Here’s why Rey going to the Dark Side would amount to Star Wars failing its first female lead

New footage from Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker suggests we might see Rey go to the Dark Side in the upcoming film. But what would that mean for the franchise’s first female lead?

This past weekend was full of Star Wars announcements from Disney’s D23 Expo, including the confirmation of an Obi-Wan Kenobi miniseries and a new trailer for The Mandalorian. And new footage for The Rise of Skywalker also dropped at the conference, which has now been released for all of the internet to see.

There’s plenty to dive into within the new footage, but one moment that’s really caught fans’ eyes comes at the end. The final clip shows a glimpse of Rey wearing a black hood, holding a double-edged red lightsaber in hand. She looks pissed, and Star Wars fans are beginning to wonder: Will Rey going to the Dark Side be the film’s huge, “mind-melting” twist we’ve been hearing so much about?

After all, The Rise of Skywalker wouldn’t be the first time over the course of the new trilogy that Rey has been tempted to forego the ways of the Jedi and join Kylo Ren. During The Last Jedi, she almost leaves Luke to join him — something that quickly sent her mentor into a panic.

There are also plenty of theories floating around that Kylo Ren may actually be a good guy — or at least that he’ll become one through a redemption arc — meaning that Rey turning to the Dark Side would make for a well-balanced pair of twists to round out the Skywalker Saga.

But while we’re all about switching things up and showcasing some badass female villains, it’s hard to feel like such an ending wouldn’t be a kick in the face to everything Rey has worked for. And given that female characters are often villainized for reaching for power (ahem, Daenerys Targaryen), pushing Star Wars’ first female lead into that stereotype isn’t something we’d take lightly. After all, this trilogy has introduced such a diverse cast of characters into the Star Wars universe, opening up a realm of amazing possibilities for the future. Does it really want its legacy to be wrapped up in the evil-woman trope?

Of course, there’s always the possibility that Dark Side Rey is just a vision or dream. Knowing that she almost turned would likely cause her to feel guilt and shame, two things that would likely haunt her and cause such images to pass through her mind. On top of that, it seems unlikely that The Rise of Skywalker would be willing to give away its biggest twist in promotional footage. If anything, the creators are probably attempting to mislead us.

For those reasons, we’re holding out hope that Rey’s story arc will end in a way that honors her. Maybe we’re still coming down from that Game of Thrones series finale, but we don’t think we can handle another powerful female icon descending into madness just yet. Let powerful women embrace their strength — without being punished for it at the very end of the story. We’d very much appreciate it.

What do you think of the theories about Rey turning to the Dark Side? Share your thoughts in the comments.