Dont You Dare Call Rey a Mary Sue Again Reddit

With the release ofStar Wars: The Force Awakens and the critical and commercial success that ensued, it was only a matter of fourth dimension before the dark recesses of the internet started to push back against all of the overwhelming positivity. Of all the conversations swirling effectually the film, the almost contentious of them seems to be centered around Daisy Ridley's character, Rey. Some are concerned with her lack of representation in marketing and merchandising, sparking the #WheresRey movement. Others find her character to be lacking in diverse ways and have begun a campaign to label her a "Mary Sue". At present its been well documented where and when this particular campaign started, and if you wish to know the details then the information is out there, merely I do not want to appear equally if I'm attacking anyone personally, so I will steer articulate of all that.

Before I become started, permit me be clear virtually something: I do non recall thatStar Wars: The Force Awakens or the character of Rey are somehow above criticism. Both the motion-picture show and the graphic symbol are past no means perfect in a critical sense, nonetheless I do believe that both deserve the generally positive reactions they've received from audiences and critics. Withal, I practise find Rey beingness labeled a "Mary Sue" to be deeply concerning and problematic for a diverseness of reasons. Hither I volition do my best to delve into those reasons, and endeavour to convince y'all to stop this "Mary Sue" entrada, if indeed yous accept been swayed by some of the naysayers. Beware, I will be discussingMAJOR SPOILERSforStar Wars: The Strength Awakensin this piece.

What is a "Mary Sue"?

For the states to truly dive into the middle of this matter, it is important that nosotros all go on the same page as to just what a "Mary Sue" grapheme is. I volition exist pulling a few pieces from the subject'south Wikipedia page in this paragraph, and if you lot wish to read the unabridged entry, you tin find it here. To my agreement, a "Mary Sue" is considered to be a female person proxy graphic symbol for the writer, in which the graphic symbol serves as some form of wish fulfillment. The graphic symbol tends to outset from a place of obscurity, is gifted in many unexplained means, has no visible flaws, and eventually saves the day by the grace of their many talents. This character also tends to be underdeveloped and unrealistic to the narrative of the story. Also not uncommon with "Mary Sue" characters is some sort of romantic tryst with a popular fictional character. While there is a term for a like male grapheme, or a "Gary Stu", the term "Mary Sue" has been used much more frequently in pop media, and the female usage has been extended to describe almost any "overpowered" female person character.

Now that we have our proper definition in identify, I am certain that a few of you are already scratching your heads. Some of those traits practiseseem familiar to Rey. Notwithstanding, if you'll follow me a fiddling farther, we can quickly pick apart any familiarity Rey might have with a "Mary Sue" proxy grapheme. Let'south brainstorm.

Fact #1: Rey's abilitiesdo take an caption

The near common complaint that is used to throw shade onto the character of Rey is that she is somehow "overpowered". Nevertheless, to testify this 1 would have to show that her abilities in the moving-picture show were not earned, or somehow contradict the rules of the overarching narrative. Here I volition break downwards each ability Rey showed off during the moving picture and utilize facts given merely within the context of Star Wars films  to show how she earned them.

#1 – She is a skilled mechanic

This trait is the easiest of all to explain, since Rey has been living as a scavenger for the past fifteen years or so on the desert planet of Jakku. In her first scene in the film we see Rey clinging to a piece of machinery inside of an Imperial Star Destroyer and pulling out some of its more valuable bits. Clearly Rey has grown accustomed to the inner workings of Majestic architecture and mechanism, which can also help explicate some of the actions she takes later in the film on the Starkiller Base. The movie too implies that Rey has assisted with some of the piece of work that had been washed on the Millenium Falcon since it had fallen into the hands of the grapheme, Unkar Platt. This is gleaned from a slice of dialogue in which Rey describes the modifications Platt was making, and why she thought they were a fault. This implies that Rey had personally witnessed the Falcon being tinkered with, and probable had done some tinkering herself. Of all Rey's abilities, this one is the easiest to come up to terms with. In fact, it would exist downright silly if she didn't accept such skills, based solely on the life she'd been leading.

