Key Takeaways
- Daisy Ridley faced hate from fans over her portrayal of Rey in the Star Wars sequel trilogy.
- Ridley received misogynistic criticism for her character, Rey, with some labeling her a “Mary Sue.”
- Despite the negativity, Ridley chooses to focus on the positive reception she has received from fans.
Star Wars actress Daisy Ridley received hate from a vocal group of fans who took issue with Rey, the primary protagonist of Disney’s sequel trilogy. Ridley recently commented on the negativity and how she responded to such vitriol.
The Star Wars sequel trilogy introduced Ridley’s Rey as an orphan abandoned by her parents as a young child on the desert planet Jakku. Making a living as a scavenger, Rey is eventually swept into the conflict between the Resistance and the First Order, a remnant of the fallen Galactic Empire. Rey discovers she is exceptionally force-sensitive and by the end of the trilogy, she helps the Resistance defeat the New Order and commits herself to restarting the Jedi Order. While Rey had several fans, some detested the character, often for irrational reasons, and vocalized their opinions online.
During an interview with Premiere (translation via Google Translate), Ridley was asked if she felt this “violent” reaction to Rey. “No, no, no. I know that some people have expressed themselves negatively, but I don’t pay attention to it,” Ridley said. “Because it doesn’t really concern me: I can’t change the way some men see women. Unfortunately, that’s how society works.” Ridley then explained how she’s chosen to respond to hate from Star Wars fans.
[…] overall, I’ve been very well received. I’ve made the choice to focus on the positive.
While there may have been reasonable criticisms of Rey, such as the last-minute decision to change Rey’s lineage, many of these could arguably be attributed to the writing and not Ridley herself. Even so, any rational criticism of the character was drowned out by the blatantly misogynistic attitude of some fans. Most notably, Rey was accused of being a “Mary Sue,” a moniker given to characters who, in simplest terms, display exceptional powers or skills without much training and lack weaknesses or flaws. The problem with labeling Rey as “Mary Sue” is that innately powerful characters are a staple of the Star Wars franchise, particularly the Skywalker saga. Anakin Skywalker’s gifts were accepted because he was the chosen one, and fans attributed Luke Skywalker’s ability to master the Force with little training to his lineage. Rey, on the other hand, was not afforded this benefit and received hate for reasons that could also apply to the Skywalkers.
Such hate is not uncommon within the Star Wars community. Star Wars actors John Boyega and Moses Ingram received racist attacks, as did The Last Jedi star Kelly Marie Tran, and few could forget the vitriol hurled toward Ahmed Best for his much-maligned character Jar Jar Binks. Luckily, as Ridley pointed out, there are Star Wars fans who expressed their love for these characters and have often spoken out against the aforementioned instances of hate. It’s unfortunate they have to, but perhaps there’s a silver lining be found in the fact that many in the Star Wars community will look out for each other.
The Star Wars saga is available on Disney Plus
Star Wars
Star Wars is a multimedia franchise created by George Lucas and Lucasfilm Ltd with the 1977 motion picture. The science fiction franchise follows the adventures of characters (both humanoid and alien) in outer space including those who can wield a mystical power known as the Force. Since the release of the original trilogy of movies, the franchise has expanded to include multiple films and branched out to other media like comics, video games, TV shows, theme park attractions, and more. The IP and Lucasfilm were sold to Disney in 2012.
Source: Premiere
