Star Wars: The High Republic author Cavan Scott recently put forth his plan to make sense of a cloned Palpatine being Rey’s father.
If you have no idea what this is about, the Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker novelization reveals that a clone of Emperor Palpatine is actually Rey’s father.
First reported by Disney Star Wars Is Dumb, Scott took to Twitter to write, “Have just worked out how to square Clone Palps with Rey Nobody so both work. Now just got to persuade someone at Lucasfilm to let me write it.”
Have just worked out how to square Clone Palps with Rey Nobody so both work. Now just got to persuade someone at Lucasfilm to let me write it.
— Cavan Scott (@cavanscott) March 5, 2020
He continues, “Of course I need to read Rae’s novelisation to make sure my theory holds water.”
Of course I need to read Rae’s novelisation to make sure my theory holds water.
— Cavan Scott (@cavanscott) March 5, 2020
Scott then cautions people that this is just a theory and has not been made canon yet, “OK, as everyone’s asking and as along as you realise this is NOT official. It’s me being a fan and coming up with a theory. I’m not Lucasfilm here, so a) don’t hold anyone to anything or b) shout at me…”
OK, as everyone’s asking and as long as you realise this is NOT official. It’s me being a fan and coming up with a theory. I’m not not Lucasfilm here, so a) don’t hold anyone to anything or b) shout at me…
— Cavan Scott (@cavanscott) March 5, 2020
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He then delves into his theory.
He explains Palpatine wanted a clone. However, Scott believes you can’t clone strength in the Force. Thus Palpatine culls the Clone. However, one survives and escapes Palpatine’s clutches. He has a family and a baby who ends up being Rey.
Scott then states that Baby Rey is strong in the force because of her spirit not the cloned Palpatine’s blood. He then postulates that this allows Rey to still be “a nobody as her father was rejected and her powers are because of her not because of Palpatine.”
Scott adds that it’s possible Rey was part of the will of the Force and not part of Palpatine’s original plans. He then details that when Palpatine reveals that Rey is the daughter of one of his clones, she rejects this premise believing it to be a lie. She then defeats him as seen in The Rise of Skywalker.
– Palp wants a clone.
– But you can’t clone strength in the force.
– Clones get culled.
– One survives. Escapes. Has baby. Rey.
– Baby Rey is strong in the force not because of her blood but because of her spirit.
(CONT)— Cavan Scott (@cavanscott) March 5, 2020
(CONT)
– Therefore a) she really is a nobody as her father was rejected and b) her powers are because of her not because of Palpatine.
– She wasn’t part of his plan. Maybe she was part of the will of the Force.
– She’s faced with him. Told she’s his. She rejects this 100%.— Cavan Scott (@cavanscott) March 5, 2020
– Palpy wanted nothing more than to beat death. His power gets thrown back at him. He dies. Palpy loses. Rey Nobody wins.
— Cavan Scott (@cavanscott) March 5, 2020
Scott then adds, “Again, THIS IS JUST MY TAKE. IT IS NOT IN ANYWAY OFFICIAL AND PROBABLY SHOULDN’T END UP IN CLICKBAITY ARTICLES.”
Again, THIS IS JUST MY TAKE. IT IS NOT IN ANYWAY OFFICIAL AND PROBABLY SHOULDN’T END UP IN CLICKBAITY ARTICLES.
— Cavan Scott (@cavanscott) March 5, 2020
He concludes, “To be honest, none of this is revolutionary, just the way I took it.”
To be honest, none of this is revolutionary, just the way I took it.
— Cavan Scott (@cavanscott) March 5, 2020
Regardless if Scott’s theory ever makes it to canon, this is a great look at one of the actual people who are creating Star Wars stories. Scott’s theory is fundamentally flawed because he doesn’t understand Star Wars or The Force. And it seems to be an ongoing pattern among the people Disney has employed to shepherd the Star Wars universe. They fundamentally don’t understand Star Wars or The Force, and due to their ignorance they continually churn out “Star Wars” content that is subpar and drives more and more fans away.
In fact, Scott is attempting to solve a problem that shouldn’t even exist, but now does because of J.J. Abrams’ The Rise of Skywalker which also fundamentally misunderstands Stars Wars as well as Rae Carson’s novelization of the film.
But let’s dissect Scott’s theory. He believes that you can’t clone strength in the Force. This goes against our first definition of The Force from Obi-Wan Kenobi in Star Wars: A New Hope.
Kenobi explains, “The Force is what gives the Jedi it’s power. It’s an energy field created by all living things. It surrounds us, and penetrates us, and binds the galaxy together.”
Yoda would elaborate on The Force in The Empire Strikes Back. Yoda tells Luke, “For my ally is the Force and a powerful ally that it is. Life creates it, makes it grow. Its energy surrounds us, and binds us. Luminous beings are we, not this crude matter. You must feel The Force around you. Here. Between you, me, the tree, the rock, everywhere. Yes, even between the land and the ship.”
Related: 5 Reasons The Last Jedi Was The Worst Star Wars Movie Ever
If The Force is everywhere, why wouldn’t a clone also have the Force? Why wouldn’t you be able to clone strength in the Force?
In fact, we would find out in The Phantom Menace about midi-chlorians, microscopic life forms that reside within all living beings.
Qui-Gon Jinn explains, “Midi-chlorians are a microscopic life form that resides within all living cells.” He adds, “We are symbiotes within them…Life forms living together for mutual advantage without the midi-chlorians life could not exist and we would have no knowledge of The Force. They continually speak to us telling us the will of The Force. When you learn to quiet your mind you will hear them speaking to you.”
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Qui-Gon then tells Anakin Skywalker that he will understand midi-chlorians with time and training.
https://youtu.be/dZw4e17iIwA
This would be further elaborated in The Clone Wars animated series by Qui-Gon Jinn to Yoda.
Related: 5 Big Problems With Disney+’s The Mandalorian
Qui-Gonn explains, “All energy from the Living Force from all things that have ever lived feeds into the Cosmic Force binding everything and communicating to us through the midi-chlorians.”
https://youtu.be/bwuzkGoHAAk
The connection between the Cosmic Force and The Living Force would be further explained in The Clone Wars.
https://youtu.be/_AKKJsOvz7s
Since midi-chlorians are microscopic life forms it would not be out the realm of possibility that they could be cloned. If the Kaminoans could clone a fully complex being like Jango Fett, one has to assume they were also cloning the midi-chlorians present within him especially if they are within his cells.
Related: Mandalorian Theory Explains Why The Empire Wants Baby Yoda
In fact, there’s a theory that the Empire is actually attempting to use Baby Yoda in The Mandalorian to harvest his high midi-chlorian count within his cells. They could use these cells to boost other being’s force sensitivity through an increase of midi-chlorians.
So Scott’s entire theory is bunk from the get go because he believes you can’t clone strength in the force, which if true would contradict the entire idea of midi-chlorians and The Force to begin with.
His idea that Rey is strong in the Force because of her spirit is also void because it breaks Star Wars canon. Rey is strong in the Force due to her high midi-chlorian count which is found within her cells. Now, it’s not out of the realm of possibility that the Cosmic Force can imbue different individuals with higher midi-chlorian count than their forefathers.
And as I previously noted, it could also be possible to artificially boost your midi-chlorian count and thus your connection to the Force through science by harvesting high midi-chlorian count cells from other beings.
Disney has a major problem on their hands because the individuals they are hiring to write Star Wars stories truly don’t understand the actual rules of the universe as set forth by George Lucas.