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Who is your favorite bad guy? *SW7 Spoilers* (Destiny)

by Kermit @, Raleigh, NC, Tuesday, February 09, 2016, 20:14 (2970 days ago) @ CruelLEGACEY

(Side note: your use of the term "Marry Sue" really bothers me here. We've seen plenty of male characters in Star Wars and other franchises make great leaps in power. But because Rey is female you can't accept it? Not cool.)


Enjoyed your discussion, but I'd have to disagree here. At least in the core movies (the ones I care about), I don't think there are great leaps in power. Luke's progression, for instance, is rather bumbling. (The only exception being his piloting skills, but womprats and such make that credible.) I like Rey, but her omnipotence does seem nearly instant. Finn, by comparison, sometimes seems to exist only to provide contrast. I think there is an explanation for Rey's abilities, but it's not in this movie.


I think there actually is an explanation in the movie: the turning point is when Ren invades her mind. He's so focused on finding the answers he seeks, he doesn't notice the "2-way street" until it is too late. Rey is feeling what Ren is doing to her, and is strong enough to resist it and then mimic it when she mind-controls the guard.

As far as the rest, I had no problem accepting her force-grabbing the saber away from Ren, or her combat skills. But I've read loads of expanded-universe novels, which I'm sure shape my expectations. In the EU, sudden displays of astonishing power are not unheard of, and often come out of situations of intense emotional stress or obsessively single-minded determination. Darth Bane's first display of force power came at a young age, when he was so filled with rage towards his abusive father that he unknowingly crushed his heart. In Revenge of the Sith (the novel), when Vader awakens from his injuries and learns of Padme's death, he obliterates the room around him in an attempt to kill the emperor. In the New Jedi Order series, we see Jacen Solo achieve a moment of such understanding and clarity that he literally disintegrates the evil mastermind behind the Yuzen Vong.

So yes, this is all reaching outside of the film, which is a bit of a problem. But I think whether one has read the expanded fiction or not, it isn't that big a stretch to understand people are sometimes capable of feats well beyond their usual skills in moments of extreme necessity.

Agreed, but in fiction those moments are more gratifying after a failed attempt or two (her mind control of the guard is 100x more enjoyable because it doesn't work at first). I don't mean to overstate my thoughts here. I like Rey and the movie. Many of her instincts and skills seem fully formed from the start, though, and we don't know how or by whom. Not a showstopping issue by any means.


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