Everything We Know About Rey's Parents

The new Star Wars novel Shadow of the Sith by Adam Christopher has told us the story of Rey's parents, Dathan and Miramir. From Dathan's creation and life on Exegol to his escape, and the family he started with Miramir. And of course, their eventual death.
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[michaelkaduck]

I was originally fine with Rey's Parents being no one, but this lore really does add more to the story that makes me kind of appreciate the Rey/Palpatine twist more. And it is cool to know that Sidious's son was simply one of many, like in Legends, showing Rey was only special for Palpatine's own ends, not recognizing what makes her distinct as a human being. She is kind, afraid, excited, curious and empathetic. What she chose to do with her life matters so much more than how she was created. Kinda reminds me of Caesar from the Planet of the Apes trilogy, in a sense.

[JGPRIME]

Miramir's death is one of my favorite Star Wars scene.

That last smile of defiance knowing that her daughter would be safe.

It hit me like a train.

[CSXGirl]

Thank you for still covering content about the sequel era unlike so many other channels. Despite all of the negativity surrounding them, I'm still a fan! And while I know we're few and far in between, it's videos like this that give me hope we'll maybe see more ST content in the future.

[Mr-Rinn]

Hearing (audiobook) their last moments from Miramir's perspective was interesting, and a little heart-breaking. She could feel Ochi's anger and the hunger of the Sith Blade that killed her. Of course I could be reading too much into that, Ochi was literally a raging drunk and the blade was drinking her blood at the time after she'd been stabbed by it, but I like the idea that Rey might not have gotten all her Force sensitivity from her Father's side (Palpatine).

[Iceskyguy]

I wonder if Luke and Lando ever realised that Rey was the child of the family that they had aided so many years before, Luke when he met Rey or more likely, after he became one with the Force and Lando after getting to know Rey more, following TROS. I would love a future story to have them sit down with Rey and have her learn that two of these heroes she's looked up to tried to protect and help her family escape the Sith when she was a child. I think that would be a great companion piece to this story and pack an emotional punch.

I really love all this backstory the book has established for Rey's parents and it makes it even sadder that she was left on Jakku now having the full story. It's a very interesting situation with Dathan and Miramir, considering his origins.

I admit the idea of Dathan being born years before Palpatine's death is one I had to adjust to. It's just weird to think he was on Exegol throughout the reign of the Empire and the Original Trilogy and now being out in the galaxy during the Galactic Civil War. I always figured he was born after Endor and just engineered to age quickly to be an adult but honestly him aging naturally makes more sense if he was intended to be Sidious's vessel. He wouldn't want a body that would age quickly like the Clone troopers, he'd want one to last so I do like this more. It was just one of those new revelations that caught me off guard at first, as is the case with many new stories but now it has me asking when Palpatine discovered Exegol and set up shop there. If he had knowledge of it early in the Empire's days, maybe he knew about it for a long time, even under the tutelage of Plagueis. That's something I've always wondered but this has brought the question up again with new information, even though that was not the intent of the story which is something I love about Star Wars. Just as stories answer already existing questions we have, they can pose new ones at the same time to be discussed in the future.

[michaelrasmussen]

Just finished reading this book and it is amazing! Hopefully we will get a part 2 to the story :)

[myriadmediamusings]

While I was totally OK with Rey's parents being nobodies in the Last Jedi, now that we're starting to get answers to flesh out the Rise of Skywalker revelation, I'm also OK with what we're getting in the recent books and comics.

Still reeks of the side material swooping in to save or salvage questionable movie story elements, but hey Legends did that with the prequels too. My favorite SW book is Darth Plagueis and that was one gigantic fix of The Phantom Menace. Any who decry recent Star Wars EU of fixing movie problems have been living in a dark side cave all this time.

[Kazzzzzzzzzzzrz]

We need more sequel era content. Maybe some Disney+ shows? Rey Disney+ series between episode 8 and 9 or after episode 9 would be awesome.

[joncarroll]

In the last six months or so I've really turned around on Rey being Palpatine's descendant. I really loved the idea the she was no one special but I think the RoS reveal still works for three reasons.

First I think that connecting her to their archenemy makes her adoption by the Skywalkers and the Jedi much more powerful because she has to overcome a negative destiny that is pulling her towards evil.

Also I don't think being related to Palpatine at all diminishes the idea that anyone can use the Force because you still have broom-boy at the end.

Finally the twist being a lie is a really nice reversal of the OT twist being the truth.

[stephenandolino]

thank you for covering sequal content and please more!

[IronForce-ffqx]

The part where they lead Ochi to his death is kind of cool. It’s clearly a better explanation than “Emperor’s Assassin who served him for many years one day decided to land on a random planet, then fell to quicksand and died”

[scifiguy]

We now return to our favourite dysfunctional family....The Palpatines!

But yeah, I hope for more materials to show stories like this one.
In fact, I read Jannah's squadron was called 'Company 77' until she and the stormtroopers with her broke away and deserted, so that could lead to a story that explains that. At least I think they could make that as a book or a little mini-series. (and maybe unless antoher series or that Lando series does it, maybe ask is Jannah Lando's lost child, Kadara, or somebody new)

[RLJSlick]

Excellent video, I really enjoyed this book!

[CaptainK]

Weird how if you combine their names you get Dathomir.

[Falxifer]

I was iffy about the whole "daughter of a failed clone" it felt like a roundabout retcon to "technically" make Rey not *REALLY* Palpatine's granddaughter, but I appreciate how this novel makes it make sense and have more emotional weight by expanding Rey's parents life and role. But it would've been better to have it beforehand or in the actual movie, since not everyone will pick a 600 page novel to fill in the gaps and plot holes.

[jordanwhite]

Honestly, this should have been one of the Disney+ shows.

[MoldyDogUnlimited]

This is the only novel that I think is a Must read.

[simoncharette]

So it is likely that Rey's force healing isn't a trait passed down by cloning experiments using Grogu's samples... except if Grog's tissues were taken before the events of The Mandalorian. If so, then I suppose Anakin was indeed the one who took Grogu from the temple, and Grogu was then taken to a cloning facility, possibly in the care of the Kaminoan as seen at the end of Bad Batch season 1...

[plexaurella]

The term “failed clone” probably doesn’t apply to Dathan anymore. The novel says he is a “hybrid strandcast” - more than one primary donor, probably two with one providing an egg. Rey has a grandmother.

[MegaCharlie]

Nice to know how those people and plot devices got into that quick sand they randomly get tossed into that doesn't sink into the caverns below but allows people to pass through.