With a long and storied history ever since it burst onto the silver screen over forty years ago, Star Wars has inspired hundreds upon hundreds of ships. And not just the kind equipped with faulty hyperdrives and sassy astromech droids.
Innumerable characters occupy the Star Wars universe— from the original trilogy’s Willrow Hood, heroically evacuating with his ice cream maker, to the Shattered Empire comics’ Sosha Soruna, Queen of Naboo and awesome fighter pilot. It’s no surprise then that fans would support these characters in a plethora of creative combinations.
Although the franchise is moving in a more inclusive direction, canonically queer characters are still few and far between. The lack of representation certainly hasn’t deterred fans who enthusiastically create content for same-gender couples, even if they’re not canonical. As a result, a good portion of transformative fan work, from fan art to fan fiction, features LGBTQ couples as fan take matters of representation into their own hands.
In order to qualify for the list, the couple depicted must be non-canonical, no matter how much subtext or fanon is involved. Pairings supported by the actors don’t count towards canon either, in this case. No polyamorous relationships are included, although they remain highly popular with characters like Finn, Rey and Poe.
With further ado, here is 20 Wild Fan Redesigns Unexpected Star Wars Couples.
Poe Dameron and Rey
A popular couple inspired by The Last Jedi is Poe and Rey, also known as Damerey. Sure, they never really share a scene until the end of Episode VIII, but that doesn’t stop the fans from rooting for these two brilliant pilots, like in this sketch by Nami64.
It does make sense that the two would at least be on good terms despite their age difference, given their shared love and gift for flying. Plus, they’re two of Finn’s only friends. The two finally formally meet in The Last Jedi, so maybe they do grow closer as the Resistance regroups on the Millennium Falcon.
Besides, it wouldn’t be surprising for Poe to be fascinated by her Force sensitivity. He grew up with a Force tree in his backyard, and his mother Shara had worked with Luke Skywalker before she passed. Since it’s unlikely that Rey had access to a large variety of starships growing up, she could learn more about them from the best pilot in the Resistance.
To top it all off, Poe clearly loves BB-8, and Rey has been nothing but kind to the little astromech droid, even deciding not to trade him for rations even though she’s literally starving on Jakku. Surely that would be another thing for them to bond over.
Leia Organa and Amilyn Holdo
While no details are given, it’s clear that Leia and Amilyn have a long history together prior to the events of The Last Jedi. But they weren’t always this close, as shown in the novel Leia, Princess of Alderaan.
In fact, young Leia thinks of Amilyn as an airy weirdo with odd-colored hair when they first meet. Soon, however, Amilyn proves herself to be a trustworthy ally as Leia gets embroiled in Bail and Breha’s burgeoning rebellion against the Empire.
Sure, Leia ends up marrying Han in canon, and even has a kid with him, but Leia’s had other love interests before, so why not Amilyn? They both start off in the Apprentice Legislature, learning how to navigate galactic politics in such an unstable time, and end up in the Rebellion together. Obviously, there’s a lot of room for their friendship to grow into something romantic, like in this drawing by Sheep-in-Clouds.
Imagine the two at the helm of the Rebellion, kicking Imperial butt with their flawless hair and feminism.
Even though their hypothetical romantic relationship would have needed to end eventually because of the events of the original trilogy, they’d most likely have ended things amicably. After all, they’re both shown to be precocious and communicative as teenagers, and greet each other warmly when they’re reunited in The Last Jedi.
Obi-Wan Kenobi and Padmé Amidala
Obi-Wan and Padmé go through quite a lot of turmoil because of Anakin’s turning to the dark side, but in this drawing by Jekadoodles, they share a moment of peace and love.
Obi-Wan and Padmé do have an extensive history together, which makes it unsurprising that fans would support them and affectionately dub the relationship Obidala. They’re both fiercely dedicated maintaining peace and preventing Palpatine from implementing his dictatorship. Plus, the duo shares the dubious honor of calming Anakin down whenever he gets too fired up for his own good (and the good of the galaxy).