#two – She is a skilled Airplane pilot

Since Rey herself admitted that she'd never left the planet of Jakku since existence stranded there as a child, it can exist more difficult to ascertain just how she acquired her piloting skills. However, at that place is a brief piece of dialogue in which Rey tells Finn that she's flown within the confines of the planet. Again, with her fifteen years on Jakku, it is reasonable to presume that Rey has flown quite often, as at that place was not likely many other mode for her to entertain herself. Also, information technology is non dissimilar the narrative of aStar Wars film to merits that someone who has never left his/her home planet tin can be an ace pilot. Luke Skywalker had never left his home planet of Tatooine before the events ofA New Promise, and yet he was able to destroy the Decease Star while expertly piloting an X-Fly at the finish of the film. Also, the films ofStar Wars by have implied that force sensitivity aids a gifted airplane pilot even if he/she was untrained. Remember 9 year old, untrained Anakin Skywalker in the Boonta Eve Podrace or the Battle of Naboo? Say what yous will nigh that flick, but it is certainly not outside the realm ofStar Wars canon for Rey to have similar natural abilities.

#iii – She is a competent fighter

Again, purely within the context of the picture, we are given an explanation for why Rey can handle herself in combat, and fifty-fifty why she would have a natural affinity for a lightsaber. We meet in the motion picture that Jakku was an inhospitable identify to say the least, and for Rey to survive on the planet alone for 15 years, she would have to be quite expert at protecting herself. We see a glimpse of this on screen when she handles a few would be muggers with her staff (a melee weapon non dissimilar a lightsaber). As with her mechanical abilities, this trait is an absolute necessity to her character. Without the ability to handle herself physically, Rey could non mayhap accept survived up until the signal in which we meet her inThe Strength Awakens.

#4 – She wields the Forcefulness

Rey'southward ability to wield the Forcefulness in the manner in which she does is admittedly the unmarried biggest bespeak of contention most people have with her character. Still, allow me (a hugeStar Wars nerd, if that wasn't already credible), to explicate to you why she doesn't do anything exterior of the realm of the generalStar Wars narrative. Don't worry, I won't be spouting crazy theories, like she was some sort of mind wiped Jedi trainee. I will only utilize bits that we see on screen inThe Forcefulness Awakens,or in the previousStar Warsfilms. Start and foremost, it is clearly explained that the Force can be exceptionally stiff within certain family lineages in theStar Wars universe. Unfortunately, Rey'southward parentage isn't yet confirmed, merelyThe Force Awakensheavily implies that her parents are significant, whom e'er they are. Most probable due to her lineage, Rey seems to wield the Force at an unconscious level from the beginning of the film. This is not unheard of in Star Wars lore; again remember immature Anakin Skywalker inThe Phantom Menaceor even Luke'southward quick grasp of the training exercise inA New Hope.

JJ Abrams also cleverly defines the places in which Rey's powers increment throughout the narrative ofThe Force Awakens. We know Rey has had Force abilities for some time through Maz Kanata'due south line, "Feel the calorie-free. It has e'er been there." We meet her unconsciously using her abilities when piloting the Millenium Falcon, and once more when Luke's lightsaber triggers a Force induced vision. However, the almost intriguing scene in terms of Rey'due south growth as a Force User occurs during her interrogation at the hands of Kylo Ren. In the showtime of the scene she is struggling mightily, and Kylo is able to pull several thoughts from her mind with relative ease. Then, equally Kylo probes deeper, we encounter the moment in which Rey seems to grasp the power of the Force inside of her and begins to resist Kylo, ultimately driving him back and even glimpsing some of the fears inside of his heed. In this scene, Kylo has inadvertently taught Rey how to wield the ability of the Forcefulness inside of her. The scene exists in order to bear witness the viewer the moment in which Rey's powers have become enhanced. Later, nosotros see Rey testing her newly discovered mind powers upon a Stormtrooper, eventually succeeding in mind tricking him after several attempts. While many have disputed her ability to do this, information technology is quite obvious from a narrative perspective why she has gained this ability. Stormtroopers have been well established equally "weak minded" insideStar Wars lore, and Rey's get-go practice in consciously using the Force was directly linked to the mind control aspects of it. She is well versed in the legends surrounding Jedi and had likely heard stories of their power to "heed play a trick on" their enemies. Despite this, it takes her three attempts to succeed against the weakest enemy she possibly could take been facing. Again, she is using an ability that makes narrative sense.

