---
title: 'Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker: An Exploration in Identity – A Video Essay'
source: 'https://youtube.com/watch?v=uCqfgBbFP5s'
video_id: 'uCqfgBbFP5s'
date: 2026-07-23
duration_sec: 1274
channel: 'MauLer'
---

# Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker: An Exploration in Identity – A Video Essay

> Source: [Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker: An Exploration in Identity – A Video Essay](https://youtube.com/watch?v=uCqfgBbFP5s)

## Summary

This video essay argues that 'Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker' is a thematically rich film that successfully explores identity through its characters' wants versus needs. The creator dissects the dramatic foundation of the movie, focusing on how Rey, Finn, and Poe each grapple with internal conflicts that drive their arcs. Despite widespread criticism, the essay contends that the film delivers a meaningful story about self-definition and growth.

### Key Points

- **Wants vs. Needs** [02:11] — The video introduces the storytelling concept of a character's want (mind, primal desire) versus need (soul, what must be fulfilled). It cites Stephen King and Truby, explaining that wants often lead to dissatisfaction, while needs lead to growth and theme.
- **Rey's Arc: Wanting Identity** [03:47] — Rey wants to discover her identity at any cost, but her need is to craft her own identity. Her low point in 'The Last Jedi' comes when she learns her parents were nobodies, forcing her to confront her need for self-definition.
- **Finn's Arc: Seeking Validation** [05:28] — Finn wants external validation, seeking approval from institutions and others. His need is to become emotionally independent and carve out his own identity, which he achieves by accepting that the institution he needed was within himself.
- **Poe's Arc: From Rogue to Rebel** [06:55] — Poe begins as a reckless glory-seeker, wanting to save friends but not the galaxy. His need is to become a true rebel, accepting all facets of his identity—rogue, reckless, drug-dealing hero—to replace Leia as commander.
- **Conflict: Opponents Representing Want vs. Need** [08:39] — Each protagonist is opposed by two characters: one who enables their want (e.g., Finn enables Poe's recklessness) and one who forces them to realize their need (e.g., Rose freezes Poe out). This tug-of-war drives character change.
- **Character Change and Impact** [11:42] — Finn confronts his need for identity by abandoning one institution and rejecting another, ultimately realizing his identity was within himself. Rey frees herself from the chains of her lineage to become a Skywalker by choice. Poe accepts his multiple identities to lead the Resistance.
- **Kylo Ren's Arc** [13:34] — Kylo begins wanting to be Vader's shadow, but after failing in 'The Last Jedi', he reforges his helmet to reclaim his identity. He ultimately destroys it, choosing to become Ben Solo, the hero the saga needed.
- **Subverting Expectations** [14:44] — The video defends the Rey Palpatine reveal, arguing it was where Rian Johnson's story was heading. It claims that subverting expectations is used to show that the world is uncertain, and that fans' preconceived notions were irrational.
- **Symbolism: Rey's Lightsaber** [17:04] — Rey's broken lightsaber represents the schism between light and dark, lineage and nature. Its repair symbolizes Leia's lesson that even broken pieces are enough to begin anew, reflecting the theme of identity reconstruction.
- **More Dynamic Characters Than Any Other Star Wars Media** [18:08] — The video claims 'The Rise of Skywalker' features more characters who undergo meaningful change than any other Star Wars film, including Luke, Hux, Pryde, and others.

### Conclusion

The video concludes that 'The Rise of Skywalker' is a competent film with a rock-solid dramatic foundation that resists fan service to tell a real story about identity. It argues that the film is what the franchise and its audience needed, even if not what they wanted.

