Support NeoGAF

[Vincent Alexander]

That was a good read. Thanks, OP.

Regardless of whether or not Rey is "overpowered," she's a pretty damn cool character as presented in The Force Awakens.

I do kind of wish they ended Finn's "but you're a girl!" incredulity act after they left Jakku. I get that doing so gave them a good excuse to make their relationship a bit more playful, but it felt like the creators were constantly telling us, "You see, this is a strong girl character!" Maybe it's just me, but I'd rather she were just strong and that fact wasn't terribly surprising to anyone else in the film.

Yeah...the jokes were way too much, way too fast. He holds her hand, she makes a comment he doesn't need to. Great. I loved it. Then within 1 minute same joke. THEN within a 1 minute they're blasted to ground, and she checks up on him to have him say "Are you all right?" We get it! Jesus. Three times in a row that fast was too much and damn stupid. What's odd is I think cutting out the middle "stop holding my hand" then it would've been golden.

 

[PopeReal]

I'm totally fine with this. And I said as much before. It's Star Wars, a fantasy. If they want to make Rey do something amazing, then that's fine, I'll bite. I still love the movie and have already seen it 3 times. That doesn't mean we can't discuss parts of the movie.

For sure! At least we are discussing some aspects of the movie and not why the whole thing is terrible. Most of us agree it is a fun movie.

 

[Opto]

A Mary Sue would have eagerly left Jakku to fulfill her destiny, gladly have taken Luke's lightsaber, and then plan to be captured to destroy the First Order. Her adeptness to fighting and force use is so it's not just exactly ANH all over again. We already know stuff about the Force and accelerating is so we're not yelling at her to get gud already

 

[The One and Done™]

This is a good example of the bending over backward to downplay Luke and over sell Rey that has made this topic so frustrating. Luke also sneaks through a Death Star, makes pinpoint shots with a blaster he's never used (closing the doors on Vader), flawlessly pilots a ship he's never been in, blocks laser blasts while blind using a sword for the first time, and channels the force with zero training to make an impossible shot at the end of ANH. He was a farmer. All this has to be handwaved away in order to make the argument against Rey. Meanwhile much of Rey's talents are both explained and demonstrated due to her upbringing and life, in stark contrast to Luke's life on the farm.

Rey's teacher was Kylo Ren; she takes everything he does and applies it herself, to varying degrees of success. The film makes this very clear, from the mind control scene onward. Meanwhile, Luke pulls off everything Obi-wan teachers him instantly as well (try blocking laser blasts while blind. okay done. try using the force to guide you into an impossible shot. okay, done.). It's a direct parallel. But it's Rey that's over powered, somehow.

Solid post right here.

I also feel it's very telegraphed that Rey has had prior experience with either using the force or was showed how the force works and either doesn't remember it or was wiped. That's yet to be seen, yes, but I don' think that would shock anyone.

 

[Afrodium]

This is a good example of the bending over backward to downplay Luke and over sell Rey that has made this topic so frustrating. Luke also sneaks through a Death Star, makes pinpoint shots with a blaster he's never used (closing the doors on Vader), flawlessly pilots a ship he's never been in, blocks laser blasts while blind using a sword for the first time, and channels the force with zero training to make an impossible shot at the end of ANH. He was a farmer. All this has to be handwaved away in order to make the argument against Rey. Meanwhile much of Rey's talents are both explained and demonstrated due to her upbringing and life, in stark contrast to Luke's life on the farm.

Rey's teacher was Kylo Ren; she takes everything he does and applies it herself, to varying degrees of success. The film makes this very clear, from the mind control scene onward. Meanwhile, Luke pulls off everything Obi-wan teachers him instantly as well (try blocking laser blasts while blind. okay done. try using the force to guide you into an impossible shot. okay, done.). It's a direct parallel. But it's Rey that's over powered, somehow.

