Star Wars
Ranking the Galaxy’s 7 Best ‘Star Wars’ Couples
Even in a galaxy far, far away, romance is as plentiful as the stars.
Across the universe of Star Wars stories, the only thing that has persevered more than the Jedi are the timeless couples who managed to come together (even if for a fleeting moment) amid galactic war, inflated egos, and undeniable heartache.
The legions of diehard Star Wars fans don’t come to the theater or cue up Disney+ strictly for the love stories, but they have become the heartbeat of the franchise as it grows older. The human stories of an unrecognizable world are what keeps the stories relatable, even as they jump to hyperspeed into the cosmos.
But is there a definitive couple in the world of Star Wars? You might think you know the answer to that, but who may challenge their throne? In honor of Star Wars Day, Swooon is ranking some of the most popular couples from the Star Wars pantheon of feature films and TV series.
7. Uncle Owen & Aunt Beru
From the moment you saw the home life of Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamill) in A New Hope, it was clear the boy grew up with a solid roof over his head. Over the years, the franchise has returned to the cozy embrace of Uncle Owen and Aunt Beru’s home on Tatooine because it was so formative for Luke. It wasn’t a home without strife, as Owen (knowing the dangers of the Force and Luke’s real father) pushed back on his time with Obi-Wan Kenobi in the original films and the series. But it came from a place of love, something Owen and Beru gave Luke enough of to inspire him to fight to protect people just like them. Looking back now, the deaths of Owen and Beru so callously in A New Hope feel especially tragic given the time we have since spent with them in the prequel trilogy and the Obi-Wan Kenobi series (when they were played by Joel Egerton and Bonnie Piesse). So their love may have ended in flames, but Owen and Beru’s love set an example for Luke that would leave its mark.
6. Cassian Andor & Bix
This doesn’t rank higher yet because we don’t yet know what’s to come. But in true Star Wars fashion, we know it can’t be good because by the time audiences see Cassian Andor (Diego Luna) in Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, Bix (Adria Arjona) is not part of his story. That being said, we can still savor the sweet, albeit fragile relationship between two of the Empire’s most wanted while it lasts in Andor Season 2. In the opening episodes of the season, Bix experiences a traumatic incident that forever changes her (and the franchise). It leaves her in a fractured place, alongside her boyfriend who is already on edge as he tempts the Empire to the brink of war. So moments like Episode 4, when they go grocery shopping, hold a special moment in the series’ narrative. She can’t sleep, and he can’t go shopping without looking over his shoulder. But she says they need to forget all of that because “the mission is dinner.” It is a poignant peek into what domesticity and a normal life might look like in a world where our heroes aren’t trying to rescue the universe from tyranny. But alas, that’s the mantle they have chosen to take up, so we will pine for this couple until the inevitable end.
5. Bail & Breha Organa
Princess Leia’s adoptive parents have become an increasingly important thread through the recent Disney+ installments in the Star Wars saga. Originally seen in the prequel movies, Bail (Jimmy Smits) is a senator who becomes a close ally of Padmé Amidala (Natalie Portman). Along with his wife, Breha, this couple is a warm, welcoming respite from the corruption and political mindfield that is the Galactic Senate. When Padmé dies in childbirth, her daughter is given to the Organas to be raised in a loving home. The couple returned in Disney+’s Obi-Wan Kenobi series (Breha is now portrayed by Simone Kessell) and most recently, a younger Bail (played by Benjamin Bratt) popped up in Andor Season 2. Needless to say, a big part of the Leia we know and love came from the nurturing of this devoted couple. And if we learned anything from Obi-Wan Kenobi, it’s that Leia was a handful, so they were nothing short of saints.
4. Anakin Skywalker & Padmé Amidala
Listen, are they problematic? Yes. Did she first get to know him when he was a little kid? Sure. Did they have some of the most atrociously cheesy scenes in Attack of the Clones that made you wish they broke up and never built the Skywalker dynasty? Absolutely. But there is something nostalgically sweet about Anakin (Hayden Christiansen) and Padmé (Portman), if only because their love story was the only thing that kept him grounded in the final days before his turn to the dark side. It’s not great that she died in childbirth, in service of his character. But even when they were annoying lovebirds in the early stages of their romance, they were still a couple to root for. Too bad we can’t have nice things.
3. Jyn Erso & Cassian Andor
Doomed romances are kind of the signature romances in the world of Star Wars. But few have been as heartbreaking as that of Jyn Erso (Felicity Jones) and Cassian Andor (Diego Luna) in Rogue One: A Star Wars Story. Love stories aren’t this franchise’s forte, so the lack of physical intimacy between Jyn and Cassian as they try to steal the plans for the Death Star are right on par with this universe. But in the grip of war and their ill-fated reconnaissance mission, the unspoken devotion these two find for each other is remarkable. Rogue One has continued to rise in acclaim among fans and critics (especially as Andor takes its victory lap), and this subtle romance is among its greatest strengths. Right down to their tragic fates, as Jyn and Cassian die in each other’s arms, a testament to the sacrifices made by those who risked it all—including their happy ending—for the greater good of the galaxy.
2. Rey & Kylo Ren (Ben Solo)
As it was happening, Reylo was a hotly contested part of the J.J. Abrams and Rian Johnson’s legacy sequel trilogy. Did Rey (Daisy Ridley) really need to have romantic tension with the big bad Kylo Ren (Adam Driver)? Probably not. But then The Last Jedi happened. Now, some Star Wars fans loathe Johnson’s film for a number of reasons and quite frankly, they are wrong. It is easily the best of the new trilogy, and it gave us the Red Room scene. The moment when Rey and Kylo team up after killing Supreme Leader Snoke (Andy Serkis) and have to fight their way out of an army of cherry-red minions is by far the sexiest thing the franchise has ever done. The way she leans on his back to fend off attackers, her hand grabbing his thigh. The way their bodies synchronize in this fight-or-flight mode. It is like a ballet of sexual tension. And sure, they kiss in The Rise of Skywalker, but it pales in comparison to their do-or-die team up that solidified them as the new generations Romeo and Juliet. The space version, of course.
1. Han Solo & Leia Organa
Whether you are a diehard fanatic or a fair-weather fan, there’s one thing everyone can agree on: Han Solo (Harrison Ford) and Princess Leia Organa (Carrie Fisher) are the galaxy’s best couple—and it’s not just because of their ferocious chemistry or their ability to turn an “I know” into the hottest declaration of love in the universe. It’s because they were messy. Let’s not forget, she originally flirted with Luke, the man she will later find out is her brother. They butted heads like an old married couple before they even really knew each other. They only managed to grab hold of their feelings in times of great peril, be it right before he is carbon frozen or they are going into battle. The greatest loves are also the ones that take work—and barely work at all. And yet, when two people are in each other’s presence, it’s like no time has passed. They loved each other from the start and all we can say to that is, “We know.”