If anything, the responsibility could bring them a little closer together. Obi-Wan would have had to leave the Jedi Order in order to be with Padmé, but since he’s canonically willing to leave for Satine, he’d probably be willing to leave the Jedi for his and Padmé’s hypothetical relationship.
Of course, if Obi-Wan and Padmé had gotten together instead of Anakin and Padme, the fate of the galaxy would have turned out drastically different. Or maybe not.
Maybe Anakin would have been driven to the dark side anyway because of jealousy, and then there would be no Luke and Leia to help restore balance to the Force.
Han Solo and Lando Calrissian
Ah yes, Han and Lando, one of the oldest fan pairings in the franchise. Han and Lando’s mysterious shared past and easy banter in the original trilogy prompted fans to support them. On top of that, they both have roguish qualities with hearts of gold.
Ever since the release of Solo, support for this pairing has only grown.
Even as a romantic couple, Han and Lando would probably maintain their banter, poking fun at each other without drawing real blood in the way only close partners know how. Any tender moments would be shared in private, like this one by Kiddohah (although the original post seems to have been deleted).
Their chemistry is apparent from the get-go, even though they’ve teamed up solely for their personal gain. After all, Han could have easily left an injured Lando on Kessel, in the midst of a revolt. Clearly, there’s some (grudging) respect right at the beginning, with the potential to grow into a full-blown romantic relationship. Plus, we know already that Lando is pan, and that it’s hard not to fall for Han.
Of course, they’d bicker over the ownership of the Millenium Falcon as well as the story of how they met, like an old married couple.
Poe Dameron and Jessika Pava
Jessika Pava isn’t as well-known as Poe and Rey, but some superfans have latched onto her wholeheartedly, especially with her being one of the few Asian women to have speaking lines in Star Wars.
For those less acquainted with the character, Jessika is a pilot who flies with Blue Squadron, one of the squads under Poe’s command. She made her first appearance in The Force Awakens, during the Battle of Starkiller Base. Later on she also appeared in the Poe Dameron comics, among other tie-in material. Oh, and she also knows how to build reconnaissance pods.
Since both Jessika and Poe are pilots who’ve worked together in the past, it’s not surprising then that fans would begin to support the two, like in this character study by Erin Dodge.
Poe clearly trusts Jessika a great deal— when he puts together a squadron to look for Lor San Tekka, Jessika is one of the four pilots he includes in Black Squadron. Then there’s the obvious potential to bond over starships and piloting, even though Jessika isn’t nearly as popular with astromechs as Poe is, with droids actively avoiding flying with her. Maybe Jessika could learn to care for astromechs in her hypothetical relationship with Poe. After all, she flies an X-wing; meaning she has to rely on an astromech for hyperspace jumps.
Kylo Ren and Hux
Kylo Ren and General Hux are known by the pairing name Kylux, and they’ve proven to be one of the most popular dark side ships in the franchise, even though their relationship in the films has been nothing short of tempestuous.
They seem to be constantly at odds with each other, with Kylo going so far as to Force choking Hux in The Last Jedi, but the aggressiveness seems to be part of the appeal. If anything, it’s prime enemies-to-lovers material, a trope in which— as the name says— the two characters learn to love each other despite their initial mutual hatred.
In this drawing by Annicron, Kylo and Hux share a sweet moment.
Maybe after Snoke’s elimination and Kylo’s ascent to power, Kylo realizes it’s pretty lonely at the top, and turns to the one man who seems to have been by his side all along.
That said, they’ve got some serious trust issues to work through, especially since Hux does try to end Kylo’s life when the latter is temporarily incapacitated. There’s, of course, the possibility that Hux and Kylo realize that working together increases their chances of galactic domination, and they go from grudging allies to head-over-heels in love.
Darth Vader and Doctor Aphra
Another popular dark side ship is Darth Vader and Doctor Aphra. Sure, Anakin loves Padme with all his heart in the prequel trilogies, and some might argue that he loves her even as Darth Vader. But Doctor Chelli Lona Aphra and Darth Vader would definitely make a formidable and threatening match, like in this piece by Mono-Owl.
