Top 10 Outfits of Rey Skywalker Ranked

Last week I ranked Kylo Ren/ Ben Solo’s top 10 outfits of the sequel trilogy and while that might have been completed mildly tongue in cheek, I also have genuine affection for the character. And truth is I am an even bigger fan of Rey Skywalker (which has meant a lot of internet arguments). So in the wake of the Kylo rankings, I also thought it would be fun to rank Rey’s outfits. Especially since we are in the middle of Star Wars month, just a bit after May the Fourth and a bit before Star Wars Celebration 2022.

I honestly got the idea originally as something to do for Rey. But while re-watching the sequels a few weeks ago I began to track both of their outfits and Kylo Ren’s list was finished first. Much like I said for Kylo, I think a lot of casual fans might think Rey just has one outfit (tunic vest/ arm bands) and Kylo just has one (hood/mask/cape) – but nothing could be further from the truth. There is actually a lot of variety. And Rey has arguably four or five very distinct outfits – and a few variations in each film. So here’s my list and hopefully I won’t embarrass myself.

Rey’s outfits ranked from worst to best in THE FORCE AWAKENS (TFA), THE LAST JEDI (TLJ), and THE RISE OF SKYWALKER (TROS):

10. REY WEARS POE DAMERON’S JACKET ON STARKILLER BASE (TFA)

9. “ISLAND JOURNEY” REY aka PONCHO REY (TLJ)

8. REY WEARS LUKE SKYWALKER’S HELMET (TROS)

7. REY SWADDLED IN A BLANKET AKA TOUCHING HANDS WITH KYLO REY (TLJ)

6. “STARKILLER BASE” REY (TFA)

5. “DARK SIDE VISION” REY (TROS)

4. “JEDI TRAINING” REY (TLJ)

3. “RESISTANCE OUTFIT” REY (TFA and TLJ)

2. “SCAVENGER” or “JAKKU” REY (with goggles and face covering) (TFA)

1. REY AKA JEDI KNIGHT REY (TROS)

And here are the explanations with pictures and nods to STAR WARS history explained….

10. REY WEARS POE DAMERON’S JACKET ON STARKILLER BASE (TFA)

After Rey reunites with Finn, Han and Chewie, she is seemingly wearing Finn/Poe’s jacket when she and Finn return to the base. This is after the group exits the base but decides to return to help the resistance towards the end of the second act – and just before Kylo murders Han Solo. When Rey returns to the walls of the Starkiller base, she is clearly seen wearing Poe/Finn jacket – just for a minute, and again, outside the base. Then once the two climb a big ladder and get inside, it is off again as they watch the Kylo Ren/ Han Solo confrontation. It is a real “blink and you’ll miss it” costume change. But it was always memorable to me because I hated it so much.

A deleted scene helps to explain the weird change as Finn and Rey are allegedly chased in a snow speeder and Rey is seen wearing the jacket. This leads me to believe that maybe Finn gave it to Rey in some unseen OTHER deleted scene to help her from freezing in the wind gusts that would come in an open speeder chase.

Though there is no confirmation on where in the film’s timeline that this chase takes place. It could hypothetically take place before OR after the Kylo/Han Solo confrontation. But after would honestly make less sense. First it looks like it is getting dark back at Starkiller before they exit and it is definitely dusk/sundown when Finn and Rey finally fight Kylo at the outskirts of Starkiller base before hopping on the Falcon. And second Rey has already taken the coat off when they watch the confrontation. So would she really put it on again? Yes I have thought about this coat timeline way too much.

So why would JJ Abrams and Costume Designer Michael Kaplan want to put Finn’s coat on Rey – however momentarily? I think this is done because (1): that deleted scene and it was cold and (2):  it shows that she is connected to Finn and since they were not going to kiss the writer/director wanted to subconsciously plant an opportunity for a connection via the coat inside of the audience’s head. Maybe this would set up a ship/romance in a later episode. The only problem is that this was never a ship that was going to work. And this jacket is proof of that. Because it looks ugly. I just think it is ugly as hell. Sorry.

9. “ISLAND JOURNEY” REY aka PONCHO REY (TLJ)

I termed this outfit “Island Journey” because that is what the toymakers called it on the box for all poncho-related outfits at the time of TLJ. Side note: anytime you see the “quotes” around the NAME of a costume, going forward, that comes from a toy label. I like to use the toy names for the outfits because (1) I’m still a kid at heart, yeah I collected all the sequel toys and remember these damn names fastidiously and (2) it makes the blog more searchable.

