Han was "merely" a hot-shot pilot. However, he knew his spacecraft and all its idiosyncrasies (and customized upgrades) intimately. He was something of a braggart, but - when his bluff was called - could actually back up most of his braggadocio with his piloting and sharpshooting skills. Nevertheless, he was not an aeronautical "god," like Rey, and we (the audience) could see that he knew that his bluster was in part just that. None of the other characters stood "in awe" of him.
Luke was a naive, over-confident, hot-headed country boy who often wouldn't listen to older, wiser, and cooler heads (not because he discounted their wisdom, but rather because he had to save his friends). His uncle catches him in a lie ("Going to Hoshi Station to get power converters - My ass!) He underwent lengthy training, during which he was frequently shown to fail - sometimes spectacularly (e.g., with Han "breaking his balls" while Luke practiced against the "remote" en route to Alderaan; failing to balance the stones and Yoda on Dagobar; his "failure in the cave;" losing a hand while duelling Vader). No one "stands in awe" of Luke; he needs Ben to "save his bacon" in the cantina; Han dismisses him, calling him "kid;" Leia asks him if he "isn't kind of short for a stormtrooper".
Leia shows genuine fear vis-à-vis Vader and Tarkin, and is emotionally devastated when Alderaan is destroyed. She needs to be rescued (but is not totally passive - rather, she soon takes charge). She is apparently unable to fly the Falcon or fire the Falcon's weaponry.
Rey almost never fails (at worst, she sometimes needs a few seconds to familiarize herself with some piece of complex machinery she has never seen before - but then she masters it). She needs two tries to master the Jedi mind-trick. Everyone she meets is in absolute awe of her within seconds - most notably Finn (well, awe mixed with puppy love), Han (who offers her a job), Maz ("Who is this girl?!"), Leia (who ignores Chewie and embraces her, a stranger).
Rey is a classic Mary Sue.
Regards,
ab you NAILED IT!!
You did such a good job of explaining why our beloved characters are NOT MSs and why rey IS, your use of verbiage and the English language ironically make YOU a MS. Up there with James West and Paladin (and the latter got his butt kicked more often than not)!
Too good to be true amigo :)
(can someone lend me a searchlight? My tongue is so embedded in my cheek it seems to have lost its way).