## Transcript

[Music] starwars the rise of Skywalker is good starwars the rise of Skywalker is good and occasionally triumphant and I know half of you already disagree with me vehemently but all I'm asking before we
start is that you consider the possibility that a movie you loathe still has some strengths we can all learn from the focus of the controversy
around this piece of cinema has to do with how it challenges the legacy of its own franchise when it comes to the Disney era of Star Wars The Force Disney era of Star Wars The Force awakens gave us the audience what we
awakens gave us the audience what we wanted cheering the last Jedi challenged what we wanted no no you're still holding on and this final chapter asks
us if we've been given what we needed some things are stronger than planned confronting fear is the destiny of a Jedi and just like Star Wars entering the modern arena what we all need is identity today I want to look at this
masterpiece of a trilogy and dissect in detail the dramatic bedrock upon which all of its themes are built you can still hate what the story's choose to
say but you cannot deny the expertise in delivery of the lesson first we have to discover whether or not your story needs to be very clear with what the conflict is and why it matters I think it's advantageous to discuss
this in regard to the rise of Skywalker because this film has three distinct character journeys and each of them answer the claims posed by the
foundation of storytelling while being surrounded by satellite characters surrounded by satellite characters supporting that thematic nuance so let's supporting that thematic nuance so let's begin with part 1 wants versus needs
the first question of identity is what a character wants versus what they need and how do these wants and needs conflict with each other in the character wants and needs are pretty well established ideas in storytelling
both of these books lean heavily on these ideas though King calls once the mind while true be calls the needs the soul but it's the same thing basically a
character is an expletive representation of conflicting wants and needs you just can't be too obvious with them or you'll end up with a bad screenplay so what's the difference between the mind and the soul in storytelling the mind is primal
mammalian an organ dependent and despondent through decades of decadence Minds relate to like power money status as true B postulates a character will
begin their journey relentlessly pursuing their minds desire however this inevitably leads to dissatisfaction due to the want in some way being immoral or misguided it's not
the thing they actually need to solve their problems needs are according to their problems needs are according to King the soul what the hero must fulfill within the self in order to have a superior existence when a character does
what they need to do we can see what the lesson theme and moral of the story is let's start with rey since her arc is the most overt Rey wants to discover her
identity at any cost to the world around her she's reckless and unfocused when we her she's reckless and unfocused when we meet her this is dramatized by the last
Jedi when she is brought to her second act low point of the trilogy by the act low point of the trilogy by the posthumous villain kylo Ren
to discover that her nightmare has come true her want to be a part of some great family to define her identity for her is lost something you think it is impossible have the voices of the Jedi who came before she likely entered a
great depression in the years we didn't see her and upon meeting her once again she is comforted despite cleared amusement by the very despite cleared amusement by the very idea of being truly alone the best
fighter we have we need you out there not here Rey has less internal confliction than other characters but all that's required for growth is a few
moments where she second-guesses her instincts before acting it's the Death Star it's a bad place the only family you have here is me it's subtle and
unspoken but the sense that she is conflicted about doing something that she knows Leia would disapprove of is palpable now Finn is much more complex he's got a lot of plot oriented goals things like getting ready to dissuade
that she's found along the way or appealing to Ben solo directly but what he actually wants on a character level is external validation he wants to hear
that his decisions are important therefore so is he his actions are directly reticent to the institution he is a part of on-screen the villainous characters are constantly espousing that he must behave in framing that has been
crafted by the very institution he was trying to run from what we hate even what we love these were blatant
representations of roadblocks we all face in real life they prevent our true nature from fighting our own cause but for the purposes of this analysis this for the purposes of this analysis this is his want because once are things you
is his want because once are things you have trouble resisting where's ray I'm just here to get right but this fleet is doomed it if my friend comes back to it doomed it if my friend comes back to it she's doomed two people believe in Leia
she's doomed two people believe in Leia what he needs is to become emotionally independent to carve out his own institution his own identity but Poe least appreciated and I think it's because we sort of expected him to start
the movie as the person he only transforms into at the end of the movie that sounds a little confusing but consider this Poe and Han feel like completely different characters personality wise but in each of their
