The Possibility of Rey Prana

Prana, in Sanskrit, means breath, considered a life giving force.

In TFA we heard of a King Prana.

In fairy tales the lost child who turns out to be royalty is a common trope, as is said child's marriage to another of royal blood. My interpretation is that Rey and Ben's symbolic "marriage" occurred in TFA, and a possibility of Rey Solo by marriage exists in the future.

I have made the case in prior threads that a "kiss of life" is not off the table based on three factors: SW is a fairy tale set in space, Ren is likely to atone for the murder of his father by sacrificing his life for Rey, Ren is foreshadowed to be reborn as Ben via the Rebirth of the Sun metaphor first made apparent by @FrolickingFizzgig.

Benecio del Toro's role is being kept on lockdown, and we have wondered before whether he might be playing King Prana.

This thread is for discussion of the likelihood of Rey Prana - open to evidence, leaks, rumors, and symbolism that may point in this direction.

There was also that comment by Jett Lucas, comparing Rey to Anastasia, which would seem to point to some sort of "lost royal" background for her...

My favourite topic...

I'll just post some pertinent screenshots from Google Books.



Source: Windows Into the Infinite: A Guide to the Hindu Scriptures by Barbara Powell





Source: Vastusutra Upanisad: The Essence of Form in Sacred Art


Source: The Upanishads, introduced and translated by Eknath Easwaran

Another translation of the same?

Source: The Principal Upanishads, translated and edited by Swami Nikhilananda



Source: the essay "King Prana" by H.W. Bodewitz, from Ritual, State, and History in South Asia: Essays in Honour of J.C. Heesterman

Prana is another name for "life force" or "life energy"...... it would be a very apt name for a force sensitive person....and those rathars looks like monsters created by sith alchemy like the Leviathans found in the EU who were bio-engineered by the sith during the hundred-year darkness (now canon). Leviathans were also full of rage and consumed everything in their path...maybe Prana is a force sensitive ruler and fanboy of ancient sith?

Leviathan

panki wrote:Prana is another name for "life force" or "life energy"...... it would be a very apt name for a force sensitive person....and those rathars looks like monsters created by sith alchemy like the Leviathans found in the EU who were bio-engineered by the sith during the hundred-year darkness (now canon). Leviathans were also full of rage and consumed everything in their path...maybe Prana is a force sensitive ruler and fanboy of ancient sith?

Leviathan

@panki

Thank you for the specifing Prana is energy! Isn't it also the inhale? Or is something getting lost in translation? We were taught Prana and Apana were the inhale and exhale during teacher training.

Nice thoughts on the Leviathan and Ancient Sith! This could also work for dark side origin theories.

MeadowofAshes wrote:

panki wrote:Prana is another name for "life force" or "life energy"...... it would be a very apt name for a force sensitive person....and those rathars looks like monsters created by sith alchemy like the Leviathans found in the EU who were bio-engineered by the sith during the hundred-year darkness (now canon). Leviathans were also full of rage and consumed everything in their path...maybe Prana is a force sensitive ruler and fanboy of ancient sith?

Leviathan

@panki

Thank you for the specifing Prana is energy! Isn't it also the inhale? Or is something getting lost in translation? We were taught Prana and Apana were the inhale and exhale during teacher training.

Nice thoughts on the Leviathan and Ancient Sith! This could also work for dark side origin theories.

@MeadowofAshes

I think that Prana gets used in different contexts though the meaning remains more or less constant....for instance, in the context of yoga, ayurveda and spiritual practices, Prana and Apana are 2 of the 5 vayus (or winds) in the body but the most important ones.....Prana is the wind that governs intake and gives you vitality and relates to the lungs and heart.....while Apana governs elimination functions and relates to the lower abdomen and pelvic region. So pranayama would be the regulation of this breath.

In the context of philosophy, it has a very interesting parallel to the SW mythos. Prana is the cosmic energy which is found everywhere and in everything, and is the life force. It is associated with the sun (I find this particularly interesting considering all the references to the Sun in SW). This sounds a lot like the concept of Cosmic Force which is followed by the jedi order.

Wookiepedia seems to describe King Prana as a bad character....at some subtle level, I see it as a reflection of the state of the force in the GFFA as well....the force is in a bad state and needs to be set right.

