


One of the sequel trilogy's main themes is the vast grey area between the light and dark sides of the Force, and the reveal of Rey as a Palpatine plays into that - having Dark Rey's design break Star Wars' usual costume rules would have better set her apart from the heroes (and villains) before her. Having Rey's vision of her own dark side counterpart look distinctly unlike her grandfather, the resurrected Emperor Palpatine, would have served as a visual representation that Rey is somewhere in-between her Jedi mentors and her Sith heritage. This early design, as well as being something of a departure from Star Wars' established norms, would actually have been an interesting progression for the franchise. Related: Why Kylo Ren Couldn’t Use Force Lightning When Rey Could Early concept art for the character was practically the opposite, though, with white robes and her face fully uncovered, and it makes for a stark contrast to the franchise's previous dark side designs. Dark robes, pale skin, oversized hood - while it does all evoke numerous powerful Star Wars figures, it's nothing that the franchise hadn't already delivered time and time again. The Rise of Skywalker's Dark Rey failed to capture fans' imaginations for a simple reason: it was a dull regurgitation of previous character designs. The reveal of some early concept art for the film's Dark Rey shows what the protagonist's dark side doppelganger almost looked like, and it paints a different picture than the simple hooded figure in the final product. Abrams was practically tasked with retconning Star Wars: The Last Jedi - an equally divisive film - The Rise of Skywalker had the odds stacked against it from the start.

The final installment in Disney's sequel trilogy has remained divisive among fans since its release, but given that J.J. Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalkerconcept art reveals a far more interesting Dark Rey than the one used in the finished film, as the alternative design goes against Star Wars' established rules.