first films they have similar arcs neither of them care about the politics look after themselves as they perform what they see as heroic acts only later do they do something selfless han saves the galaxy by saving Luke and Poe saves
the galaxy by saving Finn at the beginning of the Empire Strikes Back Han is now not just a good friend but a loyal soldier in the fight against the Empire so I think we sort of expected that Poe would be one too but Rian
Johnson's insight into the character is in acknowledging that Poe hasn't yet made that step and that he could tell a whole story about Poe's identity through radicalization into the ideological battle of the resistance at the end of
the force awakens Poe acted to save a friend so at the beginning of this movie friend so at the beginning of this movie that is now his want to save a friend
with the safety of his friends but of the galaxy as a whole he needs to become a rebel and this is why the hatred of Rose needs to stop her actions though negative pushed these characters through
negative pushed these characters through their journeys part two conflict an evolved Acuff's key is a Russian philosopher I very much admire and he said the fundamental equation of storytelling is to distinguish what
challenges the want versus satisfying the need once you discover the difference nothing stands in your way and so how do the characters wants and needs conflict with the outside world how do they conflict
with other characters the outside world one is pretty easy right they all conflict with the first order and poke and flicks with the lower classes of Cugini but as to the second question each of the main characters is opposed
by two others one who represents or enables their wants and one which forces them to realize what they need the protagonist is sort of caught in a tug protagonist is sort of caught in a tug of war between these two opponents po is
in conflict with Finn because of his recklessness but he doesn't force him to change his ways he scolds him but enables him as well
other hand Finn freezes him out of a leadership position entirely and shows zero tolerance for his attitude I'm not Leia Leia that's a damn sure as for Rey kylo keeps
impressing on her that she has a moral responsibility to search out her responsibility to search out her identity but the pastime kill it if you
I see only way to become what we were meant to be I'm going to find you and I'm gonna turn you to the dark side is so lonely so afraid to leave I know when
the moment comes you'll be the one to turn you'll stand with me join me objective morality and that Rey would be wise to be more identified within
wise to be more identified within herself because she saw your spirit your the detour through Cugini which hate hey I know it admittedly has some pacing
issues but is perfect on a thematic level it's the splash of water in the face that wakes ray up to what she needs to do and finally there is Finn who though he is briefly in conflict with Snoke spends most of the film in
opposition to Jonna and her ex trooper antagonists one of whom warns him about the dangers of following his selfish identitarian desires seeking a faction to define him rather than being a faction he is desperate to support as
faction he is desperate to support as these heroes have become Jonna is Finn's these heroes have become Jonna is Finn's character brought to absolution so by the way if you're wondering why Chewbacca or NIM nub or Zuri bliss or
whoever wasn't in this movie more this is why these ten characters encompass the entirety of the moral framework of the story everyone else is a prop a plot the story everyone else is a prop a plot pusher or a meme part three change our
final questions are essentially how does this character change and what impact does that change have on everyone else well they all do what they need to do Finn confronts his need for identity in the trilogy by being dominated through
institution he chooses to abandon one only to listen to awful influences in his life adopting another setting him up to realize his failure and through the completion of his arc he accepts that the institution he needed was in himself
the institution he needed was in himself the whole time not fighting what we hate Stephen what we love go without us take this entire ship down as roses sophistry is debunked Finn realizes it was there
all along he didn't need to join any institution to become a better man to institution to become a better man to discover his identity Rey has been searching for a concrete identity only to now be free of the chains of
unimportance nothingness and villainy her need was to craft her own identity her need was to craft her own identity and become the woman she always was a and become the woman she always was a Skywalker Poe has three conflicting
identities sourced directly from how others see him throughout the trilogy he is the heroic rogue the reckless glory seeker and the drug-dealing degenerate his need is not to choose one of these identities but to own the truth he is
all three the rogue glory-seeking reckless drug-dealing degenerate hero and only in accepting that he can both symbolically and literally replace Princess Leia as commander of the resistance forces kylo Ren begins the
trilogy with a want as a dark shadow of Vader you started
only to become a cowardly failure in the last Jedi and upon realizing his identity was in direct conflict with Palpatine he was adamant despite sexual confusion that he could own the identity this entire trilogy