After the Battle of Yavin, Vader employs Aphra, an archaeologist, due to her impressive work upgrading Separatist security droids. It turns out that Aphra is actually a Vader fan, to boot. Their mutual respect doesn’t preclude hostility, though. Vader traps her in an airlock in an attempt to end her life, even though he’d promised to use his lightsaber should he ever choose to terminate her.
That said, Aphra is canonically gay, according to then-Marvel editor Heather Antos. Aphra has had a previous relationship with Sana Starros (which means Sana is possibly bi or pan, given her alleged marriage to Han Solo). Aphra also shares a kiss with Magna Tolvan at one point.
Despite that, some fans have expanded on her hero worship of Vader, turning her infatuation with the Sith Lord into something romantic.
Given the long history of Star Wars’ extensive world-building, it’s not hard to imagine the franchise introducing a male love interest for Aphra, which still would not invalidate her orientiation one bit.
Obi-Wan Kenobi and Asajj Ventress
For casual followers of Star Wars, the name Asajj Ventress might not ring a bell. However, she plays a pretty significant role in The Clone Wars TV series, so much so that fans have begun to put her with Obi-Wan Kenobi, despite their constantly conflicting interests.
Ventess has worn many hats throughout her life, but she’s perhaps best known as a Nightsister and an assassin for the Sith. She wasn’t always on the dark side, though: at one point she was a Padawan, who turned to the dark side because of her grief and rage over the loss of a loved one. Sound familiar?
It’s no wonder, then, that fans like Kiffyplaysdnd are fascinated by her relationship with Obi-Wan.
For starters, they’ve had some really epic lightsaber duels.
Her loyalty to herself has led her to forge some unlikely alliances. Later on, after having been betrayed and forsaken by the Sith, Ventress even saves Obi-Wan’s life from Darth Mail and his apprentice, Savage Opress. On top of that, she’s worked with Anakin Skywalker’s Padawan, Ahsoka Tano. When she loses her life, both Quinlan Vos and Obi-Wan take her body back to her homeworld of Dathomir.
Had she not passed, perhaps her compassion would have continued to grow, even to the point where she and Obi-Wan could have had a relationship together.
Rey and Rose Tico
Rey might have been deprived of a loving family as a child, but she sure is getting a lot of love from fans, who also support her with the kind-hearted and brilliant maintenance worker Rose, like this drawing by 140-96.
They don’t exactly meet each other in The Last Jedi; Rose is already knocked unconscious by the time Rey rejoins what’s left of the Resistance. Since Finn and Rey have a whole lot of catching up to do, Finn would almost certainly include Rose in his updates, especially given the large role Rose plays in the Battle of Crait.
In addition to being a Force sensitive fighter and pilot, Rey’s shown herself to be a brilliant mechanic as well, patching up the battered old Millennium Falcon in The Force Awakens. She also adores Finn, so it’s not hard to imagine that she’d feel fond towards Rose even before she wakes up, since Rose saves Finn’s life.
When (or on a more macabre note, if) Rose wakes up, she’d probably be fascinated with the Falcon’s myriad modifications, something that she and Rey could bond over.
Since Rose has lost her sister Paige and Rey has lost Han and Luke, two members of her newly acquired family, it’s also not far-fetched to think that they might grieve their losses together.
Obi-Wan Kenobi and Anakin Skywalker
Talk about star-crossed lovers. The first thing that comes to mind when picturing the relationship between Obi-Wan and Anakin might be their fateful duel on Mustafar, during which Obi-Wan says Anakin is his brother and that he loves him. They have an extensive shared history with a lot of ups and downs, ultimately culminating in Anakin/Vader ending Obi-Wan’s life, which makes this piece by Logosles feel even more bittersweet.
Even though Anakin grows to be a tad arrogant due to his extraordinary skills, he still holds Obi-Wan in high esteem throughout his career as a Jedi.