Stop. If Rey had done this in the film people would have flipped their shit even more. At least Rey demonstrated that she was a fighter during her scene on Jakuu. Luke didn't know anything about fighting before.And being a pilot isn't some super special ability. I wish people would stop using it in their arguments. "OMGBBQSAUCE HOW DID SHE FLY DA FALCON!!!!?!?" No one freaked out at Poe for flying a Fighter for the first time. Oh wait a tick....Poe piloting a Fighter actually mirrored Rey piloting the Falcon; shaky start, then figured it out....AMAZING RIGHT?

The most important thing several people have demonstrated thusfar is that they do not understand the force and how it works. The force doesn't make you strong, doesn't make you a better fighter, doesn't make you a great pilot. The force is an intangible thing that connects and balances the universe, which some individuals can connect with and use it to guide them. It's not like some kind of power up.

The thing about Jedi's is not their ability to use the force. It's their training and journey to MASTER use of the force. You'd think they Rey started flying they way people are acting. She used the Jedi mindtrick, which, based on history, is not some super crazy ability you have to train for years to learn. And she used force pull, again, something that's a commonality among force users of all kinds.

Now onto, "BUT ZOMG SHE BEAT REN!! BUT HOWZ!! HE'S A MASTA!!!" Ren isn't even a matured Force user and there are several BLATANT flaws in his own character that explain why he loss. It wasn't, "He's weak and she got a power up". It was a combination of his own flaws (he's hubris, his self doubt, his fear), combined with Rey letting in the force (Maz confirmed that the force was strong in Rey and was able to see that Rey was simply not letting the force flow through her).

What's funny, is that Ren actually dominated Rey in their first encounter, fully healthy, not distracted by anything. Had that been the case in the final scene, he would have dominated her again. But let's pull back for a second; his intent in the fight wasn't to kill her. He wanted to lure her to his side. He wasn't even attempting to go all out. Had that been the case, she'd be dead.

But here's the best part. We get more movies to explore both characters. And I can't wait serve crow to all the naysayers crying out "MARY SUE!!! ARRRGHHH!"

Alright, you guys made some good points. I guess Luke is pretty OP too. As for the the Falcon piloting comment, the film implies that Rey had the assistance of the force during that sequence, which is why I included it.

 

[ZenTzen]

If blocking some lasers was the extent of Rey's usage of the force I don't think she'd be getting shit either. In ANH Luke blocks those lasers and makes the million-to-one Death Star shot at the climax. In TFA Rey uses the force to read the mind of Kylo Ren, best him in battle, do Jedi mind tricks, stealth through a heavily guarded military command center, impossibly pilot the Millennium Falcon, and force-pull Luke's lightsaber. Additionally, Luke's mentor was an actual Jedi, while Rey's was a smuggler who went on adventures with a Jedi.

seriously, i dont get the luke comparison, not only was luke able to deflect the lasers because he was having direct instruction from obi-wan, so it establishes the inexperienced character being taught by the master, the death star shot, not only have we an establishing line of luke shooting rats with biggs in tatooine as well as biggs talking about his skill as a pilot, it also follows a simillar use of the force, but instead of it being where to place the lightsaber, its a when to shoot

luke, also isnt this experienced jedi that knows when to use the force all the time, even in the other two movies and had to take a training arc to get more competent, and even after that he still needed the help of other characters in the 3 movies, obi-wan in ANH, han, leia and yoda in empire, and even his own father in RotJ

Now Rey on the other hand, only uses the force powers mostly for plot convenience, now this is probably because of the "mistery box" shes currently in, but for the first movie it kinda makes her seem like a "mary sue", even though thats not the best to describe her

 

[Ferr986]

I swear it seems like a lot of people are still trying to compare Kylo to Vader. Didn't you guys watched the movie? Kylo is flawed as fuck, he's no Vader, even if he looks as badass. Seriously didn't see anything weird about him losing against Rey, not only he isn't properly trained, he was fucked physically and mentally. The movie points out clearly from start to finish at how Kylo is a flawed character that's not yet ready.

