When rebooting the Star Wars franchise, filmmakers decided to focus on a female lead character known simply as “Rey.”
While her past is still mysterious, much of the story told about her thus far resembles pivotal episodes in the life of legendary heroine, Joan of Arc.
Some of it may be coincidental, but it appears that Joan’s life had a powerful impact on the final depiction of Rey.
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Humble Beginnings
The first connection between Rey and Joan of Arc is their humble beginnings. Joan was a simple shepherdess in the remote countryside of France and Rey collected scrap on the distant planet of Jakku. They both begin their stories as “unimportant” characters.
Called to Military Service
Despite their inexperience in war, both Rey and Joan are called to active military service. The key difference is that Joan never engages actively in battle, while Rey fights for her life.
Legendary Swords
Before Joan led the armies of France in battle, mystical voices told her about a sword hidden in the church of Sainte Catherine de Fierbois. She instructed some men where to search for the sword and they discovered it, hidden in a wooden trunk that was buried in the ground. It was a lost sword, forgotten for many centuries.
According to one legend, “Charles Martel had founded the church of St. Catherine de Fierbois, and that he had secretly buried his sword there for the next person whom God would choose to save France.”
Similarly, Rey was led to the basement of Maz Kanata’s castle by mysterious voices and discovered a wooden trunk, where the lightsaber of Luke Skywalker (previously, Anakin Skywalker) was kept. It was seen as a prophetic discovery, one which led many to believe that Rey is the key to the success of the Resistance.
Visions and Voices
Joan of Arc throughout her life experienced extraordinary visions and voices from saints. They instructed her on what to do and gave her insight into battle. It was these saints who gave her the mission to save France.
Rey has repeatedly been gifted with visions and voices from “the Force,” which has given her a keen insight into the world around her and her destiny. She has difficultly understanding these visions, but they appear to be unfolding as the saga continues.
Captured and Interrogated
Both Joan and Rey are captured in battle and interrogated. However, the primary difference being that Rey escapes and Joan is sentenced to a cruel martyrdom.
In the end, it’s not hard to see the many similarities between the Joan of Arc and Rey. While I couldn’t confirm if the screenwriters had these episodes in mind, I would be surprised if they didn’t.
–> Order the Joan of Arc Comic Book Here!!!
Philip Kosloski
Philip Kosloski is the founder of Voyage Comics & Publishing and the writer and creator of the comic book series, Finnian and the Seven Mountains.