I would love Rey to have dark origins....but even grey or light side origins could work here if Prana is Rey's uncle or other relative who seized the throne that is rightfully hers and tried to have her killed.

panki wrote:

MeadowofAshes wrote:

panki wrote:Prana is another name for "life force" or "life energy"...... it would be a very apt name for a force sensitive person....and those rathars looks like monsters created by sith alchemy like the Leviathans found in the EU who were bio-engineered by the sith during the hundred-year darkness (now canon). Leviathans were also full of rage and consumed everything in their path...maybe Prana is a force sensitive ruler and fanboy of ancient sith?

Leviathan

@panki

Thank you for the specifing Prana is energy! Isn't it also the inhale? Or is something getting lost in translation? We were taught Prana and Apana were the inhale and exhale during teacher training.

Nice thoughts on the Leviathan and Ancient Sith! This could also work for dark side origin theories.

@MeadowofAshes

I think that Prana gets used in different contexts though the meaning remains more or less constant....for instance, in the context of yoga, ayurveda and spiritual practices, Prana and Apana are 2 of the 5 vayus (or winds) in the body but the most important ones.....Prana is the wind that governs intake and gives you vitality and relates to the lungs and heart.....while Apana governs elimination functions and relates to the lower abdomen and pelvic region. So pranayama would be the regulation of this breath.

In the context of philosophy, it has a very interesting parallel to the SW mythos. Prana is the cosmic energy which is found everywhere and in everything, and is the life force. It is associated with the sun (I find this particularly interesting considering all the references to the Sun in SW). This sounds a lot like the concept of Cosmic Force which is followed by the jedi order.

Wookiepedia seems to describe King Prana as a bad character....at some subtle level, I see it as a reflection of the state of the force in the GFFA as well....the force is in a bad state and needs to be set right.

I would love Rey to have dark origins....but even grey or light side origins could work here if Prana is Rey's uncle or other relative who seized the throne that is rightfully hers and tried to have her killed.

@panki

It might also be that Prana isn't evil, as such, but more of a parallel to Kylo - a king under an evil influence. Like Théoden for example. After all, all we know about Prana thus far is that he's supposed to be somehow intimidating, and he collects animals...

What I find intriguing about Prana is that so far we know him only through his rathtars, which is a pretty violent association. On the other hand, like I've joked before, the rathtars are some of the most blatant vagina dentata monsters I've ever seen... If Prana does turn out to be important, I'd be curious to know if this symbolic associations with feminine monstrosity (wild, uncontrollable, man-devouring, emasculating) is a metaphor for something. Even the name of the Trillia massacre sounds feminine - it can't have escaped their notice that it's reminiscent of Trillian from The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy.

Darth Dingbat wrote:

panki wrote:

MeadowofAshes wrote:

panki wrote:Prana is another name for "life force" or "life energy"...... it would be a very apt name for a force sensitive person....and those rathars looks like monsters created by sith alchemy like the Leviathans found in the EU who were bio-engineered by the sith during the hundred-year darkness (now canon). Leviathans were also full of rage and consumed everything in their path...maybe Prana is a force sensitive ruler and fanboy of ancient sith?

Leviathan

@panki

Thank you for the specifing Prana is energy! Isn't it also the inhale? Or is something getting lost in translation? We were taught Prana and Apana were the inhale and exhale during teacher training.

Nice thoughts on the Leviathan and Ancient Sith! This could also work for dark side origin theories.

@MeadowofAshes

I think that Prana gets used in different contexts though the meaning remains more or less constant....for instance, in the context of yoga, ayurveda and spiritual practices, Prana and Apana are 2 of the 5 vayus (or winds) in the body but the most important ones.....Prana is the wind that governs intake and gives you vitality and relates to the lungs and heart.....while Apana governs elimination functions and relates to the lower abdomen and pelvic region. So pranayama would be the regulation of this breath.

In the context of philosophy, it has a very interesting parallel to the SW mythos. Prana is the cosmic energy which is found everywhere and in everything, and is the life force. It is associated with the sun (I find this particularly interesting considering all the references to the Sun in SW). This sounds a lot like the concept of Cosmic Force which is followed by the jedi order.

Wookiepedia seems to describe King Prana as a bad character....at some subtle level, I see it as a reflection of the state of the force in the GFFA as well....the force is in a bad state and needs to be set right.

I would love Rey to have dark origins....but even grey or light side origins could work here if Prana is Rey's uncle or other relative who seized the throne that is rightfully hers and tried to have her killed.