 

[The Librarian]

Some of you are basically saying that any criticism of Rey is because that person is sexist. That's just silly and counterproductive.

This is how this thread has gone:

Person A: "I think it's weird how Rey was capable of using Force powers so well without any training."

Person B: "Oh, did you have a problem when Anakin won the podrace? No. It's because he has a penis. Therefore, you're sexist for questioning Rey."

Person A: "Well, has anyone else been able to use Force powers like Jedi mind tricks without being taught?"

Person B: "Stop talking, sexist scum. Move along."

I think you'd have a hard time denying that this "controversy" wouldn't be as large, if non-existent, had Rey been Reymond. At its root, that's what this is about.

We have so few female protagonists that when one does show up, she's subjected to more scrutiny than your run-of-the-mill male protagonist.

This type of criticism also limits the type of characters women can be. We have a lot of idealized male protagonists that are, essentially, perfect: Captain America, Indiana Jones, James Bond. None, by and large, are criticized as unlikable because they're too perfect. In fact, this is why we love them,

Except for Rey. We can't like her because boys can't imagine themselves as her.

 

[Carcetti]

I swear it seems like a lot of people are still trying to compare Kylo to Vader. Didn't you guys watched the movie? Kylo is flawed as fuck, he's no Vader, even if he looks as badass. Seriously didn't see anything weird about him losing against Rey, not only he isn't properly trained, he was fucked physically and mentally. The movie points out clearly from start to finish at how Kylo is a flawed character that's not yet ready.

Exactly. It's awesome we get to see the villain grow up and evolve through the trilogy. I still can't understand anyone who says 'Maul was better'. PT villains weren't even characters, more like props.

 

[Pancake Mix]

Rey is a beast and the main character of the film, getting more screen time than even Finn or Han, also major roles played by great actors. Fear of creating Mary and Gary Sue characters has probably ruined more works of fiction than we can possibly imagine all because a vocal minority of the audience will label them.

People bitch and moan when there aren't enough prominent female leads, then turn around and do the same for a male or female character on the basis of "well that's not plausible, nobody can be that perfect. She/he came from nothing yet is smarter than these much older men. She has mysterious powers, it doesn't make sense, what are the odds?"

It's fiction. This is a sci-fi action space opera for goodness sake.

 

[ZenTzen]

I swear it seems like a lot of people are still trying to compare Kylo to Vader. Didn't you guys watched the movie? Kylo is flawed as fuck, he's no Vader, even if he looks as badass. Seriously didn't see anything weird about him losing against Rey, not only he isn't properly trained, he was fucked physically and mentally. The movie points out clearly from start to finish at how Kylo is a flawed character that's not yet ready.

i think the biggest difference between ren and vader is that Vader had drive, he believed in the empire at least in some level, he also was this focused and no nonsense character, while ren has this conflict between light and dark side inside him and is still prone to emotional outbursts, hes esentially the ultimate Darth Vader fanboy, he tries to be him, but will never be him

 

[-ImaginaryInsider]

Blocking some laser shots under direct instruction from Obi-Wan briefly on his second try isn't winning a lightsaber duel. Luke snuck through the Death Star with a former Imperial turned Smuggler, a Wookie, and a Jedi Master, and R2-D2 messing with security...he didn't do it by himself. Luke wasn't anymore of a crack-shot with a blaster than Princess Leia.

If we want to pull Phantom Menace Anakin into this, sure, he's definitely a worse offender than Rey will ever be. Ultimately if it turns out Rey was trained by Luke as a kid, that's enough of explanation for her skillset imo...but let's not pretend Luke was doing Millennium Falcon kickflips 15 seconds after touching the controls.

 

[Soriku]

Kylo Ren is no Vader. Vader is an experienced Sith...Ren ie basically like a college student or graduate who has a good position but still has to prove himself and needs more training. Mentally he's still a kid who's quick to snap.

