Valentine’s Day in a Galaxy Far, Far Away: The Best (and Worst!) ‘Star Wars’ Romances
Ah, Valentine’s Day. A time for heart-shaped candies, mushy love songs, and — in the Star Wars universe, at least — proclamations of devotion centered around hating sand.
The iconic galaxy far, far away has had its fair share of love stories over the years; some sweet as a Whitman’s Sampler, and some… well, less so.
Here, we’re breaking down the best and worst (and neutral?) Star Wars big-screen pairings.
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BEST: Han and Leia
Obviously. They didn’t come first chronologically, but the princess and the scoundrel are the iconic Star Wars couple. Their journey from snarky semi-allies to lovers is well-wrought in romantic fiction, and for good reason: the trope never gets old. And if we’re tallying up swoon-worthy moments in the franchise, a good chunk of them land in the “Han and Leia” column. From their sizzling first kiss on the Falcon, to “I love you”/”I know,” to Leia (Carrie Fisher) feeling his death through the Force, Han (Harrison Ford) and Leia’s romance has captivated generations. We’re confident it’ll melt hearts for generations to come.
WORST: Jar-Jar Binks and Queen Julia
Did you know Jar-Jar Binks (voiced by Ahmed Best) kind of, sort of, had a queen for a girlfriend? If you haven’t seen Star Wars: The Clone Wars, this is brand-new information. Yes, it’s true: one of the franchise’s most controversial characters did have a love interest. Granted, it’s played mostly for laughs and isn’t a long-standing story, but we’re still not sure we needed to see Jar-Jar Binks kiss someone. Good for him…?
BEST: Anakin Skywalker and Padme Amidala
Are they the best-written pairing in Star Wars? No, probably not. Nonetheless, theirs is the romance that kicked off the whole Skywalker saga—without them, Luke (Mark Hamill) and Leia never would’ve existed! When you set aside the whole “I hate sand” of it all, Anakin (Hayden Christensen) and Padme’s (Natalie Portman) tragic love story isn’t without redeeming aspects. The catalyst for Anakin’s fall to the dark side being his love for his wife was beautifully heartbreaking, as was Padme’s dying faith that there was still good in Darth Vader. If nothing else, “Across the Stars” is one of the most gorgeous musical themes in the franchise.
WORST: Qi'ra and Han Solo
Qi’ra (Emilia Clarke) and Han (Alden Ehrenreich) weren’t horrible, just a bit predictable. Qi’ra had the thankless position of not being Leia, which most assumed meant she’d either die during the events of Solo or vanish awkwardly between the gaps in canon. Surprisingly, she did neither. Her connection with Han went sideways when she ditched him to take command of the Crimson Dawn crime syndicate. Their romance, then, was somewhat unremarkable and doomed by the narrative—but Qi’ra remains a fascinating character. There are comics dedicated to her post-Solo story, but we sure wouldn’t say no to a Disney+ show.
NEUTRAL: Ben Solo and Rey
These two get their own category because they do deserve a place on this list, but… oh, boy. As any Star Wars fan knows, the sequels were plenty controversial. One of the most divisive aspects of those extremely divisive movies? “Reylo.” Yes, Kylo Ren (Adam Driver) did use some pretty unpleasant interrogation methods on Rey (Daisy Ridley) in the The Force Awakens, and given all the less-than-pleasant things he’d done in the pursuit of power and his explosive temper, he’s… maybe not the best hypothetical boyfriend in the galaxy. But in the end, he, like his grandfather, did return to the light—and he saved Rey’s life by sacrificing his own. They’re kind of soulmates given that they’re an ultra-rare dyad, so there’s a fateful Force poetry at work. And certain of their moments in The Last Jedi had an obvious romantic affect. They both know what it means to be alone, and they both found a sense of belonging in each other. They’re just so complicated. Rey and Kylo? No. Rey and Ben… well, as Rey herself said, she did want to take Ben’s hand.
BEST: Obi-Wan Kenobi and Satine Kryze
Oh, what could have been. Obi-Wan Kenobi (voiced by James Arnold Taylor) and Satine Kryze (voiced by Anna Graves) bonded in their younger years only to meet again during the Clone Wars when trouble arose on Mandalore. They had an obvious attraction and plenty in common—too much in common, in fact. With her ruler of Mandalore and him a Jedi, and both sworn to honor their duties and oaths, their feelings had no feasible path to survival. But that didn’t stop Satine from telling Obi-Wan she loved him… which made it even worse when she later drew her final breaths in his arms.
WORST: Perrin Fartha and Mon Mothma
Senator Mon Mothma (Genevieve O’Reilly), you deserve better. While not openly toxic like a certain other Andor couple, these two are a perfect argument against Chandrila’s antiquated custom of marrying extremely young. They don’t see eye-to-eye on much of anything, with Mon’s warmhearted nature, idealism and activism clashing severely against her husband’s laid-back selfishness. But hey, his gambling addiction came in handy as a means of conveniently explaining away her missing family funds!
BEST: Vel Sartha and Cinta Kaz
We get the sense these two are less a love story and more a breakup story, but they’re still worth mentioning. Vel’s (Faye Marsay) concern for Cinta (Varada Sethu) during and after the Aldhani heist was sweet—if only Cinta returned that affection in equal measure. It seems most of the feelings here are on Vel’s side, which leaves us wondering where these two will end up in Season 2. (Not happily ever after, probably.) While we prepare ourselves for yet another sad ending, we’ll ponder how continuously sacrificing for the Rebellion could strain what otherwise might’ve been a happy relationship.
WORST: Dedra Meero and Syril Karn
Okay, okay, Syril (Kyle Soller) and Dedra (Denise Gough) aren’t a confirmed couple (yet). But after that Sith-lightning electric scene between them in Andor’s Season 1 finale, we’re betting something happens in the second batch of episodes—if it doesn’t happen during the one-year time jump between seasons. Alas, they’re both devoted Imperials, so it’s pretty impossible to root for them. She’s a sadist who’s never more alive than when the poor Rebel she’s torturing is half dead. He’s fanatical about upholding justice and maintaining order to the point of becoming unhealthily obsessed with Dedra, and even stalking her. They’re made for each other in all the worst ways, and we can’t help but wonder how far up the ladder of cringey weirdness they’ll climb in Season 2. He’s almost certainly going to serve as her new assistant, which begs the question: what’s the ISB’s policy on workplace relationships?
BEST: Kanan and Hera
Of the Star Wars romances, these two might be the most mature and understated. Hera (voiced by Vanessa Marshall) and Kanan (voiced by Freddie Prinze Jr.) didn’t have an obvious relationship until pretty late in Star Wars: Rebels, but it was always clear they functioned as the Ghost crew’s mom and dad. With kindness in their hearts and the Rebellion on their minds, they were always there to help guide their young allies—basically, their adopted children. Hera and Kanan always made sure they were communicating well and lifting each other up during hard times. Tragically, Kanan sacrificed himself to save the Ghost crew in Rebels’ final season. But even in tragedy, there’s hope: Hera was pregnant at the time, and she later gave birth to their son.
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