Corellianrogue wrote:
Hokusai wrote:
Didnt a 16ish year old kid... with a few hours of flight time in an xwing... destroy the biggest superweapon of the age... without a targeting computer? After infiltrating said weapon and successfully escaping while watching his foster parents get burnt to a crisp and his new found mentor die... within a few days?
Rey was nothing.
No, a 19 year old T-17 Skyhopper pilot, who already essentially had practice shooting womp rats of similar size to the Death Star's exhaust port, destroyed the Death Star while piloting an X-Wing as part of a team of pilots after being instructed how by General Dodonna using the Death Star plans. He was also helped by Han Solo in the Millennium Falcon, who got Darth Vader and his wingmen off Luke's back, along with (the voice of the Force ghost of) Obi Wan Kenobi who helped Luke focus on using the Force instead of the targetting computer. Obi Wan had already told Luke about the Force, demonstrated it and helped him train a bit before he blew up the Death Star, unlike Rey just using the Jedi mind-trick out of the blue with no explanation of how she even knew about it.
I must admit, most if not all the stuff Rey did can be explained away though, but only if they do explain those things in Episode 8 and/or 9 rather than J.J. Abrams or Kathleen Kennedy etc just explaining it themselves in an interview or something like that just to make excuses. For example Rey could explain her piloting skills (beyond her subconcious Force-enhanced talent) and knowledge of the Millennium Falcon's workings by saying that she had previously worked on and test-flown various ships for Unkar Plutt inlcuding possibly the Millennium Falcon itself when he first got it or maybe another YT-1300 or similar Corellian ship.
Edit: It's also established fairly on in A New Hope that Luke is the son of a Jedi, so not just some random farmboy. I know Rey is pretty much guaranteed to be Luke's daughter, especially judging by that artwork leak, but it hasn't actually been confirmed yet and obviously wasn't in The Force Awakens.
Rey was beyond ridiculous.
First, she is kicking the asses of Plutt's henchmen in hand-to-hand combat. Who taught her how to fight?
By comparison, Luke is almost killed by a Tusken and two toughs in the cantina.
Second, she is flying the Millennium Falcon like she's Han Solo. She is taking on and beating TIE pilots with years of experience and extensive training.
At least we are told Luke is a very good pilot early on in A New Hope.
Third, she is analyzing every problem with the Millennium Falcon and quickly fixing the ship. How did she learn that? Who taught her such skills?
And don't tell me this information about her is conveyed in some book or comic either. That is pathetic.
The worst part is that she goes through no personal growth. She touches a lightsaber hilt and she suddenly "awakens" like some sort of sleeper agent.
In other words, she didn't grow up or face the emotional trials that mature her. She was "activated." Her triumph was bestowed by "destiny" and triggered by external events rather than any choices that she makes.
Robbing a protagonist like this is one of the worst mistakes a story can make. It is just bad writing.
Luke Skywalker bulls-eyed the exhaust port not because of superior aiming skills but because he overcame his fear of the unfamiliar and put his faith in the Force over technology. He grows throughout A New Hope.
Rey does no such thing in The Force Awakens. She just is.
It is a big difference. In fact, it couldn't be more different. The polar opposite.
Anyone who doesn't get this fact needs to spend more of their time watching the Transformers movies.
Leave Star Wars to the rest of us.