 

[Speely]

Perhaps the views of Star Wars fans have been colored by the many action/adventure movies released between the OT and TFA, and they cannot accept traditional SW narratives anymore. The Force basically makes what would otherwise be a sci-fi into a fantasy (or science fantasy,) and yet it seems that some folks can't accept that as part of the setting unless it comes close to the qualifications and quantifications these folks have established in their own minds about How The Force Works.

I honestly think it's just modern jadedness clashing with the almost innocent wonder so many feel for the SW universe.

A critical eye is a great thing. An eye that can only criticize is blind.

Rey is amazing. Cast is amazing. I think she felt great as the hero and can't wait to learn more about who she is.

 

[Opto]

Rey learned force powers by being mentally linked with Kylo. It was pretty obvious

 

[Red Devil]

Not sure what's the big deal about it. Specially when Luke very likely was also a Mary Sue in the original trilogy.

 

[kingocfs]

Rey learned force powers by being mentally linked with Kylo. It was pretty obvious

It's almost as if they're related.

 

[Jarmel]

It partially is. I mean Kylo is able to pull off stuff with the Force that we've never even seen in the movies and he's portrayed as someone who barely has control or training over their powers.

Yea it's power creep to an extent, Poe has a similar issue in that he killed how many tie fighters in that long shot on Takodana? I mean Chewie's bowcaster is a mini rocket launcher now.

 

[Opto]

It's almost as if they're related.

NO. I REFUSE

 

[Crossing Eden]

seriously, i dont get the luke comparison, not only was luke able to deflect the lasers because he was having direct instruction from obi-wan, so it establishes the inexperienced character being taught by the master, the death star shot, not only have we an establishing line of luke shooting rats with biggs in tatooine as well as biggs talking about his skill as a pilot, it also follows a simillar use of the force, but instead of it being where to place the lightsaber, its a when to shoot

luke, also isnt this experienced jedi that knows when to use the force all the time, even in the other two movies and had to take a training arc to get more competent, and even after that he still needed the help of other characters in the 3 movies, obi-wan in ANH, han, leia and yoda in empire, and even his own father in RotJ

Now Rey on the other hand, only uses the force powers mostly for plot convenience, now this is probably because of the "mistery box" shes currently in, but for the first movie it kinda makes her seem like a "mary sue", even though thats not the best to describe her

It is already explained that she isn't using force powers for plot convenience, every move she does can be explained. People are acting like she pulled down star destroyers with the force. Literally the direct instruction that Luke receives from Obi Wan before being able to expertly block lasers is
"Use your feelings."

That's the expert top tier Jedi training that Luke receives. And are we really gonna pretend that Rey didn't need the help of other characters in the movie just because she's actually capable of rescuing herself in some scenes?

Blocking some laser shots under direct instruction from Obi-Wan briefly on his second try isn't winning a lightsaber duel. Luke snuck through the Death Star with a former Imperial turned Smuggler, a Wookie, and a Jedi Master, and R2-D2 messing with security...he didn't do it by himself. Luke wasn't anymore of a crack-shot with a blaster than Princess Leia.

Luke hit a control panel from across the way to close a door, with a blaster he's never used. Luke=! Rey. They had different upbringings. She for instance had combat training due to having to defend herself growing up.

 

[Speely]

NO. I REFUSE

Search your feelings. You know it to be true.

 

[commish]

This is a good example of the bending over backward to downplay Luke and over sell Rey that has made this topic so frustrating. Luke also sneaks through a Death Star, makes pinpoint shots with a blaster he's never used (closing the doors on Vader), flawlessly pilots a ship he's never been in, blocks laser blasts while blind using a sword for the first time, and channels the force with zero training to make an impossible shot at the end of ANH. He was a farmer. All this has to be handwaved away in order to make the argument against Rey. Meanwhile much of Rey's talents are both explained and demonstrated due to her upbringing and life, in stark contrast to Luke's life on the farm.