@panki

It might also be that Prana isn't evil, as such, but more of a parallel to Kylo - a king under an evil influence. Like Théoden for example. After all, all we know about Prana thus far is that he's supposed to be somehow intimidating, and he collects animals...

What I find intriguing about Prana is that so far we know him only through his rathtars, which is a pretty violent association. On the other hand, like I've joked before, the rathtars are some of the most blatant vagina dentata monsters I've ever seen... If Prana does turn out to be important, I'd be curious to know if this symbolic associations with feminine monstrosity (wild, uncontrollable, man-devouring, emasculating) is a metaphor for something. Even the name of the Trillia massacre sounds feminine - it can't have escaped their notice that it's reminiscent of Trillian from The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy.

@Darth Dingbat

I don't think King Prana sounds like a victim type. The SW Databank mentions that decadent collectors sought exotic pets like rathars for their menageries and in that context they mentioned King Prana. Also, the TFA Visual Dictionary describes him as "pompous and conceited" and talks about his long standing feud with regent Solculvis. He sounds like one of those evil potentates to me.

I see him as a sith fanboy or a financier of the FO...anyone who is ready to blow up money on creatures like rathars is capable of financing other illegal activities as well.

Also, the rathars have blisters all over their bodies. In the EU, leviathans had similar blisters where they stored the life force of their victims after consuming them. This makes me wonder if the Trilia massacre is linked to the Hundred-year Darkness where jedi and sith fought and the sith used leviathans to destroy jedi.

panki wrote:

Darth Dingbat wrote:

panki wrote:

MeadowofAshes wrote:

panki wrote:Prana is another name for "life force" or "life energy"...... it would be a very apt name for a force sensitive person....and those rathars looks like monsters created by sith alchemy like the Leviathans found in the EU who were bio-engineered by the sith during the hundred-year darkness (now canon). Leviathans were also full of rage and consumed everything in their path...maybe Prana is a force sensitive ruler and fanboy of ancient sith?

Leviathan

@panki

Thank you for the specifing Prana is energy! Isn't it also the inhale? Or is something getting lost in translation? We were taught Prana and Apana were the inhale and exhale during teacher training.

Nice thoughts on the Leviathan and Ancient Sith! This could also work for dark side origin theories.

@MeadowofAshes

I think that Prana gets used in different contexts though the meaning remains more or less constant....for instance, in the context of yoga, ayurveda and spiritual practices, Prana and Apana are 2 of the 5 vayus (or winds) in the body but the most important ones.....Prana is the wind that governs intake and gives you vitality and relates to the lungs and heart.....while Apana governs elimination functions and relates to the lower abdomen and pelvic region. So pranayama would be the regulation of this breath.

In the context of philosophy, it has a very interesting parallel to the SW mythos. Prana is the cosmic energy which is found everywhere and in everything, and is the life force. It is associated with the sun (I find this particularly interesting considering all the references to the Sun in SW). This sounds a lot like the concept of Cosmic Force which is followed by the jedi order.

Wookiepedia seems to describe King Prana as a bad character....at some subtle level, I see it as a reflection of the state of the force in the GFFA as well....the force is in a bad state and needs to be set right.

I would love Rey to have dark origins....but even grey or light side origins could work here if Prana is Rey's uncle or other relative who seized the throne that is rightfully hers and tried to have her killed.

@panki

It might also be that Prana isn't evil, as such, but more of a parallel to Kylo - a king under an evil influence. Like Théoden for example. After all, all we know about Prana thus far is that he's supposed to be somehow intimidating, and he collects animals...

What I find intriguing about Prana is that so far we know him only through his rathtars, which is a pretty violent association. On the other hand, like I've joked before, the rathtars are some of the most blatant vagina dentata monsters I've ever seen... If Prana does turn out to be important, I'd be curious to know if this symbolic associations with feminine monstrosity (wild, uncontrollable, man-devouring, emasculating) is a metaphor for something. Even the name of the Trillia massacre sounds feminine - it can't have escaped their notice that it's reminiscent of Trillian from The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy.

@Darth Dingbat

I don't think King Prana is a victim type. The SW Databank mentions that decadent collectors sought exotic pets like rathars for their menageries and in that context they mentioned King Prana. Also, the TFA Visual Dictionary describes him as "pompous and conceited" and talks about his long standing feud with regent Solculvis.

I see him as a sith fanboy or a financier of the FO...anyone who is ready to blow up money on creatures like rathars is capable of financing other illegal activities as well.