Obi-Wan has always been by Anakin’s side to guide him as Anakin trained as his Padawan, and never hesitates to give advice when Anakin eventually takes on his own Padawan. Along with Padmé, Obi-Wan is also somewhat of a calming presence to Anakin when he gets hot-headed and impulsive, talking sense into him.
It’s not that wild a notion that they might have become boyfriends, had Anakin not been lured to the dark side. They could have brought peace to the galaxy, keeping the Empire at bay. Given Anakin’s tendency to disobey protocol and adopt more unconventional tactics, they might have even reformed the Jedi Order, preventing it from becoming rigid and stuck in tradition.
Chirrut Îmwe and Baze Malbus
Spoiler alert, they both lose their lives at the end. But when Chirrut and Baze were first introduced in the anthology film Rogue One, they captured the hearts of many a fan with their relationship dynamic.
Both Chirrut and Baze are Guardians of the Whills, protectors of the Temple of the Kyber – that is, until the Empire colonized Jedha and forced them to live on the streets. Despite having lost the Temple, the two stick together.
Sure, Baze seems super reluctant to tag along with the more idealistic and upbeat Chirrut, but he follows him anyway, which suggests a really strong relationship regardless of the hardships they’ve faced.
Chirrut even says to Baze, “I don’t need luck, I have you.” He clearly wouldn’t have been so steadfast in that belief if Baze genuinely felt annoyed by him. Given Chirrut’s heart-wrenching farewell to Baze, the two obviously love each other, no matter how you interpret that love.
If they were to have a romantic relationship, it would have the dynamic of a classic bickering couple, with the cynical and jaded Baze rolling his eyes at Chirrut and his beliefs, like in this piece by Trashyscarface.
Chirrut would be the sort to cheerfully hold Baze’s hand wherever they go, and despite pretending to be disgruntled, let’s be real— Baze would secretly love the PDA.
Jessika Pava and Rey
Pilot pairings are pretty popular in the Star Wars fandom, and that includes BlueRey, the couple name for Jessika and Rey based on Jessika’s callsign, Blue Three. Just look at this piece by Dashurie, with Rey trying on Jessika’s helmet.
First off, there’s the obvious shared love for starships and flying, as well as their loyalty to the Resistance and determination to end the terror of the First Order.
Secondly, the two young women would definitely earn each other’s respect due to their fierce fighting spirit. Rey more than holds her own against Kylo Ren, and even though Jessika isn’t Force sensitive (as far as we know), she’s definitely proven herself to be a capable fighter pilot.
On top of that, they’ve both had difficult childhood traumas, and might be able to connect on that deeply personal level. Rey grew up abandoned on Jakku, having to scavenge bits and pieces in exchange for bare necessities such as food and water. Jessika, on the other hand, was captured by pirates when she was younger, along with the rest of her family. Her refusal to be tethered and controlled stems from that experience.
Plus, Jessika idolizes Luke Skywalker, and Rey would have no shortage of stories to share with her. Maybe they’d initially bond over the Millennium Falcon, with Jessika slightly awe-struck by Rey.
Luke Skywalker and Lando Calrissian
Luke Skywalker and Lando Calrissian make up another pair that has been a long-time favorite among fans, ever since Lando’s first appearance in The Empire Strikes Back in 1980. In this drawing, StitchyArts depicts Lando comforting Luke during the very end of Episode V, when all hope seems lost.
Although Luke is definitely more mild-mannered than Han, he does have quite a sharp wit, and would hold his own against Lando’s banter, making them a pretty good match. Plus, both Luke and Lando are amazing pilots, and flying would be another commonality that they could bond over. The only major dent in their relationship is Lando’s betrayal in Cloud City, but even then, Lando has more than redeemed himself, helping the crew rescue Han and even going so far as to joining the Rebellion himself.
Obviously there isn’t a whole lot preventing them from getting together romantically. On top of that, Luke wouldn’t worry about the Jedi Code’s prohibition of romantic relationship, especially not when he ignores Yoda’s instructions to stay on Dagobah anyway.
If you need more convincing, consider this: Lando is pan, and Mark Hamill himself is supportive of the idea of Luke being gay, so why not?