Finally, nosotros arrive at the big moment. How tin can Rey, an untrained Force using newbie, perchance take on and defeat the trained Kylo Ren? Again, allow's utilise the data that the film puts in forepart of united states of america. Starting time of all, the moving picture goes to drastic lengths to evidence u.s.a. that Kylo Ren is nowhere close to being fully powered during this confrontation. He has merely experienced the emotional trauma of killing his own male parent (expect at the shot of his confront later he does information technology), and he has taken a blaster commodities to his side from a weapon that had successfully killed ii Stormtroopers with ane blast earlier in the film. We run across Kylo pounding his side, with his claret spattering onto the snowfall as he approaches our two heroes. Then, his overconfidence in his fight with Finn (watch the saber twirls and juke moves he makes if you lot aren't convinced), causes him to take yet another glancing injury to his shoulder.

The next moment also requires a bit of explanation. For some reason when Kylo attempts to call the fallen blue lightsaber to his hand, it instead responds to Rey. One thing has to be fabricated abundantly clear hither: Rey did non overpower Kylo in this moment. The film goes out of its way to explicate to the viewer that the lightsaber contains a low-cal side power of its own, and is calling out to Rey through the Force. The lightsaber itselfresisted Kylo Ren in that moment, and responded to its true, rightful master in Rey.

Then we get to the concluding fight. If you sentry closely, even despite his grievous wounds, Kylo Ren is pushing Rey dorsum.Rey is running from Kylo during the unabridged fight, only just managing to keep him at bay. Then, the footing splits and Rey has nowhere left to run. Kylo has a chance to defeat her one time and for all. Nevertheless,he makes the choice not to deliver the killing accident. He instead attempts to seduce her to the dark side, a moment which costs him his victory and instead "awakens" the light side ability that exists inside of Rey. Rey feels the Force flowing though her, much in the same fashion that Luke Skywalker did in the moment that he sent a Force guided torpedo into the shaft of the Expiry Star inA New Hope.Information technology is the same narrative leap that was made in the originalStar Wars. You but cannot say that Rey turning the tables on a severely weakened Kylo Ren was in any form a more difficult task than Luke was given at the end ofA New Hope. Rey's abilities are in no fashion underdeveloped or unexplained. This defining quality of a "Mary Sue" character just does not be for her.

Fact #2: Rey has flaws and missteps in the film

Some other trouble that many people have with Rey is that she is "likewise perfect" and experiences no setbacks in the moving-picture show that give her grapheme a more developed progression. While I agree that Rey's character could use a few more overt flaws, it is only untrue to put her on a "Mary Sue" level of underdevelopment in this expanse. Hither I volition give a brief explanation of the character flaws the Rey has been given in the first chapter of this new Star Wars trilogy.

First and foremost, Rey is shown to be extremely gullible. She instantly believes Finn'due south BS story of being a Resistance fighter, and needs to be told the truth in lodge to have whatsoever inkling about the deception. She also has clearly been sold some sort of lie to keep her on the planet of Jakku, and yet she waits twenty-four hour period after day, yr afterwards year for a family that will never come up back. Again, some other character is given the job of delivering this bad news to her.

Rey is as well shown to be overconfident at times, most significantly when she tells Han Solo "I can handle myself" when he offers her a blaster. So, a few curt scenes later nosotros see her fail to switch the safety off of said blaster, and fails to protect herself from danger with that weapon soon afterward.

Finally, the power of the Strengthfrightens Rey. She is terrified after her vision in the temple and runs away from the office of the hero, rather than choosing to encompass the power inside of her. Also, when faced with Kylo Ren for the starting time time, Rey runs and cries helplessly as he quickly overpowers and captures her. This scene is the about important aspect of this statement, because this is a articulate and obvious setback for her character. Sure, Rey eventually overcomes Kylo and is the stronger for it in the stop, simply this is a trait shared past almost every fantasy film protagonist ever. I dare you to requite me a setback that Luke Skywalker's character faced inA New Hope that was more significant than Rey's quick defeat and capture in The Force Awakens. Yes, yes, I know what happened to him inThe Empire Strikes Back, but that was Luke'south second film. I'd exist willing to bet that we'll meet 1 or more than of these character flaws have a more than pregnant impact on Rey in her second movie as well.