Anyway this “Island Journey” aka poncho outfit looks kind of cool. But more importantly, like most of Rian Johnson’s costume decisions for “The Last Jedi”, it is also embedded in the history of Star Wars. Here the poncho harkens to Luke Skywalker’s poncho in A NEW HOPE.

And I just really like the way it looks and also how Rey looks marching around with it and her staff. The staff gives a nice visual balance to the largeness of the poncho. I also like clothes in the Star Wars universe that actually acknowledge the weather (especially Han Solo on Hoth). 

8. REY WEARS LUKE SKYWALKER’S HELMET (TROS)

This is a little bit of a funny one. I just loved Rey wearing Luke’s helmet. There was a lot of joy in this shot and a lot of joy in this outfit. In a weird way it almost felt like Daisy’s excitement just at playing the role and being in this universe. The only reason it isn’t higher on the list is because the shot was so quick.

One other thing, I also think this is a callback to Rey in TFA when she sits and eats her meager dinner on the side of the AT-AT and puts the Rebel helmet on. And I always loved that moment, so seeing it recalled here is a nice touch.

7. REY SWADDLED IN A BLANKET AKA TOUCHING HANDS WITH KYLO REY (TLJ)

This is basically a variation of her Resistance outfit (discussed below at #2) but with no vest and a blanket. IDK why but I feel like there is a lot of emotional vulnerability and insecurity in the outfit (and Rian Johnson’s direction – specifically the lighting). Her weapons belts are removed and it is one of the few times she truly comes to Kylo in peace until their final fight at the end of TROS. This is the first time we also get a good look at her new hairstyle (also discussed below) that mimics that of the prequel-era Jedi and specifically Qui-Gon Jinn – which she will wear through the conclusion of the film.

The blanket also looks really nice and warm and comfortable and the perfect kind of blanket that will warm you up but not necessarily hold any water (something important on Ahch-To).

Also the blanket reminds me of the bonch that Luke Skywalker “wore” on Tatooine and clenched around him in A NEW HOPE. Yes I previously used this for the poncho and perhaps this is more of an acting touch than a wardrobe touch. But it is yet another example of what a big fan Rian Johnson is of the original trilogy and the episodes of Star Wars that had come before.

6. “STARKILLER BASE” REY (TFA)

This is essentially the same outfit as Rey’s outfit on Jakku with a few key differences that will be explained below when we get to the Jakku Rey outfit. Although it was packaged as two different action figures at the time of release, one was named “Jakku Rey”. Still I think those differences are key and why I would make this its own outfit even if it is technically the same one – and I think it is also one of the reasons that Disney released two different action figures. I do think there is a way that the JJ Abrams and his cinematographer lit Rey’s outfit on Starkiller base a bit differently so that she almost looks like more of a Jedi. So it looks like a new outfit – but it is not, technically.

Still this is a great outfit and the outfit and I think it is the classic Rey outfit that most people primarily associated this outfit with Rey, even after two sequels. Kind of like Luke Skywalker’s outfit from A NEW HOPE. This outfit is the short baggy pants, ¾ boots, tunic, and those iconic arm wraps going to almost her shoulder. It is a great look. Again it is almost as iconic as Michael Kaplan’s first design for Kylo, if not quite there. I think part of the problem with this outfit is that it is solid, VERY solid but not memorable and is outranked by the outfit iteration which preceded it during the film (aka “Jakku Rey”) – which will be discussed down the list.

5. “DARK SIDE VISION” REY (TROS)

This outfit is cool as hell. And I think a lot of people would rate this as #1. But it was a Jedi vision, did not exist in the actual physical reality of this Star Wars universe, and honestly, to me, felt more like a way to sell the film and create another action figure/ black series figure. Still I am not going to hate. I liked the outfit. It is cool as hell. I just wish they did something with it beyond just using it as essentially “audience bait”. But still it is so cool it makes the top 5!

