The best ‘ships of the Star Wars universe

It’s that time of year, the waning winter month in which we have come to crave — nay, expect — a Star Wars movie annually since The Force Awakens hit theaters in 2015.

In honor of The Rise of Skywalker, the conclusion of the Skywalker saga and the veritable immortality of Star Wars as a whole (if you think anything is over, we have two words: Disney Plus), we looked back on the epic romances — some imagined, some real, some regrettable — of the Star Wars universe, including non-trilogy films and even video games.

Without getting into slightly deranged territory (our specialty, so that was a challenge), here are our favorite Star Wars ‘ships.

10. Padmé Amidala and Anakin Skywalker, Attack of the Clones

Wait, don’t leave — hear us out! No romantic trope hits quite as hard as forbidden love, and Anakin’s Jedi celibacy was inevitably going to spark with his longtime crush on a royal politician. Their scenes together are so absolutely cringeworthy, the dialogue so abhorrent, that it becomes a different kind of enjoyment — the trash kind. They threw caution to the wind and stuck it to intergalactic H.R., arguing over who was more in love until his dumb ass committed genocide and then killed her. We’ll always have that stint on Naboo and “Across the Stars,” which incontestably slaps.

9. The Mandalorian and truly anyone, The Mandalorian

It’s more than likely that The Mandalorian Season 1 will end with its protagonist paired off with no one at all while he cares for his space baby, but so far he’s demonstrated chemistry with Cara Dune, Omera, Xi’an, and other Mandalorians. Knowing that it’s the ever-charming Pedro Pascal under that helmet doesn’t hurt, either. That Oberyn Martell sexual magnetism didn’t come from nowhere when he was on Game of Thrones. Here’s to more seasons of The Mandalorian and the expansion of Baby Yoda’s beautiful family.

8. Lando Calrissian and L3-37, Solo

Lando (as Donald Glover or Billy Dee Williams) could get it with just about anybody, and in Solo he appears to have an intimate relationship with droid L3-37 (Phoebe Waller-Bridge). We’re not sure where galaxy society falls on human/droid relations (or if it even cares), but L3’s fervor for social justice means she’ll never devote herself entirely to him, no matter how deep the affection runs on either side. Still, they ultimately love and respect each other in a way that no other droid or human ever has.

7. Cal Kestis and Kyle Katarn

Image: LucasArts, Respawn Entertainment

Cal Kestis and Kyle Katarn are two video game protagonists separated not only by the decades of time between their introductions to the world, but also by the cruel gash that Disney’s canon-canceling sword rent through the Star Wars universe. Both are force-sensitive, both become Jedi, both are milquetoast white males, and both know what it takes to be the leads of adventure-filled video games. That last one’s a unique experience and would be a bond stronger than most other powers in the galaxy. Their love would not only be a unification of them as people, but the unification of the current Star Wars canon and the old Star Wars canon before Disney. Just beautiful.

6. Rey and Kylo Ren, The Last Jedi

We all love a good dark side/light side romance, the type of love that, in stories like Star Wars, alleges to destroy worlds if they don’t accept it (or just for fun, if you’re Kylo). These two formed a deep connection as early as The Force Awakens (nearly two films before Rey and Poe, key points in the trilogy’s central trio, had even met), and The Last Jedi saw them spending more time force-flirting than Kylo probably spends at the gym. It’s clear they both tempt each other to unknown powers of the Force, and probably to other temptations. This duo is a clear case of kiss or kill, and The Rise of Skywalker will have to answer one way or another.

5. Leia Organa and Amilyn Holdo, The Last Jedi

The Force Awakens gave us the bittersweet reveal that Han and Leia, though they had a child and continued to care for each other for the rest of Han’s life, did not marry and sail off into the twin Tatooine sunset forever. Then, The Last Jedi introduced Laura Dern’s Admiral Holdo, whose on-screen rapport with Leia spawned a thousand other questions. Here were two women undeniably tied together professionally and personally, who have been in the Resistance together for probably decades and become close in a way that exceeds definition. At a minimum, this was a treasured relationship for both of them, right up until Holdo decided not to leave the cruiser.

4. Chirrut Îmwe and Baze Malbus, Rogue One

Rogue One spends much of its exposition assembling a motley crew of rebels, and the only two in there who know each other from before are Chirrut and Baze, who clearly have a long history. They appear as the perfect Star Wars odd couple: One devout and spiritual, who believes in The Force when it is almost nothing but a memory — the other a warrior who believes in mercenary action. They protect each other fiercely, neither leaving the other’s side, right until their final moments of fighting as the Death Star’s plans are furtively sent to Princess Leia. We’ll probably never know the past Chirrut and Baze shared before meeting Jyn Erso, but we know this was the relationship they cared to maintain right until the end.

3. Jyn Erso and Cassian Andor, Rogue One

Rogue One‘s emotional ending left us speechless, but it packed an extra emotional punch with the unrealized chemistry of Jyn and Cassian. The two vibe immensely throughout the film while never losing sight of their mission, and you know they would’ve banged it out spectacularly after an Ewok party had they survived. There’s some solace in the last shot of them together, embracing and leaning into their emotions for their last seconds of life. Wherever they are, we hope they’re happy together.

2. Poe Dameron and Finn, The Force Awakens and The Last Jedi

These two are hot commodities in the latest Skywalker trilogy, with Finn often shipped with Rey or Rose Tico and Poe shipped with literally anything that moves. But from the moment they met in the first act of The Force Awakens, StormPilot was brought gloriously into this world and fueled by everyone from the stars themselves to The Last Jedi director Rian Johnson. Remember when Poe let Finn keep his jacket? Or when he received BB-8’s missive of “Finn, naked, leaking?” No matter whom they end up with — if they survive the series — these two will always have a special history and cherished place in our hearts.

1. Leia Organa and Han Solo, The Empire Strikes Back

No ‘ship can top Star Wars’ original: The scruffy-looking nerf herder and the rebel princess-who-only-kissed-her-brother-that-one-time-it’s-fine (and to be fair, it was clearly to make Han jealous). Where so many sci-fi and fantasy epics struggle to find a compelling romance, Star Wars soars with the chemistry of Harrison Ford and Carrie Fisher, and their building, sometimes almost juvenile courtship (arguments! Teasing!) provides a respite from those titular wars and and an emotional anchor that promises to make victory even sweeter.

Kellen Beck contributed to this article.