Rogue One: A Star Wars Story isn't just the prequel to Star Wars: Episode IV, it's the story of Jyn Erso, the plucky young rebel who leads the team stealing the plans to the Death Star. And, because Rogue One is a Star Wars movie — with or without its own trilogy — it's also about family. Or, more specifically, Jyn's family. As it is, Jyn's father, Galen Erso, has been pretty well teased in trailers and promotional materials. But, Jyn's mother has been kept much more under wraps. So, just who is Jyn Erso's mother in Rogue One ?
When we first meet Jyn in Rogue One , she's been on her own since she was 15, meaning her parents either abandoned her, were taken, or died. And, while we know that her father will play a huge role in Rogue One, as one of the scientists who (unwillingly) helped create the Death Star, we don't know anything on Jyn's mother's role. Jyn's mother, Lyra Erso, is rumored to appear solely in flashbacks in Rogue One , which suggests that Lyra is no longer alive in the present timeline. Still, as with many other Star Wars characters, just because she isn't alive doesn't mean she isn't a major presence.
In a clip shown in one of the International trailers for Rogue One , Lyra is seen giving a young Jyn a crystal necklace, believed to be a Kyber crystal, commonly used to make lightsabers. "Trust the Force," Lyra tells her daughter in the clip, which then cuts to an older Jyn fiddling with the necklace she still wears. So it's clear that whatever faith in the Force Jyn has, she likely inherited from her mother. In fact, in the prequel book, Catalyst, Lyra is described as having a very meaningful relationship with the Force.
Lyra Erso found connection to the Force through a love of nature and respect for the Force that binds everything together. According to Den of Geek, Lyra enjoyed spending time in the gardens of the Jedi Temple and felt connected to the Jedi way of life, even if she wasn't as in tune with the Force herself. And she passed those beliefs down to her daughter.
Jyn's mother in Rogue One is the most powerful and tangible connection Jyn has to the Force, so even if she doesn't get a lot of screentime, don't dismiss her importance. And don't forget to thank her for birthing our new favorite Star Wars heroine.
Images: Walt Disney Pictures; vivelareysistance/tumblr