4. “JEDI TRAINING” REY (TLJ)

Calling this “Jedi Training” (like the toy lines did back in 2017) is a bit of a lie. Rey never wears it when training with Luke and it only shows up once she travels to Snoke’s Star Destroyer aka the Supremacy in the third act of the film for the final confrontation with both Kylo and the Supreme Leader in his throne room. The outfit is clearly, IMO, meant to evoke the Jedi of the prequels – and specifically the padawans. Just take a look at her outfit and those of Anakin Skywalker and Obi-Wan Kenobi in the prequels:

Also, something I noticed while researching this blog that made me like the outfit even more is that she has Qui-Gon Jinn’s haircut. And you know, after writing this damn blog, I am much more in love with this look than when I first saw it in 2017 and when I first did the rankings and had this way lower. Just goes to show, again, how much thought Rian Johnson (and Michael Kaplan) put into this. But I honestly think the shout outs to the prequels make this a pretty bad-ass look. I do feel like Daisy Ridley, for whatever reason, IMO looks cooler in the flowing tunics and bright whites than when she fights in this outfit – but that is just personal preference.

And I also think this may not be the most flattering look but it is probably the most realistic as to how a badass female Jedi would want to look and, again, it is a direct shoutout to Qui-Gon Jinn, my favorite Jedi OF ALL TIME (yeah I said it). Aesthetically I think the TFA and TROS looks are superior but that is only because I am not looking at this realistically and I’m fairly sure she looks more like a Jedi would actually look with this style.

The heavy tunic, shirt, pants and boots all combine to give us a great throwback to Anakin Skywalker and Obi-Wan Kenobi of the prequels. It does look a little pirate-y if you do not have that historical context but if you do, I think it really pops.

On its own, I definitely think it is inferior to TFA and TROS outfits BUT with the historical callbacks and the love of Star Wars history that it shows, it is arguably better than both. But we’re not judging the outfit on those merits alone.

Last note, I am not a fan of the darker colors either. But I get, again, this was Rian Johnson’s color palette for this film, the color palette for Padawans, and it really pops in the final duel on Crait and when she is dueling Snoke’s Elite Praetorian Guards with Kylo in that red throne room. So that redeems it a bit.

3. “RESISTANCE OUTFIT” REY (TFA and TLJ)

This outfit is first seen at the end of TFA, after the Kylo/Rey duel on the outskirts of Starkiller base, when she has returned back to the Resistance Base on Ajan Kloss and just as she is about to leave for Ahch-To in an effort to find Luke Skywalker.

It is a more modern, more stereotypical “Star Wars” outfit, not unlike something we would see in ROGUE ONE or THE MANDALORIAN. And I think that is my problem with it. So many people have copied this style in projects since that it has gone just a tiny bit stale. You see, this used to be my favorite Rey outfit. But now I think there is less iconic value to this outfit than her Jakku or Jedi Knight outfits – or arguably even her Jedi Training outfit which might eventually overtake this one at 3. Still I like the way that this outfit takes from the classic “Jakku” aka “Starkiller Base” outfit and also modernizes it (I use this word “modernizes” a bit stylistically as I am saying “modernize” within the Star Wars universe), streamlining it to something a bit more tactical and a bit more versatile to other climates, specifically for the more rainy climates of the island of Ahch-To. 

Still it also does not betray the essence of the Jakku outfit. Like I said it very deliberately evokes it. And Rey even keeps some of her belts and her ¾ inch shoes and a version of her top. In that sense, for me this is the sequel series’ version of Luke’s Bespin fatigues (seen in EMPIRE STRIKES BACK) – and an outfit that would always be my favorite from the original trilogy.

Luke’s “Bespin Fatigues” are a “modernization” of his Tatooine outfit that is more tactical but an outfit that retains that original spirit. In a way, this is a way of JJ Abrams and Michael Kaplan looking back on previous outfits like George did for the Bespin outfit. And, spoiler alert, this is something that JJ Abrams and Michael Kaplan do even better in outfit #1 at the top of the list.

So even if it has become a bit less original over time due to the proliferation of this type of wardrobe in other subsequent STAR WARS projects, I still think the outfit is better than most in THE MANDALORIAN or BOOK OF BOBA FETT in its finer details: the belts, the padding, etc…

2. “SCAVENGER” or “JAKKU” REY (with goggles and face covering) (TFA)

Look this is basically the same outfit as “Starkiller Base” Rey. But with more stuff and in the correct setting – the deserts of Jakku. And that extra stuff helps define the outfit and to elevate it. That’s why this outfit finds itself at #2. The outfit signifies the mystery and the promise of something truly great that we all felt as a collective audience watching that first teaser. This outfit also really demonstrates how the sum of all parts of an outfit truly combine into something greater than the individual components. The goggles, the hat with face covering and ear flaps. JJ Abrams are not only evoking a mystery worthy of Star Wars but all of Lucasfilm as this outfit really reminds me of Indy in the Map room in RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARK.

