Star Wars as a series has been about a lot of things. It's a science fiction series, full of aliens and adventure and different planets. It's a western, with countless old-timey duels and standoffs between heroes and villains. It's a drama, full of shocking betrayals and game-changing reveals. It's a comedy, full of hilarious buddy moments.
And it's also always been a story of love in all its many forms: friendship, family, and romantic. Both the original and prequel trilogies have prominently featured romantic elements. But the sequel trilogy has so far left romance on the back burner. With one film remaining in the sequel trilogy, it's time to really start thinking about what the saga's romantic future will hold—and who our hero Rey could wind up with, if anyone at all.
Finn: They Had Foreshadowing In The Force Awakens
The bond between Rey and Finn in The Force Awakens was one of the many things that made that movie such a resounding success. While it was clearly depicted as friendship, the film also delighted in complicating matters with brief romantic suggestions.
On numerous occasions, Finn takes Rey's hand as they're running to safety. He also frequently inquires about whether she has a boyfriend. They have plenty of grand romantic moments, such as when Finn tells Rey she looked at him in a way no one ever had before, or when they tearfully reunite after Finn's desperate rescue attempt at Starkiller Base.
Kylo: They've Been Described As A Fairytale
Star Wars is many things, including, as it just so happens, a completely archetypal fairytale. The use of Joseph Campbell's Hero's Journey has been one of the most prominently discussed parts of the overarching analysis of the saga.
Keeping that fairytale theme in mind, it's interesting to note that the relationship between Rey and Kylo Ren has been explicitly referred to as a fairytale between a prince and a princess by J.J. Abrams, who will be in charge of all that happens in The Rise of Skywalker.
Finn: They've Never Been On Opposing Sides
Conflict can be a great plot device, especially when it comes to putting an unlikely romantic pairing together after the necessary development has occurred. But sometimes, it's just for the better to have two people who are fighting for the same things, and who trust each other completely, find love in each other.
The sequel trilogy wouldn't have to perform any substantive redemption arcs or address any complicated background stories in order to make a romance between Rey and Finn palatable to a general audience. There's the matter of Rose and Finn's clear romantic connection, of course, but Rey and Finn have a lengthy history fighting for the same cause that the final film could easily return to.
Kylo: They Represent Balance In The Force
One of the biggest remaining mysteries and potential storylines that Episode IX could finally wrap up is the matter of bringing balance to the Force. Anakin Skywalker was once touted as the Chosen One who would bring balance to the Force. Kylo Ren has promised to finish what his grandfather started.
So maybe, just maybe, that means bringing balance to the Force once and for all. And who better for Kylo to do just that with than the yin to his yang, Rey? Kylo Ren represents darkness with a call to the light inside, while Rey is clearly a powerful light with internal darkness. They complement each other perfectly—and could very well become a strong romantic relationship as a result.
Finn: Ridley & Boyega's Off-Screen Friendship Strengthens Their On-Screen Relationship
The presence or absence of some clearly defined connection can truly make or break the believability of an on-screen relationship. Anyone who has followed any of the press leading up to the release of The Force Awakens or The Last Jedi has undoubtedly encountered the adorable friendship between John Boyega and Daisy Ridley.
These two clearly think of one another as the best friends, even dubbing each other with the adorable nickname "peanut." They've got shared jokes that are referred to in countless interviews, and the sheer joy they feel spending time with one another clearly shines through in each scene that Rey and Finn have shared.
Kylo: Ridley & Driver Elevate Each Other's Performances
It's not just Ridley and Boyega who play off one another with amazing chemistry, however. The scenes between Adam Driver's Kylo Ren and Daisy Ridley's Rey have been some of the most thoroughly gripping in the entire sequel trilogy so far.
From their first meeting in the forests of Takodana to the famed interrogation scene and subsequent duel, and through every deeply emotional scene they shared in The Last Jedi, Driver and Ridley have shown time and again that they are actors who were simply made to work with each other.
Finn: They Care About Each Other Intensely
When The Force Awakens first began, both Rey and Finn had absolutely nothing and no one. And then they found each other, and everything changed. Though events have happened quite quickly in the world of Star Wars, it's not hard to see how strongly these two care about each other.
They risk their lives for each other on multiple occasions, including Finn's heroic sacrifice in the battle on Starkiller Base at the end of The Force Awakens. Every time they reunite, the tears and relief in their eyes are impossible to ignore. In some very real way, whether it winds up being romantic or purely platonic, these two clearly love each other.
Kylo: Enemies To Lovers Is A Classic Trope
It truly is a tale as old as time. Boy meets girl. Boy hates girl. Girl hates boy. Boy and girl are forced to work together in some way and learn more about each other. Hate turns to love. Boy and girl fall in love and live happily ever after. It was clear in The Force Awakens that there was something special lingering beneath the surface level of hate between Rey and Kylo.
The Last Jedi took that to an entirely new level, explicitly making their relationship out to be deeply rooted in the need for connection and their shared fear of loneliness. They may not have ended the film on the best of terms, but the posibilities are endless for where The Rise of Skywalker could take them.
Finn: They've Got An Amazing Friendship Foundation
As we've already said, sometimes the best romantic relationships can be born out of situations where opposites attract and find a partner in the most unexpected of places. But sometimes, friends with shared histories, traumas, jokes, and experiences can fall in love, too.
While The Last Jedi may have put their relationship on the backburner, it's clear that Finn and Rey are both always thinking of each other the entire time. They're determined to stay in contact, with Finn even considering deserting the Resistance to find Rey. When they reunite at the end of the film, they're both very different people, but that innate friendship remains as clear as day.
Kylo: They Have One Of The Most Unique Relationships In The Entire Saga
Star Wars is a universe filled with incredibly fascinating and compelling relationships, romantic or otherwise: Han and Leia, Luke and Leia, Anakin and Obi-Wan, Luke and Yoda, Obi-Wan and Qui-Gon, Anakin and Padme. All of these relationships are entirely unique, distinct and special in their own ways. But none of them compare in uniqueness and gripping dramatic potential to the relationship that The Last Jedi built between Rey and Kylo Ren.
With the use of the deeply intimate Force bond concept, which had only ever been explored in expanded universe materials, The Last Jedi practically put Rey and Kylo in a romantic relationship with each other without making it totally explicit. Their scenes were steeped in intimacy and suggestion, and as a result of their shared connection, no one else could possibly ever understand the other the way they do.