In the world of Star Wars, it sometimes takes something really insignificant to piece together the entire story. Though these theories aren’t confirmed, seeing them makes things fit together more than ever, and the realization of how it all fits together is like an adrenaline rush.

Darth Jar Jar

Being the most hated character in the massive Star Wars Universe is no easy task, yet Jar Jar manages to pull it off. Jar Jar Binks was first introduced in Star Wars: The Phantom Menace, and has been hated by fans ever since. He’s made some pretty dumb decisions in his time on screen — including screwing up a battle and handing all the power of the Republic to the future emperor. But, what if those things weren’t accidents? What if Jar Jar is actually a master manipulator? This theory states Jar Jar Binks is actually a Sith Lord who made these moves in order to put Palpatine in power. We see several pieces of evidence throughout the prequels pointing to this: Jar Jar uses Force-like hand motions during all major decisions. In the end, all of these decisions end up working in his favor. He stood next to Palpatine during Qui-Gon Jinn’s funeral before he even was supposed to know who Palpatine was. Jar Jar has also been seen doing a 20-foot jump, something one would expect from a force user. Lucas himself has even hinted that Count Dooku was filler for a huge reveal that was planned but was cancelled due to fear of backlash. Though this theory seems a little stretched out at first, it makes sense the more you look into it.   

Han Solo Force Sensitivity

This is a theory that particularly shocked me, because Han Solo never believed in the Force prior to meeting Luke. This is somewhat contradicted by the “Stormtrooper Bad Aim Theory,” depending on how you look at it. This theory points out that Han Solo is able to avoid deadly situations and dodge blaster fire from storm troopers. This would give the idea that the Force is protecting him, similar to how Chirrut Imwe avoided blaster fire in Rogue One.

Identity of Snoke

The identity of Supreme Leader Snoke is one of the most debated topics among Star Wars fans. Some say he’s a brand new character. Some say he’s Darth Plagueis. However, the theory with the most evidence backing it is that Snoke is actually Mace Windu. It seems odd at first, but to fully understand it, you have to dive deeper into the character of Mace Windu. Mace Windu wields a purple lightsaber, something not seen by any other Jedi. This is because Mace Windu represents the balance between the dark and light side. He believed that he was the chosen one, which led him to be jealous of Anakin. Any major event could turn him towards either side. This big event is most likely when Anakin chops off Mace’s hand and tosses him out of a window. We’ve seen Jedi survive huge falls and they typically don’t die from a lost hand. Another piece of evidence is when Rey is fighting Ben Solo in The Force Awakens. Ben uses a lightsaber move that only Mace Windu has been shown using. Considering Snoke trained Ben Solo, who became Kylo Ren, he would’ve learned that move from Snoke. This theory directly correlates with the one about Rey’s family–many believe that Rey is related to Emperor Palpatine. This would explain Snoke’s interest in Ben (Skywalker bloodline) and Rey (Palpatine bloodline): he wants revenge on the people that hurt him the most. One flaw in this theory is time. Snoke makes an appearance 60 years after the end of the Clone Wars somewhere between 25-40 years old. This would leave Windu an old man, if he lived that long. Despite this flaw, the theory is still possible.

Rey’s Family

Rey’s family is one of the biggest mysteries in Star Wars. As was previously mentioned, Rey is believed to be a Palpatine (some say she is a Kenobi, but that is unlikely considering the inconsistencies in time frame). The Palpatine theory is possible — but she wouldn’t be around when the Emperor was alive, because Luke was in his early 20s when the Emperor was killed, so it would be impossible for him to have a 19-year-old daughter 40 years after his death. This would leave people to believe that he had a child, and that child had Rey. When Luke and Rey met again, Luke’s facial expression heavily hinted that they had met before. This would explain why Rey was left on Jakku: Luke sensed she was related to his mortal enemy and hid her away to prevent her from turning to the dark side and becoming powerful.

Han Solo Isn’t Dead (Unlikely given Harrison Ford’s current age and condition)

Many were left in shock after witnessing Kylo Ren drive his lightsaber through Han Solo. As the blade pierced him, Han looked into his son’s eyes. This is a crucial moment in the film because it shows the stab of the blade didn’t kill him. He was still able to move his hand and touch his son’s cheek before the blade retracted and he fell down the pit towards the center of the world. It’s been shown in the past how people survive falls of great height, such as Darth Maul, who was cut in half by Obi-Wan Kenobi and fell into a large pit. Darth Maul later ended up in a world that was like a giant junkyard filled with trash. Contrary to popular belief, these pits aren’t endless. Scavengers roam the bottom looking for items of value. If Han survived the fall, it’s likely someone found him. Being towards the center of the planet, the scavengers would be among the first to know the plant was going to explode, giving them time to escape. Harrison Ford has also been casted for Episode VIII, adding more fuel to this fire.

Chewbacca is a Rebel Spy

When Obi-Wan and Luke arrive at the bar in Mos Eisley, they run into Han Solo and his Wookiee pal Chewbacca. Chewbacca was associated with the Republic on the battle of Kashyyyk. He is the first one that Obi-Wan talks to and convinces Han to take Obi-Wan and Luke to Alderaan. This theory seems a little far fetched but it’s definitely possible.  

Padmé Never Loved Anakin

The prequels were not only hated for their characters (*cough* Jar Jar Binks *cough*) but Attack of The Clones’s cheesy, somewhat perverted love story as well. Padmé is a senator in the Galactic Republic. Anakin, now a teen, is basically obsessed with Padmé, and does everything possible from stalking her to absolute garbage flirting. This only makes things more awkward between the two, leaving Anakin in a worse position than when he started. However, there is one thing that Anakin can use to get whatever he wants from almost anybody —  the Force. The Force can be used to manipulate people. During the somewhat creepy scene in Padmé’s palace, it’s seen that Padmé goes from rejecting him to being completely in love with him. With Anakin in the room, he tended to use desperate and almost persuasive moves. Considering that this attitude got him nowhere before, it seems odd for Padmé to just fall into Anakin’s arms, giving him what he wants.

Boba Fett Killed Luke’s family

This theory is rather short and to-the-point. In A New Hope, Luke comes back after chasing down his droid, finding his foster parents’ scorched remains. The stormtroopers on Tatooine didn’t have the weaponry to completely disintegrate people. However, Boba Fett does. He has a flamethrower among other tools on a device he wears on his wrist. When Vader talks to Boba in The Empire Strikes Back, he instructs Boba to not use disintegration again.

Reason Behind the Stormtroopers’ Bad Aim

The terrible aim of the stormtroopers has become a joke among the internet and Star Wars fans alike. We see their bad aim in Episodes 4-6. However, in Rogue One, the stormtroopers were able to kill with ease. Very conflicting, it seems. But, what if there was a reason behind this? It’s believed the Emperor ordered stormtroopers not to kill Luke and his gang. It was all part of his plot to turn Luke to the dark side. Palpatine would make Luke kill his father, then have Luke watch while Palpatine killed his friends, or forced Luke to turn on them. Realising what he had done would send Luke into insanity, channeling his hate and anger, and completely embracing the dark side.