Obi-Wan Kenobi and Satine Kyrze
On a more wholesome yet no less tragic note, Obi-Wan is also commonly paired with Duchess Satine Kryze by fans - another prominent character in The Clone Wars, like in this drawing by Jmamante02.
She’s the leader of the New Mandalorians of Mandalore, and is close friends with Obi-Wan, who is in charge of protecting her during a civil war.
When Obi-Wan fakes his own passing, she mourns him, completely distraught because she isn’t informed of the truth.
Although they both eventually develop romantic feelings for each other, with Anakin even teasing Obi-Wan about it, they never really become a thing, especially since the Jedi Code forbids such attachments. Obi-Wan does admit that he would have left the Jedi Order if Satine had asked him to be with her. Their relationship ultimately ends tragically, though— Darth Maul attacks Satine with the Darksaber as part of his vengeance against Obi-Wan. With her final breaths, she tells Obi-Wan that she has always loved him.
Had she confessed her feelings earlier, the course of Star Wars history might have been tremendously different. Maybe things would have ended even more poorly for the Skywalkers without Obi-Wan in the Order to guide Anakin, and perhaps he wouldn’t have ended on Tatooine as young Luke begins to face his destiny. At least he and Satine might have shared some peace together.
Ahsoka Tano and Barriss Offee
Here’s yet another complicated relationship fraught with betrayals and contradictions. Barriss and Ahsoka meet as Padawans, and eventually go on missions together. It’s on those various life-risking missions that they begin to strengthen their bond together, prompting fans such as Montano-Fausto to pair them romantically.
As with any relationship in the Star Wars universe, the galactic conflict introduces many complications to Ahsoka and Barriss. In their case, Barriss frames Ahsoka for a terrorist attack on the Jedi Temple because Barriss comes to believe that the Jedi are actually fanning the flames of war. As you could imagine, that puts quite the damper on their relationship. Ahsoka eventually leaves the Jedi Order herself, feeling betrayed by the Order because of their haste in putting her on trial for a crime she didn’t commit.
Ahsoka is shaken by her friend’s betrayal, but later on agrees with some aspects of Barriss’s disillusionment, particularly the idea that both the Republic and the Jedi Order were too inflexible and locked into tradition to see clearly. If Barriss is still alive, maybe that could be the spark that reunites them on the same side of the galactic war, and they could go from reconciled friends to girlfriends.
Luke Skywalker and Wedge Antilles
Wedge Antilles is perhaps best known as Red Two - the X-wing pilot who saves Luke’s life during the Battle of Yavin, and one of only a handful of survivors. He’s also part of Rogue Squadron, flying alongside Luke during the Battle of Hoth. Since most of his appearances are in tandem with Luke, it’s really not surprising that fans like Hardxase would support the pair of pilots being together romantically.
Like the other pilot pairings mentioned in this list, Wedge and Luke would, of course, be able to bond over their shared love of flying, as well as their undying commitment to the Rebel Alliance.
Unfortunately, Wedge doesn’t appear in any of the sequel movies, so we don’t really know what has become of him. If he’s still alive during the events of The Force Awakens and The Last Jedi, he’d probably be devastated by the news of Luke’s disappearance and eventual demise, even if they’ve never been romantically involved.
Maybe Wedge and Luke had a fling between the original trilogy and the sequel trilogy.
After all, thirty years is more than enough time for a romantic relationship to blossom, especially for two men who trust each other with their lives.
Obi-Wan Kenobi and Qui-Gon Jinn
Can Star Wars couples ever avoid tragedy? Obi-Wan watches as Darth Maul takes Qui-Gon’s life on Naboo, and the young Padawan was clearly stricken with grief, cradling his master in his arms and promising to honor his final wish: to train Anakin as a Jedi.
Despite the tragedy, fans still support the couple, including Sveltexe who has sketched an intimate moment between the two me.
