Star Wars just officially changed the meaning of Rise of Skywalker's most important twist

Jul 28, 2026 · 4 min read

Link copied to clipboard

Published Jul 28, 2026, 10:00 AM EDT

The latest Star Wars novel answers a mystery that's been around since 2019

Star Wars finally solves a major lingering mystery from Rise of Skywalker

Rey learns she’s a Palpatine in The Rise of Skywalker

The Star Wars sequel trilogy is not known for being particularly cohesive. Disney seemingly had far too many cooks in the kitchen and overreacted to angry fan feedback. By the time The Rise of Skywalker was released in 2019, the biggest question wasn't what would come next from that galaxy far away, but how a trilogy that started so promisingly ended up going so wrong.

Frustrating as this lack of cohesion may be, it has also left many mysteries for fans to ponder. One major question was Rey's heritage and how many people knew about it, with The Rise of Skywalker revealing that she was the granddaughter of Emperor Palpatine. After Rey leaves to hide on Ahch-To, in fear of what her heritage means — and what she'll become because of it — Luke Skywalker appears as a Force ghost to tell her that he and Leia already knew she was a Palpatine, and that blood does not decide who a person is.

But how do Luke and Leia know? Enter Star Wars: Legacy by Madeleine Roux. Roux, a New York Times bestselling author, dedicates the majority of her book to exploring the tentative master and apprentice relationship between Rey and Leia Organa. The relationship is far from easy at first, largely due to the Kylo Ren-sized space between the two women, but what becomes clear over time is that Leia feels protective of Rey and wants to help her.

The following article contains spoilers for Star Wars: Legacy.

Star Wars Legacy - Madeleine Roux (2026)

That feeling doesn't change when, in Chapter 26, Luke (as a Force ghost) reveals to Leia something that he learned after his death in The Last Jedi: Rey's lineage. For context, this scene comes after Rey has pulled away from Leia and the others on the planet Tython, scared of her own potential for darkness. When Luke appears, Leia senses he's hiding something from her about Rey and asks him how bad that information is. The following passage is directly from Legacy.

"That depends," he replied, turning back toward her, head bent. "It depends on what you do next, on your judgment, on your capacity for forgiveness. Only you can know this, Leia. It will be our shared burden, though I would never tell you what to do with the truth."

"Bad then," she murmured. There was no way to hold Luke's hands, so she reached for R2-D2, holding herself up against his steadfast frame. Somehow, she knew it before he said the words.

"Rey is Palpatine's bloodline."

Leia closed her eyes, the pain so acute it stole her breath away. "You're certain?"

Vader's words to her in the pool echoed in the breathless void. "Daughter of darkness. Daughter of destiny."

Luke reveals that he uncovered this information after his demise, but he felt a "dark signature" in Rey that he felt in Kylo Ren as well as his and Leia's father, Anakin Skywalker.

Luke's reason for revealing Rey's Palpatine connection to Leia is a little dark. While he is personally unable to look past Rey's lineage, Luke knows that Leia is more empathetic and optimistic. (This also reveals how the two siblings' views of their father, Anakin Skywalker, differ when it comes to his imfluence on their own lives.) Luke's belief in Leia is proven correct — she tells Luke that nobody chooses their parents, and swears to keep Rey's lineage a secret in order to protect her.

While Star Wars: Legacy reveals new insight into the dynamic between Luke and Leia (even after Luke's death), it's also just a great example of Lucasfilm circling back to answer yet another unanswered question from the movies. This mystery has been plaguing fans since 2019, but that's the beauty of spin-off material like Legacy in the first place. We finally have answers, and it also gives us a much more in-depth look at Luke and Leia's perspective on not just Rey, but their own connection to the dark side, with their father being Darth Vader.

Star Wars: Legacy is available to purchase.