Rey's teacher was Kylo Ren; she takes everything he does and applies it herself, to varying degrees of success. The film makes this very clear, from the mind control scene onward. Meanwhile, Luke pulls off everything Obi-wan teachers him instantly as well (try blocking laser blasts while blind. okay done. try using the force to guide you into an impossible shot. okay, done.). It's a direct parallel. But it's Rey that's over powered, somehow. The whole argument is nonsense.

Just to address your Luke points:

- Luke also sneaks through a Death Star - with help

- makes pinpoint shots with a blaster he's never used (closing the doors on Vader) - every single good guy in Star Wars is a crack shot with a blaster, from Leia and Padme on down the line. EVERY ONE.

- flawlessly pilots a ship he's never been in - as did Poe. But watch Rey's chase on Jakku. That flying is batshit insane, the things she does. Luke flew in the vastness of space with the assistance of a team of fellow pilots and the godly R2D2. Also, I believe in some other version of ANH (Book? Comic?), he actually spends some time in a simulator before the fight. I could be wrong. Read a lot of SW over the years, and it's definitely not in the movie version.

- blocks laser blasts while blind using a sword for the first time - yes, under the direct tutelage of fucking Obi-wan. And keep in mind that in later movies we see 3 year olds doing the same damn thing while blinded. THREE YEAR OLDS.

- channels the force with zero training to make an impossible shot at the end of ANH - he did have training, though minimal. He thought all along he could make that shot, so I wouldn't call it an impossible shot. Obi-wan also helped him with the shot, as did Han, frankly. But still, yes, it was amazing and unlikely that he would make that shot. The force!

Anyway, we all seem to be going in circles every few pages. Some of us think Rey's transformation from scavenger to force-wielding Kylo slayer was a bit hard to swallow. Others believe it's just the force doing its thing, especially in a movie called THE FORCE AWAKENS. I'm fine with either. I'm not fine with those people who automatically label anyone questioning Rey as being sexist. It's so dumb and unfounded, especially if the crux of your argument is "oh, well, you didn't criticize Luke!!"

 

[Opto]

Rey met the the wise ancient alien before Luke did. She's gonna be better than him

 

[The One and Done™]

seriously, i dont get the luke comparison, not only was luke able to deflect the lasers because he was having direct instruction from obi-wan, so it establishes the inexperienced character being taught by the master, the death star shot, not only have we an establishing line of luke shooting rats with biggs in tatooine as well as biggs talking about his skill as a pilot, it also follows a simillar use of the force, but instead of it being where to place the lightsaber, its a when to shoot

luke, also isnt this experienced jedi that knows when to use the force all the time, even in the other two movies and had to take a training arc to get more competent, and even after that he still needed the help of other characters in the 3 movies, obi-wan in ANH, han, leia and yoda in empire, and even his own father in RotJ

Now Rey on the other hand, only uses the force powers mostly for plot convenience, now this is probably because of the "mistery box" shes currently in, but for the first movie it kinda makes her seem like a "mary sue", even though thats not the best to describe her

Not true. You have to remember how the the force works. Disbelief, self doubt, uncertainty are enemies to the force and prevent force users from excelling. In ANH, Luke has tons of disbelief, doubt and uncertainty. This blocks his progress in using the force, which is why he requires more training. Rey is actually the opposite. She looks at Jedi and the Force as GRAND legends that she wishes were true. The scene with her and the Walker demonstrates how she imagines great things. So when Han essentially confirms that everything she ever imagined in those legends is true, she's ALL IN in a sense of being a vessel for the force to flow through.

But she's not without her own struggles as well. This is demonstrated when she first touches the saber. Though it doesn't make her disbelieve or doubt herself, it makes her fearful due to what she probably has some sense of already, her true origin.So, as we progress and she encounters Ren and is interrogated by him, it solidifies her purpose. She sees the dark side of the force and essentially is able to mimic Ren to an extent. That interrogation scene was pivotal in this.