Fact #3: Rey is a grapheme with emotional depth

Another aspect of a "Mary Sue" character that has been largely ignored by Rey'due south naysayers is that the character generally has a lack of emotional depth or a "bare slate" personality. Rey is portrayed as annihilation only this. Daisy Ridley'due south operation is dripping with personality and emotion. We see Rey struggle with loneliness, disappointment, fear, anxiety, sadness, and despair. We also see her experience excitement, elation, anger and triumph. I could explicate each shot in which we see this variety of emotion, but I think that you can agree that I have already been long winded enough with this slice. We come across her as giddy and excitable alongside Finn, we see her as disappointed and frustrated with Unkar Platt, and nosotros see her as disgusted, terrified and aroused when dealing with Kylo Ren. Rey's emotional journey takes us from a lonely abased girl, to a sweeping adventure in which she experiences all of the higher up emotions, and comes out the other side feeling acceptance and elation, only also sorrow from all that she has lost along the mode. The concluding shot of Rey in The Strength Awakensis one of the more interesting, nuanced shots in the film also. Rey is feeling a burden in this moment; the lightsaber she is offering Luke has brought her purpose, but information technology has also brought her hurting. She is asking Luke to take this brunt from her, and salve her of all the responsibleness that comes with it. I'm sure that nosotros will encounter her connected struggle with this inStar Wars: Episode VIIIand we will see her observe an eventual peace pastEpisode IX.Say what you will about the character's many talents, but information technology is hard for me to accept that any viewer cannot see the emotional care and nuance that both Daisy Ridley and the writers of the film have given Rey.

Fact #four: Rey bares a striking resemblance to these characters: and you don't call them "Gary Stu's"

I could go on listing characters that fit this nib for hours, just I will try and keep this as tight equally possible. When nosotros take a closer wait at the protagonist characters that popular up in fantasy novels and films, we can all run into how closely Rey resembles the common tropes of this genre. I like to phone call these characters "Fantasy Prodigy characters". Some examples include Luke Skywalker himself, Harry Potter, Neo fromThe Matrix, Frodo fromThe Lord of the Rings, and many, many more. All of these characters take been bestowed abilities that are out of the attain of their peers, for no other apparent reason than that they are some sort of "chosen one" or uniquely gifted private. Luke has a natural analogousness for the Force that is much on par with Rey, Harry Potter is the virtually gifted of all immature magicians for little more than reason than his mark, Neo is "the one" because he is some sort of bibelot, and Frodo is loved by all and is uniquely qualified to handle the Ring of Power. All have somewhat questionable explanations behind their abilities and all are pretty universally loved by the other protagonists and hated by villains. Rey fits squarely inside these fantasy and sci-fi heroes and doesn't appear to exist significantly more "overpowered" than any of the others.

Another common genre with similarly gifted characters is the extremely popular super hero genre. Characters like Superman and Captain America take extreme abilities and unshakably likable personalities that give u.s.a. a concept of perfection. Captain America even comes from the same "untalented, obscure child becomes powerful" trope that nosotros associate with "Mary Sue" characters. Superman's just perceived flaw is that he is allergic to a green rock, a weakness that is very much outside of his character's control. Does the internet go ablaze with people decrying these characters every bit "Gary Stu's"? The answer is no. If just we could lock downwards the thing that makes Rey so different and inferior to all these characters that I've mentioned…

Then what's the problem?

Afterward all of this, you may be request yourself, "So what's the large deal? So what if some people retrieve Rey is a 'Mary Sue' character? Everyone is entitled to their stance."

The problem isn't that people are expressing their opinions, or that they're debating a female person graphic symbol in a negative context. In fact, it is sadly quite miraculous that we even accept a female protagonist to argue most within the fantasy genre. The problem lies when we compare the reaction surrounding Rey to some of that characters I've mentioned earlier, and the negative, pejorative connotation of the term "Mary Sue". This term too easily is being used to cheapen, or delegitimize a potent female character purely on the basis that she is extremely capable.

Retrieve actually difficult about those male characters that i mentioned for a 2nd. Has the term "Mary Sue" or "Gary Stu" ever crossed your mind when thinking of them? I think that if you are existence honest so the answer is 'no'. If y'all can legitimately say 'yep' so I say practiced for yous and get virtually your business unimpeded. Let'due south only not forget that fantasy hero characters are a form of wish fulfillment for united states all, regardless of the gender of the graphic symbol. This doesn't delegitimize these characters, it is but a trope of the genre, and that'southward okay.

When one of these characters is widely disputed for pretty much the first time in such a passionate way, it is difficult not to split up the fact that Rey is a woman from the argument. Would we really be talking about whatsoever of this if she was a man? I remember we all know the answer to that question. Female characters should not get special treatment over male person characters when it comes to criticism, but when they are clearly placed in a disadvantageous light, and then we all have a responsibility to practise something nigh information technology. And then please, I beg you, let's all put prejudices aside and simply enjoy an excellent female character that anyone's young son or daughter can sentinel while smiling and thinking, "Wow, I can exercise anything!"

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