Have I lost it? Bringing this comparison into the discussion? Maybe but the human mind works on a subconscious level and those things that connect the dots in our brain to Raiders are on the same line as Star Wars so I think the two really hit it out of the park, evoking this other wonderful property.

Now I get that after watching three films with Rey, there is not that much mystery left. But when we first saw this look in the trailer, it burned a place in my brain along with Kylo in the snow. Who was this person: a solo? A skywalker? A human?

From a practical standpoint, I also think the goggles and earflap hat also look like someone who actually LIVES in the deserts of Jakku in ways that we really haven’t seen people dress since A NEW HOPE. The goggles are also a nice throwback to the goggles used in podracing back on tatooine – and serve the situation well when Rey hops on her speeder a few scenes after her introduction. Also thanks to this look, when we first meet Rey she looks like she could be more at home in a sand crawler than in the jedi temple on Coruscant and I love that.

1. REY AKA JEDI KNIGHT REY (TROS)

Rey really only has one outfit throughout the entirety of TROS. But it is also her most iconic outfit of the trilogy. Yes I placed another version on this list (Rey wearing Luke’s helmet) but that was a variation and a way to fill out this list. Don’t get mad at me.

Anyway, I really love this outfit. It is like Michael Kaplan took the best things that made Rey’s Scavenger/Jakku/Starkiller base outfit iconic – the flowing tunic, the baggy pants and ¾ boots and then applied them into some 1980s fantasy of what a Jedi Knight would wear. Mind you, there is no precedent in the feature film universe for this kind of outfit representing some kind of enlightened version of the Jedi. And yet – I feel that it does – better than anything that has ever come before it in any of the eight previous episodes. Yes I said it. And yes this is the mark of a truly great director in JJ Abrams (I know fighting words) and a truly inspired costume designer in Michael Kaplan.

Much like Luke’s Jedi Knight outfit back in Return of The Jedi, Michael Kaplan is playing with the audience’s expectations for what we think would be the proper wardrobe of a Jedi at the height of their powers.

As much as I respect the way Rian Johnson reached into the prequels for his own version of this outfit in Act 3 of TLJ, I think that this outfit actually does a better job representing those ideals and also looks better and is just generally more inspired. It is one beautiful outfit.

The outfit itself, like Rey’s Scavenger and Starkiller base outfit, fits the actress physically, both in terms of mannerisms and movement – and allows Daisy Ridley to showcase a tough side but also a compassionate one, the open and almost spiritual side that to me has always characterized Rey. There is a general brightening of colors from the original Jakku/Starkiller base outfit (reminiscent of the way her outfit was lit during the Starkiller base snow duel with Kylo) from a beige to an almost white. In addition to the color, the outfit is generally more form fitting, adding a hood, tighter holsters, armbands, and more form fitting pants.

Interestingly there is no name given to this outfit in either the small or larger Black Series action figures. Both action figures are labeled as just “Rey” (the only time a toy was produced where this was the case). Further, no Titan or “Big Fig” was produced. Not sure if maybe post TLJ toy companies were less excited about producing multiple variants but that is what we have.

Back in the day when RETURN OF THE JEDI came out, the Luke action figure was listed quite clearly labeled as “Jedi Knight Outfit” and I REALLY wish we got this for Rey – a “Jedi Knight Rey”. Maybe they just did not want to print “Rey Skywalker” so they didn’t print ANYTHING at all – but to me it is still a bummer that we did not get a Rey figure that is clearly labeled with a “Jedi Knight” outfit.

To me, this beautiful outfit at the top of this list looks like the new era of the Jedi (again much like Luke’s “Return of the Jedi” outfit nodded to a new era). And I hope we see it one day back in action. It took almost 40 years to see Luke’s Jedi Knight outfit return in THE MANDALORIAN. Hopefully it will not be that long till we see this outfit on Rey again on screen.