The light always overcomes the dark no matter what. So when faced with adversity, the light side in Rey, flows heavily. It's really amazing how they demonstrated that, and as someone who seen this movie 4 times now, it only become more apparent on subsequent viewings.

 

[Brakke]

Rey's teacher was Kylo Ren; she takes everything he does and applies it herself

This I actually pretty interesting. It'd be cool if the next one actually runs with it.

I think you'd have a hard time denying that this "controversy" wouldn't be as large, if non-existent, had Rey been Reymond. At its root, that's what this is about.

We have so few female protagonists that when one does show up, she's subjected to more scrutiny than your run-of-the-mill male protagonist.

This type of criticism also limits the type of characters women can be. We have a lot of idealized male protagonists that are, essentially, perfect: Captain America, Indiana Jones, James Bond. None, by and large, are criticized as unlikable because they're too perfect. In fact, this is why we love them,

Except for Rey. We can't like her because boys can't imagine themselves as her.

Do people dismiss Katniss for her competency? That Divergent girl (I don't even know if she is competent, never saw that)? Lots of boys really liked Mulan. GAF had a thread just recently where people were quoting her songs at each other with clear abiding affection.

(Bond's a bad character to bring up. The only recent movie people generally like is the one where Bond gets his testicles mutilated; tons of people in the SPECTRE thread were exasperated at how good he was, especially killing Blofeld's base with a rifle and Blofeld's copter with a handgun.)

 

[Faiz]

I'm totally fine with this. And I said as much before. It's Star Wars, a fantasy. If they want to make Rey do something amazing, then that's fine, I'll bite. I still love the movie and have already seen it 3 times. That doesn't mean we can't discuss parts of the movie.



That guy is the worst. I read the first book and said I had enough, haha.

*eyeroll* see? I should have known better than to even bring it up.

 

[Jarmel]

Bond gets tons of shit for bullshit he sometimes pulls off.

That magic shot he pulled on Blofeld's helicopter was a big point of laughter.

 

[MikeDown]

I think people conveniently forget how the attack on the Death Star is presented, a New Hope clearly states that the Death Star is not prepared for a stealth attack by single manned fighter craft. Furthermore Luke is being covered by expert pilots, the rebellion's best. And even without the force, Luke feels fairly confident saying ..."it is like shooting a womprat with a T-16 back home", indicating his piloting & marksmanship. During the battle he is treated like just another pilot. There are stark difference between him and Rey that people are ignoring because they want to cry "sexism".

If there is a "Mary Sue" in this movie it is Poe. But he isn't the main protagonist, and it says he is the best fighter pilot ever in the opening crawl. So, like Wedge he gets away with it.

 

[The Librarian]

Do people dismiss Katniss for her competency?

I don't know? Is that from Hunger Games? Haven't seen it. I can only speak to the average.

 

[Arrogant Bastard]

I think people conveniently forget how the attack on the Death Star is presented, a New Hope clearly states that the Death Star is not prepared for a stealth attack by single manned fighter craft. Furthermore Luke is being covered by expert pilots, the rebellion's best. And even without the force, Luke feels fairly confident saying ..."it is like shooting a womprat with a T-16 back home", indicating his piloting & marksmanship. During the battle he is treated like just another pilot. There are stark difference between him and Rey that people are ignoring because they want to cry "sexism".

If there is a "Mary Sue" in this movie it is Poe. But he isn't the main protagonist, and it says he is the best fighter pilot ever in the opening crawl. So, like Wedge he gets away with it.

Yah, flying a T-16 back on Tatooine is the equivalent of flying a X-wing in space while being shot at by Darth Vader. It is just as unbelievable, which is fine, this is Star Wars.

 

[MikeDown]

I don't know? Is that from Hunger Games? Haven't seen it. I can only speak to the average.

