Warning: Spoilers follow for Star Wars: The Force Awakens.
Rey (Daisy Ridley) is a ray of sunshine in the Star Wars universe. The protagonist introduced in The Force Awakens survived years and years alone on the dusty desert planet of Jakku only to be swept up into a grand adventure when a droid named BB-8 rolls past her home. Rey is tough as leather, determined, and more than capable of handling herself. She’s also kind and amazingly optimistic given her background. I love Leia and Padmé and respect their places in the saga, but Rey is something different and special beyond the fact that she’s the first female lead in a Star Wars film.
Since The Force Awakens and its tremendous new characters are still on our minds, we’re going to spend each Fan Art Friday this month visiting with them. As you might have guessed from the glowing introduction, this week is all about Rey.
Visit the gallery below to see more Rey–all the Rey, basically.
Favorite Rey quotes:
- “I know how to run without you holding my hand.”
- “I think I can handle myself.”
- “You’re afraid you’ll never be as strong as Darth Vader.”
Let’s talk about “Rey’s Theme” for a moment, too. In my opinion, it’s the best track John Williams composed for The Force Awakens. He told the Los Angeles Times:
It’s an interesting challenge with her because it doesn’t suggest a love theme in any way. It suggests a female adventurer, but with great strength. She’s a fighter, she’s infused with the Force, and it needed to be something that was strong but thoughtful.
If you want some fascinating analysis on the track, I highly recommend listening to the latest episode of Star Wars Oxygen. Actually, if you’re interested in Williams’ work on Star Wars, you should listen to every episode of the podcast hosted by Jimmy “Mac” McInerney and David W. Collins.
Head to the comments and talk to me about Rey. Drop links to your favorite pieces of fan art, tell me about what Rey means to you, or share what you think are her best scenes. Feel free to come chat with me on Twitter about Rey too.
