Rey Skywalker explained: her complete story, origins and lightsabers
Rey Skywalker is one of the most talked about characters in the Star Wars sequel trilogy. This is not only because of her enormous power in the Force, but also because of the questions many fans continue to ask: who is Rey really, is Rey a Palpatine or a Skywalker, what lightsaber does Rey use, and why is her lightsaber yellow at the end? In the three sequel films, we see how Rey grows from a lone scavenger on Jakku to a Jedi who chooses her own path. In the process, she learns from Luke Skywalker, Leia Organa, and reveals her own yellow lightsaber at the end of The Rise of Skywalker.
Who is Rey Skywalker?
Rey grows up on Jakku, where she lives as a scavenger among the rubble of war. She hopes for years that her family will one day return, but learns to survive in that harsh environment above all else. She is a gifted mechanic, pilot and fighter. Qualities that later fit perfectly with her development as a Force user and lightsaber duelist.
What makes Rey so interesting is that her story revolves around lineage as well as choice. Biologically, she appears to be related to Emperor Palpatine, but her identity is ultimately not determined by her bloodline alone. At the end of her journey, she honors Luke and Leia, buries their lightsabers on Tatooine and consciously chooses the name Rey Skywalker.
Rey in The Force Awakens
In The Force Awakens, we meet Rey as a survivor on Jakku. Her life changes when she meets BB-8 and joins Finn in the conflict between the Resistance and the First Order. That adventure pulls her away from her isolated existence and brings her into contact with something much bigger: the Force.
A major turning point comes on Takodana, where the Skywalker lightsaber "calls" her, so to speak. Rey receives a Force vision there, rejects that call at first, but later grabs the blue weapon anyway to rescue Finn at Starkiller Base. That moment is crucial: not only because she wields the saber of Anakin and Luke but also because it shows that her destiny becomes inextricably linked to the Skywalker legacy.
Rey's fighting style at this stage still feels rough and instinctive. This fits her background: her quarterstaff was already her primary weapon on Jakku, and her years of staff training helps her once she has to fight with a lightsaber. For that very reason, her way of fighting looks different from that of classic Jedi masters.
Rey in The Last Jedi
In The Last Jedi, Rey travels to Ahch-To to find Luke Skywalker . She hopes to get answers, training and direction there. Luke first refuses her, believing it is time for the end of the Jedi Order, but he eventually agrees to lessons. Under his guidance, Rey learns to feel and understand the Force better.
At the same time, her mysterious bond with Kylo Ren grows. Rey believes Ben Solo can still be brought back to the light. This leads to one of the most talked about scenes in the sequel trilogy: the confrontation in Snoke's throne room. Rey and Kylo fight side by side there against Snokes guards, but once Snoke is eliminated, it turns out that their goals are not the same. Kylo wants to join Rey in building a new order; Rey refuses.
This film is also hugely important for her lightsaber story. In the battle between Rey and Kylo, the Skywalker lightsaber is damaged and eventually split. This symbolically marks that Rey is not simply copying Luke's path, but moving toward her own identity. Later, Rey restores this saber.
Rey in The Rise of Skywalker
In The Rise of Skywalker, we see a much more focused and trained Rey. She continues training under Leia Organa and studies the Jedi texts she brought back from Ahch-To. At the same time, she is haunted by visions, doubt and her increasingly intense connection to Kylo Ren.
Then comes the big reveal: Rey is the granddaughter of Palpatine. Kylo additionally discovers that he and Rey together form a rare dyad in the Force. Palpatine tries to lure Rey to Exegol to secure his power, but eventually Ben Solo returns to the light and assists Rey in the final showdown. Rey destroys Palpatine with the help of the Jedi before her, then falls down exhausted, and is saved by Ben giving his life for hers.
After that battle, Rey travels to Tatooine. There she buries the lightsabers of Luke and Leia as a tribute to her mentors. Only then does she reveal her own newly constructed Jedi weapon and call herself Rey Skywalker for the first time. That final moment rounds out her character arc: Rey ends up not as a copy of Luke, Leia or Palpatine, but as someone who consciously chooses a family, a legacy and a future.
What lightsabers does Rey use?
1. Anakin and Luke's blue Skywalker lightsaber.
The most famous saber used by Rey is undoubtedly the famous blue Skywalker lightsaber: The Saga Royal Edition. First from Anakin, later from Luke, and then wielded by Rey in The Force Awakens and The Last Jedi. Rey later repairs this saber after it is shattered in a struggle with Kylo Ren.