My opinion of the first hunger games is fairly positive, I mean she volunteers as tribute because she loves & wants to protect her sister. That is hardly a "mary sue" type trait. And furthermore she uses some of her established skills to become victorious in the end. The next three movies are pretty much shit though, basically everything is handed to her and it is all pointless.

 

[MikeDown]

Yah, flying a T-16 back on Tatooine is the equivalent of flying a X-wing in space while being shot at by Darth Vader. It is just as unbelievable, which is fine, this is Star Wars.

The equivalency being made is that he has just enough experience to make it believable. The execution on that in TFA is lacking.

 

[Jarmel]

Yah, flying a T-16 back on Tatooine is the equivalent of flying a X-wing in space while being shot at by Darth Vader. It is just as unbelievable, which is fine, this is Star Wars.

It's not like he dodged Vader, Vader was just about to ice him. The Falcon bailed him out in the trench run and Wedge bailed him out earlier.

 

[Arrogant Bastard]

The equivalency being made is that he has just enough experience to make it believable. The execution on that in TFA is lacking.

I fail to see how flying one craft on a planet as fun/sport translates to flying something completely different in space in a military setting as an equivalency. But again, Star Wars.

 

[Brakke]

I don't know? Is that from Hunger Games? Haven't seen it. I can only speak to the average.

Yes Hunger Games. It's far and away the biggest young lady pulp hero franchise in recent memory and you're definitely out of touch on Bond so I'm not sure I trust your read on the "average".

My opinion of the first hunger games is fairly positive, I mean she volunteers as tribute because she loves & wants to protect her sister. That is hardly a "mary sue" type trait. And furthermore she uses some of her established skills to become victorious in the end. The next three movies are pretty much shit though, basically everything is handed to her and it is all pointless.

She does kill a straffing jet fighter with a bow and arrow lol. In so far as that franchise lost steam I don't think it was because people were tired of Katniss's occasionally-ridiculous successes.

 

[-ImaginaryInsider]

Luke hit a control panel from across the way to close a door, with a blaster he's never used. Luke=! Rey. They had different upbringings. She for instance had combat training due to having to defend herself growing up.

Rey is almost immediately gunning down stormtroopers at medium to long range, but I don't see many people are specifically complaining about Rey's shooting ability because both Luke and Leia effectively did the same thing in a New Hope, most of the complaints seem force use/lightsaber related.

I don't think people care that Rey is doing crazy things, I think it's just she is so much farther along already than Luke was without any training or explanation. But if we compare Rey to PM Anakin or some EU character, she isn't all that over-powered at all, there are much worse offenders.

IMO, most of the Rey complaints will disappear in the next movie with a bit more back story.

 

[Arrogant Bastard]

I don't think people care that Rey is doing crazy things, I think it's just she is so much farther along already than Luke was without any training or explanation.

It is almost as if the saber/flashback scene didn't even happen. I really don't think there is much doubt that she had already received some previous training prior to being abandoned on Jakku. It was the saber and Kylo Ren that awakened it within her.

 

[EatinOlives]

Rey was way more experienced at a harsher life than Luke was. She lived off breadcrumbs, scavenged for food, and was very well trained at hand-to-hand combat since before she even met Finn. No real wonder why she picked up things faster than Luke did in ANH.

 

[DragonSworne]

Luke learned to deflect blaster beams in a few seconds after being told to use the force. What a Mary Sue.

 

[Ashhong]

Rey is almost immediately gunning down stormtroopers at medium to long range, but I don't see many people are specifically complaining about Rey's shooting ability because both Luke and Leia effectively did the same thing in a New Hope, most of the complaints seem force use/lightsaber related.

I don't think people care that Rey is doing crazy things, I think it's just she is so much farther along already than Luke was without any training or explanation. But if we compare Rey to PM Anakin or some EU character, she isn't all that over-powered at all, there are much worse offenders.

IMO, most of the Rey complaints will disappear in the next movie with a bit more back story.

