[Movies] The most interesting fan theories about Star Wars: The Force Awakens

The denizens of the internet love few things more than an elaborate theory, especially one based on will-o’-the-wisp clues – and fans of the newest Star Wars film, The Force Awakens, are no different. While the record breaking numbers who have turned out to watch the film testify to its instant appeal, quite a few audience members analyzing and speculating about the secrets hidden within the plot have provided even greater entertainment for the rest of us. Some of that speculation has led to fan theories that range from barely possible to completely outrageous, so here we’re taking a look at five of the best.

WARNING: Potential Major Spoilers Ahead

1. Supreme Leader Snoke is Darth Plagueis

Though Darth Plagueis has long been supposed dead, he was also undoubtedly one of the most powerful, if not most powerful, Dark Lord’s in history. That would certainly make him a worthy antagonist in the latest trilogy, as well as going far in explaining how Leia and Han’s son could be lured towards the Dark Side. Despite his supposed demise, if anyone could find a way back from the dead and into the head of a dark army, it’s Darth Plagueis. This theory is unproven, but not impossible.

2. Kylo Ren is a double agent and is a part of the light side

This one comes from a place of both hope and hurt. After all, how can the son of Leia and Han Solo actually go bad? Though there’s no real way of disproving this yet, if Kylo Ren is really just perpetuating a hoax, he is very dedicated to the cause. Quite a bit of murder has been committed by him, and if it turns out that it was done in the spirit of cold calculation to convince his dark allies, it will still be very hard for fans to forgive. This theory is unlikely and too dark to make sense as a Jedi plot, but nevertheless, possible.

3. Rey is a Skywalker

Given that Rey is still very much an unknown entity, this theory was almost inevitable. The fan favorite pick for her father seems to be Luke, which would be delightful for a multitude of reasons. It would also make sense of her talent with the Force and increase her importance with many of the other central characters. However, other options exist that would still place her into the Skywalker family – whether she’s Luke’s secret daughter, Leah’s secret daughter, or Vader’s secret daughter or granddaughter, there are a lot of options to pick from in regards to her ancestry with this theory. This particular theory is one of the likelier that fans have come up with as it’s only a matter of time before we learn her lineage.

4. Han Solo is not actually dead

And yet, there is another theory born out of desperate hope. Han Solo is one of the most beloved characters in the entire Star Wars galaxy. His character’s death is like a real death for the fans who have followed the story for nearly forty years. The way it was played out, killed by his own son, makes it even more horrendous. The only way this theory could really be true is if the Kylo Ren theory also is, and even then it’s a long shot. On the other hand, Solo has had some close calls before, so though implausible, it is one of the theories that would make the most people happy if true.

5. Leia and Luke have a sibling

This theory is centered around grammar, a win for language lovers everywhere. Specifically, a couple of missing commas in the opening crawl have ignited the conspiracy rumor mill. In the crawl “her (Leai) brother Luke” is mentioned, but no commas surround his name. This has led to speculation that Leah may have an additional brother. If true, this brother is another possible father for Rey. The question then becomes who the mother is – for both Rey and the mysterious brother – and why his identity was kept a secret. Though a long shot, this theory is one of the more fascinating that fans have come up with.

The best thing about all these theories is that none of them necessarily contradict each other; they could all be true simultaneously, or none of them could be. The only way to find out is to wait for the next installment. In the meantime, fans can expand their knowledge about the Star Wars universe by watching the past films and tv spinoffs (find them here and here), playing video games, or reading some of the comic miniseries and search for clues – after all, speculating is half the fun.

This article was written by Maria Ramos