Valentine’s Day is upon us, a time to celebrate love, consume too much chocolate, and watch sappy movies. Or, countdown the top 5 Star Wars canon couples, if that’s more your thing.
5. Reylo – Kylo Ren and Rey
The Internet has affectionately combined Rey and Kylo through several years of “shipping” (wanting two characters to get together) to form the name Reylo. I have Reylo at number 5 on my countdown for the reason that they have not been nor are officially together. They are yet to make it Facebook official, rather they choose the relationship status of “It’s Complicated.” These two characters have shared experiences and backgrounds, and have both been left disappointed by their masters. They’re lonely, but as The Last Jedi shows us, they’re not alone. They deeply need each other on some level, whether to balance the Force, redeem each other, fall in love, or some combination. As of now, we don’t know. Sure, there’s gonna be some bumps in the road if they do go the romantic route, and Kylo has a long way to go still before coming back to his role as Ben Solo, but maybe the balance of the light and dark and love is what he needs.
4. Obi-Wan Kenobi and Satine Kryze
Obi-Wan has always been a favorite character of mine. Then I watched The Clone Wars television show and became my favorite (male) character (sorry, Han). We get a glimpse of Obi-Wan’s past and experience as a padawan when we find out he formed a romantic relationship while protecting the Duchess of Mandalore during the planet’s civil war. Her name is Satine Kryze and by the way, she’s a pacifist. Years later, they are reunited several times during the course of the show, revealing that she had never stopped loving Obi-Wan and that given the word he would have left the Jedi Order for her. Now that’s commitment, something other couples on this list kinda lack. Obi-Wan and Satine’s downfall, and the reason they are at number 4 on this list, is the brevity of screentime. While they would have been great together, they both had jobs to do and they stayed in those lanes, a smart (not romantic) move. Unlike the couple next on the countdown.
3. Anakin Skywalker and Padme Amidala
Where. To. Start. Oh, these two. If you’re looking for a more conventional romance in Star Wars, look no further than Anakin and Padme. Two people, from different worlds (literally), separated by duty and war, fall in love and get hitched anyway. Don’t get me wrong, I’m a bit sappy for them. While the Clone Wars show goes deeper into their relationship in a fantastic way (really, you should watch that show. It’s on Netflix), Star Wars fans know the relationship between these two was destined to fail as soon as Anakin talked about sand. I’M KIDDING. But seriously, the idea that Anakin loves Padme so much he would disobey the Order to that extent says a lot. However, as deeply in love as they were, they had so many problems. They did the exact opposite of Obi-Wan and Satine; they chose to love despite their duties. It’s a deep love, but a selfish love. A love full of fear, as we see Anakin turn to the dark side despite Padme’s pleading. We all know it was destined to fail, but we still root for them.
2. Han and Leia
WHAT?!?! HAN AND LEIA AREN’T NUMBER ONE?!?! I know, I know, if I hadn’t written this countdown I would have been mad too. But, hear me out. Ok, first, let me be biased. I love Han and I love Leia and I love them together. I love how they fight and I love their passion. I love how Leia softens Han and Han brings out the fire in Leia. They complement each other well. It doesn’t get better than “I love you” “I know.” But then, somebody decided to make new movies and we see that the honeymoon didn’t last. There were problems with their son, Ben. Ben had two galaxy-renown parents. Big shoes to fill. As we find out more details about Ben’s early years before his turn to the dark side, we wonder where his parents were. After his turn, they separate. The problem with Han and Leia was a bit of selfishness, but different than Anakin and Padme. Leia always had a cause to fight for, and Han’s cause was himself. Their love overcame that, until trouble came and then communication went out the window. They both felt like failures, but neither were. Mistakes do not equal failure. They reconcile of course, which is beautiful and heartbreaking. Han makes the ultimate sacrifice for love for his son, and I think for Leia too. They are the marquee Star Wars couple and despite their faults (which every character and couple have), they are so beloved by millions and by me. But even they couldn’t accomplish what our number 1 couple has.
1. Kanan and Hera
If you haven’t seen the brilliant show Star Wars Rebels, turn back now and watch it…..Ok, all caught up? Good, because we need to talk about the couple that is probably the most compatible in Star Wars canon, albeit not the most iconic (that would be Han and Leia). Kanan is a former Jedi Knight and along with Hera Syndulla and the rest of the crew on Hera’s ship the Ghost, make up one of the first official Rebel cells. Hera, the Ghost’s captain and all around ace pilot, goes from vigilante to full on Rebel Alliance leader and general. These two overcome a lot during the show, but there was always something else there. They had known each other for years and are known as “space mom and dad” to pockets of the Internet because of the way they feel about each other and fact that they lead the younger members of the Ghost crew kinda like parents. As the show continues, they start to talk about a future together after the war against the Empire is over. This is why I think they are worthy of the top spot. So many couples on this list struggle with the battle for balance of emotion and love and duty. Not Kanan and Hera. Their relationship is of mutual love and respect; nothing toxic here. They still have some things to work out, but they are stronger together, in every sense of the word. Not selfish, but they understand their jobs and work together in their battle against the Empire. Star Wars is all about balance, and as of the writing of this article before Star Wars Rebels ends in a few weeks, I believe these two represent it best.
To see how Kanan and Hera, and the rest of the Ghost crew’s story pans out, catch new episodes of Star Wars Rebels final season starting February 19 at 9 EST on Disney XD.
That’s my top 5 Star Wars couples based on their relationship not on popularity. What do you
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