Before Star Wars The Last Jedi - and, in the end, they were proven right.
It was revealed that the former Jakku scavenger was actually the granddaughter of the villainous Emperor Palpatine, not biologically, but with a failed clone of the Sith Lord. However, not everybody is a fan of that outcome. We now take a look at 10 fan theories that would have been better than what Disney actually gave us.
She's Just Rey
While nobody bought that Rey was a nobody, not too many people were actually displeased about that.
After all, not everybody has to be linked to everybody, and Disney's Star Wars was meant to signal the start of a new era and new chapter for the franchise. It would have made sense to have her just be her own character - or 'just Rey' as she put it - and the decision to link her to Palpatine felt like a way of appeasing fans who didn't like the two previous installments in the series.
Two Jedi We Didn't Know
Even before Episode IX hit theatres, it was known that Star Wars was going into hiatus for a little while. We still don't know what the future holds, but what we do know is that the franchise will be returning in 2022 with a fresh take on the galaxy.
So it would have been intriguing had they made Rey's parents two Jedi we didn't know, possibly two who were lying low to avoid the threat of the First Order. This would have given Disney a carrot to dangle in front of fans and get them excited for what's to come. Instead, it was an opportunity that ed on by.
Zorri Bliss
Kerri Russel was brought on board for the final movie of the saga, ing the cast as the mysterious Zorri Bliss. And that sparked speculation that she'd be playing Rey's mother but, unfortunately, that wasn't the case.
Zori was somewhat a wasted character, only making two very brief cameos throughout the blockbuster. We liked the idea that she brought Rey into the world and left her on Jakku in order to continue rubbing shoulders with the criminals of the galaxy, but again, Disney didn't choose to go down this route.
Anakin Skywalker Reincarnated
Anakin Skywalker was the chosen one of the saga, with creator George Lucas itting that the whole Star Wars plot was centered around him. He died at the end of Return of the Jedi but, rather bafflingly, didn't appear in any movie of the sequel trilogy.
Anakin's absence sparked theories that he'd actually been reincarnated to become Rey, explaining why she was such a majestic pilot and fierce Jedi Knight. Unfortunately, it seemed that the similarities between the two were merely coincidental.
Or A New Chosen One
With Disney deciding to make Rey the chosen one (in all but name), they could have done a lot worse than giving her the exact same backstory as Anakin Skywalker.
They could have given her anonymous parents but explained that she wasn't conceived naturally, instead being born through the Force - just like the protagonist of the saga. Sure, this would have been divisive - but would it really have been any worse than making her related to Palpatine?
Created Via Luke's Old Hand
Luke Skywalker lost his hand at the end of The Force Awakens originally intended to open with a scene of the missing limb falling from outer space.
It was also alleged, albeit wrongly, that Rey would have been created from this very hand - effectively meaning she never had parents. We're a huge fan of this idea, and it's a shame it never came true, especially when the whereabouts of Luke's old hand remain uncertain.
Han And Leia
Now we're getting to the theories that were arguably the most popular on the internet before the official explanation. And many were loving the prospect of Rey, like her dark side counterpart Kylo Ren, being the child of Han Solo and Leia Organa.
Han seems shifty around her at times in The Force Awakens, and Leia was always close to Daisy Ridley's character - which further fuelled the speculation. Alas, it wasn't to be...
Han and Qi'ra
Leia isn't the only woman who Han Solo falls in love with throughout his life. In Solo: A Star Wars Story we also discover he used to have a girlfriend named Qi'ra, only for the duo to go down different paths after Han is able to escape the clutches of the Empire.
Because the release date of Solo fell in between The Last Jedi and The Rise of Skywalker, it had fans thinking that Qi'ra and Han's relationship would be vital - especially when it came to Rey's character. However, again, this wasn't the case, with the blockbuster's release date ultimately being irrelevant.
A Kenobi
Obi-Wan Kenobi was a Jedi always loyal to the code, meaning that, unlike Anakin Skywalker, he wouldn't take a wife or girlfriend while practicing the ancient religion. However, what's to stop him doing that after the Empire rose to power?
Kenobi spent years lying low on Tatooine, and many fans were obsessed with the idea of him having a child and then, years later, a grandchild. It would have added depth to a truly iconic Star Wars character - not to mention ramping up excitement for the TV series about the hero.
A Skywalker
You knew this was coming, right?
It's the Skywalker saga. Anakin Skywalker was the main character of the prequels, and Luke Skywalker was the protagonist of the original trilogy. It would have made sense if, somehow, she was a Skywalker as well. Unfortunately, the movie entitled The Rise of Skywalker was actually a misnomer. It should have been called "The Rise of Palpatine" instead.
