For nine days last month I had a segment celebrating The Defining Moments of some of Star Wars’ most beloved characters and this month I’m excited to present to you a new segment celebrating the greatest moments featuring my fifteen favorite Star Wars’ characters. Enjoy!
1. Saving BB-8
One of my favorite scenes in The Force Awakens is when she rescues BB-8 from the grasp of Teedo, the mean Jakku native. It’s the first time you see her interact with another character and the immediate bond between her and the droid is simply beautiful.
This was the first movie poster I saw in the movie theaters and it was utterly magical seeing Rey and BB-8 against the backdrop of the sun and it’s probably the reason why I love this scene so much. The Force Awakens was the Star Wars movie I had been waiting for and this poster embodied that euphoric feeling the idea of another Star Wars movie gave me.
2. “Let Go of Me!”
I know I always bring this scene up whenever I talk about the awesomeness of Rey but that’s how much this scene impacted me the first time I watched The Force Awakens. I mean Rey was already awesome leading up to her first encounter with Finn but as they ran from stormtroopers trying to kill them and Finn had her hand in his I absolutely loved seeing her tell him to let her go. That was the moment that I realized I liked Rey a whole lot.
Men in movies always think they have to take care of us as women because we’re usually depicted as damsels in distress but she immediately squashed that narrative as soon as she said, “Let go of me!” That scene right there is a huge part of the reason why she’s my favorite heroine of all time.
3. Piloting the Millenium Falcon
Like I said before, Rey was already awesome and then they made her pilot the Millenium Falcon. Drop the mic. I was stunned. She flew the ship better than Han Solo!!!! Not only is it one of the better action scenes in all of Star Wars but to see Rey pilot the Millenium Falcon was sensational and undoubtedly one of her greatest moments.
4. Defeating Kylo Ren
Hah! Kylo Ren really thought he was going to put his probing Force fingers into her mind and make her all spill all the tea but instead he was met with a Force fist in his face. Rey had already demonstrated time and time again how awesome of a character she was and how brave she was in the face of evil but this was the perfect way for them to have a face-to-face conversation for the first time with her beating him in a Force battle (she barely knew the concept of the Force by the way.) I absolutely love this scene.
5. Retrieving the Lightsaber
I watched The Force Awakens the other day and after seeing this movie over a hundred times I still got teary at this part. This is such a powerful moment for Rey in the movie. Han is dead, Finn is possibly dead, Rey is hurt, it seems like all hope is lost and Kylo Ren will be the victor and then when she Force snatches that lightsaber out of the snow instead of him the pure horror on her face speaks it all. She’s so afraid at that moment (remember, the last time she held the lightsaber she had that terrifying vision) but she gripped that lightsaber with determination and charged Kylo Ren with nothing but pure bravery. And that’s why I love Rey.
6. Defeating Kylo Ren Again
Rey is off the chain, pure and simple, and this scene solidifies that. Kylo Ren thought he had her beat but he didn’t realize how exactly wrong he was. She calmed her emotions, felt the Force, and kicked. His. Butt! And it was absolutely beautiful to watch. Girlpower!
7. Lightsaber Training
I honestly did not think I would end up loving this scene as much I did because I saw it so often in the trailers and commercials but this scene was AWESOME! The music was magically perfect, the setting was impeccable, and seeing Rey practice with the lightsaber kind of highlighted her growth and her confidence with the ancient weapon. This is actually one of my favorite scenes in The Last Jedi because it’s that great.
8. Fighting the Praetorian Guards
This is already one of the best scenes in The Last Jedi and it helped show how powerful Rey has become. While Kylo Ren did kill most of the guards she totally held her own against them and that’s very impressive. Besides, any time Rey is part of an action scene makes me ridiculously happy.
9. Saving the Resistance from Eminent Doom and Saying Goodbye to Kylo Ren
Another one of my favorite scenes in The Last Jedi is when Rey saves the Resistance as she Force lifts the boulders covering their escape. It’s another one of those powerful Rey moments that happens to make me emotional because it’s kind of amazing seeing her come into her own as a Jedi. And seeing her hug Finn is the emotional icing on the cake.
Secondly, as she experiences her final Force connection with Kylo Ren that’s another quiet moment the two share that is positively juicy to watch. They don’t speak to each other, they just stare at one another, Kylo Ren on one side looking at her with a look of, I don’t know, despair or regret, and Rey looking at him with quiet dismissal and anger. When she severs their connection it’s like a slap in the face for Kylo Ren and I love it.
The question is, does this mean they are now mortal enemies or will they once again find themselves on neutral ground? I have over a year and a half to find out. (Boo.)
Well, these are, to me, Rey’s greatest moments. Stay tuned for the next two weeks as I share with you the greatest moments of fourteen other amazing Star Wars characters. I thank you for reading and I hope you have a wonderful day. May the Force Be With You.
