Dark Rey was one of the most tantalizing ideas in Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker, and concept art shows what could have been. Trailers for Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker emphasized the idea of Dark Rey - the thrilling concept Rey would turn to the dark side. In the end, though, she only appeared in a brief Force vision; her pointed teeth and switchblade lightsaber made her chilling and impressive, but she was horribly underutilized.

The movie saw Rey learn she was Palpatine's granddaughter, and an involuntary burst of Force Lightning appeared to hint she would wrestle with the dark side. But the struggle was brief and unsatisfying, and viewers never really had the sense Dark Rey would become a real possibility. This is a shame, given Dark Rey would have been such an interesting take on the character.

Rise Of Skywalker's Concept Art Shows Dark Rey Battling The First Order

Concept art from Adam Brockbank shows a very different vision of Dark Rey. In this image, Dark Rey confronts almost a hundred First Order stormtroopers, and demonstrates her power by leveling them using telekinesis. The concept is fascinating, in that it demonstrates Rey's strength while also showing her disregard for the First Order. In these images, Rey has a single task - to get to Kylo Ren, and stormtroopers aren't enough to stop her.

This Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker is so much more interesting than anything seen in the final theatrical cut. It promises a battle between two dark siders, one unlike anything seen in the saga to date; this would surely have been one of the best lightsaber duels in Star Wars' history. The First Order is rooted in the dark side, and Rey using her own darkness to destroy them is a fascinating idea; it’s a shame this wasn’t played out onscreen.

The Effect Around Rey Mirrors The Last Jedi's Dark Side Cave

The effect around Rey in this concept art is fascinating, in that it directly mirrors the dark side cave seen in Star Wars: The Last Jedi. This visual nod would have emphasized the connectivity between the two movies, helping ensure the sequel trilogy felt like a cohesive whole. The idea follows on beautifully from the scene in which Luke Skywalker reacted in horror to the fact the dark side drew Rey to it, and she didn't even question it for a second. There's a clear narrative throughline here, and it's unfortunate Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker headed in a different direction.