The simple explanation of why Rey is so strong. [TLJ Spoilers]

[Illidan Stormrage]

I've compared on another forum the good content we had the two years besides TPM to what we had besides TFA... The comparison put to shame the Story Group Canon. You can take any period between 1991 (the start of a monitored coherent continuity which was nothing less than the curent Story Group) and 2014, that's better than any time period since the reboot (not to mention the rehashing, like Thrawn).

The story group releases less books comics and video games because it is trying to keep a straightfoward canonity

[taupin121]

The story group releases less books comics and video games because it is trying to keep a straightfoward canonity

And to say the least it's a big failure. Nothing changed with the "new" Story Group. Also I was not talking about quantity but about quality something the new EU is lacking. Here's the list of EU content besides the first movie of a trilogy :

Legends - TMP (19 May 1999) :

Novels :
The Mandalorian Armor
Galaxy of Fear: Clones
X-Wing: Iron Fist
Young Jedi Knights: Trouble on Cloud City
Vision of the Future
Galaxy of Fear: The Hunger
Dark Forces: Jedi Knight
Slave Ship
Young Jedi Knights: Crisis at Crystal Reef
X-Wing: Solo Command
X-Wing: Isard's Revenge
Novelizations
Jedi Apprentice: The Rising Force
Jedi Apprentice: The Dark Rival
Hard Merchandise
Jedi Apprentice: The Hidden Past
X-Wing: Starfighters of Adumar
Jedi Apprentice: The Mark of the Crown
The New Jedi Order: Vector Prime
Jedi Apprentice: The Defenders of the Dead
Tales from the New Republic
Jedi Apprentice: The Uncertain Path
The New Jedi Order: Dark Tide I: Onslaught
Jedi Apprentice: The Captive Temple
Rogue Planet

Comics (one-shot/mini series) :
Dark Forces: Rebel Agent
Dark Forces: Jedi Knight
The Jabba Tape
Jedi Academy: Leviathan
Mara Jade: By the Emperor's Hand
Crimson Empire II: Council of Blood
Vader's Quest
The Bounty Hunters
Novelizations
Union
Chewbacca

Comics (ongoing) :
Republic
Tales
X-wing: Rogue Squadron

Videogames :
Star Wars: Rogue Squadron
Star Wars: X-Wing Alliance
Star Wars: Episode I: The Phantom Menace
Star Wars: Episode I Racer
Star Wars Episode I: The Gungan Frontier
Star Wars: Yoda's Challenge Activity Center
Star Wars: Pit Droids
Star Wars: Anakin's Speedway
Star Wars: Episode I Jedi Power Battles
Star Wars: Force Commander

Story Group Canon - TFA (19 December 2015) :

Novels :
Heir to the Jedi
Servants of the Empire: Rebel in the Ranks
Lords of the Sith
Dark Disciple
Servants of the Empire: Imperial Justice
Aftermath
Lost Stars
The Weapon of a Jedi: A Luke Skywalker Adventure
Smuggler's Run: A Han Solo & Chewbacca Adventure
Moving Target: A Princess Leia Adventure
A New Hope: The Princess, The Scoundrel, and the Farm Boy
The Empire Strikes Back: So You Want to be a Jedi?
Return of the Jedi: Beware the Power of the Dark Side!
Servants of the Empire: The Secret Academy
Battlefront: Twilight Company
Novelizations
Adventures in Wild Space: The Escape
Adventures in Wild Space: The Snare
Adventures in Wild Space: The Nest
Bloodline
Adventures in Wild Space: The Steal
Adventures in Wild Space: The Dark
Aftermath: Life Debt
Ahsoka
Catalyst

Comics (one-shot/mini series) :
Princess Leia
Lando
Shattered Empire
Chewbacca
Obi-Wan & Anakin
Novelizations
Han Solo

Comics (ongoing) :
Star Wars
Kanan
Darth Vader
Poe Dameron

Videogames :
Star Wars Journeys: Beginnings
Club Penguin Star Wars Rebels Takeover
Star Wars Rebels: Recon Missions
Star Wars: Uprising
Star Wars: Galaxy of Heroes
Star Wars Battlefront
Star Wars: Yoda's Jedi Training
LEGO Star Wars: The Force Awakens
Star Wars: Trials on Tatooine

TV :
Rebels Season 2
Rebels Season 3

[Slornie]

And to say the least it's a big failure. Nothing changed with the "new" Story Group. Also I was not talking about quantity but about quality something the new EU is lacking. Here's the list of EU content besides the first movie of a trilogy :

I'm not sure that's an entirely fair comparison.  Phantom Menace wasn't aligned with a newly blank slate expanded universe - most of the related media which followed that film's release was heavily influenced by or related to the previous nine years of world-building.

From a quick look at your list the only novels that don't directly rely on something that came out before TPM are the Bounty Hunter Wars trilogy and Tales from the New Republic, with the Jedi Apprentice series and Rogue Planet as tie-ins with the new movie rather like the "Journey to.." stuff Disney has done for both Force Awakens and Last Jedi.  There's a lot of young reader/young adult content in both lists (which I never read in the old EU anyway), and the games are much of a muchness for both (lots of movie tie-ins for TPM, lots of mobile/casual games for TFA).

[taupin121]

I'm not sure that's an entirely fair comparison.  Phantom Menace wasn't aligned with a newly blank slate expanded universe - most of the related media which followed that film's release was heavily influenced by or related to the previous nine years of world-building.

