definitely still be referred to as nobodies. Remember, in this chain of events, once they receive baby Rey they will live out their lives as junkers.

“Rey… wherever you are… you are hard to find.”

“You are hard to get rid of.”

“I pushed you in the desert because I needed to see it… I needed you to see it… who you are. I know the darkness that lives in you, Rey…”

“You’re lying.”

“You were right… your parents were no one. Their search for purpose lured them to the Sith.”

“Don’t!”

“They were assigned an infant, by cultists from Exegol."

“I don’t want this!”

“But later your termination was ordered."

“No!”

“You had become their purpose in life, so they hid you from Palpatine.”

(Rey sees the vision of her parents and her abandonment.)
“Rey, my love… be brave.”
“You’ll be safe here… I promise.”
“Come back! Nooo!”

“They paid for your protection… in more than one way.”

“Stop talking.”

“Rey… I learned what happened to them.”

(Cutaway to heroes capture)

“Your parents sought Luke’s protection, searching the Jakku desert for his allies… but Palpatine’s assassins tracked them down. They resisted fiercely, only to be forgotten by the galaxy."

(Rey sees her parents get killed.)

“So that’s where you are.”

“You know why the Emperor’s always wanted you dead. I’ll come tell you.”

…etc

“Why did the Emperor come for me? Why did he want to kill a child? Tell me.”

“Because you were just an experiment… one that became a threat after his true return. Rey, you’re based off his template. You… are a clone of Palpatine.” (not sure if we necessarily need “a Palpatine” here or not)

“The only reason for your creation was to be one of his vessels on the Sith throne. But what Palpatine cannot foresee is we’ve become a Dyad in the Force, Rey… two, linked by pure power. With that power we can end him and the Sith, and create something new, together…”

(Removes his helmet)

“You know what you need to do. You know?”

“I do.”

Post
#1571301
Topic
The Rise of Skywalker: Ascendant (Released)
Time

That would fly better with casual audiences, for sure.

All I’m saying is that if Bethesda, a AAA game producer, can put this exact same storyline (referring to a “daughter” of an evil man as a “clone”) in a main questline for Starfield, it should work in Star Wars, too. Then again, one of optional questions you can ask her character is “You’re a clone of a man, how does that work?” And she more or less responds that she is genetically engineered. Gee, if only there was a canon Star Wars term for a genetically-engineered clone (looking at you, strand-cast).

But throwing all these made-up words everywhere, from strand-cast to dyad in the Force, would be too overwhelming. This is a tough nut to crack, that’s for sure.

EDIT: What about this - “Because he no longer needed you. After his return, and your escape, he saw his clones/creations as a threat to his power. You’re based off his template. You… are a Palpatine.” This way we dodge using the goofy word of “strand-cast” but give its exact definition in case it starts being used more regularly in the TV shows. I mean, heck, Dr. Pershing gives an entire presentation on them in all but name to the Senate in Mando season 3 (at least I think that’s where he was).

DZ, if you like your line that much I’d recommend putting it back up at the beginning - “I pushed you in the desert because I needed to see it… I needed you to see it… who you are. Darkness is in your blood, Rey…

Post
#1571289
Topic
The Rise of Skywalker: Ascendant (Released)
Time

I’ve tried to maintain as much of DZ’s as I could while improving what I can:

“Rey… wherever you are… you are hard to find.”

“You are hard to get rid of.”

“I pushed you in the desert because I needed to see it… I needed you to see it… who you are. I know the darkness that lives in you, Rey…”

“You’re lying.”

“You were right… your parents were no one… lured into the Sith cult to find purpose.”

“Don’t!”

“Your barren mother sought her own child, and your father found one.”

“I don’t want this!”

“They stole you from the Sith!”

“No!”

“But adopting you caught Palpatine’s attention.”

(Rey sees the vision of her parents and her abandonment.)
“I know… Rey… be brave.”
“You’ll be safe here… I promise.”
“Come back! Nooo!”

“They paid for your protection… in more than one way.”

“Stop talking.”

“Rey… I learned what happened to them.”

(Cutaway to heroes capture)

“Your parents pursued Luke’s protection, searching the Jakku desert for his allies… but Palpatine’s assassins tracked down their stolen ship. Whether brave or foolish, they made a final stand.”

(Rey sees her parents get killed.)

“So that’s where you are.”

“You know why the Emperor’s always wanted you dead. I’ll come tell you.”

“Why did the Emperor come for me? Why did he want to kill a child? Tell me.”

“Because he no longer needed you. After his return, and your escape, he saw his clones as threats to his power. You’re one of his clones. You… are a Palpatine.”

“The only reason for your creation was to be one of his vessels. But what Palpatine doesn’t know is that we’ve become a Dyad in the Force, Rey… two that are one. Together we can end him and the Sith, and take his power to forge something new…”

(Removes his helmet)

“You know what you need to do. You know.”

“I know.”


EDIT: Oh and of course the following change: “It’s your birthright to rule… here” —> “You were engineered to rule… here”