From the very beginning, the sweeping saga of Star Wars has focused on relationships in all their forms: romantic, familial, friendly, antagonizing, and more. As much as the series has been driven by action and adventure, it has always been richly based in characters and their desires, too - for better or for worse.
Across three trilogies so far, as well as two standalone films, Star Wars has introduced fans everywhere to key relationships that have been met with varying degrees of enthusiasm. Uncompromising in its commitment to stories about love, redemption, and hope, Star Wars is a series filled with loves both old and new. As is always the case, though, not all romances, duos and friendships have been received well by the saga's fans.
Fans Were Behind: Lando and L3-37
Arguably one of the most innovative relationships in the entirety of the Star Wars saga, the bond between Lando Calrissian and his faithful droid L3-37 is one that took viewers by surprise in Solo: A Star Wars Story.
The movie frankly discussed the potential of a romantic relationship between them, even if L3 dismissed the idea of it out of hand due to Lando's nature. After the tragic loss of L3 during a key battle in the film, Lando appeared almost irreparably shaken in her absence, going on to incorporate her central system into the Millennium Falcon to ensure her legacy would continue.
Fans Rejected: Luke and Leia
Star Wars might be a lot of things, but Game of Thrones it certainly is not. That's why, of course, the brief romantic text explored between Luke Skywalker and Leia Organa never sat well with fans during the original trilogy of films.
It's entirely possible that it wasn't yet completely decided upon, during the production of A New Hope and Empire Strikes Back, that Luke and Leia would eventually be revealed as twins during the final act of Return of the Jedi. But that doesn't make their flirtation, or their kiss, any more comfortable.
Fans Were Behind: Finn and Poe
From the moment Finn (then known as FN-2187) and hotshot Resistance pilot Poe Dameron shared the screen in The Force Awakens, fans have been clamoring for more of this now iconic duo.
Whether fans have been invested in FinnPoe or Stormpilot in a platonic or romantic sense, it's clear that the bond between these two has been a real crowd pleaser, no matter how little screentime they've actually shared. This dynamic duo helped to endear a whole new generation to the series.
Fans Were Behind: Finn and Rose
From the moment Finn and Rose Tico met in the first act of The Last Jedi, it was clear that fans were witnessing the introduction of a very important storyline. The duo met at incredibly key moments in both of their lives: Rose was reeling from the tragic, heroic death of her big sister, Paige, and Finn was having a crisis of faith as he considered abandoning the Resistance.
Through their adventure in Canto Bight, and their heroic efforts during the battle on Crait, Finn and Rose more than proved their compatibility, especially when Rose nearly sacrificed it all to save Finn, before kissing him.
Fans Rejected: Jyn and Cassian
Rogue One: A Star Wars Story is perhaps the rockiest of the new generation of Star Wars films, a film that suffered as a result of its limited scope and external knowledge that the characters weren't made privy to.
From the very beginning, it was clear that all of these characters would not survive their heroic mission. On the one hand, that made things all the more poignant for some of them. But on the other hand, it made the teasings of a romantic connection between Jyn and Cassian, two characters who couldn't have shared any less chemistry, all the more difficult for fans to rally around.
Fans Were Behind: Rey and Kylo Ren
The relationship that has developed between young scavenger Jedi Rey and tormented First Order leader Kylo Ren, formerly Ben Solo, has continually proven itself to be one of the most fascinating things about the sequel trilogy. Though the relationship dubbed by fans online as Reylo might be one of the more divisive in the franchise, there's no denying that the fanbase that has developed around this pairing is massive, incredibly positive, and truly a sight to behold.
These two lost souls are both struggling in similar ways - with loneliness, with their powers, and with the legacies that have been passed onto their shoulders. The Last Jedi showed that, through their Force bond connection, they have what it takes to become one of the most important relationships in all of Star Wars. Only time will tell if things go that way.
Fans Rejected: Han and Qi'ra
As with Rogue One, Solo was released with a burden of telling stories limited by existing in the past and during a very brief time frame. In the case of Han Solo's young romantic life, there was also the unenviable fact that no suggested romantic relationship would ever compare to the epic, sweeping romance between Han and Leia.
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So, when the film introduced a young love dynamic between Han and eventual villain Qi'ra, it was a loser from the get go. This relationship was one that definitely should've been condensed in editing.
Fans Were Behind: R2-D2 and C-3PO
No list of beloved Star Wars dynamics would ever feel truly complete without the franchise's true ride-or-die relationship: the epic bromance between long time droid best friends R2-D2 and C-3PO.
The two beloved droids are the longest lasting characters in the entire series; characters who have been there for it all and been at each other's sides for almost just as long. Through their "old married couple" banter and their willingness to embark on any adventure as long as they're by each others' side, it's clear that these two are the real deal and always will be.
Fans Were Behind: Han and Leia
The scoundrel and the princess. The bad boy and the good girl. Things don't get much more archetypal than that, and in the case of Star Wars' longest love story between Han Solo and Leia Organa, they truly don't get much more epic than that either.
The chemistry between Harrison Ford and Carrie Fisher is unmatched, and every scene the will-they, won't-they couple shares from A New Hope, all the way through The Force Awakens, is simply electric. It's impossible to hear even a single second of their sweeping score, or to think of the lines "I love you." "I know," without being moved in some way. These two are about as beloved as it gets.
Fans Rejected: Anakin and Padme
Chemistry is subjective, we totally get that. However, it's hard to think of a couple in recent cinematic history that has been more poorly matched in terms of believability than the one portrayed by Hayden Christensen and Natalie Portman in the prequel trilogy of films.
Anakin Skywalker and Padme Amidala are two of the most influential characters in all of Star Wars canon, but from day one, their relationship never felt real enough to care about. Its tragic ending was indeed that - truly tragic and avoidable. If the franchise had found a way to avoid their relationship altogether, and still allow the characters of Luke and Leia to exist afterward, we would have been more than okay with it.