👉Check out our Anakin/ Luke Skywalker Ligtsaber: the Saga Royal Edition here
2. Leia Organa's lightsaber
In The Rise of Skywalker, Rey trains under Leia Organa and later gets Leia's lightsaber to use along with Luke's saber in the final battle against Palpatine. This makes Leia's weapon not a detail, but an important part of Rey's final step toward adult Jedihood.
👉Check out our Leia Lightsaber: the Pearl here
3. Rey's own yellow lightsaber
At the end of The Rise of Skywalker, Rey reveals her own yellow blade lightsaber. This is her newly constructed Jedi weapon is. The design is made from salvaged materials, including parts of her familiar quarterstaff. This also ties in with Rey's origins on Jakku.
👉Check out our Rey Skywalker Lightsaber here: the Honor
Why is Rey's lightsaber yellow?
Rey reveals at the end of her story a homemade lightsaber with a yellow blade. Rey honors Luke and Leia, adopts her own name and displays a weapon that is truly her own. The yellow lightsaber is a "shining beacon" for her accomplishments and growth through the trilogy. Since Rey's identity is always about survival, engineering, fighting, learning and ultimately choosing herself, that yellow color is a sign of balance, independence and a Jedi path of her own. In other words, no longer just heir to someone else's legacy, but the creator of her own.
Why Rey's story is so strongly tied to Kylo Ren, Luke Skywalker and Palpatine
Rey's story works best when viewed as a tension between three huge influences. Luke Skywalker represents the ancient Jedi legacy, training and hope. Kylo Ren is her mirror image: someone with the same inner conflict between light and darkness, but with different choices. Palpatine represents the bloodline and the temptation of power that Rey ultimately rejects. Precisely because of this, her choice of the name Skywalker also feels thematically logical: she chooses not her lineage, but her values.
Two KenJo Sabers that are a perfect fit for Rey fans
Honor: a saber that beautifully reflects Rey's own path
The Honor matches Rey's end point as a character. This saber was created by a new generation of Jedi to honor her predecessors. That idea aligns almost one-to-one with Rey's ending in The Rise of Skywalker, in which she honored Luke and Leia but then revealed a weapon of her own. The Honor also features unique controls via a spinning wheel just below the emitter, a distinctive conical shape and a strong, distinctive build.
Technically, too, the Honor is a good fit for fans who want more than just a fancy display piece. The saber is available in multiple soundboard variants, with color choices, different sound types and, depending on board choice, extensive customizability as well. The saber also has several features such as smooth swing, many soundfonts, motion control and on the X3 models bluetooth control via the Xeno Configurator app.
Saga Royal Edition: the saber of the Skywalker legacy
The Saga Royal Edition is one of the galaxy's most iconic lightsabers. A saber that recurs in various guises throughout the saga and has been owned by members of the most famous family in Star Wars. As a result, Rey's story is inextricably linked to the legacy.
The Saga Royal Edition features a shiny silver base with black accents, signature ribbed grip plates and extra detailing on the top. That firm grip provides plenty of control. That is precisely why this model feels particularly strong for display, collectors and high-end cosplay. Also this saber available in multiple soundboard variants, with color choice, different sound types and depending on board choice also extensive customizability. Several features such as smooth swing, many soundfonts, motion control and in the case of the X3 models bluetooth control via the Xeno Configurator app.
Conclusion
Rey Skywalker is much more than just the protagonist of the sequel trilogy. Her story is about origins, choice, training, temptation, loss and ultimately identity. She begins as a scavenger on Jakku, discovers the Force, uses the famous blue Skywalker lightsaber, learns from Luke and Leia, resists Palpatine and concludes with a yellow lightsaber of her own that emphasizes her independence. This is precisely why Rey is so popular. You are not only where you come from; you are also what you choose to become.
In a nutshell
Is Rey a Palpatine or a Skywalker?
Biologically, Rey is Palpatine's granddaughter, but at the end of The Rise of Skywalker, she deliberately chooses the name Skywalker.
Which lightsaber does Rey use?
Mainly the Saga Royal Edition (the blue Skywalker lightsaber) from Anakin and Luke, later the repaired version of it, and in the finale also the Pearl (Leia's lightsaber). At the end, she builds her own lightsaber with a yellow blade, the Honor.
Why is Rey's lightsaber yellow?
Rey builds her own yellow lightsaber and the color yellow matches her own path, growth and independence. Are you curious about what the other colors mean? Then check out our lightsaber color guide with detailed explanations of the meaning of all the colors of lightsabers: The ultimate lightsaber color guide.
Do Luke and Leia both train Rey?
Yes. Luke teaches her to better understand the Force on Ahch-To, and later she trains further under Leia Organa.
Why does Rey call herself Skywalker?
It happens after she honors Luke and Leia by burying their lightsabers on Tatooine. The film positions that choice of name as a conscious step in her own identity