Also, the rathars have blisters all over their bodies. In the EU, leviathans had similar blisters where they stored the life force of their victims after consuming them. This makes me wonder if the Trilia massacre is linked to the Hundred-year Darkness where jedi and sith fought and the sith used leviathans to destroy jedi.

@panki

Good points. I agree, it is indeed more likely - and I forgot about that "pompous and conceited" line...

I stil think the Dubrovnik planet's black-and-white-clad elite are indeed a sort of "Space Bilderberg" (in the conspiracy theory sense) who finance the FO and possibly participate in whatever cult Snoke leads.

I confess I often wonder what would the story be if King Prana were Rey's father. Would the mother have run away from him - or even been killed? Would the mother be a "monstrous female", symbolised by those rathtars he wanted to possess? Would Laura Dern be the mother - would they both be evil? Or would we instead get an evil stepmother in Dern?

I swear I'm not married to the Prana theory, it's just my favourite line of speculation. Plus, it leaves all avenues open when it comes to grandparents.

I mean, if you think about it, if King Prana were the father, the mother could be a Mandalorian princess, or a Dathomirian witch (Jacen and Tenel Ka, ohoy!), or a Dooku, or even a Palpatine - which would probably be the ultimate trophy wife for a pompous and conceited monarch.

Or we could get a version of the EU Onderon, with an ancient Dark Side bloodline.

JUST THINK OF THE POSSIBILITIES, PEOPLE.

*clutches her Prana amulet*

(seriously, I bought a necklace just because it was called "Prana")

I would love the possibility of this theory coming true! Rey Prana. It's also along the lines of what I call The Rocky Principle; hero comes from squalor-esque, humble beginnings, and doubts self-worth due to abandonment, but perseveres anyway, and discovers a greatness within. It's a very powerful ideal, because though it's a basic fairy tale, it has happened to people and audiences eat it up.

Only in this case it would be royalty coupled with greatness... not to mention if Rey and Kylo do start to share a mutual attraction down the line, it would also give him some excellent ammunition for a decent Princess/Your Highness/Your Grace nickname for her. I love the concept inherent in Rey discovering she's actually royalty, even if it's DS royalty, after fixing the idiom in her mind that she's nobody. There's a nice poetic justice in that, and it would really up the cards for her story line.

In one of the Celebration interviews, sorry, forgot each one, Daisy said clearly that Rey's father is Jabba! Again!

So... of course she might be kidding, or she might be lying and saying the truth at the same time.  

MeadowofAshes wrote:Prana, in Sanskrit, means breath, considered a life giving force.

In TFA we heard of a King Prana.

In fairy tales the lost child who turns out to be royalty is a common trope, as is said child's marriage to another of royal blood. My interpretation is that Rey and Ben's symbolic "marriage" occurred in TFA, and a possibility of Rey Solo by marriage exists in the future.

I have made the case in prior threads that a "kiss of life" is not off the table based on three factors: SW is a fairy tale set in space, Ren is likely to atone for the murder of his father by sacrificing his life for Rey, Ren is foreshadowed to be reborn as Ben via the Rebirth of the Sun metaphor first made apparent by @FrolickingFizzgig.

Benecio del Toro's role is being kept on lockdown, and we have wondered before whether he might be playing King Prana.

This thread is for discussion of the likelihood of Rey Prana - open to evidence, leaks, rumors, and symbolism that may point in this direction.

@MeadowofAshes

Everything in this thread is so interesting! But remind me, when & under what context do we hear about King Prana in TFA? In the movie or in the novelization? I don't remember him being mentioned.

@SheLitaFire We hear about him exactly once by name in the TFA film. Han says he was acquiring rathtars for King Prana and got sidetracked. One of those "his name means life force/breath so why mention him by that name at all if he's insignificant?" things to me.

MeadowofAshes wrote:@SheLitaFire We hear about him exactly once by name in the TFA film. Han says he was acquiring rarhtars for King Prana and got sidetracked. One of those "his name means life force/breath so why mention him by that name at all if he's insignificant?" things to me.

@MeadowofAshes

Very interesting! Hmmm....I've wondered if Del Torro or Dern's character might be related to Rey.

SheLitAFire wrote:

MeadowofAshes wrote:@SheLitaFire We hear about him exactly once by name in the TFA film. Han says he was acquiring rarhtars for King Prana and got sidetracked. One of those "his name means life force/breath so why mention him by that name at all if he's insignificant?" things to me.

