Some people might think that Rey (Skywalker? Palpatine? Solo? Kenobi? Binks? None of the above?) is a more powerful Jedi than Anakin Skywalker. Those people would be wrong, at least according to John Boyega. One could have assumed that the actor who plays Finn in the Sequel Trilogy would have stumped for his fellow Resistance fighter, but no, Star Wars’ John Boyega doesn’t think Rey is more powerful than Anakin Skywalker. He made that quite clear on social media. Take a look:
John Boyega was responding on Twitter to an article about a Star Wars comic that seemingly showed Rey to be more powerful than both Anakin and Luke Skywalker. It’s an assertion that John Boyega took issue with. As far as he’s concerned, this is real life and that’s just fantasy, and in real life, Anakin Skywalker wipes the floor with Rey.
Not only did John Boyega find the notion that Rey is more powerful than Anakin to be inaccurate and specious, he found it completely absurd. The actor and ardent Star Wars fan believes that Anakin would defeat not just Rey, but basically all of the heroes of the Sequel Trilogy, including his own Finn, as well as Kylo Ren.
I think that last part is a given. No matter how cool his lightsaber is or the fact that he still has all of his original limbs, a poser wannabe like Kylo could never defeat the genuine article like Anakin. Kill the past if you have to... more like if you can.
So assured is John Boyega’s confidence in Anakin’s abilities that he believes Anakin would defeat Rey and all of these pretenders with utter ease. Boyega thinks that Finn, Rey and Kylo would be completely dominated and shown total disrespect by Anakin, who would slap them into a pit of lava on Mustafar. It’s a strong take and one that indicates John Boyega might be a true fan of the prequels.
You can understand why people might have a lot of confidence in Rey in this battle. Daisy Ridley’s character has shown prodigious abilities in this Sequel Trilogy and in the trailers for Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker, she’s looking to show even more Force talent (like backflipping over a TIE fighter and lightsaber boomeranging!). So let’s break down the stats here and see where this contest lands.
I think most people believe that Anakin Skywalker is The Chosen One. He was a child prodigy conceived by the Force, and for a time, he did bring balance to it. For all we know, Rey may have also been conceived by the Force and she could also turn out to be The Chosen One. So in terms of innate power, they both have a lot going for them.
Rey is still basically a rookie and her training has been sporadic and incomplete; she’s mostly self-taught. That may change in The Rise of Skywalker, but Luke was a rubbish teacher in The Last Jedi. In contrast, Anakin Skywalker is classically trained as a Jedi by the excellent Obi-Wan Kenobi, and he started from a younger age.
As far as measurables are concerned, Anakin has an ultra-high midi-cholrian count; over 20,000. to be precise. Rey’s midi-chlorian count remains unknown, What is she hiding? As far as record is concerned, Anakin clearly has the better wins and strength of schedule. He’s defeated Darth Tyranus in single combat, split a series with Obi-Wan Kenobi and got a temporary win over Darth Sidious in Return of the Jedi. He’s also killed a lot of people, which, while evil, is still experience.
Rey has shown some wildly impressive abilities, but she’s mostly fought to a draw with Kylo Ren, and her best win was a fight against Supreme Leader Snoke’s Praetorian Guard. She might need a few more wins before we can consider her a real contender for the most powerful Jedi title.
The intangibles, though, are where Rey might have the edge. Sure, she could underestimate his power, but what if she has the high ground? What if he mistakes her for a space angel and falls in love with her? In terms of pure power and skill, Anakin may be unmatched, but he’s also his own worst enemy and hubris and foolishness are often his downfall, so it’s anybody’s game.
You can see what Rey brings to the table in Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker, in theaters on December 20. Check out our 2019 Release Schedule to see what other movies are on the way this year and let us know who you think wins in the poll below.
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