So force use/lightsaber related, the only thing she does is use mind control, once. On the third attempt. On a damn brainwashed stormtrooper. I don't think it's that huge of a reach that it could happen.

The lightsaber has been addressed a hundred times, but again, why the fuck are people so surprised that she knows how to handle a weapon after watching her fight with a staff all movie long? Lightsaber is the same thing except it glows.

 

[commish]

I fail to see how flying one craft on a planet as fun/sport translates to flying something completely different in space in a military setting as an equivalency. But again, Star Wars.

Well, according to this article:

http://starwars.wikia.com/wiki/T-16_skyhopper

The skyhopper was used by the Rebel alliance as a training vehicle because the controls were similar to an X-wing. Makes a little more sense that Luke, with the aid of R2D2, could pilot an X-wing.

 

[plasmawave]

It is almost as if the saber/flashback scene didn't even happen. I really don't think there is much doubt that she had already received some previous training prior to being abandoned on Jakku. It was the saber and Kylo Ren that awakened it within her.

What was in the flash back that made you think she was a force master?

 

[Arrogant Bastard]

What was in the flash back that made you think she was a force master?

Never said force master, said she had received some training.

Off to an xmas party, have fun fellow star wars nerds.

 

[plasmawave]

Never said force master, said she had received some training.

OK, what made you think that?
You see Kylo Ren and kid Rey being abandoned/left by her parents(?) as a kid.

 

[GrandHarrier]

Rey's 'weakness' is that she is afraid of being too awesome which is why she wants to avoid the lightsaber. It's the sort of weakness a person gives a Mary Sue.

 

[GhaleonEB]

- blocks laser blasts while blind using a sword for the first time - yes, under the direct tutelage of fucking Obi-wan. And keep in mind that in later movies we see 3 year olds doing the same damn thing while blinded. THREE YEAR OLDS.

If THREE YEAR OLDS are doing this crazy nigh impossible thing, why on earth is what Rey does out of bounds? THREE YEAR OLDS were doing more amazing feats than a force tug on a lightsaber.

 

[The Librarian]

Yes Hunger Games. It's far and away the biggest young lady pulp hero franchise in recent memory and you're definitely out of touch on Bond so I'm not sure I trust your read on the "average".

I don't care if you trust me or not. I'm just giving my perspective as a woman on this whole situation, and what I'm seeing is that the root cause of this "controversy" is Rey being a girl, which causes many to scrutinize her more.

 

[Jonm1010]

The amount of logic people want to put toward Star Wars when the entire fanbase already rebelled against trying to build a solid logic to The Force in the prequels is kinda fascinating to watch unfold.

ANH is just as unbelievable and forced as parts of TFA. I know nostalgia can be blinding but geez some of the gymnastics people are trying to pull to make Luke's adventure seem plausible compared to Rey's is profoundly silly.

 

[Theodoricos]

The amount of logic people want to put toward Star Wars when the entire fanbase already rebelled against trying to build a solid logic to The Force in the prequels is kinda fascinating to watch unfold.

ANH is just as unbelievable and forced as parts of TFA. I know nostalgia can be blinding but geez some of the gymnastics people are trying to pull to make Luke's adventure seem plausible compared to Rey's is profoundly silly.

The Star Wars original trilogy is such a beloved series of movies for a variety of reasons but also because it has internal consistency. Just because it's a space opera doesn't mean that literally anything can happen and people will go along with it. That's why there's so much world-building in the movies, particularly A New Hope, so that we get an understanding of what's possible in the setting and what's not.

 

[commish]

If THREE YEAR OLDS are doing this crazy nigh impossible thing, why on earth is what Rey does out of bounds? THREE YEAR OLDS were doing more amazing feats than a force tug on a lightsaber.

That's a good point. I bet those 3 year olds would have probably beat Kylo in a fight too. After all, Kylo had some inner anguish going on over his pops dying