From a quick look at your list the only novels that don't directly rely on something that came out before TPM are the Bounty Hunter Wars trilogy and Tales from the New Republic, with the Jedi Apprentice series and Rogue Planet as tie-ins with the new movie rather like the "Journey to.." stuff Disney has done for both Force Awakens and Last Jedi.  There's a lot of young reader/young adult content in both lists (which I never read in the old EU anyway), and the games are much of a muchness for both (lots of movie tie-ins for TPM, lots of mobile/casual games for TFA).

That's the problem ! They only do complements to the movies, nothing original, nothing interesting,... It's not fair to compare good to bad but yet...

It's their choice to make it blank for creative freedom, it's their choice to not use their so-called creative freedom and always rehashing and produce unimpressive content.

[Lord Xizer]

I feel the arguments have gone a wee bit off topic on both sides.

[Guderian]

I feel the arguments have gone a wee bit off topic on both sides.

take out the "wee bit" and replace it with: "far" and i think we are coming closer ^^

Yes the Universe built around the characters does play a role in explaining their powers, but the core of the discussion (for me) was/is:
What is explained in the Movies and what not.
And before i start ranting again i will stop here ^^

[kucsidave]

The story group releases less books comics and video games because it is trying to keep a straightfoward canonity

And yet, they managed to screw up their own timeline already

take out the "wee bit" and replace it with: "far" and i think we are coming closer ^^

Yes the Universe built around the characters does play a role in explaining their powers, but the core of the discussion (for me) was/is:
What is explained in the Movies and what not.
And before i start ranting again i will stop here ^^

If you ask me, rant at your hearts content, I want to hear your oppinion.

[Lord Xizer]

And yet, they managed to screw up their own timeline already
If you ask me, rant at your hearts content, I want to hear your oppinion.

I agree lol and if I listed all my issues with Rey as a 'Character' and the films we'd be here until my retirement

[Mr.Puerto]

Personally Star Wars can never get better. And I'm not talking about it already reached its peak at legends or whatever. Star Wars as always been meh (expect for Episode 5)

[AppTRL]

Personally Star Wars can never get better. And I'm not talking about it already reached its peak at legends or whatever. Star Wars as always been meh (expect for Episode 5)

Ya...at the end of the day, Star Wars will always have the problem of writing itself into a corner. It happened with Legends and it's happening with the Disney canon too.

[Illidan Stormrage]

And yet, they managed to screw up their own timeline already
If you ask me, rant at your hearts content, I want to hear your oppinion.

Oh yeah they have and some of it is really bad.
Two Examples:
1. When visiting Tatoonie before episode 3 Vader does not sense Obi Wan. This doesnt make sense since he sensed Obi Wan's presense aboard the death star.
2. in TLJ Poe and Rey meet, but they already did in the novelization of TFA and the dialogue is the same bewteeen both connversations.

One other example: i dont want to rant about are Iden Veriso, becuase its retarded and like beating a dead horse.

[taupin121]

There's even two origin stories that tells how Leia know and visited Crait... If interested, I've heard there's a guy on Twitter who list them.

[XxNovaStarxX]

While I do think she could have been better written, Im not convinced at all that she is a political statement.

[Lord Xizer]

While I do think she could have been better written, Im not convinced at all that she is a political statement.

No of course not, she's also a marketing tool to sell merchandise to females.

[XxNovaStarxX]

No of course not, she's also a marketing tool to sell merchandise to females.

I mean, star wars characters have always been marketing tool for action figures.

[Slornie]

No of course not, she's also a marketing tool to sell merchandise to females.

Except when Force Awakens came out there was a distinct lack of Rey merchandise available, which was quite embarrassing for Disney.

[Lord Xizer]

Except when Force Awakens came out there was a distinct lack of Rey merchandise available, which was quite embarrassing for Disney.

Because at that time shiny stormtrooper and the kylo dolls were the most relatable to cash in on SW nostalgia slorn. Further since Rey is so popular among female viewers same as Daenerys is for GoT watchers as some kind of pseudo role model/proxy you'd be blind not to see the marketing to exploit that.

[Illidan Stormrage]

Because at that time shiny stormtrooper and the kylo dolls were the most relatable to cash in on SW nostalgia slorn. Further since Rey is so popular among female viewers same as Daenerys is for GoT watchers as some kind of pseudo role model/proxy you'd be blind not to see the marketing to exploit that.

Hey Lay off Daenerys. They aren't really comparable because Daenerys goes through hell and back. Also i say more people like Jon Snow because he is what people should be. People mostly like Daenerys because she is hot, ruthless, and powerful,

[Lord Xizer]

Hey Lay off Daenerys. They aren't really comparable because Daenerys goes through hell and back. Also i say more people like Jon Snow because he is what people should be. People mostly like Daenerys because she is hot, ruthless, and powerful,

Stand down Dragon, That throne belongs to Stannis. A just and qualified King. It is also his by Right.
I also didn't lay into Dany, I was drawing a parallel between people liking someone solely based on looks and general is instead of qualification.

[Illidan Stormrage]

Stand down Dragon, That throne belongs to Stannis. A just and qualified King. It is also his by Right.
I also didn't lay into Dany, I was drawing a parallel between people liking someone solely based on looks and general is instead of qualification.

While i do agree Stannis is the mannis and should have been king (he probably get shit done) i still like Dany.
And while Dany is very pretty i like more because we see her go from this weak little girl to this ruthless and fiery Targaryen with a little mercy in her heart. Whether or not she is qualified is another story.(though judging by how she ruled marreen, she be feared by the commenors, but attract plenty of suitors)

Rey on the other hand is shown to have not gone through a living hell. All she lived on was a hot planet where she worked for food. Unlike Dany she wasn't beaten, raped, almost murder, and betrayed by some of her closest allies.