wanted for him Benjamin solo Organa the hero that the meta solo Organa the hero that the meta identity for Star Wars needed a perfect identity for Star Wars needed a perfect combination of old and new breathing the
literal life into the future as it passes into legend it was incredible and as I said this theme applies to these sub villains Huck's grapples with his
former want being a white supremacist youth and he comes to realize that racism is not a viable pathway forcing him to become a hero by releasing the
protagonist person of color his need for identity overcame his need to hurt black people and if you have a problem with this then I don't care having Nazis
unsubscribed from my channel is one of the best feelings on this platform [ __ ] Trump an important note is that Finn grows through his conflict with Finn and his actions provide an opportunity for Finn to enter into his inner identity
crisis kylos descent into villainy pushes rey into an identity rien ISM that forces her to act she rescues the remaining Skywalker's from the shame and disgust that Luke brought upon the family name this is capitalism
corrupting identity and to address many of the angry fans being unhappy with the Rey Palpatine reveal I think you need to understand that this was exactly where Ryan's story was heading the issue is that many fans had irrational
preconceived notions of who Ray was and they couldn't understand the idea that this is who she actually was from the beginning Ray never belonged to
from the beginning Ray never belonged to anyone and to act that way is childish that's what this story is trying to tell you subverting expectations is something that JJ Abrams has always been a master at I know what I have to do but I don't
know if I strength to do it we probably yes he uses it to tell us that the world is uncertain of the pains and pleasures we experience similarly kylo had grown in the last Jedi only to flounder in the final
scenes his veneer was cracking so naturally he reforged the helmet to represent his attempt at getting back to what he knew supporting Rian Johnson's ideas directly when kylo is forced to be defined by his
immature nature or to become a hero that Rey always saw and loved within him he once again destroys the mask it's masterful and it's foreshadowed
thoroughly Rey's lightsaber being broken represented the schism between light and represented the schism between light and dark between her lineage and her nature the repairs made to the lightsaber represent the wonderful scene at the end
of the last Jedi in which Leia tells her that even though the blade is in two pieces it's all they need in order to begin anew we have everything renewed
everything we understand about power and the acidic nature of shadows in identity each character isn't isolated each plotline affects the others especially when the characters fail and in answering all of the questions for each
character in the foundation of storytelling the rise of skywalker tells complete narratives and not just for these three characters but for Luke Huck's pride Neum nub goron bisque and kylo Ren
that's more dynamic characters as in more characters who undergo a change more characters who undergo a change more meaningful and significant than in any other Star Wars media but nothing I said so far is an argument for the film
being great even though I personally think it is those are arguments for the think it is those are arguments for the rise of Skywalker being competent for it having a rock-solid dramatic foundation it's an argument for its strength in
it's an argument for its strength in quality its greatness and you have to you angry despite being fictional and being intended for children the rise of Skywalker's should be
applauded for resisting the temptation to indulge its audience with fanservice callbacks and references for telling a real story that questions the themes and
ideas of the previous films instead of just pandering to us it took Rian Johnson's masterpiece and moved every last idea of his forward just like he
did with JJ in the first place Luke needed to be punished for his mistakes rose needed recognition as a destructive influence kylo needed to fall in love hold OHS maneuver was cowardice Rey
needed identity Finn needed to sacrifice himself once again and poe needed to be reckless once again but most of all our characters and this saga and did identity this trilogy was perhaps the most intensive and bold thematic
undercurrent of the modern age of cinematic filmmaking language JJ Abrams looked at Rian Johnson's incredibly detailed and honest understanding of the human experience and he asked the question what if only to answer that
question in not just the most meaningful Star Wars film but the most incredible in terms of action pacing legitimate theming lighting real cinematography and
specialized effects screenplay nuance and acting the rise of Skywalker may not be the film you wanted but it is the movie this franchise and its audience
movie this franchise and its audience needed and that is how to achieve an needed and that is how to achieve an exploration in identity thank you for learning how to write stories with me and if you disagree remember that
everyone has the right to an opinion but to spread videos online that hate and are spiteful toward the people who work really hard on these projects well I think that's sad and you're taking joy out of the world I'll see you next
out of the world I'll see you next episode folks rage shadow legends episode folks rage shadow legends you of a leadership position position position the [ __ ]