An impressive Star Wars cosplay imagines what the sequel trilogy might have looked like had Rey Skywalker fallen to the dark side. Throughout the Star Wars sequel trilogy, Rey struggles with her identity. Though she was desperate for connection, the answers she desired weren’t what she had expected – her past made it that much harder for her to turn her back on the dark side. Nevertheless, she persevered, her goodness enough to bring Kylo Ren back to the light, too. But what if it had been the other way around? What if Rey had succumbed to the power of the dark side?
Cosplayers Grace McClung and Armored Heart’s impressive collaboration imagines a much darker reality for the Star Wars franchise, showing both sides of Rey's tumultuous inner conflict. Dark Rey’s trademark sequel trilogy outfit is black instead of grey, and she carries the ominous double-bladed red lightsaber that was teased as part of her future in Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker.
It’s certainly enough to make one wonder what might have happened had Rey turned to the dark side and chosen to take Kylo’s hand in Star Wars: The Last Jedi. Would Kylo have been the one to turn to the light side first? Would Rey have accepted Palpatine’s offer of unlimited power, or would they still have overthrown him together?
The Rise of Skywalker definitely teased Rey’s turn to the dark side – the film showed glimpses of dark Rey wielding an unusual red-bladed lightsaber, and her relationship with Palpatine primed her for a fall to the dark side, too. And yet, The Rise of Skywalker never pursued the idea further, probably because, to be anywhere near satisfactory, Rey would have needed to turn to the dark side sooner. If she had, Rey and Kylo could have led the First Order together, and they would have been able to explore the power of the Force dyad, unlocking the Force’s true potential and usurping Palpatine in the process.
Rey’s fall would also have shifted the Star Wars sequel trilogy’s character roles significantly. Instead of Rey being the one to try and redeem Kylo, Leia Organa and Finn would likely have taken on the burden of saving both of them, while Poe Dameron would probably have become a much more vital leader within the Resistance. Equally, having Rey turn to the dark side while Kylo eventually turned to the light would have been an interesting way of inverting the original Star Wars trilogy’s story. As it stands, audiences can only imagine what might have been had Rey Skywalker fallen to the dark side instead.
Daughter of a 'failed' Palpatine clone, Rey became part of a mysterious phenomenon known as the Force Dyad - a vergence in the Force that bound her to Kylo Ren. Trained by both Luke Skywalker and Leia Organa, Rey fought against the First Order as an ally of the Resistance. She ultimately triumphed against Palpatine himself, channelling the full power of all Jedi.
