Rey is the first woman whose journey to becoming a Jedi has been central to a “Star Wars” trilogy. How does she compare to Luke and Anakin?

A resourceful scavenger who grew up fending for herself on a desert planet, Rey is a quick-thinking mechanic, an ace pilot and a formidable warrior. Portrayed by actress Daisy Ridley, Rey is the central Force-sensitive protagonist of the “Star Wars” sequel trilogy, whose introduction in 2015’s “The Force Awakens” sparked hope that the franchise was finally moving to reflect the diversity of the real world. In advance of the film’s Friday release, we’ve taken a look at how Rey’s story so far compares to that of the heroes of the original “Star Wars” trilogy as well as the prequel films. It’s no secret that “Star Wars” has not had the best track record when it comes to its female characters. Besides the original trilogy’s standout Leia Organa, whose bravery and proficiency with a blaster set her apart from most other movie princesses, many of the franchise’s most memorable women have come from animated “Star Wars” series such as “The Clone Wars” and “Rebels.” The prequel series’ Padmé Amidala starts off as a principled political figure committed to fighting for her people, holding her own in both diplomacy and physical skirmishes.