One of the most important moments ofStar Wars: The Force Awakensarrives whenRey Skywalkertouches Anakin Skywalker’s old lightsaber and experiences a Force vision that ends with the voice ofObi-Wan Kenobispeaking to her - but why is it Obi-Wan, and not Anakin himself or someone like Yoda? As the first movie in theStar Warssequel trilogy,The Force Awakenswas picked apart for theories unlike any otherStar Warsproject before.Rey’s Force visionwas the basis of many, if not most, of these theories, glimpsing into Rey’s past and foretelling her future.
After a series of shots that include a young Rey on Jakku watching her parents leave, the corridor on Cloud City whereLuke Skywalkerfought Darth Vader, and Kylo Ren with theKnights of Ren,Rey breaks away from the Skywalker lightsaber and hears the voice of Obi-Wan tell her, “Rey, these are your first steps.“This caused many viewers to believe that Rey had some sort of connection to Obi-Wan, perhaps even a familial one - though this was later disproved inStar Wars: The Rise of Skywalker. Why, then, does Obi-Wan specifically speak to her?
Obi-Wan Is To Rey As Yoda Was To Luke
The Jedi Master of her Jedi Master
Rey hearing the voice of her eventual Jedi Master’s own Jedi Master carries on aStar Warstradition that began 35 years beforeThe Force AwakensinThe Empire Strikes Back. Though Yoda would be the one to actually see Luke’s Jedi training through, his true master at heart has always been Obi-Wan, who was “taught” by Yoda and implied to have been his apprentice before the creation of Qui-Gon Jinn forStar Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace. Obi-Wan speaking to Rey, then, is the equivalent of Yoda speaking to Luke.
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Interestingly, this means thatThe Force Awakensputs a twist on this story structure from the originalStar Warstrilogy by having Rey’s true master be the hermit in exile that she finds in the second movie rather than the first Jedi Masterwho eases her into her new life as a Jedi. She hears Obi-Wan’s voice before she even meets her own Jedi Master, softly pushing her in the direction of the Force’s will to come across Obi-Wan’s last student. This twist further proves the true meaning behind Obi-Wan speaking to Rey in this moment.
This Moment Is Also An Important Tribute To A New Hope
It Riffs on an Iconic Obi-Wan Quote
Evidently, this line from Obi-Wan is riffing on him telling Luke inA New Hopethat “You’ve taken your first step into a larger world,” and thus it acts as a direct tribute to the eventual descendant of the Skywalker lineage carrying on that legacy. In a more broad sense, however,it also pays tribute to the fact that Obi-Wan is the one who introduces the Force toStar Warsand its audiences. His description of the Force to Luke has shapedStar Warslore for nearly fifty years, and this allows Obi-Wan to continue that tradition.
Rey may not have any kind of personal connection to Obi-Wan, but the significance of him speaking to her at the end of her Force vision is still high. As the first, and so far only,Star Warsmovie to have the word “Force” in its title, it’s huge to have the man who introduced the Force to the galaxy be the one who welcomes the sequel trilogy’s new Jedi heroine to her destiny. This moment fromThe Force Awakenscarries a weight that goes beyond the screen, paying tribute to theStar Warsstory that started it all.
Star Wars: Episode VII - The Force Awakens
Cast
Star Wars: The Force Awakens takes place 30 years after the fall of the Galactic Empire. It follows Han Solo and new allies, including Finn and Rey, as they confront the rising threat of Kylo Ren and his army of Stormtroopers while seeking the elusive Luke Skywalker.