Obi-Wan would have left the Jedi Order in order to pursue a romantic relationship with Satine, which means he probably would have done the same to be with Qui-Gon, but Qui-Gon would have probably fought to remain a Jedi. After all, he’s disobeyed the Jedi Code when he disagrees with it, and ignores the Jedi Council’s orders when they refuse to train Anakin. As Jedi Master and Padawan, they’ve already had a few conflicts, such as Obi-Wan disagreeing when Qui-Gon let Jar Jar Binks stay with them.
If they’d become a couple, this surely would have been a central point of tension between the two, since they have such different attitudes towards the rules of the Jedi. At the end of the day, though, they would have made a good couple, challenging each other with their different world views yet ultimately having a strong bond thanks to their maturity and long history together.
Cassian Andor and Bodhi Rook
Here’s another pairing that requires some serious retconning or an alternate timeline to get a happy ending. Cassian and Bodhi both sacrifice themselves for the Rebel Alliance as they fight to retrieve the Death Star plans on Scarif. Even though audiences don’t get a whole lot of background information on the two in Rogue One, many fans have taken a liking to them, including CaptBexx.
The most obvious duo might be Jyn and Cassian, but Bodhi would also be a good match for the veteran Rebel operative. Cassian’s been embroiled in the fight against the Empire since he was six years old, doing the dirty work that is required of such a grand operation.
Although he might’ve been wary of Bodhi at first, it’s clear that Cassian quickly learns to trust him over the course of Rogue One.
Not only that, he might even admire Bodhi’s courage to defect from the Empire, even though Bodhi comes off as anxious and jittery. Bodhi would surely appreciate Cassian’s silent struggle with his morals, and provide a reminder to Cassian of the good that’s still left in the galaxy.
Bodhi’s relationship with K-2SO would also be worth exploring. The droid might sting Bodhi with his cynicism and sarcasm, but would ultimately learn to regard him as a friend like Cassian.
Finn and Poe Dameron
No list of Star Wars couples would be complete without mentioning the daring escape from Starkiller Base that launched a thousand ships. While Finn and Poe, also dubbed Stormpilot, is one of the best known pairings thanks to the vocal support of fans and actors alike, nobody really saw it coming leading up to the release of The Force Awakens.
They trust each other instantly, working in tandem to escape the First Order, even though they barely know each other. They run across the tarmac on D’Qar when they realize the other person is still alive despite their crash on Jakku. Poe bites his lip and tells Finn to keep his jacket because it suits him. There’s that period drama ballroom scene type shot as the Resistance gears up for the final battle.
Although the creative team probably didn’t intend to set Finn and Poe up as a romantic couple, they sure provided ample inspiration to spark the pairing.
Tender, happy moments, like this one depicted by TwinkOnTheBrink, might be few and far between due to the galaxy being at war and all. Still, the constant threat of the Empire never stopped Han and Leia from getting together, so maybe these boys will find a moment to breathe and connect in the aftermath of the Battle of Crait.
Luke Skywalker and Han Solo
Last but not least, there’s Luke and Han, two of the original trio from all the way back in 1977. There were notoriously intense wars between Han/Leia and Luke/Leia fans before Luke and Leia’s shared parentage was revealed. While the Luke and Han War waged on, some fans saw Luke and Han as a romantic pair instead, and the ship has lived on over forty years later, in works such as this one by ProfDrLachfinger.
Han’s roguish charm works on quite a few characters in the Star Wars universe, so it’s not hard to imagine Luke falling for him romantically.
Their romance would have taken on a dynamic similar two their canonical friendship, with Han poking fun at him out of affection. Even Luke’s newfound status as a Jedi wouldn’t have stopped Han from his good-natured goading. Yet again, they’d be a formidable piloting pair, geeking out over the Millennium Falcon, perhaps even taking some romantic trips across the galaxy after their hard-won victory over the Empire.
Leia would most likely take on the role of protective sister, promising to make Han regret it if he ever broke Luke’s heart. Plus, if Han and Luke had gotten together, maybe that unfortunate kiss and subsequent revelation between the Skywalker twins wouldn’t have happened.
Do you have any other ideas for unexpected Star Wars couples? Share them with us in the comments!