@MeadowofAshes

Very interesting! Hmmm....I've wondered if Del Torro or Dern's character might be related to Rey.

@SheLitAFire

The reason it's interesting is because Jabba, in the original Episode IV, not the special edition, is also mentioned by name by Han Solo, and he turns out as an important character later.

Prana is the same, and he's a king, and he could show up. The Dubrovnik setting looks like a kingdom, so why not?

And one of the possibilities is that Rey is some kind of lost princess, and so far there's only one king in the ST universe, so he's a contender.

But the Jabba/Prana parallel is interesting. Daisy said once, I think on Instagram, that she's Jabba's daughter. And again on Celebration she repeated it. Of course, it could mean nothing. And then of course, it could mean something.

AceofWands wrote:

SheLitAFire wrote:

MeadowofAshes wrote:@SheLitaFire We hear about him exactly once by name in the TFA film. Han says he was acquiring rarhtars for King Prana and got sidetracked. One of those "his name means life force/breath so why mention him by that name at all if he's insignificant?" things to me.

@MeadowofAshes

Very interesting! Hmmm....I've wondered if Del Torro or Dern's character might be related to Rey.

@SheLitAFire

The reason it's interesting is because Jabba, in the original Episode IV, not the special edition, is also mentioned by name by Han Solo, and he turns out as an important character later.

Prana is the same, and he's a king, and he could show up. The Dubrovnik setting looks like a kingdom, so why not?

And one of the possibilities is that Rey is some kind of lost princess, and so far there's only one king in the ST universe, so he's a contender.

But the Jabba/Prana parallel is interesting. Daisy said once, I think on Instagram, that she's Jabba's daughter. And again on Celebration she repeated it. Of course, it could mean nothing. And then of course, it could mean something.

@AceofWands

Wow. I'm just blown away at how much thought and even the smallest nuances the writers and filmmakers put into this (other movies/sagas too!). I mean, I guess that's what makes a good, mature story and good writing, but wow. You all are amazing for catching these things too. I've never read any of the SW universe books, so I know my knowledge is very limited, I've just been a fan since I was a little girl. I thought the first time Daisy made that joke that she was just being silly and commenting on her appearance or something (I remember the pic on instagram and can't remember if she was intentionally trying to make an unflattering face or what) but if she's made this joke twice now...hmmm....in the words of Alice curiouser and curiouser.
Still leaves the question as to why she was dropped off or left on Jakku? I wonder if whoever knew her as a kid knew she was force sensitive and wanted to hide her? Thor Skywalker on youtube has a couple of interesting videos about the role Jakku plays itself and Rey on Jakku too.

Someone please remind me because I don't own the version of TFA that has JJ commentary. JJ definitely compared Kylo's looks to that of a prince. Didn't he also compare Rey to a princess with the castle and whatnot?

@MeadowofAshes

yes, I believe it was when she was running from Maz's castle outside (down the steps, arial shot) and out into the forest (where Kylo conveniently finds her)

I'd say that commentary lends credence to the idea of Rey as a lost princess, as @AceofWands brought up.

MeadowofAshes wrote:Someone please remind me because I don't own the version of TFA that has JJ commentary. JJ definitely compared Kylo's looks to that of a prince. Didn't he also compare Rey to a princess with the castle and whatnot?

@MeadowofAshes

I don't have that version either, but yes - here's the relevant bit:

"This whole location of Maz's, of course, mirrors the cantina from A New Hope, as this, Starkiller Base, mirrors the Death Star. These were the kind of locations that felt like a given in Star Wars. For example, we looked at it like a Western, or a fairytale. What are the elements you're going to see that makes it this genre, this specific genre? And clearly, in a Western, you're going to have the dusty Main Street, the saloon. You're gonna have cowboys, you're gonna have the bad guy. He's probably going to be dressed in black.

"You're probably going to have a castle and a prince and a princess, if you're looking at a fairytale. We wanted to have these fundamental, not cosmetic, but prerequisite elements, these locations in which we can set our new story and our new characters."

I've been thinking about this more. It would kinda explain how Han seems to kinda know or suspect who she is if he knows her dad & a possible backstory for the Prana family (at least I felt like TFA kinda hinted at that). Like maybe he's not completely sure but as time went on he suspected knowing there was a "lost daughter"out there.